2019 Notes to Selves

In 2018 we put dropped notes-to-selves in a channel leading up to con and during con. It was referenced during con prep.

See google doc for better formatted version. It's mostly here for searchability and reference.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1UIUfLqoGfilfZpWf7hYCegL-wjiLMgBMevBiEBBYaIk/edit

BEOs

• Get a security schedule. (Thomas)
• Make sure Security doesn’t lock our bathrooms by the panel rooms
• Loading dock hours go on the BEOs. (Thomas)
• We should have piles of water bottles near gaming, in reg, and in vendors. (Thomas)

Venue

• Warn hotel that people are going to try to use staff vouchers at 2nd Street at 3AM (Sammich)
• Gently remind the venue to run the AC from the morning, not when it's already hot (Stephen) (we also received complaints from attendees about the heat)
• Bring/make under the door airwall door locks (Stephen)
• Coordination with eateries? Would they be willing to put up any signage during the week of/ weekend? (Lindsey) Thomas spoke with Port of subs and they’re carrying fliers.
• Tell Port of Subs to stock up and have more people. (Thomas)

Logistics

• Sign placement checklist sorted by priority to put on a clipboard and hand to a volunteer with a map (Sammich).
• I'm thinking about pre-built inventory sheets for next time we do storage inventory. T-shirts could have something like an "expected inventory" column, but there are a bunch of specific things I want inventory on and it would be helpful to have a ready-to-inventory spreadsheet or paper list.
• When we do logistics inventory we should make sure all the batteries got pulled out of all the flashlights and whatnot. Maybe add a sign to the flashlight box (Beta)

Scheduling

Have a more firm door schedule for volunteers/rovers next year so we can hopefully schedule volunteers when they say "I'm signing up now to help tomorrow" and then they never show up. (Robert)

Possibly have a virtual schedule for volunteers to know when certain positions need to be replaced next. (Robert)

Make the panel door schedule generate a PDF for easy printing (Sammich) - is in bitbucket which is the best I can do for marking this off. It’ll happen or it won’t.

Layout

• Add panels this way sign for back of Nevada (Sammich)
• As per Derek Prince’s request, he suggested that instead of panel rooms for guest autographs that we set up a table (like the ones in vendor/artist alley) and just have times posted. (Fluffy / Nicole D.)
• If same vendor room next year, consider having both sides as entrances. Having back side not manned is a liability and as stated, there's less reason for foot traffic in that corner. Maybe move photo studio to cosplay room and put weenie in current photo location. (Lindsey)
• Get chairs in the badge waiting area. (Thomas and Sammich and Beta) I also want a ticket sign for that. (Thomas)
• Add a few tables for the manga library. And a bunch of chairs.
• Figure out a good place for the A-frame cork board (Schuler)
• Would it be possible to get tables at the back of each panels rooms with signs to mention the feedback slips? (Schuler)
• The hall being as long as it is makes the dance lessons and dance seem less inviting. Possibly only use half of the space instead next year? (Robert)

Policy Updates

• Add to staff letter, meetings, emails, etc: do not attempt to operate venue equipment. Only venue staff may do so. Only senior logistics staff may make such requests to the venue. If you need a door opened ping Logistics. (Sammich)
• If we have tarot readers again remind them no fire, no smoke, no incense. Make sure to add to policies (Beta)
• Make staff policy of if you see trash pick it up. Maybe make announcements periodically for attendees? Lots of trash in the main area (Sam) Added to general policies.

• Masquerade / stage - Maybe also add rules about drugs and other things we don’t want and threaten to cut off the audio to their act if we find out it’s inappropriate after the fact. (Beta)
• Update policies to explicitly disallow smoking/vaping cosplays (Beta) We need a PA/mobile speaker/music/loudness policy (Beta)

