Checklist

A contribution from Ian Sorensen, the originator of the Conrunner fanzine, these Checklists provide a way to account for the Who, What, When Where, Why and How of putting a convention together.

The Convention

Why

• Enthusiasm for an idea (the only good reason)
• Fame (not likely!)
• Conrunning in the blood (compulsive activity disorder)
• Conrunning as a social activity (too sad to filk)
• Someone asks you to do it (eager puppy syndrome)
• No one else doing this type of convention (simple minded enthusiasm)

What Type

Large or Small

• Bidded convention
  • conform to pattern
  • need to know rules
• Single stream
  • may also have workshops
• Multi-stream
  • problem of numbers in each stream
  • increased staff requirement
• Aimed at established fans
• Aimed at attracting new fans
• With or without dealers room

Literary

• Science fiction
• Fantasy

Relaxacon

• Limited number of members
• By invitation
• Limited programme

Fannish

• Fanzines
• Conrunning
• Filking
• Tech

Trek

• Classic
• Others

Media

• Dr Who
• Red Dwarf
• Babylon 5
• Buffy
• Stargate
• Anime
• Mixed

RPG

• Single game
• Multiple games
• Tournament

Where

Transport links

• Parking
• Courtesy bus

Hotel

• Bedrooms
• Function space
• Overflow
• Food
• Drink
• Price
• Cheaper at weekends

Campus

• Not term time
• Room types

Holiday Camp

• Out of season
• Licensing problems
  • All pre-registered, no walk-ins

Ship

• No walk-ins once convention starts
• Overflow?

When

• Holiday weekend
• When venue available/cheap
• Not same time as similar con

Who

Committee

• Group of like minded people
• Friends
• Hand picked team
• Need to be able to communicate/meet regularly

Staff

• people with special knowledge/talents
• enthusiastic helpers

Advisors

• Professional
• Experienced conrunners

Finance

Expenditure

Fixed expenses

• venue
  • function space
  • furnishings
  • AV equiipment
• guests
  • travel
  • accommodation
  • food
  • drink
  • fee
• equipment
  • hire
  • deposits
  • delivery
  • repair
• transport
  • deposits
  • petrol
• publications
  • number or publications and page count
  • later publications trimmed to fit budget
• insurance
  • cover set-up and take down times
  • cover guest non-appearance
• programme
  • • prizes
  • awards
  • souvenir gift for guest
  • consumables
  • appearance fees
  • refunds to participants
• childcare
  • babysitting
  • creche
• entertainment

Administration

• committee
• postage
  • Use carrier for international mail
• phone
  • Encourage off peak use
• e-mail
• stationery

Other outgoings

• gratuities
• charity donations

Income

Membership

• Membership rates
  • Estimate numbers attending and relate to anticipated outgoings
  • Set final rates early and budget within them
    • Daily rate vital to local publicity
    • Walk-in membership money hard to spend usefully
• Credit card payment
• Group discount
• Encourage conversion from pre-supporting and supporting

Advertising space

• Publications
  • PRs
  • Souvenir Book
  • Pocket Programme
  • Others
    • Newsletter
    • Fan publications
• Website
• Merchandising
• In member pack
• Billboards at con
• At programme items

Merchandising

• Sales
• Special editions
• Promotional offers

Sponsorship

• Big deals must be done 12 months in advance
• Decide on your ethics before agreeing deal
  • Nuclear power?
  • Drugs companies?
  • The Sun newspaper?
  • Tobacco?
• Sources
  • Arts council grants
  • Literary society backing
  • Publishers help with author expenses
  • Local council funding
  • University funding
• Sponsors
  • made to feel special: give them perks - memberships, GoH **memorabilia, info on how their product will be promoted.
  • Prepare thank you letters in advance for immediate posting post-con
  • Get sponsors to publicise con in their publications
  • Direct press to sponsor representatives at con
• Sponsored items
  • Publications
    • Programme streams
      • Science
      • Media
      • Fan
      • Film
      • Literary
    • Programme items
      • Relevant items
      • Big events
      • Parties
    • Merchandising
      • Joint items: bags, T-shirts with sponsor’s name on one side.
  • Awards
  • Art show/exhibitions
  • Equipment
    • PA & lighting
    • Radios
    • Computers
    • Photocopiers
    • Stationery
  • Transport
    • People
    • Van
    • Postage
  • Childcare
    • Babysitting
    • Creche

