and places to go outside of the meeting area. In 2015, the committee officially incorporated KansasFest, better defining the organization in order to continue to steer the event into the future. In 2020, KansasFest became a 501(c)(3) organization (tax ID 47-3514247). Events Advancing the platform Important contributions to the Apple II have made their appearance at KansasFest. In 1996, a meeting between Richard Bennett of Australia, Ewen Wannop of Great Britain, and Geoff Weiss of the United States set the groundwork for the announcement at the 1997 meeting of the Marinetti control panel for the Apple IIGS. This system extension made possible TCP/IP connections to the Internet (something that Apple had never designed the computer to do). Also in 1997, some of the first Apple II web sites began to appear, and by the following year KansasFest had its own web site. In the next several years, it was common to see release of a CD-ROM collection of Apple II files of various kinds. In 2000, an Ethernet card called LANceGS for the Apple IIGS was demonstrated, and plans were made for a post-Delphi text-based contact point for Apple II users on the Internet, Syndicomm Online. Recurring Most years have one or more contests. These have included: HackFest - participants are given a focused period of time while at the event to create from scratch a program that does something cool. Tie One On - wear the most unusual or crazy tie at the banquet Door Decoration - being a college dorm, the doors can be decorated any interesting way desired Bite The Bag - a contest of agility in picking up a paper bag by biting it, with only one extremity touching the floor Games - Contestants attempt to achieve the highest score on classic Apple II games, such as GShisen or Lode Runner. Exhibits - demonstrating products or retro Apple II-related items Another popular event held for many years was a "celebrity" roast of prominent members of the Apple II community. Dates and milestones Apple II Forever awards Starting in 2010, the KansasFest Committee began to award members of the Apple II community who had made significant contributions to the Apple II, either in promoting or developing for the platform during its active years, or in helping to advance or preserve the Apple II since its production had been discontinued. External links KansasFest on Twitter KansasFest on YouTube