Hiya
At ConRunner 2 in Sheffield this weekend we discussed all sorts of stuff, and mentioned at the end that there was a relevant LJ community. Which is when I realised that there are in fact TWO. Another one must have got started after ConRunner 1.
I don't know what the answer is, does anyone know if LJ will let us merge them?
I've posted this to both ...
... do you have a copy of the Ops Manual from "SomeConvention", or the Registration Desk instructions from "SomeOtherCon", or the "running a membership table at a convention" guide from "YetAnotherCon"?
How about instructions for running the masquerade, or the chaos costuming etc.?
Some of this stuff is on the web ... but I'm trying to collect different versions people have put together over the years in order to produce a collection of useful advice, procedures and the exceptions that have come up over the years ...
... for example, what information must the registration desk take when someone joins on the door? How should it be recorded? Is there a separate financial ledger of payments taken? etc. etc.
I don't expect there's a perfect ReadMe, especially since different events have different requirements and even then, if you put in all the data you could, then many people won't read it ...
... but there are some good ideas floating around and certainly I have opinions of what makes a good readme ... so let me throw out a couple of things to start with, and see if any of you wants to contribute to a discussion of what makes a good ReadMe ...
1) pocket sized (or at least a pullout that can be pocketed)
2) programme schedule (and there's the first question of "time across, rooms down" (TARD) or "room s across< time down" (RATD)
3) Split ReadMe into "inside the hotel" and "read me outside the hotel, e.g. shops and restaurants and local churches etc. in one ReadMe Outside and one with programme, bar opening hours etc. in the other
But should the readme have the membership list?
Do you allow advertising, and if so, how much of the readme can be ads? Or do you try to keep the weight down and ban ads entirely (unless they are there to fill space?
Programme grid, centre pages seems sensible ... or does the hotel map go in the middle if it is too big for the back cover? Do you have the programme grid as something that can be pulled out, or as a separate sheet, or do you try to make sure the entire readme stays together?
Should you charge for replacement ReadMes or do you think they contain enough important and vital information that the convention should provide spares for free ...
... electronic ReadMe, stupid idea or a good idea but not yet, or "hell yes, do it straight away" (with a paper backup for the less technologically enhanced)
"Here be dragons" - what should go on the ReadMe map(s)?
What else? Competitions? What's the full list of things with opening hours? (creche, food, bar, dealers, artshow ... personally, if an event is in one room and nothing else is scheduled in that room, then I don't think it belongs on the grid ... e.g. chaos costuming, ops, art show, dealers etc. each stay in one place and nothing else is scheduled in that space, so they don't need to be on the programme grid ... but what about Video Programme? What about creche if there are timed events throughout the day?
I did a few things on the Contemplation ReadMe that I'm proud of, but that haven't been copied by other conventions, are they just not good ideas? Thinks like, having a dedicated space on the cover to say "this ReadMe belongs to ..." and having a blank "room" in the grid for writing in your ops shifts, meal meeting times and other things you want to remember to put into your schedule ...
... one of my friends is keen to have the programme grid be customisable, so you can enter in which items you're interested in (either individually, or say, "all science items") and then print off your own ReadMe grid ... he wants to go further and allow you to register your selections so that if any of your items moves, you can be sent an email or text message so you can update your grid ... and he's got the tecnical know-how to do it, so is it a good idea?
Over to you!
Can I start the ball rolling then? :)
A recent discussion elsewhere on LJ raised questions about the environmental friendliness of large conventions. I suspect that this is something about which we're likely to be questioned in future. How do we handle this - do we want to come up with a 'recommended policy' or just let people go their own ways?
