How to Convention: Online Program Participation
Previous articles here have discussed program participation (part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4) primarily as a matter of in-person program items. However, with online and hybrid conventions showing some staying power, the unique challenges of being an online participant deserve a mention too.
Get some practice. If the convention has training sessions for panelists to learn the online platform it’s using, sign up. Even if it’s one you’ve used before, it may be using different features (e.g. Zoom webinars vs. Zoom meetings), it may have changed its look and feel since you last used it, or the convention’s customs for using it may be different from the ones you’re used to.
If no training sessions are mentioned and you’re not familiar with the platform, ask the program contact if there is some way for someone to at least spare a few minutes to show you the ropes sometime before your first program item.
Test your setup. Use the computer you intend to use, in the location you intend to use, at the time of day you’re intending to use it. How well can you be seen? What’s visible in your background? How’s the internet connection in that location? How easy is it for pets to perform surprise appearances?
Know the time. Ideally, every time you get a message or look at a web page telling you your current schedule, the time zone being used will be explicitly named in a prominent location (bonus points for including a UTC offset). In practice, conventions will either use their own time zone or whatever time zone your device is currently set to, and then either not mention it at all or hide it in fine print. If you’re not sure, don’t try to guess— ask.
Find out how to get there. To prevent party crashers, some cons using Zoom will provide panel links on the main schedule but only make them available shortly before each block of panels. On other platforms, you may need a special login for participant mode, or special privileges applied ahead of time, or other technical twists.
Arrive early. This is a good practice regardless of whether you’re online or not, but online there’s an even greater scope for last-minute glitches to hold things up. If they’re going to happen, giving them more lead time to happen in will improve everyone’s experience.
Be even more prepared to wing it. Stuff happens, even in person. The moderator has to cancel at the last minute, the projector that was supposed to be there isn’t, half the microphones don’t work, or other issues. In the online and hybrid world, the scope for problems that can interfere with your plans is far larger and weirder.
If there’s an audience, and they can see or hear you, don’t let the program item grind to a complete halt while you try to troubleshoot things. If they can see you’ve encountered an issue, but you’re still trying to educate and/or entertain them, that will go a long way toward making them feel like their time and effort to be there hasn’t been wasted. The show must go on!
In Brief
Official contact information for the caretaker committee that was formed in November to select the winning bid to host Westercon 77 has been posted to the main Westercon site. The committee asks that bids be submitted by the end of February.
ATL Comic Convention (Atlanta, Georgia, February 9-11) has added Lana Parrilla and Joe Seo as guests.
Indiana Comic Convention (Indianapolis, Indiana, March 22-24) has added Spencer Grammer and Felicia Day as guests.
Event Calendar
Weekend of January 12-14
Chattacon XLIX, Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA
ConVivial, Williamsburg, Virginia, USA
Arisia 2024, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Marscon 2024, Norfolk, Virginia, USA
Further Confusion: Pixelated (anthropomorphic), San Jose, California, USA
MidWinterFrolic 2024 (anthropomorphic), Altura, Minnesota, USA
Snowcon 14 (gaming), Bangor, Maine, USA
Cascade Games Convention, Bellingham, Washington, USA
Dice + Diversions (gaming), Peachtree Corners, Georgia, USA
RiverCityCon (gaming), Louisville, Kentucky, USA
