Is anyone attending this year's Malice Domestic convention?

I expect to be there, it would be fun to meet other PBSers!

How many of you go to mystery conventions?

Aubrey

I don't know anything about this.  Of course, I've never been to a conference either!  Where is this one held?  What sorts of things does one do at this sort of event.  I know that Denver has a book show every year (or used to) but I don't know if there are any events like this.

Malice Domestic is held annually in Arlington, Va. This year's conference is May 1-3, and a slew of authors have registered to attend. The Agatha awards are presented at this convention. Here is a list of the finalists:

http://www.stopyourekillingme.com/Awards/Agatha_Awards.html

Nancy Pickard will be the guest of honor; Elaine Viets is toastmaster; and Anne Perry is slated to receive Malice's Lifetime Achievement award.

http://www.malicedomestic.org/

Mystery conferences are everywhere, here are a few:

• Bloody Words - Ottawa, Canada, June 7 - 9, 2009.
• Bouchercon - Indianapolis, IN, October 15 - 18, 2009.
• Magna Cum Murder - Muncie, Indiana, October 24 - 26, 2008.
• Killer Nashville - Nashville, TN, August 15 - 17, 2008.
• Noir Con - A conference dedicated to the celebration of Noir. Philadelphia, Pa, April 3 - 6, 2008.
• PulpFest - Columbus, OH, July 31 - August 2, 2009
• DEADLY INK Mystery Conference
  Deadly Ink is Conference for mystery buffs and mystery authors.
• Left Coast Crime
  You're encouraged go to this website to find out when the next convention will be and where. This is the same group that brought you Boucheron '97.
• Malice Domestic
  Established in 1989, Malice Domestic® is an annual convention in metropolitan Washington, D.C., saluting the traditional mystery--books best typified by the works of Agatha Christie.
• MAYHEM in the MIDLANDS
  MAYHEM in the MIDLANDS Annual Mystery Convention.
• Murder in the Grove
  The Murder in the Grove conference is for fans and writers of mystery, thriller and romantic suspense fiction. Author panels and workshops on the craft of writing will be held, plus one-on-one and group appointments with agents and editors.
• New England Crime Bake
  A conference for mystery writers and readers put on by the Mystery Writers of America/New England and New England Sisters in Crime.
• SleuthFest
  Here's a great conference put together by that numero uno organization for the crime writer - Mystery Writers of America. They feature Robert Parker as the main speaker this year, and it's being held at Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
• The Great Manhattan Mystery Conclave
  A mystery convention for writers and fans of small town mysteries.

Generally the program for these conferences consists of panel discussions by authors on some designated theme (How Do You Ensure Historical Accuracy in Your Series?) and then signing sessions where the same authors sit at tables and sign books for their fans. There's a hospitality suite with munchies and there's usually a fundraising auction of some kind, where the opportunity to bid for character names in popular series is always a winner. Lots of potential for chatting with authors, as they attend these meetings to increase their audience.