Minn-StF Wiki - User contributions [en]

Hotel

2023-04-13T18:35:43Z

Avanderg: /* Hotel Visits */

=Hotel Liaison and Department=

==Core Responsibilities==
* [[#Hotel Visits | Visiting Hotels]]
* [[*Hotel Contract | Contract / Negotiation]]
* [[*Function Space | Function Space setup]]
* [[#Sleeping Rooms | Sleeping Room setup]]
* [[#Room Allocation|Room Allocation]]
* [[#Keys| Keys, Locking & unlocking]]
 
===Hotel Visits===
Visit different hotels with Function Space. Ideally, visit a hotel during a convention and understand the layout and how that convention uses the space. If that is not available, work with conventions that have been in that hotel and ask for a copy of their convention "map" to get that understanding. Tour the Function Space, see an average sleeping room, see at least 1 of the suites. Think about where different activities will be, where can ConSuite / Member Lounge and the Bar be located. Is there inaccessible space and where are the elevators? Where would a good place for Party Rooms be? What are the hotel's policies on alcohol, food, and corkage?
 

===Hotel Contract===
'''Get it in writing!''' Handshake agreements are great, but what if?
The contract needs to have
* Room Nights / Room Block / Costs for different types rooms
* Function space costs
* Force Majeure (thanks COVID for making this part all too real)
* Rules for Common Space (lights on in the Garden Court/Atrium)
* Audio Visual
* Service Fees & Minimums
* So much other stuff. Expect to read at least 12 pages at least 5 times.

 
What to negotiate on
* Room night costs
* Room block attrition rate
* Function space costs
* Alcohol Policies
* Common space policies
* Noise policies
* Table, stage, chair costs & allocations (what setup is included in Function Space and what is not)
* Setup dates / times (when will we have access to rooms)
* Tear down dates / times (when do we need our stuff out of rooms)

 
===Function Space===
* Room Function (for digital signage)
* Setup and Tear down dates/times
* Room layout (tables, chairs, stage, physical arrangements, A/V)
* Services - water stations, pitchers & glasses for panelists, large garbage / extra recycling
 
===Sleeping Rooms===
This section will focus on Sleeping Rooms used for ''convention activities''. Party Rooms & allocation in general will be covered elsewhere.
Sleeping Rooms are frequently used for:
* Bar & Bar Annex
* ConSuite
* Green Room
* Teen Room
* GPS Auction
 
Considerations:
* Check-in / Check-out - much like function space, this will dictate when we have access to move-in and when we need to move-out
* Bed Removal
* Television Removal
* Adding Tables & Chairs
* Water Stations, Large garbage / Recycling
 
===Room Allocation===
In the past, we have allocated the Garden Court (RadishTree) and Atrium (Park Place) rooms.
Other sleeping rooms have been left to the hotel by design.
We look at Sleeping Room as convention space (Bar, ConSuite), accessibility, distance to function, need for Double beds, Parties, GoH needs, and requests from ConCom and Members in order to build a layout for the specified areas. That includes Atrium Space, Parlor rooms, Suites, etc.

For '''Minicon 57''', the hotel has requested that we approach this differently. In the past, we have had people book "regular" rooms, then move them to the allocated space. For 2024, the hotel would like those people to go through Minicon and not get their own room. Once we provide a full Atrium layout, the hotel will generate the room Confirmation numbers for those folks.

Sample Language from 2020:
<blockquote>
Do you want a hotel room for Minicon? Here is that information.

Single or double occupancy rates are as follows - Regular rooms are $92 per night, Suites (near the pool) are $122 per night, Whirlpool rooms (very limited quantity) $122, Executive Level Rooms on 14th floor (Near Consuite) $112.

The cut off date for these rates is Thursday, March 19, 2020 . PLEASE get your hotel registration in before March 19. Expect to pay a higher rate if your hotel room is not reserved by March 19.

Parties will be located in the suites facing the pool.

For any desired room type, go to the DoubleTree website and book a regular room.
If you'd another type of room (party room, suite, executive level room), after booking the regular room, do one of the following:
If you’d like to host a party, please contact parties@minicon55.mnstf.org.
If you’d like a suite or an executive level room, please contact hotel@minicon55.mnstf.org.

In your email, please state in the first sentence of the email body what type of room you want. If you have a detailed explanation about why, that's fine, but include that information AFTER the description of your need.

We are in the process of determining how many rooms need to be set aside for Minicon (green room, teen room, parties, other). You may not hear that you have a non-regular room immediately, but someone should contact you within a week to let you know that your request was received.

Important information about the suites - Suites will be allocated by Minicon’s hotel department in a way that makes sense. In order to fulfill our arrangement to make noise in our gaming space at night, we must fill the suites. Parties and Minicon functional rooms will have priority.

It may happen that we have more or fewer requests for suites than we have available. If you’re flexible about reserving a suite (willing to take a suite, but also willing to take a regular room as needed), we love you a little more than we love everyone else. Please let the Hotel department know that you are entitled to EXTRA love. If you'd strongly prefer to have a suite, please also let Hotel know, and understand that you still may not get a suite if they’re already assigned to other uses.