Midwinter Gaming Convention, Pewaukee, Wisconsin, USA
Geekway Mini: Geekway to the Future (gaming), St. Louis, Missouri, USA
Congress of Gamers Winter Session, Rockville, Maryland, USA
HexaCon 2024 (gaming), Broomfield, Colorado, USA
SCARAB 2024 (gaming), Columbia, South Carolina, USA
SaltCON Bryce (boardgames), Bryce Canyon, Utah, USA
28th Annual Chattanooga Railgaming Challenge, Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA
Spartacon XXXIII (wargaming), DeWitt, Michigan, USA
BattleTex IV (wargaming), Houston, Texas, USA
Siege of Augusta XXXIII (miniatures gaming), Augusta, Georgia, USA
Ichibancon 14 (anime), Concord, North Carolina, USA
Anime Impulse, Pomona, California, USA
Fan Expo Portland (media), Portland, Oregon, USA
MondoCon 2024 (media), Budapest, Hungary
CONsole Room: Year 11 (Doctor Who), Bloomington, Minnesota, USA
Weekend of January 19-21
Labyrinth of ConFusion, Novi, Michigan, USA
COSine 2024, Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA
CanthroFur (anthropomorphic), Auvergne, France
Anthro New England 2024: It's a Nor'eastah!, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
KapCon 31 (gaming), Wellington, New Zealand
Ducosim (gaming), Amersfoort, Netherlands
ATG Expo (gaming), Waco, Texas, USA
Niagara Boardgaming Weekend, Grimsby, Ontario, Canada
Super MAGFest (gaming/videogame music), National Harbor, Maryland, USA
Ohayocon 24 (anime), Columbus, Ohio, USA
Ikkicon (anime), Round Rock, Texas, USA
Animazing-Con (anime), Savannah, Georgia, USA
Orlando Anime Day, Orlando, Florida, USA
Central Florida Comic Con, Lakeland, Florida, USA
Albuquerque Comic Con, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
Weekend of January 26-28
GenghisCon 2024, Wembley, Australia
Conflikt (music), online
Game-iToba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
TantrumCon (gaming), Charlotte, North Carolina, USA
Cancon 2024 (gaming), Canberra, Australia
VerminCon 2024 (gaming), Vermillion, South Dakota, USA
Whose Turn Is It Anyway? (boardgames), Durham, North Carolina, USA
Lantern Rite (Genshin Impact), Grapevine, Texas, USA
SSA+S Toracon (anime), Sarasota, Florida, USA
Anime Washington, Tacoma, Washington, USA
Isshocon (anime), Novi, Michigan, USA
UChi-Con 2024 (anime), Chicago, Illinois, USA
San Angelo Comic Con, San Angelo, Texas, USA
Vampire Fan Weekend (media), Allen, Texas, USA
Mouse-Con Bakersfield (Disneyana), Bakersfield, California, USA
Weekend of February 2-4
AggieCon 53: A Midsummer Night’s Con, College Station, Texas, USA
Capricon 44: The Endurance of Stars, Wheeling, Illinois, USA
Contabile 34 - Triple Time! (music), Buxton, UK
ScotiaCon: Prehistoric Panic! (anthropomorphic), Glasgow, UK
AnthroExpo: 8-Bit Heroes (anthropomorphic), Norman, Oklahoma, USA
Winter War 50 (gaming), Champaign, Illinois, USA
CaptainCon (gaming), Warwick, Rhode Island, USA
Rocket City Gamefest, Huntsville, Alabama, USA
PopiCon! 2024 (gaming), South Bend, Indiana, USA
Anime Lubbock, Lubbock, Texas, USA
Setsucon (anime), Altoona, Pennsylvania, USA
AnimeCon London, London, UK
My Hero Convention: Texas (My Hero Academia), Irving, Texas, USA
East Bay Comic Con, Concord, California, USA
Creation Dallas (media), Plano, Texas, USA
Alaska ComiCon, Fairbanks, Alaska, USA
Megacon Orlando (media), Orlando, Florida, USA
Weekend of February 9-11
Winter Fantasy 48 (gaming), Fort Wayne, Indiana, USA
Running GAGG XXVIII: How to Train Your Squirrel to Train Your Dragon (gaming), Geneseo, New York, USA
DualCon (gaming), Charleston, West Virginia, USA
Paradice (gaming), Worthing, UK
Game On! 2024, Bellevue, Washington, USA
AmberConNI 2024 (diceless RPGs), Belfast, UK
Kami-Con Season 15: Villainy (anime), Birmingham, Alabama, USA
Animangapop (anime), Plymouth, UK
Isekai Anime Con, Sandy, Utah, USA
Zipcon 2024 (anime), Akron, Ohio, USA
Farpoint 31 (media), Hunt Valley, Maryland, USA
UMW Eagle Con (media), Fredericksburg, Virginia, USA
ExpOtaku Logroño (anime), San Millán, Spain
ATL Comic Convention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Big Lick Comic-Con, Roanoke, Virginia, USA
Coda
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