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With all of the sudden hype about running a convention of one's own, I feel that a sort of non-afiliated advice thread might be a good idea.

For those giving advice, please avoid making mention what convention that you worked for here and please do not give away sensative information pertaining to that convention (like number, guests, and events). that's not the point of this thread.

For those seeking advice, please post generic questions here and PM with more sensative ones.

Please do not ask the advisors to join your ranks as a staff member for your convention. Trust me. We've got enough headache as it is and probably won't join... but we will provide you with some helpful information.

^_^


Advisors
Director (things they can give advise on)

Dragonmun (business structure and art-related things)
Tekkun (Scheduling and Public Relations.)

*Advisors must have some experience running a convention or part of one.
** Volunteer work and panels do not qualify as experience for running a convention.

The Question Collective

For now questions that I feel are valid will be going into this post. I'll eventually incorperate them into the post above.

I CLAIM THIS SPOT IN THE NAME OF CHEESY BREAD!

THIS IS RESERVED IN THE NAME OF BUNNIES!

Quick Ninja Skills


ninja

Conventions are stressful monsters that demand money after more money after more money and they make you grey prematurely and you need a solidfied staff or you'll fall on your face. Hard.

ninja

Lurker Post No Jutsu! *disappears*

Actually, here's my quick rundown of Convention knowledge:

Advertising
Advertising helps a lot. Usually focus a lot of your advertising via the internet and putting out flyers in your targeted areas. Put printable versions of the flyers online so people can help with the street effort and pass them out. Trust me, advertisement helps a con grow.

Location
Depending on your location and venue, different rules apply. With a government facility (convention center, community center, amphiltheater, sports complex, etc) you need police officers and nurses on staff. This usually depends on how ma ny people are in attendence to your convention. Though cheaper 'rental wise' a government facility will hurt you through other alternatives. A cop rental is roughtly $30/hr.

If you're renting a 'government' facility or a privately owned facility, try to make sure that facility is near hotels. If its too far that basically leaves your attendees stranded. Not a good sign.

Events
Events are the convention. So when you schedule these events, make sure that you're scheduling them to fit your budget. Doing an AMV contest? Be sure to have the RIGHT equipment to run it (projector, soundboard, etc). Cosplay? Be sure to have the right people to organize it. It goes on.

Art Show

Art show is usually a room that displays artwork from con attendees who are participating in a contest. I do not have any hands on experience with this so I will not lend any advice.

Artist Alley

Artist alley is self explanitory. Usually designate an area, a large area, to place tables with skirts so that artists, who have paid for these spots (sometimes you don't have to charge, but usually you do) can display and sell their artwork. Usually if your convention becomes bigger you begin to restrict your artists due to the industry being more involved with your event. Such as selling fanart of copywritten materials, etc.

Panels

There's two panels. Fan panels and guest panels. 85% of a convention is made up of fan panels, these are panels submitted by con attendees. The other 15% are guest and staff panels which are presented by... none other than guest and staff. Panels make up 90% of convention entertainment, while the other 10% being made up of events (Cosplay, amv, etc), autograph signings, gameshows, etc.


Guests
Guests are basically your attendees who you make feel comfortable throughout the whole convention. They are usually members of the industry (VAs, Directors) or well known people in the trade (manga artists, comic book artists, etc).

With industry members, and I'm using examples (please do not take this example as a solid truth for said persons):

You want Vic Mongona. Unfortunately, Vic is really big right now (if you haven't noticed, he's been to three florida cons in a span of three months) and he isn't as easy to get through setting up something between you and him. So you have to go through Vic's management. In most cases, Vic's management is FUNimation's Guest Relations department (or ADV, but since Vic also works for FUNi and I was directed to that department I will use that department).

You contact FUNi and they check his schedule and contact his agent, or himself, to see if can make it. You then work out the 'contract' or 'agreement' in which covers hotel, flight, expenses incured while he's here, etc and then when everything is done and official you annouce him as a GoH.

Smaller acts are a little different, majority of the times they will not have a management or an agent you can work out these details one by one. Some VAs, like Greg Ayres have it set up where you can invite him yourself (last time I checked on his website).

Some guests are picky in which they want flight, hotel, food, and your head on a silver platter. Other guests just want flight and hotel. It just depends.

When you look at it, GoH are your more valuble and expensive assest to a convention. You gotta know what you're doing if your budget can accomodate it.

Hotels
Hotels work as this:

10 or less rooms - No discount, standard room block.
10 rooms or less plus Convention - No group rate, Catering Department
11+ rooms + Convention center rentals - Sales Department
11+ rooms - Group rate, Sales deparment

Hotels are tricky as each one is different. This is a lot of junk to write and I'm tired so I'll list it:

- Hotels want a deposit, usually of quarter of the rental fee up front to secure the date. Usually, this is not needed but if you want to secure the dates you'll pay it.

- Some hotels dime and nickel you to death, especially when dealing with exhibitors and vendors. Accomodate your dealer room fees to the rates of the hotel.

- There are things you CAN NOT get out of. Some of it is A/V fees that they will force on you. Sometimes you're not allowed to bring in food from the outside, etc etc. Be sure to sit down and review this with your sales rep before signing ANYTHING.

- You need to build credit with hotels. If this is your first one then a hotel will nickel and dime you regardless because you have no history behind you to back up your claims of honesty. So be sure to build up credit (ie: paying for room blocks, renting con space for events, etc)

*If hotel is big enough, just contract the con room rate with the main hotel §
**If hotel is not big enough, contract hotels REALLY close. •

Con Guide
The con guide is EXPENSIVE. Shop around for printers, usually a mom and pop is nearly 60% cheaper than a coporate one. Kinkos will charge you 800 bucks for 250 books while a mom and pop may charge you 380.

Having people by ad space in the con guide helps deflect the costs a lot, so focus a team to get sponsors. It really helps your convention. Sometimes you can give away ad space on the back of the con passes, this is great advertising and a great source of funding.

Con Badges

Con badges can run up a pretty penny. Usually, if you're just starting then attempt to just start off with Tyvek wrist bands, they're cheap and inexpensive and can be customized. As you grow, attempt the badges. Badges, depending on the size and color and stuff can run a lot of money. So be sure on what you want to do.

Wnat to customize them? Best to print them on stickers rather than customize each badge. Its always better to customize pre-registered attendees than at door people.

Sponsors
If you're a starting aniem convetion you're in competion against the other 200+ cons in america. Some comapnies will forget that you exist so keep badgering them. Do not depend on them for everything and always have a back up plan. Remember your contact rep for each company. Bigger companies, such as bandai, have more than one so when back tracking be sure to remember them.

Staff
Be sure to have a solid staff. If not the con will fall. Have loyal, responsible, staff members.

Be sure to trust and know that your volunteers will work. Give your volunteers, if still in HS, volunteer hours if possible. Motivate them and keep them happy, but yet, keep them working.

Security
Depending on event, the facility will determine if you need a police officer or security at signing. So be aware of this. Some facilities, especially privately owned, won't care as much but just be sure and overview this.

Registration
And i'm so tired i'll get to this later.