Program Feedback

[fireheart.livejournal.com]

First, I would like to thank all those who have already participated in the discussion of Arisia 08 Programming on this community.

If you wish to contact Programming directly, you can send email to program(at)arisia(dot)org. It will go to both myself and next year's division head so that we can take it into account as we consider how we will go forward in planning for next year.

Thank you, Arisians!

[saraphina-marie.livejournal.com]

This was my second year at Arisia and it was even better than my first (which I had thought was pretty damn good!).
Throughout the whole weekend, people from the con staff and volunteers to the fabulous and shiny members all made me feel like a princess, or at least a minor celebrity.
Every con has its oopses and issues, but overall I had a wonderful time as a panelist and would love to be included again in Arisia!

Thanks to everyone who made this con a wonderful experience for me and to everyone who came to my reading and my panels! And a special thank you to all of you who bought my books! I sold every copy I brought! ^_^

Have a wonderful, joyful, and prosperous 2008 everyone! I look forward to seeing you all again in 2009! (Or sooner! Check my events schedule if you'd like to come find me at another con!)

Much love,
Sara M. Harvey

Thank You From Babysitting

[msbutterpecan.livejournal.com]

To everyone who took advantage of babysitting - even the parents who just stopped by to let their little ones play with peers:

THANK YOU!!

Your children were so wonderful and such a joy to be around! I wish Arisia was a week long so I could snuggle 'em even more!

I have gotten a lot of positive feedback from this year and recommendations for next year. As it stands right now:

There will be increased security next year, both internally from staff and externally from Arisia security.

The location will actually be secret.

I'm pushing to have programming similar to Fast Track (suggestions of what your children like? We had live music this year and I'm thinking poi or dance class in addition for next year...)

Feel free to share with me your thoughts, comments, suggestions, concerns, stories, etc.

Also, volunteers for next year welcomed!

~Rev. Ocean & Staff

my Arisia photos!

[hammercock.livejournal.com]

They're here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/fabulous_redhead/sets/72157603774246365/

I'll be happy to add them to the Arisia photo pool when I figure out how. :-}

Adding my thanks to the mix...

[m0usegrrl.livejournal.com]

Hi! I'm the artist who did the Arisia 2008 Staff t-shirt and the con badge design. ^_^ I was hella pleased at how they came out, and thrilled that people seemed to like them so much. Yay!

Anyway, like the subject says, I just want to add my kudos to the staff of Arisia for an awesome con. I'd name names, but I don't know everyone's name, LJ or otherwise, so I'll just give all y'all a big ol' virtual hug. ^___^ This was my second Arisia, and it's pretty well become my favourite con of all time. I'll be back next year!

Mouse o..o~

masons MYCHIP event at <us

[erik-j-meyer.livejournal.com]

Good Afternoon folks,

On Saturday at arisia the masons in attendance, as well as some of their SOs, held a MYCHIP event in the FastTrack (Children's Programming) area. It was the first real event that we have held that showed us as part of the con's community. As such I consider the processing of approximately forty children, an estimate of about twenty percent of the children present, a success. Points to address for next year are to make sure more attendees know about the program (better / more descriptive flyers), how long it takes for processing (fifteen minutes), who keeps the materials (the parents only) and of course making sure we know who is helping out ahead of time so things can be scheduled.

It seemed like a good and well liked event and the masons attending are looking at doing it again next year. Hope those that made use of the program were as satisfied as those putting it on.

Speed Dating

[transversecity.livejournal.com]

So I was the fellow who ran Fandom Speed Dating - with a good deal of help from rouji and some kind souls who leapt up to help.

It's clear that this was a terribly popular idea, and I'm certainly going to do it again!

But there were a great deal of things which could have been done better or differently. (More time, for example; and while my "quick fix" for same-gender attraction wasn't entirely unserious, it wasn't absolutely optimal, either.)

I was doing some research and came across this article. I found it interesting to note how some of it seems to me to be very pertinent--and some of it's just plain wrong. (I'd say, for example, that the "axe murderer" comment, would work pretty well, if used properly, with a lot of people.)

I'd love to have some thoughts, ideas, follow-ups, and the like. Criticism of the panel and/or how I ran it is certainly absolutely fine by me, of course; but bear in mind that I will probably respond to most things with, "Yes, if only I'd had the time/resources/ability to sign people up in advance/etc."

If you want to talk about it, I'm a-listenin'!