</blockquote>
 
===Keys===
So many keys. 
In the Hotel Liaison role, it generally means you need to check into all of the "Master account" sleeping rooms and get the key cards and distribute them. I recommend keeping one copy of each so that if a department head is not available, you can still let people into that room (this happens more often that you would think). Further, I use the Blue Painter tape (the One True Tape) to label them so they are easy to find. Avoid room numbers and use function name ("Bar", "Grn", etc.). In addition, at least at the DoubleTree Park-Place, we get at least one copy of the Function Space Master (physical) key, to lock/unlock function space. Generally we can be more responsive than the hotel in opening and closing rooms. Many of the double tree rooms can be open & locked, so that when the team is done with that room, they only need to shut the door (we did this often during M56 for BBT and Science). For much of the function space, since there is equipment or merchandise, try to be close in time with the department heads in opening the doors.

Hotel

2023-04-13T18:35:29Z

Avanderg: /* Hotel Visits */

=Hotel Liaison and Department=

==Core Responsibilities==
* [[#Hotel Visits | Visiting Hotels]]
* [[*Hotel Contract | Contract / Negotiation]]
* [[*Function Space | Function Space setup]]
* [[#Sleeping Rooms | Sleeping Room setup]]
* [[#Room Allocation|Room Allocation]]
* [[#Keys| Keys, Locking & unlocking]]
 
===Hotel Visits===
Visit different hotels with Function Space. Ideally, visit a hotel during a convention and understand the layout and how that convention uses the space. If that is not available, work with conventions that have been in that hotel and ask for a copy of their convention "map" to get that understanding. Tour the Function Space, see an average sleeping room, see at least 1 of the suites. Think about where different activities will be, where can ConSuite / Member Lounge and the Bar be located. Is there inaccessible space and where are the elevators? Where would a good place for Party Rooms be? What are the hotel's policies on alcohol, food, and corkage?
 

===Hotel Contract===
'''Get it in writing!''' Handshake agreements are great, but what if?
The contract needs to have
* Room Nights / Room Block / Costs for different types rooms
* Function space costs
* Force Majeure (thanks COVID for making this part all too real)
* Rules for Common Space (lights on in the Garden Court/Atrium)
* Audio Visual
* Service Fees & Minimums
* So much other stuff. Expect to read at least 12 pages at least 5 times.

 
What to negotiate on
* Room night costs
* Room block attrition rate
* Function space costs
* Alcohol Policies
* Common space policies
* Noise policies
* Table, stage, chair costs & allocations (what setup is included in Function Space and what is not)
* Setup dates / times (when will we have access to rooms)
* Tear down dates / times (when do we need our stuff out of rooms)

 
===Function Space===
* Room Function (for digital signage)
* Setup and Tear down dates/times
* Room layout (tables, chairs, stage, physical arrangements, A/V)
* Services - water stations, pitchers & glasses for panelists, large garbage / extra recycling
 
===Sleeping Rooms===
This section will focus on Sleeping Rooms used for ''convention activities''. Party Rooms & allocation in general will be covered elsewhere.
Sleeping Rooms are frequently used for:
* Bar & Bar Annex
* ConSuite
* Green Room
* Teen Room
* GPS Auction
 
Considerations:
* Check-in / Check-out - much like function space, this will dictate when we have access to move-in and when we need to move-out
* Bed Removal
* Television Removal
* Adding Tables & Chairs
* Water Stations, Large garbage / Recycling
 
===Room Allocation===
In the past, we have allocated the Garden Court (RadishTree) and Atrium (Park Place) rooms.
Other sleeping rooms have been left to the hotel by design.
We look at Sleeping Room as convention space (Bar, ConSuite), accessibility, distance to function, need for Double beds, Parties, GoH needs, and requests from ConCom and Members in order to build a layout for the specified areas. That includes Atrium Space, Parlor rooms, Suites, etc.

For '''Minicon 57''', the hotel has requested that we approach this differently. In the past, we have had people book "regular" rooms, then move them to the allocated space. For 2024, the hotel would like those people to go through Minicon and not get their own room. Once we provide a full Atrium layout, the hotel will generate the room Confirmation numbers for those folks.

Sample Language from 2020:
<blockquote>
Do you want a hotel room for Minicon? Here is that information.

Single or double occupancy rates are as follows - Regular rooms are $92 per night, Suites (near the pool) are $122 per night, Whirlpool rooms (very limited quantity) $122, Executive Level Rooms on 14th floor (Near Consuite) $112.

The cut off date for these rates is Thursday, March 19, 2020 . PLEASE get your hotel registration in before March 19. Expect to pay a higher rate if your hotel room is not reserved by March 19.

Parties will be located in the suites facing the pool.

For any desired room type, go to the DoubleTree website and book a regular room.
If you'd another type of room (party room, suite, executive level room), after booking the regular room, do one of the following:
If you’d like to host a party, please contact parties@minicon55.mnstf.org.
If you’d like a suite or an executive level room, please contact hotel@minicon55.mnstf.org.

