howto-orycon94.txt ORYCON MANUALS Ver1.1 - Auntie Linda's Guide to Convention Running Copyright 1994 Oregon Science Fiction Conventions, Inc. (OSFCI), a non-profit corporation. Incomplete electronic edition, by Linda Pilcher (westercon.48@genie.geis.com) edited by C.S.F. Baden (hazel-chaz@netcom.com). Explanation: Linda Pilcher and the Orycon smofs have been documenting how they run Orycon, and putting it into notebooks, one for each department. Some of that material has been made available in electronic form, which we present to you here. Since the general docs for each department were originally written as separate documents, we have retained their filenames (ADSEL.DOC) as makeshift chapter headings. You can search for .DOC to find the different sections. Note that some of the departments are not fully documented; the section may have the barest bones of a description. The actual notebook for that department could have more information than presented here; it just hasn't been entered into the computer. (See FILK.DOC for an example of this.) * * * * * We issued the notebooks this year [1994]. We should have done it 10 years ago. I am chairing Orycon 16 [1994]. I have been con registrar since 1990. I was bid treasurer for our Westercon 48 [1995] bid. I have done programming, been a con treasurer, worked in hospitality, and run a Westercon Office. If you would like to put my humble effort on gandalf at rutgers.edu, that would be fine. Please make sure that Oregon Science Fiction Conventions, Inc., a non-profit corporation, is listed as the source, though I would dearly love a by-line. I will answer all questions as best I can. Wow, Auntie Linda's Guide to Convention Running on the Net. Cool. I will have to tell David Levine. David sends me all kinds of good stuff from the net. And has written some wonderful stuff, too. I have, as I have said, other materials that I just don't have on computer yet. My interest in all of this is that I hate that we should all keep redoing what was done in the past and I want to keep the information moving forward into the future. Linda Pilcher The Voice of Westercon! * * * * * Each of the notebooks is set up thusly: First page is the page containing: The Orycon Manuals Ver 1.0 2: The Greetings and Hallucinations Page. 3: Brief Department Description and info (those short pieces I sent you) 4: Convention time 5: Convention budget 6: Broken out Department Timeline with department specifics (In both this and the next item we include things that are not in the general convention version). 7: Broken out Department Budget with department specifics 8: Long analysis of department, things other people have done in the past plus additional information that has been collected. 9: Blank notebook paper 10: we put those little pockets in so that folks can put additional things in them Not every department notebook includes these items yet because not all of the things have been collected for each department. We are still creating. I have had a lot of help with these manuals--in particular David Levine and Ariel Shattan-- and have profited from the habit a number of us have which includes keeping copious records of everything. In some cases it's just a matter of collecting the info and photcopying. Do make it clear to the rest of the smoffy types that we do not have just one notebook or manual, it's one per department even for the things that are not very big, like restaurant guide or cereal and cartoons, so that we do not lose the knowlege. Smoffily yours, Linda Pilcher * * * * * NBOOK1.DOC Greetings and hallucinations: Welcome to Orycon 16. Yes, I know ADSEL.DOC Ad Selling. Contacting merchants, publishers, other conventions, CEARLTNS.DOC Cereal and Cartoons: Arrange two one hour tapes of assorted DANCE.DOC Dances. Arrange for music, disc jockeys, equipment etc. for DEALER.DOC Dealer's Room. Contact dealers and provide registration forms. FILK.DOC Filking. Talk to Cecilia Eng and John Andrews. FRED.DOC Fred. Talk to Fred. Fred is Fred Torck. Fred does all kinds of GAME.DOC Gaming. There will be gaming. GOH.DOC Guest of Honor Liason: Major Duties: Maintain communication with GRNRM.DOC Green Room: Major Duties: Provide a comfortable, but not overly HALLCOST.DOC Hall Costumes. See attached documentation from Ann Hoffert and HOSP.DOC Hospitality: See attached documents: HOTEL.DOC Hotel Liason: If you have this book, then you know more than I do KIDS.DOC Child Care: Arrange for and act as liason for professional nannies LOGIST.DOC Logistics: What you need to do: This is a new position that we MASQ.DOC