Programme

Streams

• Tie stream themes to guests or convention motif
• No more than one stream per 100 members
• Don’t let one type of item dominate
• Don’t fill up the programme with make-weight items; leave gaps
• Have 3 big draws per day: aft, eve, night
• Overnight programming for insomniacs
• Allocate items to stream with suitable space

Individual items

• Every item should have one person who cares about it shepherding it from planning to completion
• If a great item has a rotten name, fewer will go
• Minimise tech setup changes between items
• Record programme items

Item formats

Performance

• Musical, Theatrical, Cabaret, Costume

Social event

• Party, Banquet, Meet the guests
• Dance
  • Theme, Costume, Disco, Live band

Style

• Serious, Silly, Fun
• Pre-selected or Spontaneous selection of participants
• Specialised subject
• Teams, Individuals, Mass participation
• Mental, Physical

Topics

Literary

• Writing, Publishing, Magazines, Criticism
• Adult/juvenile

Science

• Technology, Computers, Internet, Serious science, Pseudo science

Fandom

• Fanzines, Conventions, Gaming, Costuming, Comics, Anime, Media

Media

• TV, Film, Radio, Press

Art

• Painting, Cartoons, Artists

Religion

• In fact, In fiction

Politics

• In fact, In fiction

Collecting

• Books, Art, Comics, Memorabilia, Fanzines

Guests

Approach

• Through mutual acquaintance
  • previous convention committee
  • other author/actor/artist
• At convention
  • buy them a drink
• By phone
  • be prepared to leave message on answering machine
  • be aware of time zones
  • confirm with letter
• By letter
  • Keep letter brief
  • enclose reply paid envelope
  • address in writers and artists yearbook
  • address in Who’s Who
  • address in SFWA members list
    • ask SFWA member
• Through agent
  • address in writers and artists yearbook
• Through publisher

Prepare offer

• dates
• location
• expenses paid/fee
  • accommodation
    • Guest
    • Guest and partner
    • Food
    • Drinks
  • travel
    • type
    • class
    • dates
    • how paid
      • booked by convention
      • cheque sent
      • guest pays and reimbursed
• items and appearances
  • number
    • no more than 3 per day
    • 1 major, 2 minor
  • type
    • speech
    • interview
    • panel
    • signing
    • quiz
    • judge
    • slide show
    • autograph

Souvenir

• Artwork
• Trophy/tankard
• Special edition convention book

Participants

Have a “Green Room” for participants to gather in

• Staffed during programme times
• Allow Green Room discretion with hospitality
• Provide drinks & food
• Information
• Place to sit and chat

Space

• Fill spaces rather than have empty seats
• Signpost programme areas well
• Display list of items outside each venue and update as required
• Clearly mark smoking/non smoking areas
• Disabled access and reserved seating
• Crush space for exit from popular items
• Remove litter after items
• Avoid trailing cables

Dealers Room

Location

• Easy access for boxes and trolleys
• Not too remote from cente of con
• Signposted

Opening times

• Consult dealers
• Close for GoH speech

Layout

• Aisles wide enough for safety and avoiding crush
• Fire regulations
• Islands/rows
• Doors and exits
• Wall location for easy display

Dealers

• Books
• Comics
• Art
• Jewellery
• Clothing
• Memorabilia
• Toys

Pricing

• Discount for early booking
• Includes membership
• Premium for near door

Security

• Badge check on door
• No smoking
• No drinks
• Check bags
• Locked overnight
  • Portable alarm sytem
  • Gopher sleeping in room

Artshow

Layout

• space for people without brushing against artwork
• security desk at entrance
• fire regulations

