Thoughts on 30 year Old Convention Programming

Balticons back in the 70s/80s had good attendance.  Haven’t been to one since them so I don’t know where they are at now (Balticon promoters/comittee feel free to jump in) – but I seem to remember attendance in excess of 800-900 (873? is the number that springs to dim mind lo these many years later.)

What strikes me as most impressive about the programming is the absolutely totally creative and efficient use of the ‘interaction’ of different programming activities.

There are two “tracks” of panels.  One if you want to count the main events.  The main panel track covers a wide variety of issues/subjects, starts at 11 and ends at 6 pm.

The other panel track is geared specifically to those interested in gaming and computers (with related subjects) and takes place within the same room as the gaming and computers stuff.  Brilliant, I say, as those playing (RPG/Board games) can easily interrupt their game play to listen in, or just as easily ignore the talk going on in the corner.  I suppose that issues of scale come into play here, but in general I think the lesson imparted is that a single space does not necessarily have to be devoted to a single, serial activity.

Authors readings take place simultaneously as well – but here’s why it that doesn’t really create a conflict: there is so much “white space” at this convention that even if you are forced to make the better of two good choices (panel or reading?  movie or panel), chances are that there will be ample opportunity – both in time and in space/person availability – for you to catch up on some/most of it at dinner, or lunch or at the parties.  This is because -

the event seems to have been scheduled around the non-formal scheduling items.  Nothing interferes with dinner. Nothing interferes with room parties.  Movies are repeated.

Really special events are set aside as well: two art auctions – with which nothing else interferes.  One GoH speech – with which nothing else competes.

Rather than packing the schedule with individual bits that are designed to give “everyone” at least “one something” that is thought will appeal to them, the vast majority of time is devoted to nothing except INFORMAL GETTING TOGETHER.

I remember this event as intially being very stressful:  an inadequate amount of security staff (to fill the 24 hour schedule) had been arranged before hand and I had visions of having to be up and “on” for three days straight.  I remember  a call being put out and that with a little creative organization (three floors needed to be covered, so I set up one permanent person at key locations on each floor and retained several floaters on each shift.  radio contact insured that everyone would have backup if needed, security had a visible but not oppressive presence and I was able to be “off” on the evenings so I could hit the parties, though I was on call 24-7 – and did the mandatory reviewing of the troops at odd times.  Also made sure that drinks, pee breaks and etc were number one on the gopher squads schedule.)

Anyway.  I remember numerous instances of seeing this, that or the other person I wanted to hang with, listen to, ask questions of and I remember that the immediate needs of the schedule were not a problem.  Saying to someone “catch you later” wasn’t a hope, it was a guarantee.  Again, scale does play into things here, but my take-away is this:

most of us are attending an event for the people we see there, not for the things that (some of) those people are scheduled to be doing.  If events restricted themselves to one track of main programming, selected the panels to truly be interesting, creative and of wide-appeal (1:00 pm – Any group that has ever felt even marginally disenfranchised discusses their relationship to the SF field), closed the other general appeal events (dealers, art, film, gaming, filk) at reasonable, generally agreed upon times and provided plenty of space for informal get-togethers, maybe some open dinner invitations at inexpensive restaurants, etc., we might find outselves appealing to a much wider range of people and/or making those that attend already happier with the event because – and here is the real key – most fans know how to occupy themselves and, given the free time to do so, will find ways to make something out of the event.  Without formal scheduling.  Without having to make hard choices.