Masquerade. Writing short pieces for the progress reports, OFFICE.DOC OFFICE. The Office is the central information and distribution OPEN.DOC OPENING CEREMONIES. Featuring the Not Ready For Sidereal Time POCKET.DOC POCKET PROGRAM BOOK. The pocket program (see examples in folder) PROGRAM.DOC PROGRAMMING. The following documentation was produced by Ariel PROBK51.TXT REGISTRATION... From time to time, we send out special mailings to RIBORD.DOC Ribbon order letter. ZINE.DOC Fanzine Room. A room of fanzines, and history. Arrange for DELPAS.BMP DELIVERY PASS ORYCON 14 NOVEMBER 20-22 FRINPAS.BMP FRIDAY NIGHT PASS ORYCON 14 NOVEMBER 20-22 NGTPAS.BMP NIGHT PASS ORYCON 14 NOVEMBER 20-22 PRSPAS.BMP PRESS PASS ORYCON 14 NOVEMBER 20-22, 1992 * * * * * NBOOK1.DOC Greetings and hallucinations: Welcome to Orycon 16. Yes, I know Greetings and hallucinations: Welcome to Orycon 16. Yes, I know the notebook seems a bit much but this is the little project for OSFCI that I started working on a while back. Life has tended to get in the way so a lot of the work I intended to do is simply not done, but I figured that if I got the first generation of manuals out, the rest would eventually follow. First, nothing in here is written in stone. The notebooks contain descriptions, guidelines, suggestions, people to contact, timelines, etc. Some books have a lot more information than others do. This is based purely on the personal experiences of your friendly editor and the people who have donated the bits and pieces that make up the contents of these books. In particular, I would like to mention Ariel Shattan who put together the programming book contents. Her work is an example of the type of thing that I would like to have for all the departments. Please consider your department manual to be a working document, not a final bible. There is paper in the back for writing and taking notes. Your book is made of bits of information I have collected from various sources and have stuck together. All written materials are the intellectual property of the authors, or conventions they have come from. Some of this stuff is original material, so do be careful with the looser contents. So, what do I do with this thing?, you ask, certain that Linda doesn't get out of the house and away from those kids often enough. Read through it. Even if you are a pro at that department, read through it. You see, if you don't know what you are doing or how to get started, this will give you some good ideas. If you know what you are doing, please make corrections, suggestions, improvements, and additions. I'd like the manuals eventually to be a tool that Orycon and her sister conventions can use as both a permanent history of the convention, and as a resource tool for people that are running departments that they have never run before. No matter who you are, I'd like you to keep rough notes on what you do, who you contact to get stuff for your department, (date, name, address, phone, helpful folks that you encounter there), cost of stuff, and so on. Write down the problems you encounter and your solutions. Let us know how brilliantly you took care of that really weird situation. Try to write more legibly than I do, so that your notes can be transcribed and printed out for the next person. (Or if you prefer making notes either on computer or a typewriter, please feel free to do so, and just drop a copy of your notes into the notebook. I surely do appreciate your time and effort for Orycon. The convention could not exist without the time, money, energy and creativity volunteered by the folks working on it. Whatever department you are doing, it's important to Orycon. I look forward to working with each and everyone of you. Thank you so much, Linda * * * * * ADSEL.DOC Ad Selling. Contacting merchants, publishers, other conventions, Ad Selling Contacting merchants, publishers, other conventions, etc., and providing them with information concerning ad rates for program book, regress report, and progress report, lists of covention guests, important dates and deadlines and any other information that they might require. People who have done this job in the past: Ruth Sachter, Sam Butler, You need to talk to: Registration: they need to list advertisers as interested parties in the database, so that the advertisers can recieve our mailings. Program Book Editor: to provide ad copy, advertiser's preferences and any changes in ads. Progress Report and Regress report editors: to provide ad copy, advertiser's preferences and any changes in ads. * * * * * CEARLTNS.DOC Cereal and Cartoons: Arrange two one hour