Hanging

• Tables/display cases for sculpture
• Boards
• Wall mounts
• Lighting
• Labelling
  • Info slip
    • Artist
    • Title
    • Price or Not For Sale
    • Space for written bids

Times

• Close before auction

Security

• Rota
• No food/drink/smoking
• No bags
• Insurance

Auction

• Near end of con
• Sale of pre-bid art first
• Charity auction
• Staff
  • Auctioneers
  • People to carry artwork to and from auction
  • People to display item in auction
  • Secretary
    • note item/artist
    • note sale price and buyer
    • Add up total sales by artist
    • Calculate commission
    • Collect payment
    • Pay artists
  • Uncollected artwork
    • Announce at convention
    • Return art to artist

Sales

• Print shop
• Direct sale by artist

Publicity

General Public

Press Release

• Eyecatching - colour paper, folder
• Contains dates, place, contact info
• short biographies of guests
• photos of guests
• photos of previous events
• pre-written story for lazy journalists to use
• details of press access
  • interview opportunities with guests
  • pre-con photo opportunity

Radio

• Local
  • interviews with guests and organisers
  • competitions with membership prizes
  • paid adverts
• National
• write to all DJs asking for a mention
• invent silly event to get them talking eg light sabre duel

TV

• Local
  • Have telegenic event on or before opening day
• National
  • mentions at end of SF programmes
  • Late Show

Press

• Local
  • mention local participants
  • photo opportunities
• National
  • letters to papers and magazines

Posters

• at venue
• in libraries
• in local bookshops, video shops

Fliers handed out to public

• cinema queues
• at bookshops

Roadsigns

• Put up by AA or RAC
• Created by convention

Conventions

Fliers

• In member packs of other cons
• On tables at other cons
• On seats on programme rooms at other cons

Programme items

• put up teams for games and quizzes at cons
• auction memberships at cons

SF groups

University groups

• Publicise before summer break
• Cover letter suggesting “University field trip” to con
• Try to “piggy back” on mailouts to freshers

Local Groups

• Ask them to publicise in local SF outlets
• Ask for info for Fan Map

SF outlets

Bookshops

• Posters don’t stay up long
• Fliers by till put in with SF purchases
• Bookmarks
• Piggy back on author signing publicity
• Organise signing sessions in Strathclyde pre-con

Libraries

• University and college libraries
• some authorities don’t allow commercial advertising

Word of mouth

• get people talking the convention up
  • Guests
  • have a few good programme items as examples
• people want to go to a good convention and enjoy themselves. Talk up the positive aspects.

Professionals

• recruit writers and publishers to mention con at every opportunity
• get TV involvement early and use to promote con inside media
• Literary agents
  • emphasise business opportunities
  • publicity for clients

Member services

Communications

At con information desk

• Message board
• Programme updates
• Voodoo board for members to contact members

Member pack

Pocket programme

• programme details
• programme summary
• venue details
• local info
  • restaurants
  • cash points
  • parking
  • shop hours
  • emergency services
  • bookshops
  • travel

Badge

• visible name
• convention name/logo
  • colour coded for type of membership
  • staff badges
• membership number
• town/country of origin if required
• disclaimer on back

Programme participants

• list of items agreed to
• green room location
• thank you letter
• contact name and number for queries

Operations

Communications

Local

• Phone
• Radio
• Bleeper
• Runner

National

• Mail
• E-mail
• Phone
• APA

Logistics

National

• Close coordination with programme
• Central store
• Transport coordination
• Late arrivals bring forgotten items

Local

• Equipment suppliers
• Contract restrictions
• Set up times
• Strike times
• Hotels

Site

Liaison

• pre-con
  • confirm technical facilities available on-site
    • test facilities
    • confirm emergency technical support available during convention
    • confirm cost of using facilities and call-out charges
  • confirm times for access and take down
    • goods access and elevators
    • size of access door and elevators
• at con
  • have named site staff for liaison
  • maintain log of problems/accidents

