More Panels? When/How?

Started by Kava, March 30, 2009, 03:30:22 PM

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When would you prefer panel times to be extended to?

Start earlier on Friday!
3 (6.5%)
More panels on Monday!
2 (4.3%)
Panels after Midnight!
21 (45.7%)
Panels in the Early Morning! (8am?)
4 (8.7%)
Forget hour expansion, get a fourth panel room!
16 (34.8%)

Total Members Voted: 43

Kava

So, for 2009, we have so many panel submissions, that there isn't enough room on the panels schedule to schedule them all.

I am, therefore, considering possibilities for ways that I could have more panels on the schedule next year. Please note, these probably won't go into effect this year. (For instance, I don't have enough staff to cover 4 rooms this year.)

Vote for your preferred extended panel hours option. If you want to choose more than one, or explain why you chose what you did, feel free to post here.

From my own perspective, I would rather move towards extending panel hours, with the goal of eventually having panels nearly 24 hours, than add another panel room. However, I'd like to hear from all of you about this. I know you all have perspectives I may not have considered.

I've included below the quote for how I'm intending to handle the overflow of panels for this year.

-Kava (Rena)

QuoteMarch 30th:
Due to the large number of submissions, panels submitted between now and the cut-off date in April may not make it into the Fanime 2009 panels schedule. However, I am starting a panels 'wait-list', for those who are willing to put their panel into any available time-slot, should one of the current panels get canceled. Please note that if a panel goes onto the waiting list, they will NOT have a choice in day or time. They'll be offered a specific time-slot that has opened up, when it opens up, and will be given perhaps 24 hours to respond to that offer after it is sent, before it is offered to the next panelist on the wait-list.

Thank you to everyone! This is really a great year for panels. I'm going to want feedback from all of you on the desirability of various things we might do next year to increase the number of panels we can host. There are many options. We could open up earlier on Friday, extend our hours on Monday, stay open later (past midnight), or we could try for a fourth panel room. Keep in mind though, a fourth room means more competition for your audiences.
Rena
Panels Coordinator 2007-2014
Programming Director, 2015

Panels Twitter: http://twitter.com/FanimePanels

BenihimeSama

Hi there!

I think that there should be some late night panels, mainly because there are so many people who are still roaming around the con even in the later hours of the night. Also, you can do some more mature panels after hours as well. (with proper ID of course) If not, you could do earlier in the morning, as long as the panelist is okay with that.

Of course a fourth room of panels would be mega awesome. But save that for next year if anything. Or if you can rearrange some peeps, you could get a smaller conference room as well. There are a lot of smaller conference rooms in the Marriot as well.
Venus Benihime-Sama
Panelist Since 2008
Panels Staff Member since 2010
Proud member of Rena's Rangers! 

Owner of The Geeky Manifestos Blog
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Gwydion

Both having more panels on Monday and/or extending them into the night would be interesting. Maybe not TOO far into the morning, as the amount of people awake drastically drops by the hour, but even just to 1am would be cool.  And Monday there's often not enough to do, and you don't really want to leave for home so early. ^^

Nyxyin

I love panels, and I already spend most of the con going from panel to panel.  Extending the hours means that I'll get to make it to more panels!  On the other hand, while adding another panel room would probably be great for the convention, more parallel rooms would make it even more likely that I would have to skip a panel I really want to attend because of a conflict with another panel that sounds just as interesting.

Kava

It's debatable which would be better for the convention, really.

What's better for the con generally = whatever would draw more people to come and/or whatever would draw more people to come for more days than they would otherwise.

Having a fourth panel room doesn't necessarily do either of these.

Higher quality panels on relevant topics is more the goal for drawing more people to come, and that's probably better achieved not by adding another room, but by being more selective in panels that are approved. This is beginning to happen now, since panel submissions are overflowing the available programming hours.

Having a fourth room would probably allow for less selectivity in the panels approved, because I'd need another 43 hours of panels to fill that fourth room if I wasn't going to have empty spaces on my schedule. And honestly, what would probably happen... is that there'd be more panels during the 'prime-time' hours of Noon-5pm on Saturday and Sunday, but more empty spaces elsewhere in the schedule.

Obviously, adding a fourth room is not my first choice.

Having panels throughout the night, however, might draw more people to come, and stay for more days than they otherwise would stay. The tricky part about this, is finding panelists who are willing to give panels into the night, and making sure I have enough panel staff to staff the rooms throughout the night, especially since many late-night and wee-hours panels are likely to focus on more adult subjects.

Opening up earlier on Friday might encourage more people to pre-register and arrive Thursday night (though I'd need to get quite a bit earlier for that, probably... but I can slowly work my way there). Extending hours on Monday might encourage more people to stay for Monday rather than figuring that the con is basically over on Sunday night.

All of these are better options, from my point of view, than a fourth panel room.

I'd love to eventually have panels nearly 24 hours. Fanime is a 24 hour con, and my department is one of the ones that doesn't currently live up to that 24 hour statement.