tapes of assorted Cereal and Cartoons: Arrange two one hour tapes of assorted cartoons to be played Saturday and Sunday Mornings from Nine Am to 10 AM. You need to buy milk, sugar sweetened cold cereal, some healthy stuff, bowls and milk and paper towels. For help talk to Kate Yule (she started this popular tradition), Linda Pilcher, Jim Pilcher, Dave Hicks. You need to talk to: Daily Zine: Annouce your event the day before. Pocket Program: Get your event listed Program Book: Write a blurb. Get your event listed. Hospitality: Give them the leftovers Progress Report: Get your event listed so that you will get a good turnout. Video: The cartoons are usually played over one of the video channels, and cereal and cartoons are done in one of the video rooms. Volunteers: Do you need help? * * * * * DANCE.DOC Dances. Arrange for music, disc jockeys, equipment etc. for Dances Arrange for music, disc jockeys, equipment etc. for Friday and Saturday night dances. Talk to Robert Verde, and Marc Wells and You need to talk to and co-ordinate with Opening Ceremonies, Masquerade, Tech Crew, and Programming. Program book: Blurb with hours Pocket program: Hours, location Progress reports: Blurb with request for requests Transportation: Delivery of equipment that is not professionally delivered. Security: Arrange for doorwatchers. Hotel: No host bar in the Dance? Hotel requirements. * * * * * DEALER.DOC Dealer's Room. Contact dealers and provide registration forms. Dealer's Room Contact dealers and provide registration forms. Verify rates. Set hours. Serve as dealer's liason. Keep them calm. Do room layout. Talk to Debbie Cross, John Andrews, John Lorentz Ad selling: Can we sell ads to dealers? Hotel: Dock usage, elevator usage, coffee for the dealers Office: Give them info on your hours so that they can answer questions. Program book: List of dealers, blurb with room and hours, any clever innovations that you have made. Pocket program: hours, location. Publicity: Provide list of dealers Registration: Provide list of dealers, and the names of the people who will be at the table so that registration can provide them with badges. Volunteers/Security: Door watchers. * * * * * FILK.DOC Filking. Talk to Cecilia Eng and John Andrews. Filking Talk to Cecilia Eng and John Andrews. * * * * * FRED.DOC Fred. Talk to Fred. Fred is Fred Torck. Fred does all kinds of Fred Talk to Fred. Fred is Fred Torck. Fred does all kinds of miscellaneous things that don't fall into any category. Fred has built carts for our office supplies, registration computers, and art show panels. The art show carts double as shelves in the art show itself. He has done work at our storage garages. Fred stays up and changes tapes for the video people, babysits the night office. He entertains the committee kids when we're desperate, and shows up at just the right time with a drink or food or handtool as needed. He always has keys to everything, can fix stuff and is generally useful. He is hard to classify so I made him a department. He has had his own department ribbon since 1991--rainbow! * * * * * GAME.DOC Gaming. There will be gaming. Gaming There will be gaming. Talk to Andrew Nisbet, David Schaber. * * * * * GOH.DOC Guest of Honor Liason: Major Duties: Maintain communication with Guest of Honor Liason: Major Duties: Maintain communication with guests of honor. Find out their needs for transportation, and lodging are. Find out special interests, special needs. Arrange for biographies, photos, etc. Recruit and train "handlers" for guests so that each guest has someone to wait opon them, etc. People who have done this department include: Debbie Cross, John Lorentz, Victoria Selander, Sue Renhart. You need to talk to: Hotel Liason: To confirm lodging requirments Programming: Scheduling needs Dealers: Does your guest have special items out for the dealers to purvey. Program Book: Bios, photos, special write-ups. Does your guest have a preference about who does this? Opening ceremonies: Is your guest willing to participate. Orycon does some really wild things and mostly our guests participate. * * * * * GRNRM.DOC Green Room: Major Duties: Provide a comfortable, but not overly Green Room: Major Duties: Provide a comfortable, but not overly so, and welcoming place for the program participants to meet prior to their program items. Provide assistance to programming, and do guest registration. Who has done this before: Helen Umbarger You need to talk to Guest of Honor Liason: Special stuff for guests of honor Programming: What help do they need. Registration: Reg materials for guests? What