Secure storage room

• Inventory
  • derived from equipment list
  • other valuables
    • cash box
    • prizes
    • personal items
• Access
  • locate close to programme areas for moving equipment
  • only certain staff may enter
• Supervised
  • duty rota
  • log-in and out procedure for equipment
• Locked
  • keyholder contactable
  • sign on door saying door should always be locked

Luggage deposit for members on final day

• hotel cloakroom
  • use hotel system
• convention luggage store
  • supervised
    • duty rota
    • system for checking ownership
  • locked
    • sign saying how to contact keyholder

Childcare

• Location
• Facilities

Tables

• Other conventions
• Fliers/newsletters

Litter clear up

• In corridors/public areas
• In programme areas
• Plastic glasses to avoid accidents

Tech

Safety

• first aid kits
• equipment checks
• fire regulations

Audio visual

• sound
• lights
• video
• film
• OHP

Power

• sockets
• supply type
• cable runs
• safety tests

Equipment

• liaise with programme
  • check programme clashes over equipment
• borrow
  • make sure insurance covers
• hire
  • get competitive quotes
• buy
  • check if can sell back after use

Training

• safety
• hours on duty

Repairs

• toolkits
• service engineers

Record programme items

• Video
• Audio
• Get clearance from participants

Staff

Organisation

• Committee posts
  • outline specific areas of responsibility
• Staff organisation table
  • show lines of communication and responsibility
• Pre-con
  • committee organisation
• At con
  • Duty committee member
  • Operations manager
  • Programme manager
  • First aider

Recruitment

• expand staff nearer convention
  • volunteer form in PRs
• ask for skills
• ask what days available
• ask what times available
  • recruit at registration desk
• signs at desk
• volunteer form in member pack
• recruit specific people to fill vacant posts

Timeline

• Don’t let deadlines slip
• Get everything done that can be done in advance
• Get students doing most work during summer -avoid exam times

Morale

• Encourage initiative
• Make sure information flows down as well as up
• Have a welfare officer, not on committee, who can pass on gripes
• Staff newsletter
• reserved seating
• staff party
• work vouchers

Staff Handbook

• Distribute draft at pre-con staff meeting
• Rotas
  • Prepare shift rotas in advance
  • Assign staff to shifts
• Emphasise need for staff to have good knowledge of procedures

Publications

Progress Reports/Website

Contents

• Name of convention
• Location
  • venue name
  • town
• Dates
  • give start time - afternoon/evening
  • give finish time on last day
  • include the year in dates
• Guests
  • have names prominent on cover
  • get publicity pictures for publication
  • credit photographer
• First PR to publicise convention
• Membership list
  • joined since last PR
  • show membership status
  • alphabetical order for easier checking
• Hotel prices/booking form
  • prices for types of rooms
  • dates rates apply before and after convention
  • deposit required
    • payable to hotel/convention
  • sharing
    • other member
    • convention finds sharer
    • each responsible for individual bills
• Membership details/form
  • explain types of membership
  • dates of price increases
  • child/baby rates
    • age breaks
  • Volunteer appeal/form
  • Competition entry forms
  • Merchandise available
  • Advertising rates and publishing schedule
  • Last one to give details of how to get there
    • address of venue
    • phone number of venue
      • convention phone number
    • map
      • separate sheet to take along
      • clearly marked venue
      • mark stations
      • mark parking
    • directions
      • by road
      • by rail
      • by bus
      • from airport
  • Adverts
    • no more than 20% of page count
    • from guest’s publishers
    • other conventions (ad swap)
    • fan rate/pro rate
    • charge for artwork processing
    • fliers inserted with PR

Souvenir Book

• Convention name and dates
• Guest appreciations
• Membership list
• Committee list
• Adverts as per PRs
  • premium rates for back and inside covers
• Do before convention and post out
  • high postage costs
  • gives members time to read before attending
• Do after convention
  • include photos of convention
  • reports of programme items

Pocket Programme

programme item times

• programme notes

convention offices

• information desk
• ops room
• first aid
• internal phone numbers

local information

• restaurants
• cash machines

Others

Committee online forum

• details of organisation
• programme ideas
• distributed to interested parties