Building the Convention-runner's FAQ

Precis: What do we need to remember and why? How applicable are these? What are the minimal bits of knowledge that need to be passed on from year to year (particularly vis-a-vis Worldcon running)? We will start creating a list of items, and begin work on a FAQ project for the weekend! How can we remember? What can we do (besides going to things like Smofcons)? And (maybe the real nub of it all)-why do we keep forgetting? Is it because people like being perverse?

This is the beginning of what I hope will be an ongoing process on improving convention management. This list is in no way "the" definititive list - if anything this list of con-organinizing issues takes the minimalist approach. In preparation for the 1997 Smofcon, a few of us kept saying "Why do cons keep making the same mistakes over and over again?" and "What are the mistakes that no con should ever make again?"

The former question is very hard to get a handle on. In some ways, it's human nature to take the path of least resistence - it's easier to keep making the same mistakes than to fix them. Fans have a terrible time with self-assessment and generally don't want to admit "I can do this...I can't do that" so instead many keep doing jobs they aren't capabable of doing because all they can see is "I want to do this...I need to do this..." Con committees generally refuse to take the responsibilities of convention management as seriously as they might. To truly manage a committee can risk pissing off other committee members.

In some areas, the "whys" are attached to committee inexperience. You can see this as the conventions do improve over time. But, in many other areas, egos and intramural squabbles are more important than running a better convention. So while I think the "why" question is worth discussing, it probably isn't something we can solve without a lot of soul-searching.

On the other hand, the implementation issues can be stored, added to, recategorized, etc. Most convention implementation issues have been honed to a craft if not a science by some individuals and some groups. Running a convention is not rocket science. There is no reason for any competently-run convention in America to be a disaster or to lose much money (barring flood, blizzard, theft, riot, or the con hotel pulling out two weeks before the con).

Issues for Every Convention

Overall

develop con philosophy (focus, events, special bits to define your unique convention - an on-going process over the years). Write it down and share it with your committee members, even if it's as general as "Do good, do no harm and throw a good room party."
encourage discussion among areas
discourage empire-building
create and pay attention to budgets and timelines
require area accountability
discourage the same people from doing the same jobs year after year
encourage all area heads to write their own simple FAQs
plan all membership policies well in advance and state them clearly to committee, staff, program participants, etc.
make appoints wisely to avoid putting people in positions that they cannot perform competently. History does repeat itself.
clearly define your smoking rules if they differ from local laws. Many states have severely curtailed smoking areas over the last ten years, but not all.

Hotel Resume

describe layouts and open/close time for all rooms, including furniture and equipment, hotel catering,
don't forget to include special needs for sleeping rooms (GoH rooms, hospitality suites)
smaller cons generally don't need to worry much about corkage, but large cons need to discuss this directly with the hotel.
talk to your hotel rep regularly (at least monthly until four months out, more often as the hotel resume is refined)
there will always be some blocking problems, but blocking the rooms around the con suite is a particularly critical area. It helps, if possible, for the convention to take a large number of rooms in that area, then rent them out to committee members.

Keep Records

Create forms for
- registration
- art show
- dealer room
- money in (income)
- money out (expenses)
create databases that are compatible for membership and for subareas like program, dealers and art show to prevent the proliferation of multiple bad addresses. While small cons can get away with notebooks, etc., databases can really help you manage data.
create a spreadsheet for the budget. Spreadsheets can also be helpful to manage gopher hours and rental equipment.
always note the amount of money sent with each registration, dealer request, art show entry, etc. It may not match the amount the sender claimed.
track bad checks and do not accept future checks from these individuals (unless they had made good on the checks immediately upon request).

Publicity

always submit an entry for the local calendars
create an informational Web page, preferably one that does not change from year to year.
have an E-mail address, preferably one that does not change from year to year.
limit mass mailings to one or two and edit your publicity database routinely so you don't waste mailing money in the future. The geographic make-up of the publicity database for mailings should roughly parallel the geographic make-up of the attendees.

Registration

badge type for name and city must be legible at a distance - 18pt type, narrow, bold is best.
preprint as many badges pre-con as you possibly can, but always have the equipment to make more at the con (or to remake them)
if people insist on a special badge name, be sure the person's real name is on file and relate it to the badge name
small cons do not need to worry about badge security, but larger ones do - do not publicize badge design
avoid the unnecessary work of registration packets (except for Program, Volunteer, dealer Room and Art Show participants). Put most materials (except for badges and program books) on freebie tables.
Kevin K. Stiles observes: "You listed databases as being essential and they are. But also make sure that there are at least 2 people who understand the database and that is it useable by any machine that will potentially be connected to it. This may seem like a silly (yeah,yeah, we know all this stuff) but problems with getting various versions of windows and MS Office talking together prompted us to shift to a 100% web-based system (we rely on donated equipment). Does not matter what machine or OS, if it will run on a network and has a web-browser it will work at registration and the Art Show. To make sure we had no problems with the items we also shifted to a server-side print of all pre-reg receipts, art show checkouts and badges. With the new system in place this year the only negative commemts we had about registration is that the Pre-Reg line was slower than the registration lines :-)

Volunteers

be nice to your volunteers because you can't put on the con without them
tell them what you need them to do
feed them (especially when they're working many consecutive hours)
don't have multiple gopher holes based on "rank" (though Worldcons may need multiple gopher holes due to their more spread-out nature)
accept their feedback

Con Suite

have a good variety of food, from healthy through junk
keep the room cleaned up, especially the cheese
make sure to have plenty of clean ice

Dealer's Room

have a variety of dealers
measure the room and double-check for the location of electrical outlets
create a floor plan giving adequate aisle and behind-the-table space
give preferred to returning dealers

Program

have a blend of old and new items and participants
always try at least one "off the wall" item
create items to complement your guests
this area must be willing to say No to people and make it stick (there are some extremely obnoxious people who think a published work gives them a free ticket to every con in perpetuity - they're abusive to other panel members and to the audience)
have staff members observe parts of panels to see what attracted people/what worked/what didn't work and be sure this information gets passed along

Art Show

no art show is better than a bad art show
measure the room and double-check for the location of electrical outlets
requires more people to run it than you think
keep the full show open as long as possible
run the auction as close to the display area as possible

Security

small cons don't need paid security, but they do need a committee with common sense.
the main areas requiring some security include dealers, art show and registration
Doors that can be locked at night and restricted access into exhibit areas during the day are the main security issues
when cash is transferred, always put the money in a bag or some other container. Larger conventions generally need an off duty cop to help with money transfers (especially registration and art show auction transfers)

Issues for Worldcons

Recruitment

Recruit from all over. No city or state in America can run a Worlcon without non-local help.
Don't appoint people to high Worldcon positions (like division director and many more visable area heads) when they've failed at the same position for smaller conventions or at other Worldcons. There are lots of jobs in a Worldcon. There are ways to get useful contributions from almost anyone who wants to work. But a willingness to do a job does not mean the person is capable of doing the job. While I don't advocate developing a "Worldcon Runner's Accreditation" or anything like that, committees have got to be more thoughtful about making appointments. Great bidders are not necessarily good area heads. (Note: Sometimes, people who fail at a Worldcon job later do very well at it, but I think they need to run the area successfully at a large regional or co-run it before doing it solo.)

Communication

Use E-mail and Web as much as possible, but don't make the non-online folks feel left out.

If you have some "bare minimum" ideas, please send them to me and I'll integrate them into this list.

Problems That Can Plague a Worldcon

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