http://www.marssociety.org/conventions/2013

The 2012 Mars Society Poster Contest is now underway!  The winning design will be used as the primary graphic for promoting the 15th Annual International Mars Society Convention, to be held in Pasadena, California, August 3-5, 2012.

When designing posters, members and friends are asked to use the main themes of the 2012 convention: “Mars Science Laboratory rover”, “robotic exploration” and “finding life on Mars”.  The poster should seek to emphasize the critical importance of robotic research and exploration of the Red Planet as a key stepping stone to a humans-to-Mars mission within the decade.

The winner will receive free admission to all sessions of the convention in Pasadena, which will include a ticket to the main convention banquet and (tentatively) the viewing of a live broadcast of the MSL landing on the Martian surface on the evening of August 5.  [Airfare and hotel accommodations are not included.]
The deadline for submitting all poster designs is Friday, February 3, 2012 at 5:00 p.m. EST.

With regard to technical requirements for the contest, the poster size should be 11″ x 17″.  There are no restrictions on color.  If your poster is chosen, in addition to the full color poster we will need a gray-scale copy.  Posters can be submitted as a .pdf file, although it is preferred in the original format (i.e., Photoshop).

To submit your poster, please e-mail the sample to: [email protected]  Please also use this e-mail address for any questions regarding the contest and/or the submission process.

Please tell friends, students, relatives – anyone you may know in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana or within driving distance of Dallas to check out the Mars Society’s Conference from Thursday through the weekend. “Get in the car and drive over.” Single day tickets are available; events run from early morning thru parties late into the night.

Attending can be less expensive than everyday costs of staying home: student discounts are available; free brunch will be served; a lounge area will serve snacks and hold evening parties – crash in the lobby, your car, or a friend’s room.  Ask relatives and friends to donate air miles; take a bus or shuttle from the airport to the hotel. Put your brain at the conference and enjoy sharing ideas about Humans to Mars.

THE MARS SOCIETY INVITES YOU to attend the 14th Annual International Mars Society Convention in Dallas, Texas.  The Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area, as well as the State of Texas, are considered by many the heart of the aerospace industry in the United States.  Lockheed-Martin, maker of the F-16, F-22 and F-35 fighter jets, is headquartered in Fort Worth, while Bell Helicopter is located in the DFW area.  SpaceX’s McGregor propulsion test grounds is a short drive south of DFW, and NASA’s famed Houston Space Center is also a few hours driving from the DFW metropolitan area.

http://www.marssociety.org/home/join_us/convention
http://www.marssociety.org/home/join_us/convention/marsconv2011speakers

Update (coverage from the Dallas Star-Telegram):

“The Mars Society, founded in 1998, isn’t made up people dressed up like Star Trek officers or aliens. They’re physics teachers, scientists and engineers. While they talk about the ethics and religious meanings of interplanetary travel, they’re also practical. Society members examine means of propulsion and train crews to live and work in Mars-like environments in far-flung regions of the Arctic as well as Utah, with some cooperation from NASA.”

http://www.star-telegram.com/2011/08/04/3270751/international-mars-society-meets.html#ixzz1UA56P25q