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Question for My Con-going Readers
The new art show maven for ConQuesT has proposed moving the art auction (currently held at 5p on Saturday) to later in the evening, like after the masquerade (roughly 9p). Have any of you seen this done at other cons, and if so, how did it work for you, whether as consumer or part of the art show workers union?
not a good time
Knowing what happens on the nights of the con, with many people often going off-site to eat at one of the many fine restaurants that KC offers, and lots of great parties to attend, I don't see how holding the art show at night would draw a decent crowd without somehow making it a party complete with drinks and entertainment.
Sometimes we don't get back to the con until after 10pm. I'm someone who does go to art shows, who does purchase many sorts of arts and crafts thru the conventions art show and dealers room. I can't see me being able to attend a late-night art show auction given my other commitments and fancies at ConQuest.
So much goes on on Satyrday, I think attention is split too many ways for the auction to make much impression, and people need time to actually get to the show and consider making bids. Having the auctions on Sunday around 1 or 2 before people have to get ready to go home, gives people time to see the show, decide if they want to bid, and plan to attend the auction. Heck, do the auction then, I'll be a runner for you if needed.
Re: not a good time
As for the original question, never seen the artshow done after the masquerade, so couldn't say how it might effect things.
is the art show held for the benefit of the art show staff?
I can imagine that the artists - most of them - would be willing to wait until Sunday afternoon to pack their works if it meant that there was a bigger likely hood that people would see and buy their work.
Perhaps attendees who were interested in the art show and auction would be willing to do so as well. Maybe some of them leave early afternoon on Sunday because there's nothing going on that interests them by mid-afternoon Sunday.
We attend conventions all over - ConQuest has the luxury of having a full Monday after the con closes as a federal holiday. Some cons I have attended run the art show auction on Sunday - and it makes for a better experience for us because I'm not running onto the art show for a few minutes between commitments, trying to get George to spend 15 minutes in the art show between his panels. Adding in the Friday and Saturday hours of the typical art show at ConQuest, how many hours is the art on display before the show closes and the art is auctioned? Wouldn't more hours of show time and a better time for the art auction make it more likely that those who might be interested in seeing the art show and attending the auction would do so? What about our newbies? Many of them are so overwhelmed by the con-going experience the first few cons they go to, they miss even hearing about many events of the con until its too late for them to attend.
Re: is the art show held for the benefit of the art show staff?
Depends on how many willing souls you have to work on your convention. They are all volunteers after all. If you're in a town where volunteers are scarce, and fewer by the year, you don't tick them off so they don't come back. Do that enough and the Art Show dies.
my question was a bit rhetorical
I do see that in some instances that certain groups can become so insular that no new people can comfortably fit in to share the work and excitement of working on their section of programming and events. Perhaps more outreach to get people interested in working and making sure there is a welcoming attitude would make the burden less on the 'same old' volunteers.
my question was a bit rhetorical
I do see that in some instances that certain groups can become so insular that no new people can comfortably fit in to share the work and excitement of working on their section of programming and events. Perhaps more outreach to get people interested in working and making sure there is a welcoming attitude would make the burden less on the 'same old' volunteers.
Re: my question was a bit rhetorical
Most of it is the graying of fandom. I'm sure you've seen plenty of talk about it. The kids aren't interested in our kind of convention. People always had their own areas of interest, but the only place they had to find their own few kind was at a general fan run Con. They tended to run around with the few people who shared their own particular interest but at least they were at the Con and they could be exposed to other areas of fandom and be wheedled into helping out with things.
Times have changed. The internet lets people get together virtually. It lets them find even more people who share their interest and only their interest. They can connect with each other without having to go through the intermediary of a SciFi/Fantasy club that only meets once a month, or the yearly convention. They can organize their own Con, and now they don't have to put up with our weird obsession with books, or old movies or tv shows they don't care about when they can get all the anime cosplay and voice actors they want at their anime con a couple miles away.
They know we're here. They just don't give a damn, because their needs are already being met.
Re: not a good time
Except that in this case the Benefit Auction is scheduled for 1pm Sunday. The other problem I have noted is that Art should generally come before Benefit, so that the artists have first shot at the fan $'s. In tough times, it's only right that the people who paid to exhibit and need to pay for their trip get first shot at the undiminished money pool. If the artists themselves think Sunday would work better for them, then time-slot-swapping should be considered.
if not 1pm Sunday
It's just that my experiences at cons in the last few years, not just at ConQuest, lead me to think that holding the art auction on late Saturday afternoon means there's people, including myself who don't get to really enjoy a good art show before it closes and the auction begins.
Re: if not 1pm Sunday
New art head's proposal is IMHO a good idea for exploration, given primary goal of auction in the first place. But should have been offered earlier in planning cycle, when impact on other events and departments would have been much easier to assess, and required system-wide Big Picture logistical adjustments more easily manageable. Late changes means other events/planning already in place by those who did their planning/logistics work early are impacted hardest, which in turn impacts just about everything else. Even minor shifts better done with lots of lead time. Can't just maximize one function/event at the expense of all others, no matter how right dept head may be about maximizing effect on THEIR function. Gotta juggle and try for optimal balance among all functions.
Why con chairs get migraines and wrinkles, balancing good ideas from all directions into functional logistical requirements of overall event, and having to make tough tradeoff decisions.
Combining the art/benefit events IS possible and not a crazy idea at all. Certainly presents its own logistical problems, but in our current layout could be doable. But sure not wild about planning for such this close to showtime.
No perfect solution -- never is. I still think would be good idea to ask pro artists with years of con-selling experience what works best for them -- primary goal of Art auction is to make them money. If that means shifting things around some to improve their take, well, could be pain in the ass this year but much less so for next year. Still be bounded by overall Big Picture.
Re: not a good time
Which would make almost anything one of my favorite events!