to do with the reg cards and materials? Hotel: Can we sneak food in for the guests? Coffee? What's the smallest amount we need to get from the hotel to keep them happy, if anything? * * * * * HALLCOST.DOC Hall Costumes. See attached documentation from Ann Hoffert and Hall Costumes. See attached documentation from Ann Hoffert and Tracey Bailey. * * * * * HOSP.DOC Hospitality: See attached documents: Hospitality: See attached documents: * * * * * HOTEL.DOC Hotel Liason: If you have this book, then you know more than I do Hotel Liason: If you have this book, then you know more than I do and if you could write a bit for this book, I would appreciate it. * * * * * KIDS.DOC Child Care: Arrange for and act as liason for professional nannies Child Care: Arrange for and act as liason for professional nannies to provide child care for committee people and convention attendees. You need to set hours for the child care, (rates should be determined by the exec committee or if not, please set them in conjunction with the treasurer), find out what the nannies' requirements are for parental releases, provide tickets for parents to purchase. Provide flexability for covering the number of children that need care. People who have done child care in the past or are concerned with it: Tash Robb and Aaron Bodor, Marc Wells, Patty Wells, John Lorentz, Page Fuller. You need to talk to: Treasurer: Pay for nannies. Do you need to make a deposit, or sign a contract? Hotel Liason: What Rooms are you in? Office: Will they sell tickets for childcare? What arrangements have you made to insure that there will be space for all the ticket holders? Program Book: Write up a blurb including hours, rates, rules, and if you have them, room numbers. Pocket program: Hours and room numbers Programming: Do any of the guests need childcare during their panels? Please schedule this ahead of time if it is possible. Progress report: Blurb with as much information as possible available. Transportation: Bring the toys and child care supplies. Volunteers: Do your nannies need in house assistance? Are they allowed in house assistance? * * * * * LOGIST.DOC Logistics: What you need to do: This is a new position that we Logistics: What you need to do: This is a new position that we propose. Logistics is the person in charge of the garage. You need to make sure the thing is open. The person who stands at the garage and says "this goes. this doesn't. don't take the radio, they always play it too loud. No, we do not load in the the bugs from under the shelves. Yes, they really DO want THAT!" Logistics would be responsible for directing traffic once everything arrives, and would be responsible for directing cleanup when we break down the covention. This is a very responsible position and we are looking for someone highly organized and efficient. No one has been really in charge of this before, though there is usually someone from the exec committee, or the board there to do the direction giving. In 1993, Robert Verde directed the break down. He would be a good person to talk to. You need to talk to: Any department that has stuff in the garage or is having stuff delivered or needs things picked up. The person who drives the truck. * * * * * MASQ.DOC Masquerade. Writing short pieces for the progress reports, Masquerade Writing short pieces for the progress reports, designing entry forms or using previous ones. Writing rules for entries. Encouraging entries in the masquerade. Processing entries, setting up staging. Arranging for mother hens to help contestants. Arranging for judges, technical details. This position dovetails directly into the work done by the tech people, and the dance organizers, and potentially the friday night opening ceremonies. The evening events require that the people doing these departments work closely together. People who have done this department before: Patty Wells, Robert Verde (tech crew director), Brenna Sharp, You need to talk to: Progress Report: Write-Ups for the PRs. Registration: Memberships for your judges and addresses of your judges. Office (day and night): Place for people to pick up forms Daily Zine: report winners for publication Program book: blurb on department. Nice nice about judges. We hope to acquire for permanent placement in this guide book a copy of Patrick and Peggy Kennedy's masquerade book. * * * * * OFFICE.DOC OFFICE. The Office is the central information and distribution OFFICE The Office is the central information and distribution point of the convention. All things seem to revolve around the office. You get the phone calls, answer