This is the story of how like-minded people working together took a one day show and turned it into an educational event. United Fan Con, Inc. has worked and will continue to work hard to produce fun educational fundraisers in order to be able to hold our larger annual event that educates people about the worlds of entertainment, science, and science fiction in a fun and safe environment.

United Fan Con began as a name for a one day Science Fiction and Comic Book Convention organized by Paul Scott Aldred with the help of volunteer staff from the US Branch of UNIT (the local Doctor Who fan-club). The event was designed to educate and entertain fans about the world of Science Fiction Media and Comics. It was held on May 23-1992 at Boston University.

In late 1993, Paul Scott Aldred, again with the help of volunteers from the US Branch of UNIT, funded two Doctor Who guests for Wishcon III in Springfield, Massachusetts. Wishcon was a Star Trek convention which raised money for the Make a Wish Foundation through its charity auctions. Following the show, K & L Productions, the convention Promotion Company founded by Joe Kindle & Tim Lubrano which backed and organized the Wishcon event, disbanded. They offered the Wishcon brand name to Paul Aldred. Paul and Tim Lubrano, formerly of K & L Productions, and many volunteers made up from other fan organization as well as attendees and local committee members made Wishcon IV and V a reality.

In 1996 the event was renamed United Fan Con. Over the years, the focus of the event has expanded and the teaching aspects grew to include an even larger number of panels and workshops, which often were lead by industry experts and exceptionally knowledgeable fans of the panel/workshop topic. This type of programming, along with the fact that we were a completely volunteer organization (no organizers were paid a salary) and the decision that any profits made would be put into planning and hosting the next annual event separated us from many other science fiction media conventions of the time.

From the very start the convention was bringing in actors who talked about how they got into the business, changes in the entertainment world, differences between the mediums of TV, radio, stage, and film, and would comment on questions brought up by attendees. Some actors spent time leading workshops to help people learn the basics of performing. Other actors were less hands-on and enjoyed discussing how being an actor/actress changed their life or made their childhood different from other kids. The events also featured artists, model, and special effects people who worked on mainly science fiction oriented productions and would discuss how their talent was used to enhance the audience’s viewing or hearing of the show, film, or stage production in question; some even held workshops to explain the tricks of the trade. Screenwriters, directors, and producers have also appeared at our event over the years to discuss their work and help run workshops where people might write a short screenplay, direct a skit, etc.

Over time the event evolved even further. The science fiction guest-list expanded; other parts of the entertainment world were becoming involved with the event. These others included, but are not limited to musicians, board- and video-gaming experts, comedians; all of whom come to educate our attendees, as well as being entertaining. Whether it was how games are made or how to improve your skills at playing or what it takes to write a script, direct a film, write a hit song, how to deliver a funny line, the best way to get your idea noticed, showing how to get the best sound of an instrument, teaching improv comedy… people have learned a lot about the entertainment world and themselves in the process.

In 2002 United Fan Con incorporated in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and became United Fan Con, Inc. a non-profit corporation dedicated to educating people regarding the trends and developments in the science fiction world, and how science fiction, media, and science are intertwined. Since the beginning, United Fan Con organizers and volunteers have worked with other groups to bring actors and educators to places where the average person can interact with and learn from them and their experience and knowledge.

Recently, our events have expanded to cover other interests for the members including anime and Kaiju and real science. We always have room to expand and will add other areas as they become part of America’s interests and popular culture. As in the past when our event changed from a few actors talking about their current work to include more and more educational panels and presentations, we are a constantly evolving and changing organization. Our first Science Guest Headliner appeared in 2008 in the person of the astronaut Story Musgrave.

Fans of a wider variety of subjects have also become involved as volunteers and staff; bringing new ideas and helping the convention evolve. United Fan Con will continue to pursue these new members and ideas in order to stay in touch with what the populace wants to know more about.

United Fan Con also helps other organizations promote, advertise, and staff their conventions. We do it in the spirit of fandom to create better harmony between all conventions including both fan-run and professional endeavors. Arisia, Creation Entertainment, Hobbystar, I-Con and CauldronCon are just a few of the groups to have enjoyed this mutually beneficial relationship with United Fan Con.

In 2008 it was decided that United Fan Con, Inc. would produce other educational events and offer our services to other groups to help promote events in which we shared common interest. Because United Fan Con will now be producing and helping with other events and because most people have only thought of our annual event as a Science Fiction event it was decided to rename the event the New England Fan Experience. As New England Fan Experience we will able to inform and educate more people in more areas of the entertainment and science worlds. At the end of 2008, United Fan Con, Inc. filed paperwork in order to change its status from a Commonwealth recognized not-for-profit entity to a federally recognized 501c3 non-profit group.

In March of 2010 United Fan Con Inc. received its non-profit 501c3 charitable status from the IRS! The status was granted as of January 5, 2009.