That may give you a little more insight into my own perspective on this. Mainly though, I wanted to hear opinions from the rest of you. No matter what I do, or what the theoretical benefit to the convention is, it needs support from all of you if it's going to succeed.

Thus far, it looks as though the most popular option is panels after midnight, but I'll wait and see how it looks after more people have voted. I'm probably going to put something on the website and try to link to this page, so that I can try to get more people involved in the vote. Or, perhaps I can get a poll put onto the website. We'll see.
Rena
Panels Coordinator 2007-2014
Programming Director, 2015

Panels Twitter: http://twitter.com/FanimePanels

MieAga

Having gone for the past 6 years later is better. You might get more people come on Thursday if you buff up panels early Friday...but it won't be this year you'll see the shift. People's plans and schedules take time to transition. Last minute travel changes for myself won't happen if I see a panel at Fanime earlier than I will be there...BUT next year, I'll remember and if the schedule is the same I think I'd be better prepared to making arrangements.

However, Later, I'd love there to be more to do than the Dance and Hentai rooms.

Kava

Yes, precisely. Friday's schedule will probably inch its way earlier. Mainly because panelists aren't willing to give earlier panels until they're sure there's going to be enough people there to come to the panels, and you're absolutely right that people won't make last minute changes like that. It has to either be advertised the year before, or have been done one year already, and the following year you'll see changes. ^__^

But yes, I definitely plan to go later if the panelists will support it. It seems like that's the most desired option.
Rena
Panels Coordinator 2007-2014
Programming Director, 2015

Panels Twitter: http://twitter.com/FanimePanels

Kiara

I like the idea of having late night panels. I'm not sure about others, but I for one wouldn't mind giving some late night panels. I'm sure if it was decided to keep the panel rooms open later, a bunch of people would be alright with leading late night panels.

Cosplayer/Photographer in the East Bay.

Chun

I think the concern some people had during late night Fanime is that there's not a lot to do in the middle morning hours besides the viewing rooms and E-gaming, so I'd be in support of this in the future.

~Chun

Su-Cool. There's Not Enough Of It.
Fanime Panelist (Pangya: 2007, 2008; Vocaloid: 2009, 2010)

Adam Cullen

I am all for panels after midnight.  I know that for myself and most of our group, the only reason that we head back to the hotel around 11pm or so is because there is really not a whole lot to do.  If there were panels open, we would stay at the con much later.  Also, as a panelist, I am totally down with hosting my panels late into the night.
-Adam, CCRStars

Jerry

Ironically i like the idea of panels going beyond midnight - assuming the rooms are available after that point.

Being that this is a Con made up and support by Fans...

I'm assuming that the vast majority of us "fans" are easily up after midnight...

I say go with bar rules and make the "last Call" around 1am [last panel time slot]

and close panels after 2am. [the semi usual time that most fans almost goto sleep]

8am? - thats where MOST of the fans are still asleep... or um goto sleep after pulling an "all nighter". :P
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jerry.pang


Games, Friends & Fanime oh my! :D

Kava

Well, this year's schedule was altered slightly.. and the panel rooms will be open till 1am on Saturday and Sunday nights. Next year... I'll aim for 2am all three nights, but that means I'll need at least a few more panels!
Rena
Panels Coordinator 2007-2014
Programming Director, 2015

Panels Twitter: http://twitter.com/FanimePanels

macaulayman

Maybe I could do a after hours art nude?

Kava

Quote from: macaulayman on May 12, 2009, 12:07:17 AM
Maybe I could do a after hours art nude?

It's an idea. I'll run it past some people at some point. Not this year, but perhaps a possibility for next year. I'm uncertain though, if we actually want to have full nudity at a panel. There's been skimpy clothing before, etc.... but not outright nudity, so it'd have to be discussed.

Definitely though, as we dip into the later hours, I'd like to have more 18+ panels. If I can line up panelists who are willing to go on various nights, it'd be nice if at least one room was 18+ say... after 10pm or something each night.
Rena
Panels Coordinator 2007-2014
Programming Director, 2015

Panels Twitter: http://twitter.com/FanimePanels

elizacuts

I would love to see panels in the early morning. There are tons of people up early at the con that need entertaining. I would so go to a panel at 8am.

havok rt

I'm all for panels after midnight. Hell I want to do a after hours panel.
Fanime Staff:2010 Social Gaming, 2012 Tabletop Gaming

Cosplay for 2012: Walking around with "The Most Interesting Man In the World" (aka the dos equis guy)

Kertus

I as well agree, more late night panels would be awesome, and I'm sure there's some panels that would need to be late at night too  ;)
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macaulayman

How about casting a art nude ( at night)?

Jerry

Quote from: macaulayman on June 09, 2009, 12:31:23 AM
How about casting a art nude ( at night)?

I'm not sure if I understand your question... because we dont allow real people to be nude anywhere on the concourse or in panel room(s) . even after hours.

So before I just the gun,... So what exactly are your referring to? ???

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jerry.pang


Games, Friends & Fanime oh my! :D

otakuapprentice

Just taking a shot in the dark, but I think he is referring to doing a body casting panel after the general hours.
Time And Relative Dimension In Space.