In your email, please state in the first sentence of the email body what type of room you want. If you have a detailed explanation about why, that's fine, but include that information AFTER the description of your need.

We are in the process of determining how many rooms need to be set aside for Minicon (green room, teen room, parties, other). You may not hear that you have a non-regular room immediately, but someone should contact you within a week to let you know that your request was received.

Important information about the suites - Suites will be allocated by Minicon’s hotel department in a way that makes sense. In order to fulfill our arrangement to make noise in our gaming space at night, we must fill the suites. Parties and Minicon functional rooms will have priority.

It may happen that we have more or fewer requests for suites than we have available. If you’re flexible about reserving a suite (willing to take a suite, but also willing to take a regular room as needed), we love you a little more than we love everyone else. Please let the Hotel department know that you are entitled to EXTRA love. If you'd strongly prefer to have a suite, please also let Hotel know, and understand that you still may not get a suite if they’re already assigned to other uses.

</blockquote>
 
===Keys===
So many keys. 
In the Hotel Liaison role, it generally means you need to check into all of the "Master account" sleeping rooms and get the key cards and distribute them. I recommend keeping one copy of each so that if a department head is not available, you can still let people into that room (this happens more often that you would think). Further, I use the Blue Painter tape (the One True Tape) to label them so they are easy to find. Avoid room numbers and use function name ("Bar", "Grn", etc.). In addition, at least at the DoubleTree Park-Place, we get at least one copy of the Function Space Master (physical) key, to lock/unlock function space. Generally we can be more responsive than the hotel in opening and closing rooms. Many of the double tree rooms can be open & locked, so that when the team is done with that room, they only need to shut the door (we did this often during M56 for BBT and Science). For much of the function space, since there is equipment or merchandise, try to be close in time with the department heads in opening the doors.

Hotel

2023-04-13T18:35:21Z

Avanderg: /* Core Responsibilities */

=Hotel Liaison and Department=

==Core Responsibilities==
* [[#Hotel Visits | Visiting Hotels]]
* [[*Hotel Contract | Contract / Negotiation]]
* [[*Function Space | Function Space setup]]
* [[#Sleeping Rooms | Sleeping Room setup]]
* [[#Room Allocation|Room Allocation]]
* [[#Keys| Keys, Locking & unlocking]]
 
===Hotel Visits===
Visit different hotels with Function Space. Ideally, visit a hotel during a convention and understand the layout and how that convention uses the space. If that is not available, work with conventions that have been in that hotel and ask for a copy of their convention "map" to get that understanding. Tour the Function Space, see an average sleeping room, see at least 1 of the suites. Think about where different activities will be, where can ConSuite / Member Lounge and the Bar be located. Is there inaccessible space and where are the elevators? Where would a good place for Party Rooms be? What are the hotel's policies on alcohol, food, and corkage?
 
===Hotel Contract===
'''Get it in writing!''' Handshake agreements are great, but what if?
The contract needs to have
* Room Nights / Room Block / Costs for different types rooms
* Function space costs
* Force Majeure (thanks COVID for making this part all too real)
* Rules for Common Space (lights on in the Garden Court/Atrium)
* Audio Visual
* Service Fees & Minimums
* So much other stuff. Expect to read at least 12 pages at least 5 times.

 
What to negotiate on
* Room night costs
* Room block attrition rate
* Function space costs
* Alcohol Policies
* Common space policies
* Noise policies
* Table, stage, chair costs & allocations (what setup is included in Function Space and what is not)
* Setup dates / times (when will we have access to rooms)
* Tear down dates / times (when do we need our stuff out of rooms)

 
===Function Space===
* Room Function (for digital signage)
* Setup and Tear down dates/times
* Room layout (tables, chairs, stage, physical arrangements, A/V)
* Services - water stations, pitchers & glasses for panelists, large garbage / extra recycling
 
===Sleeping Rooms===
This section will focus on Sleeping Rooms used for ''convention activities''. Party Rooms & allocation in general will be covered elsewhere.
Sleeping Rooms are frequently used for:
* Bar & Bar Annex
* ConSuite
* Green Room
* Teen Room
* GPS Auction
 
Considerations:
* Check-in / Check-out - much like function space, this will dictate when we have access to move-in and when we need to move-out
* Bed Removal
* Television Removal
* Adding Tables & Chairs
* Water Stations, Large garbage / Recycling
 
===Room Allocation===
In the past, we have allocated the Garden Court (RadishTree) and Atrium (Park Place) rooms.
Other sleeping rooms have been left to the hotel by design.
We look at Sleeping Room as convention space (Bar, ConSuite), accessibility, distance to function, need for Double beds, Parties, GoH needs, and requests from ConCom and Members in order to build a layout for the specified areas. That includes Atrium Space, Parlor rooms, Suites, etc.

