Moderating Panels

Here's an interesting post on moderating panels by Misty Massey.

Moderating in Moderation

If you are a convention organizer or SF genre professional, I highly recommend reading this blog post.

Review of StellarCon 36

I have, for the last week or so, been debating on whether I should write a review of StellarCon this year.  As the FGoH, I was uncertain if it would be appropriate for me to make comments on the convention.  After considering the situation for a few days, what I’ve decided to do is write the review, but do so from the perspective of a guest, not a convention organizer. 

[I think it’s important for the reader to note that StellarCon is in an interesting position, due to the fact that it is owned by a student organization from UNCG.  This means they have to deal with a few wrinkles that other cons don’t typically face.]

StellarCon 36 was held March 2-4, 2012 at the Best Western Plus, in High Point, NC.

The Good

1. As a guest, I was greeted with an email from the Con Manager (Chair), shortly before the con, stating that my hotel room was registered under the convention, and I would need to contact him to get my key once I arrived at the con.  Initially, I was very concerned about this.  Knowing the convention (intimately) from the ConCom side, I was concerned that it might be difficult to find the Con Manager when I arrived.  I had visions of him being pulled in six different directions all day on Friday.   This turned out to not be a problem.  I checked in with guest reg when I arrived and they contacted the Con Manager to bring me the key to my room in very short order.  This allowed me to bypass all of the hassles of dealing with the hotel front desk.
2. My family’s badges were ready to go when we arrived, with all names spelled correctly.
3. The convention provided me with a tent card that had my name on one side and my schedule on the other.  This isn’t a new thing for StellarCon, but it was helpful.
4. Most of the panels I sat on had strong attendance.  I can’t tell you how concerned I was that some of the panels would end up being my fellow panelists and me talking to empty chairs.  It feels really good to have an audience show up for your panel, believe me.
5. The con suite seemed to have food during most meal times. 

Possible Areas of Improvement (The Bad)

1. The convention only provided bios for the GoH’s and Special Guests in the program book.  This was inconvenient, as most guests like to know who is sitting on their scheduled panels with them.  I asked the Con Manager about the reasoning for this, and was informed that many of the bios provided were really long and the ConCom did not have enough space in the program for all of the bios.  My recommendation for the future is that they request 2 bios from each guest, a comprehensive one for the website, and a shorter one (2 paragraphs) for the program book.  Any guest that only provides one bio will have to understand that it will be subject to editing.  I have edited some of the guest bios in my day (heck, I‘ve had to write a few), and no one seemed really irritated.  I’m sure the guests would prefer to have an edited bio, than no bio. 
2. The schedule provided to me ahead of the con did not have the readings/signings listed on the individual guests’ pages.  If you didn’t look at the readings/signings on the schedule grid, you had no idea you were scheduled for those, at least I didn’t.
3. I was not contacted about being a moderator before I received my schedule.  Some guests (not me, thankfully) are apprehensive about being a moderator.  This is something that should be asked ahead of the schedule being released.
4. StellarCon hit my pet peeve... The names on the badges were too small to read without violating people’s personal space.  This really disappointed me, as I have mentioned this to the convention multiple times in the past.   (I’m begging all of the convention organizers out there, if you can’t easily make out the name on the badge at a distance of about six feet, the font is too small and you need to fix it.)
5. Finally, the last area is one that the con has to weigh very carefully.  The hotel is starting to noticeably fall apart.  The biggest concern I heard, and I heard it frequently, was that the air conditioning in people’s sleeping rooms did not work.  I went into a few of my friends' rooms and could really tell a difference between their room and mine.  The challenge is that the hotel is just about the only site that falls into the con’s budget.  I wish I had some good advice for this one, but frankly I don’t.

Okay, that’s it.  I’m not going to rank StellarCon 36 as I did with SheVaCon, because as the FGoH, and a previous ConCom member, there is obviously some bias on my part.  I do want to say, however, that I did see some improvement in the convention over recent years.  I truly hope they continue that trend.

Review of SheVaCon 20

I’m going to try something new for 2012.  I’m going to review the conventions I attend, with an eye to how they were organized.   I’m starting with SheVaCon 20, because, well, that was my first con of the year.

SheVaCon was in Roanoke, VA.  This year, the con was held at the Hotel Roanoke (Double Tree by Hilton) on February 17-19. 

The Good

The hotel gets placed on both the good and bad list.  The hotel is, frankly, the most beautiful con hotel I’ve ever seen.  The layout of the consite is spread over 2 floors, allowing for lots of space for fans to hang out.  The panel rooms are spacious with good acoustics. 

The greatest feature of the hotel, however, is the main lobby of the hotel.  It has an old world feel, with a really nice fireplace on one end.

The dealer room was large and had a nice variety of dealers.

