We really hadn't made much accommodation for those costumers who brought their children to Costume-Con. It was our feeling that if they took up a seat that could've otherwise been sold to an adult, then the parent must pay full price. However, we did give a few a price break to those parents who agreed that their children would not receive a membership packet, referred to as a "Junior" badge. We feel we still made the right decision regarding the expected number of children, but perhaps we could've at least advertised on our flyers that these "Junior" badges were available, under certain conditions.
Student
Volunteer (Comp)
Regarding complimentary memberships. CC16 writes:
The few that we did give went to people outside of the usual known local costuming community who otherwise would probably not have attended. Their area of knowledge was felt special enough to warrant offering them one day or full memberships in return for an agreed-upon amount of their time to speak on panels. Speaking engagements usually totaled 2 hours. We were aware that some conferences have given comp memberships to their technical staff (indeed, even free hotel rooms) in return for the large amount of time that tech people, without pay, donate to the conference events all weekend. However, we felt that, given the uncertainty of how much money the conference would actually take in to pay more important bills, and the fact that the committee staff had paid for their own memberships and hotel rooms, we could not afford any exceptions. Fortunately for us, enough people came and volunteered anyway. We at least made every effort to be sure that these people had everything they needed to do their job, and they came through in a very professional manner.
We also had a "badge only" designation for one or two people who agree to only work the events and not attend any of the panels.
All in all, any comp memberships and other breaks had to be approved by the committee heads, so that this didn't get out of control.
Special Events Access
Prices
Rates
Most conferences have a graduated membership cost according to how far away their conference is in the future. A cheaper rate some 2 years or more in advance benefits an attendee, and the conference gets some much needed working cash. The final price break is roughly 6 months or so before the conference, with a slightly higher "at the door" price.
Money will be slow to come in until the date of your conference draws closer. Having consulted with previous committee chairmen, we learned that there will be a small spurt of cash inflow during (if you sell memberships) and just after the CC prior to yours. Then, memberships will trickle in until around the last deadline. At that point, you will get a small burst of maybe 5% of your total attendance. Around 25% of the rest of the attendance will come in after that point, including those who register on-site at the conference. This is good in one respect, because it brings in more money, but it makes it tough to estimate your expenses very far in advance. It can become critical to know what you will have to pay for tech equipment and Program publications and other pre-con expenses.
Increases (and scheduling)
Registration
Pre-Reg
Lost Souls
Publishing the Roster
At-Con
Early Pick-up (Thursday Night)
Generally speaking, no registration packets should be handed out before Registration officially opens. (However, the CC16 committee chairs felt it was important that there be an opportunity for early con arrivals to pick up their membership packets in the Hospitality Suite on Thursday evening. To do this, you MUST be prepared to keep records of who receives the early packets. Making this allowance gives those people who arrive early a chance to plan their schedules ahead of time.)
Staffing
Friday (Hell Day)
You need to have at least three people manning the Registration table on Friday morning, since this is likely to be the highest volume of incoming members. Plan on at least one separate individual to deal with on-site registration, since there will certainly be people who wait until the very last minute to decide whether they will attend.
Try to keep the Registration table staffed at least through the beginning of the Friday Night Social. There will most certainly be late-comers (especially when the conference takes place in or near a major metropolitan area). Likewise, do not provide intense security during the Friday Night event, especially if you do choose to close registration early. Otherwise, it might prevent some people from participating in the Friday Night Social or enjoying the event.
The Rest of the Weekend
Badges
Badge Numbers
New Members
Dealer Memberships
The staff member in charge of the dealer room should pick up and distribute all dealer membership packets and badges all at one time.