For '''Minicon 57''', the hotel has requested that we approach this differently. In the past, we have had people book "regular" rooms, then move them to the allocated space. For 2024, the hotel would like those people to go through Minicon and not get their own room. Once we provide a full Atrium layout, the hotel will generate the room Confirmation numbers for those folks.

Sample Language from 2020:
<blockquote>
Do you want a hotel room for Minicon? Here is that information.

Single or double occupancy rates are as follows - Regular rooms are $92 per night, Suites (near the pool) are $122 per night, Whirlpool rooms (very limited quantity) $122, Executive Level Rooms on 14th floor (Near Consuite) $112.

The cut off date for these rates is Thursday, March 19, 2020 . PLEASE get your hotel registration in before March 19. Expect to pay a higher rate if your hotel room is not reserved by March 19.

Parties will be located in the suites facing the pool.

For any desired room type, go to the DoubleTree website and book a regular room.
If you'd another type of room (party room, suite, executive level room), after booking the regular room, do one of the following:
If you’d like to host a party, please contact parties@minicon55.mnstf.org.
If you’d like a suite or an executive level room, please contact hotel@minicon55.mnstf.org.

In your email, please state in the first sentence of the email body what type of room you want. If you have a detailed explanation about why, that's fine, but include that information AFTER the description of your need.

We are in the process of determining how many rooms need to be set aside for Minicon (green room, teen room, parties, other). You may not hear that you have a non-regular room immediately, but someone should contact you within a week to let you know that your request was received.

Important information about the suites - Suites will be allocated by Minicon’s hotel department in a way that makes sense. In order to fulfill our arrangement to make noise in our gaming space at night, we must fill the suites. Parties and Minicon functional rooms will have priority.

It may happen that we have more or fewer requests for suites than we have available. If you’re flexible about reserving a suite (willing to take a suite, but also willing to take a regular room as needed), we love you a little more than we love everyone else. Please let the Hotel department know that you are entitled to EXTRA love. If you'd strongly prefer to have a suite, please also let Hotel know, and understand that you still may not get a suite if they’re already assigned to other uses.

</blockquote>
 
===Keys===
So many keys. 
In the Hotel Liaison role, it generally means you need to check into all of the "Master account" sleeping rooms and get the key cards and distribute them. I recommend keeping one copy of each so that if a department head is not available, you can still let people into that room (this happens more often that you would think). Further, I use the Blue Painter tape (the One True Tape) to label them so they are easy to find. Avoid room numbers and use function name ("Bar", "Grn", etc.). In addition, at least at the DoubleTree Park-Place, we get at least one copy of the Function Space Master (physical) key, to lock/unlock function space. Generally we can be more responsive than the hotel in opening and closing rooms. Many of the double tree rooms can be open & locked, so that when the team is done with that room, they only need to shut the door (we did this often during M56 for BBT and Science). For much of the function space, since there is equipment or merchandise, try to be close in time with the department heads in opening the doors.

Hotel

2023-04-13T18:34:39Z

Avanderg: /* Sleeping Rooms */

=Hotel Liaison and Department=

==Core Responsibilities==
* [[#Hotel Visits | Visiting Hotels]]
* [[*Hotel Contract | Contract / Negotiation]]
* [[*Function Space | Function Space setup]]
* [[#Sleeping Rooms | Sleeping Room setup]]
* [[#Room Allocation|Room Allocation]]
* [[#Keys| Keys, Locking & unlocking]]

===Hotel Visits===
Visit different hotels with Function Space. Ideally, visit a hotel during a convention and understand the layout and how that convention uses the space. If that is not available, work with conventions that have been in that hotel and ask for a copy of their convention "map" to get that understanding. Tour the Function Space, see an average sleeping room, see at least 1 of the suites. Think about where different activities will be, where can ConSuite / Member Lounge and the Bar be located. Is there inaccessible space and where are the elevators? Where would a good place for Party Rooms be? What are the hotel's policies on alcohol, food, and corkage?

===Hotel Contract===
'''Get it in writing!''' Handshake agreements are great, but what if?
The contract needs to have
* Room Nights / Room Block / Costs for different types rooms
* Function space costs
* Force Majeure (thanks COVID for making this part all too real)
* Rules for Common Space (lights on in the Garden Court/Atrium)
* Audio Visual
* Service Fees & Minimums
* So much other stuff. Expect to read at least 12 pages at least 5 times.