all of the questions and sign people up for things that take sign-ups. You sell child-care tickets, take money for using the copy machine, and chase unauthorized personel away from the video equipment. You maintain logbooks, phone lists, pocket pager lists. The office provides focus for the lost souls and directions for the lost bodies. You know who is in charge of what and who to call when. You provide some back up for the security base station, and the night office also does registration. Who has done this in the past: Page Fuller, Patty Wells, Marc Wells, Linda Pilcher, Steve Berry, Shelly Dutton-Berry. You need to talk to everyone! * * * * * OPEN.DOC OPENING CEREMONIES. Featuring the Not Ready For Sidereal Time OPENING CEREMONIES Featuring the Not Ready For Sidereal Time Players, our opening ceremonies is one of our most popular events. Using an assortment of props, sight gags, silly costumes, and people reading from their scripts, opening ceremonies introduces our guests of honor and our committee members. Our guests of honor have always participated. Opening ceremonies is also a major beg for volunteers, as witness the traditional "Blood, sweat and Volunteers" line that appears in every one of them. Humor is the major key to this event, and our opening ceremonies seems to usually have a media oriented theme, i. e. based on television (mostly), film, and tabloids. You will find an assortment of people who have worked on opening ceremonies including Debbie Cross, Ariel Shattan, Kate Yule, Patty Wells, Linda Pilcher, David Levine, Teresa Reed-Simmons, Sue Renhart, Paul Wrigley, Alan Smith and Nancy Smith. Robert Verde is also a good person to discuss the technical requirements with. You will need to interact with anyone that you want to have a part. Guest of Honor Liason: To get the scripts to the guests, and get their okay on their parts. The Evening Events People (tech crew, dances, etc.): to co-ordinate the stage set ups and technical set-ups. It is very important that the evening events people work together. * * * * * POCKET.DOC POCKET PROGRAM BOOK. The pocket program (see examples in folder) POCKET PROGRAM BOOK The pocket program (see examples in folder) provides the same kind of information that you get from a really well written television guide. You need to do the layouts, collect information, get price quotes, chase down cover art, and arrange for printing and delivery of the books in a quartersheet size booklet that really will fit in your pocket. Basic information in the pocket program book includes the daily schedules by day, time, room, title, participants; a video schedule, a gaming schedule, a hotel map, restaurant and services guide, and the grids with programming and event schedules and hours that the various departments are open. Leaving a couple of blank pages at the end for notes is also nice. Talk to David Levine. You need to communicate with Programming to get schedules Office, reg, child care, art show, dealer's hospitality, gaming, fan room, masquerade, dances to verify times and locations. Restaurant guide preparer to get their copy. * * * * * PROGRAM.DOC PROGRAMMING. The following documentation was produced by Ariel PROGRAMMING The following documentation was produced by Ariel Shattan. We would like to acknowledge this and thank her for her extraordinary efforts. * * * * * PROBK51.TXT REGISTRATION... From time to time, we send out special mailings to [[Editor's note. Several alternate versions synthesized into one piece. This section is for publishing in Progress Reports and the Program Book.]] REGISTRATION: Linda Pilcher Barbara Oldham From time to time, we send out special mailings to the people who haave attended one of our conventions. Unfortunately, if we don't have your correct address, the mailing doesn't get to you. If you move during the year, please drop us a postcard. We don't want to lose you. We will be open at the following times at the convention: Thursday evening 8pm to 10pm (PRE-REG ONLY) Friday Noonish to 10pm Saturday 9am to 6pm Sunday 10am to 2pm In addition to selling memberships and issuing badges, we will be happy to give you a new badge if you wish to change your badge name. Just bring in your old badge and we will fix you up with your new name, but please wait for a quiet time at Registration when the lines are very short. At the Con, the computer time needs to be given to those without memberships. Even with the wrong badge name, you can get in. Better yet, send in your name change or correction prior to the convention and we will have it waiting for you. If you need