Advice

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:

• The list of Profan Panel Ideas.

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:

• Adding career tracks
• Specific career tracks

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