From: mwallis@lunacity.com (Michael Wallis)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.fandom
Subject: Re: Hello Confrancisco?
Date: Sat, 12 Dec 92 14:37:27 PST
Organization: LunaCity BBS - (Clan Zen Relay Network) Mountain View, CA

jmann@vineland.pubs.stratus.com (Jim Mann) writes:

> Getting away from mail in for a second, and just looking at art
> show criteria, there is a problem: some Art Shows (Worldcon, for
> one, and a few of the regionals that are know for their Art Shows),
> have more people apply to the Art Show, for more panel space, than
> the Art Show has room for. How do you decide who gets space?

BayCon, being perennially one of the 5-10 largest cons in North America,
isn't exactly a small con. It has handled sold out shows several times in
the same manner that 99% of all the cons I've been to do ... Fisrt come
forst served, with a waitinglist after that. Agreed, if Rick Sternbach
stuff showed up inexpectedly, we'd try to arrange space for it, but
"talent" asside, this problem has been handled many times and is SOP for
any experienced con or art show staff. What's the problem?

> Boskone does something like that. Our Art Show has to turn some
> folks away. The folks running it have some criteria: they want 
> to allow the best in the field, but they also want to give some
> precedence to local artists as well as to those who have been 
> in the show for years. Every year, they also try to work in a few
> new folks so that we get a good mix in the show.

Decent of them.

>        For many Art Shows, the show has to impose some selection
> criteria.

THAT's where we differ, Jim. I can see art shows imposing SPACE
limitations, but I don't agree with imposing "selection criteria".  I
suspect it's a fundimental issue, and one we're not likely to change the
others mind on.

> But why just pick on the Art Show?  The same is true for most
> areas. Look at an area I know a lot more about: program. I have
> limited space on Program. At this point, if a writer who has
> published a couple of stories writes to me and asks to be on
> program, I have to decline. I'm pretty much out of room. However,
> if Gene Wolfe were to write and say he plans to make it this year,
> we'd use him.

Having run programming many times, I agree that things fillup, but the
analogy doesn't hold. There are no "mail-in program items", at least, not
that I'm aware of. Again, programming is handled on a first come first
served basis. You wouldn't set up a panel, and at the last minute tell the
participants it's been cancelled because Gene is coming and you have no
other space to put him? Would you?

> The problem is: at the critical time, we don't have the people
> to do the work. Precon, the Art Show staff is too busy to hang
> up lots of mail-in art. Post con, there is tear down and
> lots of bookkeeping to do.

What is your staff doing that prevents them from this? If you can't
provide the service, you're understaffed in my opinion. You'll certainly
know what the amount of mail-in art is before con setup time. Staff
accordingly. Everyone else does.

> Why not?  If I have to use SOME criteria, why not use one that
> limits the stuff that takes five times as much work? I can then
> do a better job (since I have more time) with the rest of the
> show.

Why not use artist incentive, like how promptly they return their
paperword and make reservations?

> By the way, I do somewhat agree with you for small shows, that don't
> fill up, and where we are talking about a half dozen packages
> of mail-in art. But for big shows, where the show does fill up and
> have a waiting list, and where the number of mail-ins, if we allowed
> it, could be 40 or 50, this just isn't feasible.

That's where we differ again. It may not be feasible FOR YOU, but it IS
feasible, and is done every weekend at cons around the continent.

        Michael

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Michael Wallis -> mwallis@lunacity.com

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