Purchases

• Cases of water for Main Stage, Second Stage, and any guest related programming (Stephen)
• Fans for the cosplay room
• Zip locks for logistics boxes (or zipper-seal poly bags)
• New Lost & Found box
• More of those little locking boxes from Wal Mart
• Trash bags
• 1-2 boxes of paper
• Blank poster board
• Buy honey sticks and honey candy again. Cheap, popular, and is the only reason I still have my voice. (Beta)
• Poker Chips for $5 coupons and givaways
• Cups for port of subs
• Badge Ribbons - cosplay, the new game, “chair”
• Ideas for VIP swag - Acrylic keychains, dice, special lanyards, prints, laser etched acrylic charms, extendy lanyard clips
• I'd like a thing that indicates of a badge laminator is in use. Like a flag, or a little flippable sign. (Thomas)
• Stock up on IEC C13 power cables and a few C5s. (Sammich)
• More UV lights
• Blue UV Ink (16oz max)
• Holo stickers for this year
• More ear plugs
• Green bowties - 30ish
• Alcohol wipes for eGaming
• Some stylus pens for signing peace bonding and various other things
• Velcro cable ties, and get them distributed in relevant logistics boxes. (Tyco)
• Possibly a flashlight/led light/special glowstick indicator to distinguish the rovers/staff that are assisting Rave. It's hard to see the bowties/neckties during rave. (Susana)
• Angle cutters for zip ties. (Sammich)
• Buy 3 more little black laminators for next year so we have more. (Beta)
• Wig Tape and bobby pins for the cosplay room (Katana's mom)
• Sticker placement during badge fulfilment is more efficient with tweezers. We should get some. (Thomas and Sammich)
• Caution cones (Thomas, twice)
• Lint roller for cosplay lounge (Robert)
• Supplies for Cosplay repair: Wig Supplies like Got2b Glued, Stick on velcro (the adhesive has dried out) (Stephen)
• Clips or something to hang the shirts up on the grid that aren't badge clips (Beta)
• More easels (Beta)
• Staple Removers!
• Gold stars for volunteers doing well. (Ray)
• USB 10-key pads would be useful if we're doing data entry on Chromebooks. That would also add a need for USB hubs. (Thomas)
• Tags on string for charity auction because the post-it notes fall off. (Can still use post its but need more options for items that don't do well with post-its) (Beta)

Signage & Graphics

• Large colorful banner (step n repeat or popup) to put in hallway to try to grab people going to yogurt shop and shit. Actually cute popup banners everywhere. Plz? XD (Lindsey)
• Better signage for the silver state... Day 0 no one knew it was open, people totally unsure where the swap meet is. (Nuriko)
• Print rules for any scavenger-hunt type event we do next year on either a big sign or in little fliers. (Nuriko)
• Maybe "badge zone" signs or some such to put in places like panel hallway, outside vendor room, etc. Ideally flashy to try to draw in foot traffic. Have some ideas for this... (Lindsey)
• Print "Do Not Touch - Venue Staff Only" signs for SS roll-up door. (Sammich)
• Little fold-up sign to set in front of the sewing machine "sign waiver before using" (Beta)
• Next year I'd like to have a flier on every artist alley table and every vendor table during load-in or shortly after so they know about the charity auction and are prepared to talk to me about it, or they can contact me if they have something they want to donate preemptively. I'll do it myself, I just want permission. (Tasha)
• Facebook/Twitter/mailing list link in con book (Beta)
• Back Stage entrance sign? (Schuler)
• Would like to make karaoke contest participant buttons. Or a winner achievement. Or both. (Tasha)
• Put the autograph hours on a sign in the front of vendors. (beta)
• "take one" style of flyers outside for curious people? Assuming can't put out flyers in hallway. Or can we? Maybe make sign and put out flyers for box office kiosk tonight. Will investigate. (Lindsey)

Other Things to do

• We need a contract for prop check. Liability? (Beta)
• Need to ensure we have the tools to take apart all the laminators in case we need to take them apart at con. Because it happens every year (Beta)
• Ensure the charity auction info goes in the pre-con email (Beta)
• Laser etch labels into cosplay scissors (“Fabric Only”, etc., maybe also “property of”) (Beta)
• Review and readjust the equipment in the panel main box to account for hentai redub (Amber)
• I forgot to put the tax forms in the print folder. Add a bitrix task for next year so it’s harder to forget. (Beta)
• Add “make YPS” to annual bitrix tasks (Beta)
• We were warned that there may be a $300 cleaning fee because of how trashed vendors left the area. We need to figure that out for next year and ensure vendor area isn’t such a disaster area. Answer may be expecting cleaning fees and increasing their space cost. Still probably want it in their contract to break down their freaking boxes and not leave piles of trash NEXT to empty trash cans. (Beta)