The art show had some very nice art, but the best feature was the kids track portion of the art show.  The con had some tables set up with coloring books and crayons/markers for the kids.  Once the kids were finished coloring, the art show staff would offer to hang the kids’ artwork on a spare art panel they had set up.  This was a really nice touch.

The guest list was interesting, covering Lit, Media, Art, Music, and Costuming.

Programming was typical for a southern con.  I’m going to count this as “good," because I like traditional programming.

Possible Areas of Improvement (The Bad)

I have to list this one first, because it happened to my wife.  The con misspelled her last name in the program book and on her badge.  This is not acceptable when they have her bio, and her web address, they can refer to if they want to check the spelling.  I’d suggest the ConCom proofread the program.

This next thing is simply a pet peeve of mine…  the names on the badges were small and hard to read.  Likewise, it was hard to distinguish the guests from everyone else.  (See my earlier blog post.)

As I stated earlier, the hotel was beautiful, it was also expensive for a con hotel in this area.  Sleeping rooms started at $125, and went up based on the number of occupants.  This actually prevented us from coming to the con on Thursday night.

Gaming was very limited, with tables only being set up in the prefunction area.   I also didn’t see any gaming guests on the website.  With the amount of space the con had at its disposal, they probably should consider dedicating better space to gaming.

Finally, the con sent Timothy Zahn to an off-site event for 2-3 hours on Friday evening.  I’m guessing they had hoped to generate some advertising for the con, but all it really seemed to do was deny access to Zahn, during the con, to the members who had already paid to be there.

Final Rating

I can only give the con 3.5 out of 5 stars as there weren’t enough great things about the con to offset the negatives (primarily the cost).  The con wasn’t bad, but there wasn’t much at the con to make me want to go back.

Okay, that’s it.  Feel to ask questions if there is something I didn’t cover.

Scheduling Your Guests

Okay, today’s blog topic is about how to schedule your guests.  It sounds straight forward enough, but as with most con topics, it’s not.  Most programming directors start with a basic schedule of panels and events, and then assign guests to participate in each one… that’s where it gets complicated.  For each guest, you must consider a number of possible issues.  For example:

1. Do they know anything about the topic?
2. Does the event conflict with anything else you’ve already placed them on?
3. Are they okay with sitting on the panel with the other guests?
4. Does the schedule meet the guest’s personal needs (food, sleep, etc)?
5. Will the guest be present at the con when the panel or event takes place?
6. Have you scheduled the guest for too many, or too few, events and panels?

The list goes on, but this should give you an idea of the kinds of things you need to be aware of.

As you might have guessed, it’s best if you contact each guest prior to beginning to build the schedule.  At that time, you should have asked for some panel ideas, asked about their scheduling preferences, and asked if they have any preferences as to who they sit on panels with.

Once you get the schedule created, you can go ahead and send it the print shop, right?  Wrong!  Each individual guest needs to receive a copy of their schedule to review.  It’s likely been a few, if not several, months since you received input from each guest.  It’s possible something may have changed. Not to mention that even the best programming people make mistakes, so it’s best to let the guests have a look at their schedule prior to the con to make sure they are happy with it.  You should also make sure you include a full description of each panel or event, a list of the moderators for each panel and a deadline for the guests to respond with any objections or questions. 

Experienced programming directors, by the way, understand that moderating panels is not as easy as it sounds.  As such, some guests are simply not fond of doing it.  You should make sure your assigned moderators are willing to perform this task.  It would also be a good idea to know enough about your guests that you are aware if a particular guest is not well suited to moderate panels.  The best moderators are prepared to advance the discussion with questions for each panelist, and will ensure that all of the panelists get equal time to provide their input during the panel.   A bad moderator will allow one or two guests to dominate the discussion or, worse yet, hijack it and change the topic completely.  That might be great for those guests’ egos, but it’s not much fun for anyone else in the room.

Once you have your schedule created, and all of your moderators set, you should send out a final copy of the complete schedule to all of the guests, as well as key convention staff members.  This allows everyone a last chance to see the schedule and bring up any conflicts or additions they may have.  Again, provide everyone a deadline and let them know that you will consider the schedule firm after that date.  The best programming people will generally not be very flexible on this final deadline, as other members of the ConCom probably need the finalized schedule to finish their jobs as well.

Assuming you haven’t received any additional changes, now you may send the schedule to the print shop.

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EDIT:  One thing I missed... make sure you spell the guest's name correctly on the schedule.

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[Also see this related blog post on Programming]

Relationship building

Today I’m going to present a short, but necessary, blog on building and maintaining relationships.

