Revision as of 07:26, 27 January 2008

The Green Room is a space that is often created and set aside for program participants. Panelists are invited to meet in the Green Room before panels in order to gather and plan the discussion they are about to have in front of an audience. (The name comes from Theater and historically refers to the room that actors in the theater use to prepare in before a performance, and to retire to when they are not on stage, during a show.)

Some conventions give their concom and staff access to the green room as well, or offer a separate staff lounge. But you needn't do either.

Space

Green Room is usually a quiet though social space, often housed in one or more of the hotel guest rooms, partly so food and drink can be served there without having to deal with corkage fees, and partly in order to have access to a bathroom for cleanup.

Time

Green Room Hours typically run from at least 1/2 hour before programming begins each day until the beginning of the dinner hour (or until it's time to pack up on the last day of the convention), though they may be extended if there is late-night programming, or on Friday (especially if program participant check-in is hosted in the green room). Even if there are late hours, however, the green room is often closed during dinner on Saturday (approx. 6 pm to 8 pm, depending on the program schedule).

For a longer con especially, make a staffing schedule so your volunteers can get out and see some of the con. Don't forget to leave time for emergency shopping runs or for shuffling supplies to and from other food functions to solve overage/underage issues.

Levels of service

There are different philosophies on what kind and amount of food and drink to serve in a green room. It varies from coffee and tea on up to deli trays, hot foods, and cocktail shrimp. While it is nice to make your program participants feel refreshed and maybe a little bit pampered, you should keep in mind that all members (ideally) contribute to the convention, and make sure you feel justified in whatever differences there are between the offerings in the green room and the Consuite. That said, given their program schedule many panelists do not have time to leave the convention site for lunch, and it is not necessarily that expensive to offer food of some substance. It is also nice to be able to cater to the particular dietary needs of your Guests of Honor -send them a questionnaire to find out what these are.

Soup and hard-boiled eggs are two very popular items to cook in advance and offer in a green room. Homemade baked goods are also popular, and sandwich makings are easy. Do make sure that all foods, especially home-made ones, are well labeled regarding ingredients that could be allergens. It's also good to make it clear which foods are vegetarian, and which are not.

And if you want to really impress your guests, do as Penguicon does and keep a massage chair in the green room along with someone who is qualified to administer a theraputic massage.

Equipment

Like the Consuite, the green room has to follow the Hotel's rules and regulations regarding cooking in guest rooms. Hot plates, toasters, portable stoves, etc may be verboten. Crock pots and microwaves are usually permissable, as are percolators and electric teapots, generally. A small refrigerator is very handy, though I have seen people make do with a cooler or two.

For a larger operation, get a free full-size fridge from Craigslist. You don't care that it's a power hog since you're only running it for the weekend. You may need to buy a high-capacity coffeemaker, but other equipment can still be borrowed.