 
What to negotiate on
* Room night costs
* Room block attrition rate
* Function space costs
* Alcohol Policies
* Common space policies
* Noise policies
* Table, stage, chair costs & allocations (what setup is included in Function Space and what is not)
* Setup dates / times (when will we have access to rooms)
* Tear down dates / times (when do we need our stuff out of rooms)


===Function Space===
* Room Function (for digital signage)
* Setup and Tear down dates/times
* Room layout (tables, chairs, stage, physical arrangements, A/V)
* Services - water stations, pitchers & glasses for panelists, large garbage / extra recycling

===Sleeping Rooms===
This section will focus on Sleeping Rooms used for ''convention activities''. Party Rooms & allocation in general will be covered elsewhere.
Sleeping Rooms are frequently used for:
* Bar & Bar Annex
* ConSuite
* Green Room
* Teen Room
* GPS Auction
 
Considerations:
* Check-in / Check-out - much like function space, this will dictate when we have access to move-in and when we need to move-out
* Bed Removal
* Television Removal
* Adding Tables & Chairs
* Water Stations, Large garbage / Recycling

===Room Allocation===
In the past, we have allocated the Garden Court (RadishTree) and Atrium (Park Place) rooms.
Other sleeping rooms have been left to the hotel by design.
We look at Sleeping Room as convention space (Bar, ConSuite), accessibility, distance to function, need for Double beds, Parties, GoH needs, and requests from ConCom and Members in order to build a layout for the specified areas. That includes Atrium Space, Parlor rooms, Suites, etc.

For '''Minicon 57''', the hotel has requested that we approach this differently. In the past, we have had people book "regular" rooms, then move them to the allocated space. For 2024, the hotel would like those people to go through Minicon and not get their own room. Once we provide a full Atrium layout, the hotel will generate the room Confirmation numbers for those folks.

Sample Language from 2020:
<blockquote>
Do you want a hotel room for Minicon? Here is that information.

Single or double occupancy rates are as follows - Regular rooms are $92 per night, Suites (near the pool) are $122 per night, Whirlpool rooms (very limited quantity) $122, Executive Level Rooms on 14th floor (Near Consuite) $112.

The cut off date for these rates is Thursday, March 19, 2020 . PLEASE get your hotel registration in before March 19. Expect to pay a higher rate if your hotel room is not reserved by March 19.

Parties will be located in the suites facing the pool.

For any desired room type, go to the DoubleTree website and book a regular room.
If you'd another type of room (party room, suite, executive level room), after booking the regular room, do one of the following:
If you’d like to host a party, please contact parties@minicon55.mnstf.org.
If you’d like a suite or an executive level room, please contact hotel@minicon55.mnstf.org.

In your email, please state in the first sentence of the email body what type of room you want. If you have a detailed explanation about why, that's fine, but include that information AFTER the description of your need.

We are in the process of determining how many rooms need to be set aside for Minicon (green room, teen room, parties, other). You may not hear that you have a non-regular room immediately, but someone should contact you within a week to let you know that your request was received.

Important information about the suites - Suites will be allocated by Minicon’s hotel department in a way that makes sense. In order to fulfill our arrangement to make noise in our gaming space at night, we must fill the suites. Parties and Minicon functional rooms will have priority.

It may happen that we have more or fewer requests for suites than we have available. If you’re flexible about reserving a suite (willing to take a suite, but also willing to take a regular room as needed), we love you a little more than we love everyone else. Please let the Hotel department know that you are entitled to EXTRA love. If you'd strongly prefer to have a suite, please also let Hotel know, and understand that you still may not get a suite if they’re already assigned to other uses.

</blockquote>

===Keys===
So many keys. 
In the Hotel Liaison role, it generally means you need to check into all of the "Master account" sleeping rooms and get the key cards and distribute them. I recommend keeping one copy of each so that if a department head is not available, you can still let people into that room (this happens more often that you would think). Further, I use the Blue Painter tape (the One True Tape) to label them so they are easy to find. Avoid room numbers and use function name ("Bar", "Grn", etc.). In addition, at least at the DoubleTree Park-Place, we get at least one copy of the Function Space Master (physical) key, to lock/unlock function space. Generally we can be more responsive than the hotel in opening and closing rooms. Many of the double tree rooms can be open & locked, so that when the team is done with that room, they only need to shut the door (we did this often during M56 for BBT and Science). For much of the function space, since there is equipment or merchandise, try to be close in time with the department heads in opening the doors.

Hotel

2023-04-13T18:34:26Z

Avanderg: /* Hotel Contract */

=Hotel Liaison and Department=

==Core Responsibilities==
* [[#Hotel Visits | Visiting Hotels]]
* [[*Hotel Contract | Contract / Negotiation]]
* [[*Function Space | Function Space setup]]
* [[#Sleeping Rooms | Sleeping Room setup]]
* [[#Room Allocation|Room Allocation]]
* [[#Keys| Keys, Locking & unlocking]]

===Hotel Visits===
Visit different hotels with Function Space. Ideally, visit a hotel during a convention and understand the layout and how that convention uses the space. If that is not available, work with conventions that have been in that hotel and ask for a copy of their convention "map" to get that understanding. Tour the Function Space, see an average sleeping room, see at least 1 of the suites. Think about where different activities will be, where can ConSuite / Member Lounge and the Bar be located. Is there inaccessible space and where are the elevators? Where would a good place for Party Rooms be? What are the hotel's policies on alcohol, food, and corkage?

===Hotel Contract===
'''Get it in writing!''' Handshake agreements are great, but what if?
The contract needs to have
* Room Nights / Room Block / Costs for different types rooms
* Function space costs
* Force Majeure (thanks COVID for making this part all too real)
* Rules for Common Space (lights on in the Garden Court/Atrium)
* Audio Visual
* Service Fees & Minimums
* So much other stuff. Expect to read at least 12 pages at least 5 times.

