Since this marks the first occasion of a previous Convergence city bidding for a second go at the hosting honor, a preface seems to be in order.

Convergence seems to have reached a potential crossroads in its evolution. What started as a small gathering of net.goths has grown into a crowd approaching a thousand. People are finding less time to catch up with old friends as they race from event to event, and are then expected to socialize in the presence of loud bands in crowded clubs. Some people are concerned that Convergence has gotten too big, losing sight of its original goals, while others think it needs to keep on growing.

Actually, we find merit in both beliefs. We genuinely believe Chicago can synthesize the old with the new and incorporate all the best aspects of Convergence. It seems a good time to reflect on the history and original intent of Convergence while at the same time looking towards its future.

Of course, we don't mean to imply that C7 should be filled with meditation and nostalgia about "the good 'ol days." Quite the contrary; C7 is the perfect time to make a concerted effort to merge the old with the new, to make an effort to consciously step back from the natural desire to expand while at the same time taking full advantage of all the things we've learned from the previous six Convergences.

In the spirit of this, the Chicago proposal is styled to include what we hope to be considered the best of both worlds. We want to provide you with plenty to do, but also want to leave you with time to visit, eat, and maybe even relax. Additionally, the Chicago bid sets the attendance cap at 900 (well below the 1200 capacity of our primary venue). Chicago ticket packages would be below $40, and we intend to bend over backwards to assist any attendees with special requests (disabled, parents, vegans, etc.)

Should Chicago win, of course there will be bands - good bands - bands we believe you'll like. We're not going to try to have monstrous-sized acts, but will instead focus on exciting, dynamic artists that are truly at the cutting edge of the goth/darkwave scene, while still giving you the breathing room you need to catch up with online friends.

con…verge
Pronunciation: kon-'verj
Function: verb
Inflected Form(s): con…verg…ence

1. to tend or move toward one point or one another : come together : MEET
2. to come together and unite in a common interest or focus

With this in mind, we hope you will read the Chicago proposal in the spirit it was written - the spirit of Convergence.

Thank You