One of the key ingredients to any successful business is relationship building.  To do that effectively, you must know how to approach your “customers” (ie. fandom).  Individuals in fandom often respond best to people who are sincerely interested in knowing their point of view.   Approach them with open ears and an open mind.  Understand that you are more likely to hear complaints, rather than compliments, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing.  Try not to take their criticism personally, and further understand that arguing with them will only cause problems.  Anyone willing to provide criticism probably wants to see the convention succeed.  This means you are working towards a common goal.  Just keep track of their comments, and any promises you make, so that other members of the staff can be properly informed. 

On the topic of promises, try only to commit to things you are 100 percent certain you can achieve.  It’s best to be completely honest with people and disappoint them, than it is to make promises you can’t keep.

Once you have an established relationship, you need to make sure you maintain it.  This means you need to be careful not to take their attendance for granted.  This is easier for new convention than it is for long standing ones.  Long standing cons have histories than can span years, or even decades.  You need to be familiar with your con’s history and the dynamics surrounding what’s happened.  A well-known, ancient proverb states that, “those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.”  (At least that’s the version I’m familiar with.)  I know of one example of a convention having spent a very long time working with a specific fan group to make the con interesting to that group.  Ten years later, the staff had changed over and no one currently working on the con understood the history of the con and the fan group.  Today the convention finds itself hearing the same complaints the con heard a decade earlier.

If there has been a loss of knowledge over the years, you need to educate yourself in the con’s history.  It might sound daunting, but it’s not.  There’s usually some “old timer” who’s willing to share stories.  There is value in listening to those stories, but do not take those stories on face value.  Instead, take those stories as a first step.  The next thing you should do is seek out other view points from other fans that were present at the time in question.  Merge what you hear and try to get a clearer picture of the dynamics that were at work at the time.

To summarize, be honest, get input, and learn your con’s history.

Guest Blog - Programming

As promised earlier, here is Tera Fulbright's guest blog on Con Programming.

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Thank you, James, for letting me guest blog.

So today, we’re going to talk programming.   I suppose first I should talk credentials:  I ran Programming for UNCG’s StellarCon for 10+ years, RavenCon for 2 years and I helped set up the Special Events for ReConStruction 2010 (Raleigh NASFiC) before circumstances required me to step down shortly before the convention.   The following are just my thoughts and opinions based on my experiences.  As any good conrunner will tell you, there is no one “right” way to do anything.  There is just the right way for your con.

There are two main aspects of programming that I recommend thinking about when you start your programming:  your guests and your attendees.  Related to that is your theme, if you have one.   When it comes to programming, think about how your guests and your attendees interact with your convention and the theme (if you have one.)

Let’s start with the guests.   First rule, ask them what panel ideas they have.  Many guests have sat on more panels than you or I can dream up…they will have favorites that they enjoy and they will have suggestions for ones that came out of other panels they have been on.  I also recommend asking if there are any panels that they do not want to be on or people they don’t want to be on panels with.   There are two reasons for this.  One – no one wants to be stuck on a panel where they have little to no knowledge about the subject.  Two- putting people who dislike each other on a panel can make it uncomfortable for them, the other panelists and the audience if that animosity spills over into the panel itself. 

Once you have a list of panel ideas, share all of the panel ideas with other guests and try to fill out as many as possible.  I also recommend limiting the number of panelists to a panel.  I like five but I have seen seven work as well if you have a strong moderator.   You want enough panelists to give a variety of responses and opinions but not so many that not everyone has a chance to talk.

Speaking of moderators, your moderator on a panel does not have to be the most knowledgeable about the topic but he/she needs to be able to maintain control of the panel by asking questions and keeping the other panelists on topic.  

If you find a panel that nearly every guest wants to do, I suggest two options.  A) do a part 1 and part 2 and split the panelists.  This gives everyone interested a chance to talk about the topic.

Or B) set it up as a round table and make sure the moderator knows to encourage the audience to get involved with both asking and answering questions. This will save you space in the program since you don’t have to block two sessions but it requires a strong moderator who is not afraid of making it clear that the topic isn’t just for the guests to give their opinions.

I also suggest that you do not add panelists at the last minute as it can throw off the vibe of the panel.   Many panelists will try to get a quick idea of their fellow panelists by reading biographies or doing web searches prior to the panel.   Putting someone on at the last minute also means that the moderators are unfamiliar with his or her work and have not had time to prepare themselves.

Also, make sure your program book lists the panelists.  They are often who your attendees have come to see and panelists are one way attendees decide which panel to attend.  Related, make sure your moderators know they are the moderators.  Try to give them as much notice as possible as well, since a good moderator will want time to prepare questions and have suggested topics.

Next, think about your attendees, i.e. your target audience.  If you are a general SF con, then you need to try to have a wide variety of panels in order to accommodate the myriad of fans you should be getting.  If you have a theme (i.e. Steampunk or Paranormal), then I recommend a strong track with that theme but I would still suggest other panels as well to help fill out your event. 

