2020 Notes to Selves

In 2019 we left ourselves notes for the following year. We didn't actually have a 2020 year but some of these got used for 2021. It's here for reference.

BEOs

• Make sure we tell the GSR explicitly what hours we want on all the door signs. Most important are registration, cosplay lounge, and manga library. Can we have them post the actual panel schedule on the door? What's the deadline? Can we get it changed at con if there are changes? (beta.mfd)
• Friday cash bar should be later in the day. The room really picked up around 6 or 7 (samschuler)
• Get departments to provide schedules of high traffic times for providing A/C schedules to venue engineering. (tjsomething)

Venue

• Remind the venue to run the AC from the morning, not when it's already hot (2019 note, but here again)
• The door to the cosplay lounge doesn't lock/latch without pulling it closed hard. Make sure staffers closing that room up know that. We did have a random attendee wander into the room after it was closed (closed door and everything) because it didn't fully latch. Pull hard. (beta.mfd)
• Schedule locking of Silver State on Thursday night. (tjsomething)
• Maybe coordinate a pre-party with the club at the GSR? (highwindflygirl)

Scheduling

• Don't schedule voice actors for the slot before redub, they need at least a half hour buffer to get there and do sound check. (tjsomething)
• Schedule Rave for 10-12 or 10-1. Crowd depending. (amurdermostfoul)
• Try not to schedule actual panels after Redub. (amurdermostfoul)
• Talent show needs more time (samschuler)
• Communicate logistics schedule better somehow. (beta.mfd)
• 0 attendees in the main room since I came down at 7:30. Currently 8:30am (samschuler)
• Hentai cleared out around 3:00 AM. (elemecca)
• Finger cots for schedule night (elemecca)
• Swap meet should run from Vendor/AA close until 10pm. Staff had to close up their table an hour early to be there - and 11pm is just too late, nobody really bought anything after 9:30 anyway, but two hardcores stayed until literally the last minute. (aminomiko)
• Day zero party at lex, give away a badge or two, and some of our tabling swag. (highwindflygirl)
• We should start day 0 later. Every year we have people complaining that reg isn't ready, smooth & fast moving because we're still setting up. If Reg is supposed to open at 8, but other stuff happens at 6, everyone assumes reg should also be open at 6. (nurikowindchaser)

Training

• Re: "We need clearer instruction for volunteers who are badge checking." - We need to communicate the instructions more clearly. A process for the assigning staffer could be something like "Here's a rundown. Okay now here read this. There's a copy at the station. Any questions? Okay now go check badges" Common issues were checkers not looking at the *front* of the badges and not knowing to look for the security sticker. (beta.mfd)
• Binder for each department on workflows (ladyrosalyn)
• Some way to make it really clear the order number is *not* the badge number. Might just have to be emphasized in registration training. (cityofember)

Layout

• If we set Panel Main wide instead of deep again, maybe set up two projectors - we have the HDMI repeater so that should work. (elemecca)
• Tape out main stage for masq rehearsal. (redpander)

Policy Changes

• Find and remove contractions from the staff contract (aren't, don't) (beta.mfd)
• We cannot be responsible for people's stuff (in reference to allowing attendees to store items in cosplay repair room) (beta.mfd)
• Probably should get the "no kissing booths" clause on all the merchant contracts, not just swap meet (beta.mfd)
• Could also have list of items prohibited in grab bags in info given to vendors (no pressurized contents, weapons, etc.) (cityofember)
• When we were going to do a prop check we weren't going to allow purses or bags at all. -- So I think that needs to get officially added to our policies (beta.mfd)

Documentation

• Now that we aren't using radios we should put wiki information about radio codes elsewhere as well other than just the radio page in wiki (daranable)
• Update badge checking WI regarding preventing alcohol from entering. (beta.mfd)
• Document list of things that need to be present at Thomas's for pre-con printing. (elemecca)
• Similar to a note Sam already posted but what are all the thursday set up tasks? Can we get anyone to own them before Thursday? Can we make a list (maybe on poster board or that butcher paper we still have) and check off the tasks as they are completed on Thursday? Maybe with who "owns" each task, if owned? (Place for writing name for someone taking it) Central location for list such as reg/ops or in staging? Live action issue tracker. (beta.mfd)

Purchases

• Gaming may want to look into safety cutters to speed up plastic removal. Ask Stephen if an example of cutters that will not damage cabinets is needed. (theirghostgirl)
• Roll of gaff tape in each room box (amberaudio)
• Non stick Velcro for cosplay repair (_jingko521)
• Mouse moves on Chromebook 4020586 while scanning. (tjsomething)
• We probably should have bought some extra color printer ink. (tjsomething)
• More easels again (beta.mfd)

