Date: Mon, 23 Nov 2009 12:57:39 -0600 (CST)
From: samlubell at verizon.net
To: wsfa-forum at yahoogroups.com
Cc: WSFAlist at KeithLynch.net, wsfa-forum at yahoogroups.com
Subject: [WSFA] Re: [wsfa-forum] Philcon
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at KeithLynch.net>

Mike didn't mention that the pocket program (and program book) didn't arrive until two or three hours after programming had started.  So, knowing the books were not there, did the committee put up signs near the info table saying what the programming was? Did they have people directing the curious to the appropriate panels? Did they do absolutely anything they wouldn't have needed to do if the program guides were there?  Of course not.  This was a Philcon.

The hotel did not set up the program rooms in advance. One panel I sent to had people putting in chairs (and asking the audience how many chairs were needed).  They didn't bring in a table for the guests until halfway through the program.  Then they noisely set it up in the back and left it there.  I had to help people move it after the panel was ended.  Most of the rooms never got filled up with chairs, just a few in what would be the front rows.

Having the readings up on the sixth floor probably didn't help attendance at them.

As to dealer sales, considering the economy and competition from the Internet, I'm not surprised dealers were down. With amazon and google, the days of Amazon being the only place to find certain merchandise are over.

Nov 23, 2009 05:08:12 PM, wsfa-forum at yahoogroups.com wrote:

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-72157622693405732/ . 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