I also recommend keeping in mind that fandom is aging so you have to consider balancing the interests of older fans (Star Wars/Star Trek, literature, RPG’s, costuming) with newer fans (anime, urban fantasy, MMORG’s, cosplay).  While you will have fans of all ages in all interests, keep in mind that older fans may have other obligations (i.e. kids) that preclude them from being up until midnight for a panel.    

Final thoughts:

1. Be prepared for last minute suggestions, additions and changes.  

2. Try not to schedule panels too early on Sunday morning.  Many guests (and most fans) are still half-asleep until 9am or 10am at the earliest.

3. You also have to decide if there are events that you consider “Core” to your convention and decide if you want to try to limit scheduling something opposite them.  For example, some conventions limit what panels they have at the same time as Opening Ceremonies or Auctions. 

4. Be careful what you schedule at the same time as any loud events, like a dance.  If the panelists can’t hear themselves talk, it’s not much of a panel.   

Okay, that’s a good run for the first time.  Any particular questions?

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Thanks T for the guest blog!  Since she's already asked for questions, have at it.

Convention Space Layout

Okay, I admit it.  I’ve been slack.  I woke up the other day and realized it had been two months since my last blog update.  Fortunately, this isn’t a paid gig, or I’d have had my boss breathing down my proverbial neck by now.

Anyway, I’m back at it.  And I’ve talked my wife into doing a guest blog as well, so look for blog on Programming, sometime in the next week or so.

Convention Space Layout

Today’s topic is convention space layout.  This seems pretty straight forward, but I still run into conventions that do not do this particularly well, so I’m making it a point of discussion.

There are two main issues in this topic, flow and walk spaces.  Flow is sort of the larger view of where you put each main piece of your convention (Dealers, Programming, Gaming, etc.) and walk spaces, well, that’s fairly self-explanatory.

Flow

For flow, this is partially a matter of personal preference… your attendees’ preferences, not yours.  When trying to decide what pieces to put where in the space, I recommend keeping a couple of things in mind.  First, where are your attendees likely to spend most of their time?  Second, is the dealer room near the main flow?  This second point is critical for future success of your convention.  Placing the dealer by the main flow of foot traffic means folks have easy access to the Dealer Room.  That makes the dealers happy.  Happy dealers equal a greater potential of cash flow for the convention from the future sale of dealer tables.

In general, the layout of the rest of the con should be based on what rooms are best for each area of your con.  I typically determine which rooms are of the appropriate size for each part of the con and then determine how the flow of traffic will work.  For flow, you need to consider where folks are going to be most often.  I like to group things like Programming and Dealers together.  If the con has an Art Show, that needs to be close to Programming as well.  Gaming is best placed slightly away from the main flow, unless you’re running a gaming con, then it should be your primary focus.  For Programming, I usually like to have all of the panel rooms within quick walking distance of each other.   They do not have to be literally next to each other, however.  In fact, I suggest dedicating one large room for Main Programming (GoH’s, Opening Ceremonies, Masquerade, Dance, etc.) and then have a number of smaller rooms for panels that are not adjacent to Main Programming.  This helps to reduce the noise level in the panel rooms.

Walk Spaces

This part should be pretty easy to figure out, but it I end up attending conventions where I have to squeeze through people to get somewhere in the con that I need to be.  This is bad when it happens to your attendees, it’s even worse when it happens to your guests.  I’ve seen more than a few Guests of Honor make apologies for being late because they could not walk 20 feet from one panel room to another in a timely manner.

So, how do you alleviate this?  Well, most bottle-necks occur where there are tables.  Whether it’s in the Dealer Room, or out in the Prefunction Spaces, conventions need to provide adequate space for people to walk.  By adequate, I don’t mean just adhering to local fire codes.  I mean wide enough spaces that people can actually get past the tables when they want to walk by.  Keep in mind that you have to allow for space behind the table for someone sit comfortably, space for the table itself, space for someone to stand in front of the table and room for at least two people to walk past the table, side-by-side.  If there are tables on both sides of a walk space, that same amount of space needs to be provided on each side of the walk area.

Too often I’ve seen cons cram tables into a space to try to get more exhibitors (dealers, fan tables, etc.) in the convention.  This usually only ends up irritating everyone involved.  Attendees get frustrated because they can’t get to where they want to be.  Dealers get mad because people can’t get to their tables.  And guests get upset because the crowds make them late to panels.  My suggestion is to figure out how many tables you can comfortably fit into the space, and stick to that number.   

Warning: Do not be surprised if someone comes up to you once all of the tables have been allocated (sold out) and says, “hey, X group wants to set up, can we find a place to put them?”  That answer needs to be “no,” unless you remove something else to make room for their table. 

Well, That's it for this post.  As usual, I probably could have covered a lot more, but this is where I'm going to stop.  Look for Tera's guest blog on Programming soon.