 
What to negotiate on
* Room night costs
* Room block attrition rate
* Function space costs
* Alcohol Policies
* Common space policies
* Noise policies
* Table, stage, chair costs & allocations (what setup is included in Function Space and what is not)
* Setup dates / times (when will we have access to rooms)
* Tear down dates / times (when do we need our stuff out of rooms)


===Function Space===
* Room Function (for digital signage)
* Setup and Tear down dates/times
* Room layout (tables, chairs, stage, physical arrangements, A/V)
* Services - water stations, pitchers & glasses for panelists, large garbage / extra recycling

===Sleeping Rooms===
This section will focus on Sleeping Rooms used for ''convention activities''. Party Rooms & allocation in general will be covered elsewhere.
Sleeping Rooms are frequently used for:
* Bar & Bar Annex
* ConSuite
* Green Room
* Teen Room
* GPS Auction

Considerations:
* Check-in / Check-out - much like function space, this will dictate when we have access to move-in and when we need to move-out
* Bed Removal
* Television Removal
* Adding Tables & Chairs
* Water Stations, Large garbage / Recycling

===Room Allocation===
In the past, we have allocated the Garden Court (RadishTree) and Atrium (Park Place) rooms.
Other sleeping rooms have been left to the hotel by design.
We look at Sleeping Room as convention space (Bar, ConSuite), accessibility, distance to function, need for Double beds, Parties, GoH needs, and requests from ConCom and Members in order to build a layout for the specified areas. That includes Atrium Space, Parlor rooms, Suites, etc.

For '''Minicon 57''', the hotel has requested that we approach this differently. In the past, we have had people book "regular" rooms, then move them to the allocated space. For 2024, the hotel would like those people to go through Minicon and not get their own room. Once we provide a full Atrium layout, the hotel will generate the room Confirmation numbers for those folks.

Sample Language from 2020:
<blockquote>
Do you want a hotel room for Minicon? Here is that information.

Single or double occupancy rates are as follows - Regular rooms are $92 per night, Suites (near the pool) are $122 per night, Whirlpool rooms (very limited quantity) $122, Executive Level Rooms on 14th floor (Near Consuite) $112.

The cut off date for these rates is Thursday, March 19, 2020 . PLEASE get your hotel registration in before March 19. Expect to pay a higher rate if your hotel room is not reserved by March 19.

Parties will be located in the suites facing the pool.

For any desired room type, go to the DoubleTree website and book a regular room.
If you'd another type of room (party room, suite, executive level room), after booking the regular room, do one of the following:
If you’d like to host a party, please contact parties@minicon55.mnstf.org.
If you’d like a suite or an executive level room, please contact hotel@minicon55.mnstf.org.

In your email, please state in the first sentence of the email body what type of room you want. If you have a detailed explanation about why, that's fine, but include that information AFTER the description of your need.

We are in the process of determining how many rooms need to be set aside for Minicon (green room, teen room, parties, other). You may not hear that you have a non-regular room immediately, but someone should contact you within a week to let you know that your request was received.

Important information about the suites - Suites will be allocated by Minicon’s hotel department in a way that makes sense. In order to fulfill our arrangement to make noise in our gaming space at night, we must fill the suites. Parties and Minicon functional rooms will have priority.

It may happen that we have more or fewer requests for suites than we have available. If you’re flexible about reserving a suite (willing to take a suite, but also willing to take a regular room as needed), we love you a little more than we love everyone else. Please let the Hotel department know that you are entitled to EXTRA love. If you'd strongly prefer to have a suite, please also let Hotel know, and understand that you still may not get a suite if they’re already assigned to other uses.

</blockquote>

===Keys===
So many keys. 
In the Hotel Liaison role, it generally means you need to check into all of the "Master account" sleeping rooms and get the key cards and distribute them. I recommend keeping one copy of each so that if a department head is not available, you can still let people into that room (this happens more often that you would think). Further, I use the Blue Painter tape (the One True Tape) to label them so they are easy to find. Avoid room numbers and use function name ("Bar", "Grn", etc.). In addition, at least at the DoubleTree Park-Place, we get at least one copy of the Function Space Master (physical) key, to lock/unlock function space. Generally we can be more responsive than the hotel in opening and closing rooms. Many of the double tree rooms can be open & locked, so that when the team is done with that room, they only need to shut the door (we did this often during M56 for BBT and Science). For much of the function space, since there is equipment or merchandise, try to be close in time with the department heads in opening the doors.

