Few outcomes from Q-Con that may be helpful w.r.t. Eirtakon: (this isn't
exhaustive, but off the top of my head..)
1) The performance of the bulk of the PMR Radios were disappointing to say
the least - this may be due to poor quality mic on the headset for it,
and/or high amount of background noise. These will require further testing
to see if they are usable. Two higher-quality PMR radios and headsets
performed much better.
Range was also an issue, likely due to interference from buildings blocking
signal. There may also have been 'special' things in the area (high voltage
stuff) which could have caused interference, but the radios would need to be
tested in-situ to confirm that they'll be usable.
On the other hand, mobiles worked reasonably well as an alternative - but as
Q-Con is (mainly) held in a single venue this also influences things. I
guess Eirtakon will be a lot more spread out, from memory.
2) Filler material (AMVs, PVs, Trailers) shown in gaps between 'main'
showings were very popular indeed. It might be worth considering showing
these at Eirtakon also.
3) The Aegis playback system (scheduler engine with ability to auto-schedule
filler used at Ame/Aya/Minamicon, in a nutshell) worked fairly well,
although had trouble with the external sub files we were using initially.
This meant little work was necessary in terms of routinely keeping the anime
playback going - simply sit back and watch for issues. The author would
probably be willing to offer this to Eirtakon as well, making the assumption
that the showings will not all be run from dvd :)
4) We ran out of our main ID badges and lanyards due to unexpected demand,
despite having an extra 100 of them over expected attendance. Thankfully
our cunning emergency badges made up the shortfall. Moral of the story -
make damn sure you have emergency badges :P
5) The system utilised on the Q-Con badges for indicating Over 18 and days
paid for worked well in general (put a cross or tick in the appropriate
spot), but did suffer from some reg desk staff not comprehending the
'cross' concept and leaving it blank. However, i would not say that they
are easy to discern at a distance, if nazi badge-checking is required.
Paying for proper ID cards and lanyards was also very worthwhile in terms of
presentation and overall event quality, despite the relatively high price
(~£220+VAT for 300x)
6) Registration was well and truly packed at times. Try to get as many
pre-regs as possible, and consider having different lines for pre-reg/pay on
the day to speed things up.
7) Charity raffle did well, even being held over 3 days due to volume of
stuff. However, one thing that was underestimated was the amount of time to
actually carry out the raffle - 20 minutes is probably a minimum for around
20-30 items. Also better to allow this time properly in any timetable
rather than winging it.
8) There were (allegedly) some murmurings about not having dubbed output -
however, none personally received by Q-Con staff. Indeed, later forum
postings from newcomers suggest that subbed is vastly preferred.
9) Sponsors - pretty much without exception - generally send screening
material and prize support at the last possible opportunity (i.e 2-4 weeks
before con) no matter how much prodding, which affects preparation and
advertising quite a lot. Some arrived *after* the con..
