How To Host A Convention Party

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i - Why this page was created

My name is Grant and I am a member of SFSA (Science Fiction South Africa). At the ConJosé Worldcon (The 60th World Science Fiction Convention) in 2002, I planned to host a party. I had some exposure to hosting parties but was a novice and wanted some assistance. I turned to the folks on the SMOFS list (Secret Masters Of Fandom) and appealed for help and received masses of advice. In return for this guidance I promised to create this page so that all of their great advice would be available for everyone and anyone to see freely.

Please note that the name, “Secret Masters of Fandom,” is a joke. These folks are not any kind of secret society, and 'Master' is used in the sense of having mastered knowledge, not having mastery over fandom. They are simply a collection of people involved in the running of Science Fiction and Fantasy clubs and conventions.

ii - Disclaimer

Please use this advice at your own discretion. As with all advice on web pages, please be aware that it is subjective and cannot be guaranteed in any way. Neither myself nor the members of the SMOFS list accept any liability for any problems you encounter while following this advice. No collection of advice is ever complete so I would also advise that you seek additional advice from more experienced fans and the committee (or designated staff member) of the convention you will hold your party at.

iii - Copyright

You may not distribute this text for profit. Otherwise, please feel free to use this and distribute it in any damn way you choose, provided that you accept all liability and consequences (particularly the abducted by aliens part).

What is a Convention Party

A convention party is, well, it's just a party. Most often a party is an event hosted in one or more hotel rooms inside a designated party area within a hotel with whom the convention has negotiated a corkage waiver. Hotels usually love hosting parties, provided you play by their rules. The biggest of these rules is corkage, as the hotel expects to do the catering for any parties held on their premises. Obviously the expense of this would rule out most parties that are run and paid for by individuals or small groups. For this reason most conventions negotiate a corkage waiver with at least one hotel. Here the hotel agrees to allow self-catered parties - generally in specific areas so as not to disturb other guests (parties tend to be noisy).

Parties generally are either simply social affairs, or they have some agenda - like promoting a bid or cause. A party generally offers drinks and snacks to all guests. Most parties are open to all of the convention's members, but many parties are by invitation only. It all depends on what your goals are, if you have any goals. You might have flyers, fanzines, forms and more to use or give away, depending on your objectives.

Party Themes

All party themes must be approved by a central committee of neo-nazi fans. Okay, okay, so I'm kidding. Themes can be just about anything you want them to be. Most often parties have an agenda, generally to promote convention/Worldcon bids and sell memberships. Other parties promote fan funds, publishers, authors, gay fandom, MENSA, media, Libertarians, scientific communities, and so on. Some can even be part of a protest against the axing of their favourite character from a TV show. However there are plenty of parties that are entirely social in nature.

Common party themes include media (Babylon 5, Star Trek, etc), furries (um, look it up), filk (folk singing) and hoax parties (joke bids and other fun). In my case we wanted to introduce or club, Science Fiction South Africa, to Worldcon members.

Planning ahead

Anyone failing to plan can be summarily executed by a horde of drunken Klingons. Well, perhaps not, but you will save yourself a lot of grief and stress by being organized.

Take a look at the web site of the convention at which you plan to host a party at. Look for all party information posted there. If anything is unclear, or if no web site exists, contact the convention directly. Usually you can find out where your party can be held as well as any additional requirements/rules. Some conventions allow no alcohol, hot food, etc. Generally you have to tell them you plan to host a party at the time you book your room. Make sure you are aware of all of the convention's party rules.

Find out what the conventions party rules are and take any steps to ensure that you are compliant. Some conventions have a party-maven that you can contact directly for this information, or alternatively you can check the convention's flyers, progress reports or web pages. Failing all that you might try contacting someone on the committee, probably the hotel liaison first. In most cases you are required to notify the convention about your party anyway.

When to host your party depends of course on your goals. Parties with an agenda often have multiple parties on multiple nights. Otherwise, check with the con runners to find out which night is their busiest party night, and choose your night based on this (some parties prefer a quiet night). The busiest night is either Saturday night or Sunday night at most cons.

Make your party room reservations as far in advance as possible. Some conventions a have limited number of party rooms that quickly get snapped up. Some conventions have a special area or floor reserved for parties, and others you might want to pick a suitable location. Many is the bid party that saved money on food by being close to the Con Suite (cheats). You might also want to be close to other parties or some other a high-traffic area, to avoid being missed. Sometimes this can be arranged beforehand.

The more you can plan and accomplish in advance, the better. Avoid the mad last-minute rush. This would include collecting items you will use for ambience, like posters, door stickers, membership forms, flags, table cloths, special outfits, fanzine copies, flyers, posters, party adverts/invitations, etc.

Make sure you have enough help lined up. I have been to a party or two with only one host where guests entertained each other. This may be perfectly fine, but usually you will need help - particularly if you want to enjoy yourself. Four of us hosted the SFSA party and for eight hours all four of us were constantly socializing. Several times, despite our best efforts, folks left without getting to talk to any of us, something we regretted enormously. Imagine what it would have been like with less than four. However if your aim is simply to collect a group of Buffy fans in one place, then you might not need any helpers.

