This is a compilation of all the posts done on this blog about adding “fan-to-pro” elements to conventions. I will be updating this over time.
If you wonder why conventions are a big idea, I did an entire book career events at cons – and the reasons why I did it explain it better than anything!
GENERAL:
SPECIFIC SUGGESTIONS:
Convention Types:
- Comic Cons – Comic cons have a unique foundation – but also are evolving n ways that career-minded fans can take advantage of.
Guests:
- Invite guests that aren’t ‘typical’ – but are of professional interest
- Invite local guests that are relevant to people’s career interests
- Invite recruiters
- Invite business owners.
- Invite people from local or local branches of professional associations.
- Invite and involve student associations.
- Invite retirees who can share unique perspectives and experience.
- Invite a range of talent and experience on the same panel, so you can get different perspectives.
- Invite people with a part-time fannish business.
Events:
- Throw a networking event.
- Involve your Attendees.
- Have a career table
- Advanced Portfolio reviews
- Visit a local business
- Do events for parents, teachers and mentors
- Do events on certifications.
- Focus on tools.
- Focus on what NOT to do, or other failures and mistakes.
- Address must-use technology specifically and in general for progeeks!
- Have attendees come together to make actual product.
- Go and have a little fun with career-oriented gameshows and other entertainments.
- Do events that focus on part-time businesses.
Organization:
Miscellaneous
- Try a Minicon or a Proto-Minicon.
- Try doing other events year-round.
- Leverage local workshops for help and even entire events.
- Add career-oriented prizes to your various gameshows or and events.
- Explore different kinds of ways to bring people job information – video, webinar, and more.
CONVENTION SPOTLIGHT:
- Ani-Magic, the Autumn Dream – Making a convention an entire professional-skill-building experience.
- Anime Saint George – Finding good trades for guests, diversifying professional guests, and keeping people informed on how to break into industries.
- Anime USA – Leveraging geographic advantages, specific deep focuses, and having a staff with professional ambitions and experiences.
- Daishocon – Getting speakers that wrote “how to” guides and paying special attention to teaching people how to break into careers.
- Erie-Anime-Experience – Tying history, guests, and ideas together.
- Hal-Con – Cultivating diversity on all panels, and working with guests and attendees for unique topics.
- Iowa Icon – Leverages classic ideas, an intimate setting, and specific focus.
- Mobicon – Leverage your guests and keep your staff primed to develop good profan events.
- Odyssey Con – Covers areas of professional writing not everyone thinks of, and “subcontracts” events from other conventions.
- Queen City Kamikaze – Calling on local talent, local education, and making career-specific events.
- Templecon – Trying a few things no one else tries – including some contrarian elements!
- Tigercon – Making guest-sharing deals and adding academic elements.
- WindyCon – Following in the steps of WorldCon and doing manuscript review for writers.
– Steven Savage