2023 Notes to Selves

2023 Notes to selves from our 2021 con

BEOs

• Make sure we get food vouchers in the BEOs. (beta.mfd)
• Either put on BEOs or just plan to call dispatch that we need like 4 cardboard bins and a bin or two for trash (beta.mfd)
• Get in the BEOs for them to not lock the bathrooms near our space at night!!! (beta.mfd)
• Make sure to put in BEOs that we want all of Nevada locked all weekend (beta.mfd)
• Remove tall cab behind main stage from BEOs. We have projector stands now. (elemecca)
• Dance floor for rave in BEO (kiserai)
• Air conditioner in BEOs (kiserai)
• Split out catering as its own section separate from layout, in addition to including it with rooms. (tjsomething)
  • We did them together because that’s how 2019 BEOs came back to us from the GSR (beta.mfd)

Venue

• Have a venue@ email address so GSR emails are contained to their own queue (elemecca)
• Need a short guide to checking in with all the magic words to get checked in under the master account with housekeeping turned off and no credit card down. Give to guests and anyone under our master. (beta.mfd)
• Nevada 8-10 have extra overhead security cameras, in case that's useful sometime in the future (tycoinreno)

Scheduling

• Don't offer half-an hour slots next year (samschuler)
• Closing Ceremonies should be 1/2 hour (samschuler)
• Schedule needs to be finalized the week before printing (samschuler)
• Closing Ceremonies should be 1/2 hour (samschuler)

Policy Changes

• Meeting before or even 2 meetings before conbook hell, make sure the departments know what we need from them. (samschuler)
• Guest email include autograph sessions? (samschuler)
• VIP policy needs to be updated to paid badges only. Maybe first X room nights to encourage people to do it sooner. Should not send out VIP email after deadline. MAKE SURE VIP DEADLINE IS ALWAYS BEFORE PREREGISTRATION CLOSE. (beta.mfd)
• Consider a vocab change regarding registrations instead of selling "badges." "Memberships" maybe?? Just to cut down on "why do you need my ID" and "why do you need my birthdate" questions at reg. (beta.mfd)
  • Maybe short, easy-to-remember spiel on why we need their birthday/ID, what exactly is the security risk, and how easy it is to obtain that info for the general public. (cityofember)
• Make manager functions accessible to reg techs with override (tjsomething)
• Add Medical Marijuana cards as valid forms of ID as they have all necessary information (photo, name, DOB, issued by a government) (llamacrying)

Purchases

• Buy more logo lanyards (beta.mfd)
• Need to get a company Visa or Master Card. 😩 AMEX is just so business friendly but sometimes isn't accepted. 😦 (beta.mfd)
• Buy gaffer tape; oops. We always had so much, until we didn't. (beta.mfd)
• We ran out of money bands over the years. Time to buy more. (beta.mfd)
• We burned through a lot of pens on the lability waivers (mostly from people keeping them), buy more pens. (beta.mfd)
• Pallet wrap. (tjsomething)
• HDMI audio splitter would be good for the Epsons, which have no audio out. (tjsomething)
• Get a better webcam and a longer USB cord for main stage (samschuler)
• Get micro-HDMI and Thunderbolt adapters for the projectors. (tjsomething)
• Maybe we should get fliers to post in Bishop and Lone Pine, California (cityofember)
• No photos badge ribbons? (elemecca)
• More Easil!!! (jmichaelvincent)

Guests

• Guests add 1 king or 2 queens to the info we gather for the guest contract 🙄 (beta.mfd)
• Put something in the guest contract about scheduling requirements. Or something? Available for panels between 12pm and ?pm Fri, ?am and ?pm Sat, and 11am and Xpm Sun. Reasonable accommodations will be made for breaks between panels, time for lunch, etc. (beta.mfd)
• Get autograph session count in the contract. (beta.mfd)
• Bigger, higher signs for the guests, maybe. Possibly affixed to the wall with velcro, like Aaron Romo's. They're unhappy being in the back, but there's really nowhere else to put them. (nurikowindchaser)
• Laminated contact-info badge for guests. (beta.mfd)

Press

• Add press release & press kit to annual todo (beta.mfd)

Merchants

• Discuss Wild Bill's Olde Fashioned Soda Pop Co (omega_m)
  • If we can get them that would be awesome, but I suspect we are too small for them. (nurikowindchaser)
• Merchants applications needs a field for "is selling stuff" and default to "yes." Put it on the Submission entity. It needs to be exposed on the signup process, and it needs to export on the state tax spreadsheet. (beta.mfd)
• Add open hours to the merchant sign. (omega_m)
• Add to Vendor contract, something about use of zip ties and cleaning them up. (omega_m)

Marketing::Tabling

• After con is over reach out to RAGE Con (beta.mfd)