Some bigger parties, generally those with a serious agenda, will even appoint a party captain. This person will ensure that everything gets done, and it can be a form of training for later management responsibilities. For most smaller parties though, a group of experienced fans will pretty much get things done on their own. If your party has a theme then you might need to plan special food as well. In our case we wanted to bring in some South African foods. Conventions promoting their particular area, have done the same. For general food, try to find out in advance where the reasonably priced stores near the hotel are. The same applies to places to purchase alcohol. Some conventions have a party-maven that you can contact directly for this information, or alternatively you can check the convention's flyers, progress reports or web pages. Failing all that you might try contacting someone on the committee, probably the hotel liaison first.

Have a checklist of things you need, and need to do--both before and during the convention--and check items off, rather than keeping them in your head.

As a broad rule, try to keep both the afternoon before your party (setup) and the morning after your party (sleep catch-up) free. Parties generally start somewhere between seven and ten in the evening, and end between midnight and dawn. Decide on your times beforehand and try and stick to it (if you want to, hell it's a party). Be aware of check-in and check-out times for the hotel, if they affect you. Leave yourself plenty of time for cleanup.

Early on the day of your party--or earlier if the convention caters for it--remember to notify the convention staff about your party, so that it can be included in any distributed lists or publications about planned parties. There might also be a notice board where you can list your party's details. Also be sure to order your ice in advance, if you are ordering ice from the convention. If possible, volunteer to help at someone else's party first, as this will expose you directly to good ideas and habits.

Things you may need

This section contains a list of items you might need to run your party. Many of them are covered in more detail in later sections.

• Door jam (to keep the room door open)
• Boxes (highly useful when carrying shopping, plus for later cleanup)
• Pegs or safety pins (attach poster/flag/etc to curtains)
• Artists' or Painters' tape (for sticking posters to mirrors, picture frames, without damaging them)
• Tablecloth/s (protect vulnerable hotel surfaces and minimize mess)
• Serving dishes, bowls and/or plates
• Serving utensils
• Paper towels (utility purposes). You won't need a whole roll of these, and flat-fold ones pack more conveniently.
• Paper Napkins (for messy guests)
• Utility knives (bread knife, cheese knife, butter knife, etc)
• Bread boards (bulky) or ultra flat cutting mats (take up virtually no room in a suitcase)
• Disposable (paper/plastic) small plates and cups and plates (small portions mean supplies last longer, less is wasted and smaller messes, should an accident occur). It's easy to buy too many cups. Remember: you won't need more cups than you have drinks!
• Plastic trash bags (for trash and general utility)
• Shower curtains, or cheap cooler boxes (for ice - could use trash bags instead)
• Cloths, dish cloths and safe cleaning solutions (for cleanup)
• Party advertising posters (let everyone know about your party and where it is)
• Tape that does not stick to carpets plus plastic sheeting (protect carpets from stains - probably not needed for non-bar non-hot food party)
• Static cling sheets to stick posters on walls without damaging them
• Regular tape (just in case)
• Spare pens
• Note paper
• Business cards
• Door badge stickers (for sticking on badges)
• Scissors
• General utility knife or pen knife (Swiss Army rules!)
• Thick Black Marker/s
• Small hand-held vacuum cleaner (luxury item)
• Stereo or PA system, if you want music or if you will need to make announcements

You might also want to pool resources with other parties that will be held on different nights to yours.

Party-Pack

For groups that hold regular parties, generally a party pack is prepared. This can be held in a box, a suitcase or even a cooler box (dual purpose). How big this is depends on what your needs are. Generally this is a static pack of items, like those above, needed during the hosting of any party. These items are amongst the items you have decided on, for example, knives, serving bowls, scissors, artist's tape, bread boards, etc.

The size of this pack, or even the practicality of the pack, will be determined by how far you have to haul it. A suitcase might be the best option if you plan to take the pack on a flight, preferably one on wheels. Remember that this would have to be checked luggage as it will likely contain knives, scissors and other items that are not allowed in carry-on luggage.

Keep a list of all the contents within, stuck on the lid. This list can be used when taking inventory, both before and after the party. This approach makes it highly unlikely that you will ever forget anything. Always check your inventory before a con, and don't forget to arrange for someone to take the pack to the convention.

Shopping

If the convention is not in your area, you will not be familiar with local stores. Ahead of time, try to find out where the nearest stores are, and then which of them is more reasonably priced and which ones have better quality products. Most parties strive for a balance between cheap and tasteful. To gather the information contact any friends in the area, the convention (many even have a Party Maven on committee) or you can also try the hotel.

If there are no nearby stores that suit your needs, then you might need to rent a car or van to do your shopping. Sometimes small moving trucks can be rented cheaper than cars. This gives you access to more stores so you might save enough to cover the cost of the car. A well planned trip will see you hit all your stores in one trip, but be sure to buy perishable items last. Also be sure that you have somewhere to keep perishable items until the party, so that they will not spoil before you use them. Most of the time, a cool hotel room will suffice.

Dollar stores and bulk-discount stores are a great source of cups, plates, serving bowls, throw-away ice containers, knives, decorations and more. Sometimes they are a good source of food too, but most often you will want to look elsewhere for better quality food.

If you can, take some boxes with you for your supplies. Getting hordes of shopping bags to a room is no fun at all, but boxes are more convenient and can be stacked on a bellman's trolley (bags fall off too easily).

Food glorious food

Parties mostly have simple finger foods. This would include fruit, chips, dips, cookies, crackers, cheese, candy and so on. Things that don't get stale/dried out are often preferred, like M