From: higgins@fnala.fnal.gov (Bill Higgins-- Beam Jockey)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.fandom
Subject: Why 10-Fan Quorum? (was Re: Anime Expo December Update)
Date: 17 Dec 92 11:37:41 -0600
Organization: Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: fnala.fnal.gov

In article <1992Dec17.012352.3561@nic.csu.net>, shogun@sutro.SFSU.EDU (Mike M. Tatsugawa) writes:
> 				Anime Expo '93
> 		Oakland Convention Center/Parc Oakland Hotel
> 				July 2-4, 1993
[...]

> Q: What kind of panels will Anime Expo have?
> 
> We will try to give each major attending company one panel to show
> off all of their new products [...]  The second key feature of our panels is
> that we will be doing focuses on each of our GoH's.  

So far, makes sense.

> One new feature
> will be the "fan-made panels".  If 10 fans want to put on a panel and
> can take care of the logistics, we will provide the forum and the
> equipment for it, just contact us in advance so that we can put it in
> our schedule.

As a sometime organizer of programming for ink-and-paper SF
conventions, I find this really strange.  

Ten people is too many for a panel... some number between three and
five is usually right to keep a discussion going for an hour or so.

Does Mike mean that fans with a good idea have to collect signatures
on a petition or something before they can get a panel to happen?

Where I come from, if somebody wants to hold a panel, he contacts the
program department head (or other functionary.)   The PDH(ooF) makes a
decision about whether the idea is good, whether it's likely to
interest a suffficient number of attendees, whether appropriately
knowledgeable and articulate people are available to serve as
paneslists, whether there's a room available at the appropriate time, 
etc. and accepts or rejects the idea.  There is an
informal rule:  "if the panel is your idea, you get to be on it,"
but it's not followed in every case.

And what does "take care of the logistics" mean?

> Q: What will you guys be showing?
> 
> We will also be running from four to five video programming tracks
> with one information channel.
> 
> For obvious reasons, we can't advertise what will be shown at the con.

Wrong.  The reasons aren't obvious to me.  (But then I am naive in the
ways of anime!)  Maybe somebody will have the patience to explain this
to me.

> Q: What will be the attendance?
> 
> Official estimated attendance at Anime Expo '92 was more than 1,700.  
> This year, with better publicity, BART access, and a year's worth of
> momentum, Anime Expo '93 is shooting for 3,000 to 5,000.  If the rush for
> memberships becomes too strong, we may have to put a cap on convention
> membership at 8,000.  

Urk!  

Good luck-- it's a huge job!

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