Date: Mon, 23 Nov 2009 12:06:59 -0500
From: "Michael Walsh" <mjw at press.jhu.edu>
To: "WSFA members" <WSFAlist at KeithLynch.net>, <wsfa-forum at yahoogroups.com>
Subject: [WSFA] Philcon
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at KeithLynch.net>

While it was nice to see friends, there were some problems with Philcon.

On Friday the hotel managed a 3 hour over lap double booking of the main =
ballrooms - dealers/art show/main tent.  Everything there started way =
late.

Philcon is programming as if it were a 1000 plus con. I was told by a =
reliable source: 700 warm bodies, of which 400 paid, 300 were program =
participants and the like.  Considering the lack of traffic flow in the =
dealers room I would have said no more than 500 or so warm bodies

Name badges .... what is it with name badges?  Big honking PHILCON name =
and art, reasonable white space on the bottom for your name  ... and your =
name barely occupies any of the white space.  I know where I am, I'd like =
to know who I am talking to.  Sheesh, it ain't rocket science.  Proof from =
WFC 2009: http://www.flickr.com/photos/8293436@N04/4063648928/in/set-721576=
22693405732/ .  And let's not hear about "Oh, the program won't let me =
make it larger than X".  If so, then the program is defective.  Get a new =
one.

At Capclave my sales were down ... about $800 gross.  Bottom end of ok.  =
Philcon - with more warm bodies: $372 gross.  Other dealers were in =
similar sinking boats.

mjw