[Writer Post] Geekinomicon Report
It’s Wednesday. Blog day…and Geekinomicon report day (or maybe report day 1 depending on how long this goes). Geekinomicon is/was a First Year Media Con. The group that owns the show has two more dates this year – one in St. Louis and one here in Dallas. And being a first year show, there were strengths and weaknesses – or as we call them at a portion on my job “OFIs” (Opportunities For Improvement).
I talked with a volunteer who asked the question: “How can people who’ve run shows before have issues with a show?” Um… lots of reasons two key ones: 1) those people ran a different KIND of show (Media shows are a TOTALLY different kind of show than fan run, toy shows, etc.); 2) some of the crew may have done PIECES of shows but never the whole thing so there could be knowledge gaps (just because I can run guest relations doesn’t mean I can negotiate a contract or put together programming).
Let’s do the strengths first – even if they seem small in number – they’re good, they’re the backbone of the convention.
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The Crew – the owners, investors, staff, and volunteers worked their absolute behinds off to bring this show to fruition, to make it a good show, and to pull off so many minor miracles. They were helpful, courteous, professional, and made a point to listen to concerns. With a great crew, a show can do so much.
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Programming – there was a wider variety of panels than I’ve seen at many media conventions. They really are trying hard to be a more inclusive to appeal to more fans. None of the panels (except the VIP stuff that was quite clear) were any extra cost.
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Fan Good Will – the celebrities and panelists were there to do a job, and I think we did it if not with a full on smile (but we tried) then professionalism and relative decorum.
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Facilities – the convention center was an awesome space that gave vendors and artists plenty of room. We were not crushed or crowded – which sounds like it means they were undersold, but that’s not the case. I LOVE not being claustrophobic or worried about bumping into the people next to me or behind me. The panel rooms were well-equipped and ready for everything.
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Small but heartfelt – I didn’t have many people at my panels. But the people who did come, came with good questions and ideas. One even said she’d stopped writing for a while, but now wanted to write again. BEST COMPLIMENT EVER!
Now the OFIs…
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Communication/Information – this was the big thing. Reports were that there were people with information that did not share the information. This is big deal – but it’s now a known deal. I believe wholeheartedly that this is one of the issues that they are working on. Learning Curves.
- Social Media/Website – could use some beefing up with retweets/shares – even likes. Especially about upcoming programming. The website search function was limited to titles only and programming details were lacking. I’m sure this is also being addressed by both the convention and potential panelists.
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Facilities/Signage – though good, the convention center was too big, too dark, and the escalators didn’t work. Not sure what all that means, but I’m sure they’re evaluating. Signage showed up on Saturday, for all but one room. Simple enough to fix.
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Attendance – I don’t know how to fix this. They had a great projection. Not sure how outside advertising was done or where, but sometimes even when all that goes well – the people just aren’t there. Which makes it difficult for everyone to make the show financially successful.
The last thing, and I’ll be done. This is what I call the “All Things Being Equal” thing – which isn’t a thing. I know celebrities are the draw. They’re the money guests. I get it. Not arguing that point. BUT… BUT, but… if you’re doing an “all inclusive” show with authors and artists (which does come from the information sharing bit) – having them on the website as attending and providing paneling isn’t a DETRIMENT. We can help if you let us. I struggled with this a lot the two weeks before the show.
Now that I know the show staff is willing to listen – and they are – I feel better about the show. They were visible, they were engaged, they were THERE. I know they were dealing with a lot, but they came and talked with artists who had issues. They put out a lot of fires. The show has a ton of potential and I can’t wait to see what happens with Marvelous Nerd Year’s Eve.