Room parties — parties hosted in someone's hotel room — are the primary places for socializing duringNorth Americancons. (Europeanfen tend to hang outdown in the bar.) Along with theconsuite, they are the best places to meet otherfans and talk ... sometimes even aboutscience fiction. For somefen, throwing or going to room parties is their major form offanac.

Most parties offer some sort of refreshment:drinks, munchies, candy, etc. Some can be quite elaborate with a theme, decorations, and fancy food. Some parties servealcohol and some don't — it's a matter of the party hosts’ inclination and local custom.

When soda orbheer is served, it will often be stored in the room'sbathtub, which has been filled with ice. Usuallyfen crowd in to sit or sprawl on the beds, and the food and drinks are served off the dresser, but hosts have been known to get creative with the furnishings. Groups and fans who feel flush may opt for a suite.

Room parties may be scattered all over the convention hotel or blocked together in one or two floors or sections of a hotel. Because elevators are often crowded at largecons, a common means of party hopping is to take the elevator to the top floor, and then walk down, listening at each level for the sounds of merry making.

Room 770 was the most famous room party infanhistory.

Concoms sometimes find it helpful to use themundane euphemism “hospitality events” when speaking of room parties to hoteliers.

Types[edit]

Many room parties are open to allconvention members and will typically be advertised at the con by partyflyers.Clubs often sponsor parties to advertise theirregional convention and publishers host promotional parties. Abid party is often a room party. Typically, door greeters check formembershipbadges and often pass outstickers to put on your badge.

However, there are also invitation-only parties held by individuals or groups for their friends; and some publishers' parties are exclusively forpros. Anyone who stumbles across such aclosed-door party may ask to be admitted, but should take a refusal graciously.

It used to be said that the proper atmosphere for afannish party was "quiet enough for conversation and bright enough to read in." Manyfen still feel that way, though dimly lit parties with blaring music or videos playing are more and more common. Those of us who got intofandom to get away from that sort of thing have trouble understanding the appeal. We would ask, but it's too loud in there for anyone to hear.