Panel question

[bobquasit.livejournal.com]

I'm working up feedback for Programming on panels this year. Quick question: Were you interested in attending some of the children's literature panels (i.e. Beyond Hogwarts, Heinlein's Juveniles, etc.) but didn't because you couldn't find them or because they were in the Fast Track area?

The children's literature panels usually have more adults in the audience than children. Each year adults have come to me after the panel and told me they wished they could have attended, but assumed that the panels were for children only. Plus Security was blocking non-parent adults from Empress at least part of the time this year. I suspect that the children's lit panels should be moved into the main programming track. What do you think?

(While I'm at it: if you'd be interested in a RuneQuest panel at the con, please let me know. Lots of people keep telling me they want one, but I've been told there wasn't enough interest this year.)

Incidentally, I've just posted the handout for the Beyond Hogwarts panel this year over on the LJ community I created for the topic a few years ago.

Halftime entertainment question

[wren13.livejournal.com]

So, did ANYONE get pictures or video of the bellydance troupe that performed at halftime for the Masquerade?  We joked before the con that we'd be on youtube in an hour and I've only found one actual picture anywhere.

Please let me know at masquerade at arisia dot org

And while we're on masquerade video...

[werewulf.livejournal.com]

I checked in both Saturday and Sunday nights at midnight on the con channel at the hotel where the masquerade was supposed to be shown and didn't see it either night.

Is there masquerade video and does someone have a copy I could see... I most understandably would like to see our costume, The Lady Cassandra, since we were in sunglasses and really couldn't see much at all while we were up on stage. I'd like to see the rest of the masquerade as well, though because the feed up to the Green room was pretty bad, practically no sound and very fuzzy.

Let me know...
Werewulf aka Lady Cassandra's Handler #1 (on her left)

Con Highlights

[maverick-weirdo.livejournal.com]

Here

request

[marlowe1.livejournal.com]

I'm not the moderator but I always thought it was a cool community, and it's pretty dead at this point.

So I'm wondering if anyone has pictures from the convention, particularly of the costumes - probably their own costumes - that they could post on scifi_fashion.

2008 - Thanks

[onyxhawke.livejournal.com]

First, thanks to all my co-panelists for putting up with my subterranean humor. Second, thanks to the people who attended those panels and pretended assiduously that I was interesting whenever I opened my mouth and poured out nonsense. And thanks to the the programming folks for having me again.

My Two Cents

[ladykittian.livejournal.com]

Let me start by saying it was an awesome con. Those who handled the vendors (Mike, Ed, Pam, no ideas if you guys have LJ names) were great. They made sure I had a great con and had everything I needed. I would also like to thank them here for working with me through all my computer problems. I would also like to say security did a great job. Coming by on the first night and giving the info to contact them if needed and wondering through to check if I was having any problems. That being said there were a couple of issues I had I thought I’d mention so maybe they might be addressed before next years Arisia.

1) My husband could not join me till Saturday. He took the T in and while we heard there was a shuttle neither of us could find out anything about it. Not sure if there were signs but I know he said he didn’t see any at the closest stop. He had to walk the last part and was dead by the time he got in at 8. Maybe more or better signage for next year?

2) This was the second year I had trouble trying to leave the hotel. Last year my husband and I waited for almost 2 hours for a cart and ended up schlepping my stuff to the car without one. (I asked for on at 4 and started schlepping at 5:45) This year I was lucky to have some great help as I was alone. A great group of people (Thorondae, Rowan, Silver_Fic, Louisa, Eva, Alice, James) who helped me out. But after waiting 30-40 minutes for one and seeing three outside not being used I sent one of my helpers down to get one. Not certain if anything can be done about this but thought I’d mention it just incase. Also so I could take this chance to acknowledge a great group of people who helped me out even though they had only just met me. !!!!!!!!!!THANKS GUYS!!!!!!!!!!

Some people have been complaining about the hotel size/layout and yes it’s not great. The best would be to combine the PP and the Hyatt. And in a perfect world..blah blah blah. One person mentioned moving to Providence but I know several people who could not afford to go to Fetish and probably wont be able to go if it stays there. I myself was hoping to vendor there but had to change my plans when I heard where it was. I fear the same would happen if Arisia moved there too. It would be the first Arisia I would be unable to attend since the founding of the con.

Again it was a great job and all those who worked hard to make it so deserve a big round of thanks. You guys did great and while you can’t make everyone happy you made the majority happy. No one is perfect and neither is a con. Just thought I’d toss in my two cents worth.