Registration

• Pre-made change envelopes? (tjsomething)
• Day 0 swap meet line because checking in to sell at the swap meet does require getting their badge first so should probably be expedited. (beta.mfd)
• Add special instruction for early reg and pre reg children (i_mightbea_nerd)
• Documenting removing dead names from badges (reg) (ladyrosalyn) Have an actual flow for dead names instead of a terrible hack. (tjsomething)
• Let printing stations choose the badge types they handle so we can e.g. have one station at the badge box for pre-reg and another for the laminators (elemecca)
• Have the pre-reg for the left side and label badges on the right side of the printing station. (i_mightbea_nerd)
• Dave was confused by a lack of an error message on children. (tjsomething)
• Pennsylvania does not scan. (i_mightbea_nerd)
• Scan passports? (elemecca)
• How do we handle replacement vip badges? (elemecca)
• Redo talent show sign up to really push no drugs. Nothing offensive, etc. (beta.mfd)
• Use the microphone to call people out? (beta.mfd)

BACON

• Add w9 requirements to the guest action center (beta.mfd)
• Add a function to the check-out system to calculate the gross sales for those people who charged tax on each sale. For some reason, none of the people who did this kept track of their prices w/o the tax. It made filling out their forms difficult, math isn't my strong point. (aminomiko)
• Summary at the top of at con check-in that has a summary of how many badges are in that group. (samschuler)
• BACON: get the order numbers working. (tjsomething)
• Build excel export for panel count sheet so it can be exported and printed right before con with minimal effort. Different sheets for each day? Different sheets for main locations (like panel hallway vs main area)? (beta.mfd)

Guests

• Add tracking for whether or not a guest wants a signature session to the guest action center (beta.mfd)
• Guest email schedules should have locations (samschuler)

Merchant Contracts / Policy

• Authorized staff is allowed to inspect mystery grab bags from vendors at any time. (amurdermostfoul)
• Policy on carbonated beverages in mystery bags. Reference to situation in the vendors hall where a carbonated beverage in a random $20 bag ended up popping open triggering someone (ladyrosalyn)
• Add to vendor contract that they can’t pack up and leave early if they want to come back (beta.mfd)

Artists Alley/Vendors

• Add a flag for whether a merchant is selling or only promoting (non-selling) to the application (beta.mfd)
• Possibly consolidate all the merchant contracts and have the different merchant types selectable (like how guests works) to build the individuals ones faster each year (beta.mfd)
• Make sure that all posted and emailed hours for vendors and artists match. And if I have to man vendors for any reason next year, we're nixing this 7am madness. (nurikowindchaser)
• Put directions for newbies to the S floor in the artist welcome email. (nurikowindchaser)
• We need a merchant fact sheet for their reference of all start and end times. (nurikowindchaser) We actually had an info sheet, but the times turned out to be wrong and we didn't have time to reprint it at Con. (elemecca)
• Printed times for vendor/artist times & the times the room is open for attendees at both the AA & vendor check-in tables. Preferably on a little tripod or something easy to see so that maybe vendors won't ask the same things 27 times in a row. (nurikowindchaser)
• Can there maybe be a small-ish box of tablecloths in vendors? It was hard for more than one of us to leave at a time & we didn't want to be seen with armfuls of tablecloths by the venue. We ended up just buying things for the entire group. (nurikowindchaser)
• Make sure vendors mark their assistants in Reg if the person who signed up to be the vendor won't be present, for tax reasons. We have at least two vendors who sent brothers, etc. So the name on the tax documents doesn't match anyone who is here. (nurikowindchaser)
• Some kind of plan for closing warnings in merchants (beta.mfd)
• Where Walmart is as a resource for artists/vendors for things like phone chargers, extra tables, tablecloths, etc. (beta.mfd)
• There was a suggestion made while discussing things while waiting for tear down to finish of extending artist/vendors hours to 8pm (ladyrosalyn) Artists would be fine, vendors would not be fine with that. (nurikowindchaser)
• AA doesn't get power anymore (beta.mfd)
• Vendors needs to be charged for power now (beta.mfd)
• A map explaining our dock times, and how to get in/out if you can’t make the dock times (beta.mfd)
• Put measuring tapes in artist/vendor boxes (i_mightbea_nerd)
• Support pickup orders jumping the queue (elemecca)
• See if we can possibly arrange a system for artists & vendors to pick up their badges in the vendor room when they check in. (nurikowindchaser)
• Can we undo a check-in? If we can, we could just check in all of the vendors and artists in the system and have their badges/bags/receipts in the vendor room, with instructions for the staff/volunteers to check their IDs against the receipt. If it’s ok, staff/volunteer would write confirmation on receipt and initial. If there are discrepancies, they would need to go to registration. Any vendors/artists who don’t show up would be un-checked in at end of con to reconcile the records. (cityofember)
• Height restriction in aa and vendors? From aa heads (samschuler)