Hotel

2023-04-13T18:34:06Z

Avanderg: /* Keys */

=Hotel Liaison and Department=

==Core Responsibilities==
* [[#Hotel Visits | Visiting Hotels]]
* [[*Hotel Contract | Contract / Negotiation]]
* [[*Function Space | Function Space setup]]
* [[#Sleeping Rooms | Sleeping Room setup]]
* [[#Room Allocation|Room Allocation]]
* [[#Keys| Keys, Locking & unlocking]]

===Hotel Visits===
Visit different hotels with Function Space. Ideally, visit a hotel during a convention and understand the layout and how that convention uses the space. If that is not available, work with conventions that have been in that hotel and ask for a copy of their convention "map" to get that understanding. Tour the Function Space, see an average sleeping room, see at least 1 of the suites. Think about where different activities will be, where can ConSuite / Member Lounge and the Bar be located. Is there inaccessible space and where are the elevators? Where would a good place for Party Rooms be? What are the hotel's policies on alcohol, food, and corkage?

===Hotel Contract===
'''Get it in writing!''' Handshake agreements are great, but what if?
The contract needs to have
* Room Nights / Room Block / Costs for different types rooms
* Function space costs
* Force Majeure (thanks COVID for making this part all too real)
* Rules for Common Space (lights on in the Garden Court/Atrium)
* Audio Visual
* Service Fees & Minimums
* So much other stuff. Expect to read at least 12 pages at least 5 times.


What to negotiate on
* Room night costs
* Room block attrition rate
* Function space costs
* Alcohol Policies
* Common space policies
* Noise policies
* Table, stage, chair costs & allocations (what setup is included in Function Space and what is not)
* Setup dates / times (when will we have access to rooms)
* Tear down dates / times (when do we need our stuff out of rooms)


===Function Space===
* Room Function (for digital signage)
* Setup and Tear down dates/times
* Room layout (tables, chairs, stage, physical arrangements, A/V)
* Services - water stations, pitchers & glasses for panelists, large garbage / extra recycling

===Sleeping Rooms===
This section will focus on Sleeping Rooms used for ''convention activities''. Party Rooms & allocation in general will be covered elsewhere.
Sleeping Rooms are frequently used for:
* Bar & Bar Annex
* ConSuite
* Green Room
* Teen Room
* GPS Auction

Considerations:
* Check-in / Check-out - much like function space, this will dictate when we have access to move-in and when we need to move-out
* Bed Removal
* Television Removal
* Adding Tables & Chairs
* Water Stations, Large garbage / Recycling

===Room Allocation===
In the past, we have allocated the Garden Court (RadishTree) and Atrium (Park Place) rooms.
Other sleeping rooms have been left to the hotel by design.
We look at Sleeping Room as convention space (Bar, ConSuite), accessibility, distance to function, need for Double beds, Parties, GoH needs, and requests from ConCom and Members in order to build a layout for the specified areas. That includes Atrium Space, Parlor rooms, Suites, etc.

For '''Minicon 57''', the hotel has requested that we approach this differently. In the past, we have had people book "regular" rooms, then move them to the allocated space. For 2024, the hotel would like those people to go through Minicon and not get their own room. Once we provide a full Atrium layout, the hotel will generate the room Confirmation numbers for those folks.

Sample Language from 2020:
<blockquote>
Do you want a hotel room for Minicon? Here is that information.

Single or double occupancy rates are as follows - Regular rooms are $92 per night, Suites (near the pool) are $122 per night, Whirlpool rooms (very limited quantity) $122, Executive Level Rooms on 14th floor (Near Consuite) $112.

The cut off date for these rates is Thursday, March 19, 2020 . PLEASE get your hotel registration in before March 19. Expect to pay a higher rate if your hotel room is not reserved by March 19.

Parties will be located in the suites facing the pool.

For any desired room type, go to the DoubleTree website and book a regular room.
If you'd another type of room (party room, suite, executive level room), after booking the regular room, do one of the following:
If you’d like to host a party, please contact parties@minicon55.mnstf.org.
If you’d like a suite or an executive level room, please contact hotel@minicon55.mnstf.org.

In your email, please state in the first sentence of the email body what type of room you want. If you have a detailed explanation about why, that's fine, but include that information AFTER the description of your need.

We are in the process of determining how many rooms need to be set aside for Minicon (green room, teen room, parties, other). You may not hear that you have a non-regular room immediately, but someone should contact you within a week to let you know that your request was received.

Important information about the suites - Suites will be allocated by Minicon’s hotel department in a way that makes sense. In order to fulfill our arrangement to make noise in our gaming space at night, we must fill the suites. Parties and Minicon functional rooms will have priority.

It may happen that we have more or fewer requests for suites than we have available. If you’re flexible about reserving a suite (willing to take a suite, but also willing to take a regular room as needed), we love you a little more than we love everyone else. Please let the Hotel department know that you are entitled to EXTRA love. If you'd strongly prefer to have a suite, please also let Hotel know, and understand that you still may not get a suite if they’re already assigned to other uses.

