SMOF News, volume 2, issue 12

More information a con should have on its website, and news in brief.

Nov 24, 2022

The Convention Website Checklist Revisited

A past issue of this newsletter ran a checklist of minimum information to include on a convention website. Reader Evelyn Leeper wrote back with an addition:

You missed "Ways to contact the convention, including at a minimum an
email address *and* a postal address."

For cons which make it through the minimal checklist, another reader offers these thoughts on what a convention website needs to include.

Essential Information

By Loyal Correspondent

Your loyal correspondent finds themselves quite frustrated by cons which fail to share important basic information on their website.

Some of the information this correspondent has sought and failed to find includes:

Where and how to apply to be a guest or panelist
The cost of, required dimensions, and due dates for advertising
Where and how to request a table in the dealer’s room, and the cost thereof
The location, hours, and roles of the programming office, Con Ops, Green Room, Con Suite, and other facilities
Any mention that the above facilities even exist
The hours of the dealer's room, and art show
The location of the registration desk
A party schedule, including both time and location
Whether there will be free food in the Con Suite (this correspondent went to several cons before discovering the existence of free food)
The start and end times for the con
An actual map of the convention space (more on this in a later newsletter)

This correspondent would like to be an active participant at cons, and finds the limited info stymying. And while one could argue that this correspondent could find out this info by asking the con, this correspondent must inform you that based on their experiences the average con is as bad at communicating via email as they are at remembering to put info on their website. For example, this correspondent was at a con recently, and was on panels, but did not learn the location of the programming office until after their first panel (if this info was in an email sent to panelists, this correspondent did not receive it).

Also, conrunners should be aware that the average person will look for information on a con’s website, and after not finding (for example) info on how to apply to be a panelist will then conclude that there is no way for them to become a panelist (yes, people really do think that way).

Furthermore, while conrunners might want to argue that the info is available in the souvenir book or con guide, they should remember that said guide is usually found at the registration desk, and if members don’t know where that desk is located then they can’t go to it.

Also, some members of the public can only carve out a few hours to go to a con, and having useful info on the website makes it possible for them to plan their visit. Even a detail as minor as whether the con starts at 1pm or 4pm on Friday can decide whether a member gets to enjoy the con or go home disappointed.

In Brief

Science fiction writer Greg Bear, who died November 19th, was part of the group which organized the first Golden State Comic Book Convention in 1970. The convention would later become known as San Diego Comic-Con and then Comic-Con International. Fans are invited to participate in a rolling toast to him this weekend.
WhimsyCon 2023 (Denver, Colorado, USA, March 31-April 2) has announced that Ken Liu will be its Author Guest of Honor.
The Uncanny Experience (Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, September 16-17) has added Chris Claremont as a special guest.

Event Calendar

Weekend of November 25-27

Loscon 48, Los Angeles, California, USA
Chessiecon 2022, Hunt Valley, Maryland, USA
Chambanacon 51 (relaxacon), Normal, Illinois, USA
GobbleCon (gaming), Burlingame, California, USA
LFG Canberra: Essen Unplugged (boardgames), Griffith, Australia
De Bello Ludico (wargaming), Bracciano, Italy
FG Con 2022 (RPGs), online
Anime Festival Asia, Singapore
Anime Dallas, DFW Airport, Texas, USA
Akimatsuri (anime), Richmond, British Columbia, Canada
Comic Con Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany
Stars of Time Comic Con, Weston-super-Mare, UK
Fan Expo San Francisco (media), San Francisco, California, USA
Chicago TARDIS 2022 (Doctor Who), Lombard, Illinois, USA
Starbase Indy 2022: Imagine Anew (Star Trek), Indianapolis, Indiana, USA

Weekend of December 2-4

Smofcon 38 (con-running), Montréal, Québec, Canada
Midwest Furfest: Heroes (anthropomorphic), Rosemont, Illinois, USA
Dragonmeet (gaming), London, UK
Midwest GameFest, Independence, Missouri, USA
PAX Unplugged (tabletop gaming), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Shorehammer (miniatures gaming), Ocean City, Maryland, USA
Winter’s Tide (video games), Asheville, North Carolina, USA
Anime Frontier, Fort Worth, Texas, USA
Columbia Anime & Video Game Expo, Columbia, South Carolina, USA
Anime Town: Pensacola 2022, Pensacola, Florida, USA
Geek Days Lille (media), Lille, France
Abilene Comic Con, Abilene, Texas, USA
GalaxyCon Columbus (media), Columbus, Ohio, USA
Comic Con Okinawa, Camp Foster, Okinawa, Japan
For the Love of Sci-Fi 2022 (media), Manchester, UK
L.A. Comic Con 2022, Los Angeles, California, USA

Weekend of December 9-11

Aetnacon 2022/Italcon 2022 (Italian national sf convention), Catania, Italy
Cosplay Expo, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
FURUM 2022: Con of the Lost (anthropomorphic), Petaling Jaya, Malaysia
Cayden’s Ascension 4722 (Pathfinder and Starfinder RPGs), online
28 Manga Barcelona (anime), Barcelona, Spain
Kuri 2022 (anime), San José, Costa Rica
Yama-Con 2022 (anime), Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, USA
Heroes Assemble 2 (media), Richmond, Virginia, USA
Ocean City Comic Con, Ocean City, Maryland, USA
Maui Comic Con, Wailuku, Hawaii, USA
Raptor Con (media), Evansville, Indiana, USA
RADP 27 (Disney theme parks), Walt Disney World, Florida, USA
Game of Thrones Official Fan Convention, Los Angeles, California, USA

Weekend of December 16-18

Furcan 2022: Viva la Feria (anthropomorphic), Puebla, Mexico
TwinConRPG (gaming), London, UK
Sac Gamers Expo (video games), Sacramento, California, USA
Holiday Matsuri (anime), Orlando, Florida, USA
Con+Alt+Delete (anime), Rosemont, Illinois, USA
Nashville Anime Day, Murfreesboro, Tennessee, USA
Anime Winter Festa 2022, Kingston, Jamaica
Comic Fiesta, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Supernatural Official Convention, Nashville, Tennessee, USA

Weekend of December 23-25

EOY J-Culture Festival 2022 (anime), Singapore

Coda

Jacques Derrida Loves This Banana Bread (Screen Slate, hat tip: Money Stuff)

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