Registration

• Free badges to make (beta.mfd)
• VIP policy needs to be updated to paid badges only. Maybe first X room nights to encourage people to do it sooner. Should not send out VIP email after deadline. MAKE SURE VIP DEADLINE IS ALWAYS BEFORE PREREGISTRATION CLOSE. (beta.mfd)
• I wonder how hard it would be to program the badges to export in groups of 6 so when they're cut in stacks they're more likely to end up in order, or at least end up with chunks of in-order badges for easier sorting. 🤔 (beta.mfd)
• Signage for registration that says "vendors are closing soon" so we hopefully don't get the people who only want to go to the vendors who register right before it closes and get mad. (elemecca)
• Make future waivers/consent forms the same for adults/minors (like at hospitals do). (cityofember)
• Large signs attached to registration tables that say "CASH ONLY" as a last warning for people close to the front (harder for someone to steal, and for those who missed the earlier signs for whatever reason) (cityofember)
• Mark box(es) to put paper to be recycled in Reg, along with lists of what to recycle and what to reuse. (cityofember)
• It would be nice if the online registration system allowed people who only want to come for one day to pay online as well. It could speed up things at registration if we don't have to deal with the "take cash" part, & minimize cases where someone forgets to change the number of days on the badge number. Also could reduce the number of "you don't take credit card?" moments - at least for those who booked online... (superdave1426)
• Make manager functions accessible to reg techs with override (tjsomething)
• "Scan ID Now" in reg screen (beta.mfd)
• List what valid IDs are on the Invalid ID form in the YPS. (beta.mfd)
• Possibly do separate yellow pads per day per person so it's more obvious what day each thing happened on. Collect all yellow pads at the end of each day and file them, then issue fresh ones the next day. Put the date on the cover. (elemecca)
  • Alternatively, use a form for the notes section with slots for date and badge number (elemecca)
• Print sheet with QR codes for the official SMART Verifier app so reg techs can install it easily if the in-BACON verification goes down. (elemecca)
• Make manager functions accessible to reg techs with override (tjsomething)

Administration

• Give Cassy a company card to buy flights for guests and handle some of the administrative stuff in Reno. (beta.mfd)
• Audit the Full Admin people in BACON (elemecca)

Documentation

• Wiki entries for: how to handle a medical emergency; post-con lost & found process; dealing with cardboard at con; (beta.mfd)
• Update badge checking procedure with acknowledging people if it’s not already in the policy. (beta.mfd)
• Better directions for tech when people who know what's happening stop being able to come 😭 (beta.mfd)
• Write procedure, if vendor is not at their booth at room opening. (omega_m)

Discord

• Opt-in roles for logistics helper, convention support, badge checker relief, etc. so they can be pinged as needed. (beta.mfd)

Project Management

• Many of the bitrix templates are for old heads. Who all is running all the things? Update the templates in 2022 if possible. Otherwise it will ping all the old people again and probably need to fix it all slowly and manually. (beta.mfd)

Logistics

• If we do photo booth in same place next year for flow, *someone needs to open the damn door every day.* I’m pretty sure it’s been closed all weekend except when I opened it. (beta.mfd)
• Permanently and loudly label the stepping stool as “Con Store” (beta.mfd)
• Signage for staff unloading explaining exits while bay doors are up. (tjsomething)
• Work on system where 90% of gear doesn't stage through reg (jmichaelvincent)

Tech

• Tech needs to be in talent show to ensure censorship, etc. (tjsomething)
• I really should read https://wiki.snafucon.com/wiki/Tech/Panel_Equipment before setting a room. (tjsomething)
  • Put that page on a QR code in each room box. (tjsomething)
• HDMI audio splitter would be good for the Epsons, which have no audio out. (tjsomething)
• Get micro-HDMI and Thunderbolt adapters for the projectors. (tjsomething)
• Add something in video box that can stream video or connect to projector in vid box (bloominninja)
• Get a setup for streaming rave figured out (tjsomething)
• Main stage really should have monitor speaker(s) (samschuler)

Operations

• Pull a list of banned people and review with rovers heads, chairs before con. (elemecca)
• Give "My First Mistake" to Tim (elemecca)
• I miss the walkie talkies (dontshoot)

Masquerade

• Masq. rehersal should be mandatory for check-ins. (waohyau)
• Pull up older skits as examples for next year. (waohyau)
• Keep Peace Bonding in the Cosplay Repair area. (waohyau)
• Journeyman Category. So many novices... (waohyau)

Design

• Lower the back-of-badge message. (beta.mfd)

Signage

• Signs for opening hours (samschuler)
• Signage for free popcorn. (tjsomething)
• Add open hours to the merchant sign. (omega_m)
• Signage for staff unloading explaining exits while bay doors are up. (tjsomething)
• Signage for registration that says "vendors are closing soon" so we hopefully don't get the people who only want to go to the vendors who register right before it closes and get mad. (elemecca)
• Large signs attached to registration tables that say "CASH ONLY" as a last warning for people close to the front (harder for someone to steal, and for those who missed the earlier signs for whatever reason) (cityofember)
• "in a tunnel, go away" signs for the admin desk (elemecca)
• Can signage be condensed? For example panel checking & Rovers same signage. (jmichaelvincent)

Marketing

• In Reno for Thanksgiving, and Junkee might be a good place to drop off some fliers. Saw these in the comic book section. (cityofember)