OTHER

• Get a full venue map to the info booth and staff (Lindsey)
• Need a “no running” recording (Beta)
• Emails to go out - Opening blast; guests; no really, get a hotel
• Remind me to mention main stage badge check should not occur out in the hall because you have an AC unit right there and the doors outside. Either that or get people blankets for that area (Aidan)
• We need a VIP group and lounge in discord (Beta)
• Get press kit from Tasha into Bitrix. (Press workgroup? Marketing?)
• Change calculator on the merchant checkout. (Beta)
• Con battery pack checkout. (Thomas)
• Two convention-owned CRTs (both Panasonic) do not power on. Check if only power buttons are affected, and can be turned on by remote, or if no power is available to them. Get model numbers of all convention-owned CRTs to refer to Game Saru (some consumer televisions can be modified to work in arcade cabinets) (Abe)
• Quest system to replace the ghost hunt. Give out token prizes for easy quests, like dragon eyes, wolf teeth, etc. Big prizes can be earned by the first person to turn in the prize requirement - i.e. this plushie costs 3 dragon eyes and two wolf teeth. (Ami)
• Re-write/polish the volunteers public page (Sam Schuler)

Reminders-to-self

• Don't put food boxes on the bottom of the stacks. (Thomas)
• Since we can't have a food room, we should gut the food room boxes and toss or distribute any of the remaining food before it goes bad. (Beta)
• Bring Tabling Box (Beta)
• Bring tablet to con as a dedicated music player. (Sam)
• Need to screen acts well before talent show. “Roll me like a blunt” is possibly not good for main stage (?) (Amber)
• Remember to place all three days schedules in the sign holders. (Thomas)
• Not sure if Gaming will want to, but offer to host at least one tournament on the main stage (Sam Schuler)
• Remember to bring sign in sheets for tournaments and swaps. Laminate standard signage to become reusable. Save slideshow and make universal for tournaments and game. Update game list day 0. (John “DJ”) Walmart also has clear adhesive laminating film that is effectively a thirty inch wide roll of packing tape. It's very useful for laminating big stuff. (Tyco)
• Late Night Jackbox Panel 16+ (John “DJ”)

Badges

• Consider alternate typefaces for badges numbers on badges to increase legibility at a distance.(edited)
• "We can't make the real names on at-con badges smaller, because the letters will become illegible due to low resolution. The solution to calling out names is that we could just have post-it notes at reg stations and just give people their badge numbers, and then call out the numbers when badges are ready."

Things to do during Con Setup (Thu/Fri)

• Conbook broken apart and taped to the info desk table. (Beta)
• Make sure the panel staff have the clicker counters (Schuler)
• Plan for MC to wear a con shirt at opening ceremonies. (Beta)
• Add schedules, con books, and fliers to the panel checkin location to make it an info booth (Lindsey, plus that was originally the plan but we had no people)

Not actionable or not applicable

• Main stage would ideally like to have 2 sets of stairs for next year (schuler) - GSR doesn’t have enough stairs
• Bigger Dance Floor (Robert, Fluffy / Nicole D., Thomas) - Adjusted on Map - No dance floor this year
• For ball... make announcement pre masquerade if it's running at the same time ... There were more people at the casual mixer the other night (Melissa) No ball this year =(
• Find Rovers for staff (Aidan) We’re trying but that isn’t really a todo we can do something about
• Wark after dark shouldnt have anything scheduled after it. It went an hour over, but that's fine. (Sam) Warky isn’t coming this year.

Warky had attendees ask us to book a sci fi guest to replace Frazetti (assuming he doesn’t come back) (Beta) We will probably have Frazetti this year

• Invest&Get Vendor Head a Megaphone so she won't lose her voice every year at the end (Susana) Susana isn’t coming to con this year plus we don’t like megaphones
• Redeem achievements points for prizes. (Thomas)
• Black light stamps for 18+ ??(Beta) testing required. Probably not happening this year.
• For ball... Move floor closer to door (having the tiny dance floor at the end of a long hallway is intimidating) (Melissa) Room is half the size this year, so this is no longer an issue.
• Revamp staff process and job advertising, etc. (Thomas) Too late to do for 2019. We took some good steps in the right direction, but will continue in 2020.
• Would it be possible to get drape that is like an extra foot longer? I didn't really like the small gap between the stage and the pipe and drape drape (Sam) (It’s 95” long now, and ordering longer would be too expensive for this year.
• ask people on fb and twitter if cosplay room worked well and ask judges if everything went smoothly. (idk if i have the judges emails- so side note on that.) (Rachel) - I think it’s too late at this point
• The reg window at the Silverstone room would be an awesome info desk as well. (Stephen) It’s going to be a con store this year.
• Prizes for game winners four/five years ago still haven't been delivered. (John "DJ") This is not really our fault or actionable due to how the prizes were done that year.

Amber Snider12/03/2018 I found a thing in the store today that creates a digital archive of boxes, what’s in them, and their location using QR codes and an app. Got me thinking about organizing storage

Beta12/03/2018 @Sam Schuler actually had a decent inventory system going. Not sure what happened to it other than that he didn't want to maintain it anymore.