Tech

• Definitely need a monitor speaker for main stage (amberaudio)
• I need to set up closer to the stage for masquerade. I could barely see when people were entering and exiting the stage (amberaudio)
• Add Bitrix recurring task to go over the Phone.com settings and test the queue (elemecca)
• Talent show participants need to submit lyrics to songs (amberaudio)
• Auction: show next item up on webcam. (redpander)
• Need to address tech cardboard. It is dying. (amberaudio)
• Someone needs to figure out how exactly a talent show contestant was able to log on and submit audio in a form on Sunday morning (amberaudio)

Volunteers

• Training on getting volunteers into discord (ladyrosalyn)
• It's too complicated to assign rover volunteers (tomas)
• Volunteer supervisor or volunteer head sign slip on start and end, not just end (samschuler)
• Maybe print staff t-shirts to advertise that we need volunteers on the back - guest Danielle's idea (ladyrosalyn)

Signage

• "registration is closed" sign (beta.mfd)
• Signs in reg that go out an hour before vendors closes that say that it closes at 7:00 or whatever so we don't get people who register for day badges right before vendors closes to go to vendors and then get mad. (elemecca)
• Signage for eGaming, no Food or drinks on tables or around consoles. (djangeal)
• A sign for the photo booth that all photos *could* be posted online unless you tell us otherwise (because not all photos are, but if you take several at least one probably will be). Maybe also details about how long it usually takes to post photos online, where to see them, etc. (beta.mfd)
• We should have a big physical checklist of all the regular things that need to be done. Like setting up the signs and reg tape lines. We have the sign in reg and people can check things off as they do them. It will help with those people who keep asking what needs to be done. (samschuler)
• EZ-Peel labels for auction items. Vendors can fill them out and no one has to panic. Will look for what I'm talking about later. Removable shipping labels. They're safe to use on everything, even photos iirc. It would be way easier to have everything on each item instead of having to inventory. (highwindflygirl)
• Sign that says ‘free glowsticks’ in rave (amurdermostfoul)
• Separate line for T-shirts with a sign. (tjsomething)
• Printed instructions for the vendor room badge checker disappeared Friday night along with the chair. Make sure all badge checker chairs & instructions are pulled inside before that room closes? Attach the directions to the chair somehow? (nurikowindchaser)
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northern Nevada has changed their logo. I'll get the Hi Res version and upload it to Bitrix in the next two weeks. (highwindflygirl)

Cosplay

• Make where to sign up for cosplay masquerade at con more clear (samschuler)
• Remind masquerade people about the reception. (samschuler)

Quests

• If we want to do quests again for theme, maybe switch to a digital system for quest receiving, similar to the qr check ins but for the quests themselves could limit human interaction requirements. (daranable)

Panels / Programming

• Audience members expressed interest in being able to go up on stage and draw during the “kinda sketchy artists” panel on main stage. (amberaudio) Audience members did get to go up and draw. (nurikowindchaser)
• Consider setting an end time for entry to meet& greet so people have time to finish eating before we have to clear the room for the next event, or build a little buffer into the end time. (amberaudio)
• Relevant person to talk to the local lockpicking group about doing a booth. (beta.mfd)

Logistics

• Death cart needs to be higher than 6” (beta.mfd) - Plywood crate that is built to nest on a carpet dolly. (beta.mfd)
• Ask Sindex about UV ink. (tjsomething)
• Budget cannot be relied upon to give us a truck. (tjsomething)
• When unloading the truck for load-in, group boxes in piles by location spike color. (elemecca)
• Tablecloths: 5 cases of water was perfect. There was about 1 case left after con. The snack variety was really good. Maybe don’t buy the fruit snacks and possibly the trail mix since there were a lot of those left over. Rice Krispies treats required. (beta.mfd)
• Vendors just needs a lot of chairs. (tjsomething)

Misc

• VIP achievement - a bed? (beta.mfd)
• Cashbox count outs should have discrepancy notes. (tjsomething)
• Mouse moves on Chromebook 4020586 while scanning. (tjsomething)
• Change name of manga dungeon to manga library, people have been trying to purchase the manga because people see dungeon as a sales pitch (zerodyne003)
• 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.
• Shopping bags of some sort at auction? Because people are overloading themselves. (highwindflygirl)
• COD snack bar on Saturday only. (tjsomething)
• Get a bag for Kraken pipe (elemecca)
• Not all our 5 words or less policies are 5 or less (beta.mfd)
• Regular counts for tabletop area. (tjsomething)
• Make a more formal version of the headcount sheet for the panels (ladyrosalyn)
• Keep wet wipes on hand. (tjsomething)
• Name labels for port of subs unlimited refill cups (ladyrosalyn)- (tjsomething) Different ones?
• In addition to that if there isn't a form for charity submissions create one. (ladyrosalyn)
• More rice Krispy treats. (amurdermostfoul)
• Per Sam - More D&D on main stage. (beta.mfd)