to transfer your membership, please let us know in advance so that we can have the correct badge ready at the convention. A signed note from the original member is all we need. Requirements for transfer at the door will be stiffer. At the Convention, remember to keep your badge on at all times. Please wear the badge in a visible place. It is your proof of membership, and you will be asked to show it when you enter convention areas. A badge consists of both the plastic frame and the insert. Please do not lose your badge--you may have to pay the full at-the-door rate to recieve a new one. And so that our badge checkers can keep an eye out for your missing badge, the duplicate will be marked in a highly visible manner. Kids five and under (and any other child whose parent requests it) will also be given a hospital type bracelet with the responsible adult's name and room number (if applicable) on the bracelet. This is part of the youngster's proof of membership. You may purchase memberships for your non-human companions at the full adult rate. Be sure to remind your companion not to lose his/her/its badge as they will have to pay full price for a replacement badge. Do to Technical Improvements, night passes and dance passes will no longer be available at Orycon. Our talented night office folks will be able to sell you regular memberships after registration closes. Please let your friends who usually just buy night passes or dance passes know. Night office registration will be open Friday and Saturday nights only. Orycon 16 memberships will be available Sunday at your slightly psychotic registration desk. Check with us for times, and details. We will be honoring requests for particular badge numbers for Orycon 16. THERE WILL BE A $5.00 ADDITIONAL FEE FOR THESE REQUESTS. All proceeds of the special number requests will go to the Susan Petrey Scholarship Fund. If you want numbers 1, 42 or 666, you will need to go to the Susan Petrey Auction and bid. They are only available from the Susan Petrey Auction. Memberships in OryCon 15 are available at the following rates: Through October 31 $25 After October 31 and at the door $35 Children ages 6 - 12 are half price. Children 5 and under are free. Children MUST be accompanied by an adult. Please check at the Orycon Office if you need assistance or have any questions during the convention. * * * * * RIBORD.DOC Ribbon order letter. Orycon 15. P.O. Box 5703 Portland, Or 97228 Here is the list as per our conversation the other day. I have made my selections based on the color sheet that you sent me. Please let me know as soon as possible about the costs. I would like to be able to get you a check by Friday October 28, so I will need to know how the cost ASAP. As per our discussion, I will need delivery by November 10. I will come and get the ribbons, or arrange for someone who lives closer to your office to pick them up. My phone number is 236-0349. There is an answering machine on the line at all times so please feel free to leave a message if you need to. Thanks. Linda Pilcher 819 SE 16th Portland, OR 97214. These need to be FO 2 X 8 Quanity ink ribbon wording 100 silver royal blue Orycon Artist 10 gold red Orycon 16 Guest of Honor 30 gold black Orycon Gamemaster 40 black yellow Orycon Security 150 red white Orycon Program Participant 3 green white Orycon 15 Co-Chair 60 black green Orycon 15 Committee 100 black lt green Orycon Dealers We would like these for award ribbons: 12 blue DRD Orycon 15 Art Show First Place 12 white SRG Orycon 15 Art Show Honorable Mention * * * * * ZINE.DOC Fanzine Room. A room of fanzines, and history. Arrange for Fanzine Room A room of fanzines, and history. Arrange for fanzines, and other historical stuff. Talk to David Levine, Andi Schecter, Stu Shiffman. Talk to Programming: Will there be programming in the room. Program Book: Blurb with hours and why people should come see you. Pocket program: Hours and location. Progress Report: Blurb with info. Maybe request volunteers. * * * * * DELPAS.BMP DELIVERY PASS ORYCON 14 NOVEMBER 20-22 +------------------------+ | DELIVERY | | PASS | |ORYCON 14 NOVEMBER 20-22| +------------------------+ FRINPAS.BMP FRIDAY NIGHT PASS ORYCON 14 NOVEMBER 20-22 +--------------+ | FRIDAY | | NIGHT PASS | | ORYCON 14 | |NOVEMBER 20-22| +--------------+ NGTPAS.BMP NIGHT PASS ORYCON 14 NOVEMBER 20-22 +--------------+ | NIGHT PASS | | ORYCON 14 | |NOVEMBER 20-22| +--------------+ PRSPAS.BMP PRESS PASS ORYCON 14 NOVEMBER 20-22, 1992 +--------------------+ | PRESS | | PASS | | ORYCON 14 | |NOVEMBER 20-22, 1992| +--------------------+ -END-