conventions

Convention Idea: Retirees?

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The roundup of convention ideas is here.

When putting people on your career panels, you have many choices; the guest, the hip student, the hard working pro.  Once you start looking for potential guests you'll be amazed at the people you can call upon.

Have you thought about inviting people who are already done with their careers?  In short – have you looked at retirees?

Think of all the people you may know – or others may know – who have had long and successful careers.  Some of them may even be guests or the parents/grandparents of attendees.  Consider, just for a moment, how many people out there who have had amazing careers and lives that can share that information.

To give an example, I live in an area that has a Computer History Museum (http://www.computerhistory.org/).  The staff is largely volunteer, and I've met some who were completely or partially retired.  Imagine what they could say to a group of young potential programmers at a science fiction convention.

Or retired actors who may want to speak on the craft – seasoned enough to speak, but out of the spotlight to enjoy enough privacy.

Or writers . . . well, you get the idea.

Tapping into retirees gives you some special edges in events:

  • You have living examples of success.  People may not take the 20-something person who just broke into videogames seriously, but they're going to listen to someone who worked at IBM for 40 years.
  • You have people who understand the sweep of history, which is something that you have to live career-wise.
  • You have people who can speak to evolving technologies and their impact on careers.
  • The retirees can probably help connect you with even more resources.

So when you're thinking profan panels, don't forget those who have already had long careers.  They have a lot to say.

– Steven Savage

Convention Idea: Beyond The Presentation

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The roundup of convention ideas is here.

You know how the usual convention pro-fan event goes:

  • You get a presenter or presenter.
  • You get their audiovisual equipment
  • You get whatever else they need.
  • They show up and do the event.

I'm all for this method – after all, its what I do at conventions – but if you're going to expand the pro-fan events you do, the things you do to educate your attendees, you need to think outside of the box.

In this case, the box of "person-shows-up and does things."

There are many ways you can run pro-fan events without the standard person-at-the podium.  The more ways to experiment with doing these events, the more you can have- and the more ways you can bring information to your attendees.

Have you thought of video conferences?  They may take a bit to set up in time an money, but you can bring in guests that can't otherwise attend for whatever reason.  You can even bring people in from around the world – in the same room so to speak.

What about pre-recorded seminars, run on movie screens?  A bit limited of course, but you can get information to your attendees without the need of a live guest.  Your guest might even let the seminar/panel be put online.

Consider the simple conference line.  If a guest can't attend, and you can't video conference, you can patch them in.  Never underestimate the power of a good conference line.  It could even be used for a famous "special guest" to drop in for a few minutes.

Consider the webinar – a web seminar.  Your convention could "simulcast" events at the convention and online for people who couldn't make it.

Or, why not stream some of your events online so everyone can attend – if only in spirit – and on their monitors.

If you're going to do pro-fan events, think out of the box.  Many businesses use a variety of ways to train people – like the above – so can you!

For that matter, imagine what your convention team – and attendees – will learn setting this all up . . .

– Steven Savage