</blockquote>

===Keys===
So many keys. 
In the Hotel Liaison role, it generally means you need to check into all of the "Master account" sleeping rooms and get the key cards and distribute them. I recommend keeping one copy of each so that if a department head is not available, you can still let people into that room (this happens more often that you would think). Further, I use the Blue Painter tape (the One True Tape) to label them so they are easy to find. Avoid room numbers and use function name ("Bar", "Grn", etc.). In addition, at least at the DoubleTree Park-Place, we get at least one copy of the Function Space Master (physical) key, to lock/unlock function space. Generally we can be more responsive than the hotel in opening and closing rooms. Many of the double tree rooms can be open & locked, so that when the team is done with that room, they only need to shut the door (we did this often during M56 for BBT and Science). For much of the function space, since there is equipment or merchandise, try to be close in time with the department heads in opening the doors.

Hotel

2023-04-13T17:17:40Z

Avanderg: /* Keys */

=Hotel Liaison and Department=

==Core Responsibilities==
* [[#Hotel Visits | Visiting Hotels]]
* [[*Hotel Contract | Contract / Negotiation]]
* [[*Function Space | Function Space setup]]
* [[#Sleeping Rooms | Sleeping Room setup]]
* [[#Room Allocation|Room Allocation]]
* [[#Keys| Keys, Locking & unlocking]]

===Hotel Visits===
Visit different hotels with Function Space. Ideally, visit a hotel during a convention and understand the layout and how that convention uses the space. If that is not available, work with conventions that have been in that hotel and ask for a copy of their convention "map" to get that understanding. Tour the Function Space, see an average sleeping room, see at least 1 of the suites. Think about where different activities will be, where can ConSuite / Member Lounge and the Bar be located. Is there inaccessible space and where are the elevators? Where would a good place for Party Rooms be? What are the hotel's policies on alcohol, food, and corkage?

===Hotel Contract===
'''Get it in writing!''' Handshake agreements are great, but what if?
The contract needs to have
* Room Nights / Room Block / Costs for different types rooms
* Function space costs
* Force Majeure (thanks COVID for making this part all too real)
* Rules for Common Space (lights on in the Garden Court/Atrium)
* Audio Visual
* Service Fees & Minimums
* So much other stuff. Expect to read at least 12 pages at least 5 times.


What to negotiate on
* Room night costs
* Room block attrition rate
* Function space costs
* Alcohol Policies
* Common space policies
* Noise policies
* Table, stage, chair costs & allocations (what setup is included in Function Space and what is not)
* Setup dates / times (when will we have access to rooms)
* Tear down dates / times (when do we need our stuff out of rooms)


===Function Space===
* Room Function (for digital signage)
* Setup and Tear down dates/times
* Room layout (tables, chairs, stage, physical arrangements, A/V)
* Services - water stations, pitchers & glasses for panelists, large garbage / extra recycling

===Sleeping Rooms===
This section will focus on Sleeping Rooms used for ''convention activities''. Party Rooms & allocation in general will be covered elsewhere.
Sleeping Rooms are frequently used for:
* Bar & Bar Annex
* ConSuite
* Green Room
* Teen Room
* GPS Auction

Considerations:
* Check-in / Check-out - much like function space, this will dictate when we have access to move-in and when we need to move-out
* Bed Removal
* Television Removal
* Adding Tables & Chairs
* Water Stations, Large garbage / Recycling

===Room Allocation===
In the past, we have allocated the Garden Court (RadishTree) and Atrium (Park Place) rooms.
Other sleeping rooms have been left to the hotel by design.
We look at Sleeping Room as convention space (Bar, ConSuite), accessibility, distance to function, need for Double beds, Parties, GoH needs, and requests from ConCom and Members in order to build a layout for the specified areas. That includes Atrium Space, Parlor rooms, Suites, etc.

For '''Minicon 57''', the hotel has requested that we approach this differently. In the past, we have had people book "regular" rooms, then move them to the allocated space. For 2024, the hotel would like those people to go through Minicon and not get their own room. Once we provide a full Atrium layout, the hotel will generate the room Confirmation numbers for those folks.

Sample Language from 2020:
<blockquote>
Do you want a hotel room for Minicon? Here is that information.

Single or double occupancy rates are as follows - Regular rooms are $92 per night, Suites (near the pool) are $122 per night, Whirlpool rooms (very limited quantity) $122, Executive Level Rooms on 14th floor (Near Consuite) $112.

The cut off date for these rates is Thursday, March 19, 2020 . PLEASE get your hotel registration in before March 19. Expect to pay a higher rate if your hotel room is not reserved by March 19.

Parties will be located in the suites facing the pool.

For any desired room type, go to the DoubleTree website and book a regular room.
If you'd another type of room (party room, suite, executive level room), after booking the regular room, do one of the following:
If you’d like to host a party, please contact parties@minicon55.mnstf.org.
If you’d like a suite or an executive level room, please contact hotel@minicon55.mnstf.org.

In your email, please state in the first sentence of the email body what type of room you want. If you have a detailed explanation about why, that's fine, but include that information AFTER the description of your need.

We are in the process of determining how many rooms need to be set aside for Minicon (green room, teen room, parties, other). You may not hear that you have a non-regular room immediately, but someone should contact you within a week to let you know that your request was received.

Important information about the suites - Suites will be allocated by Minicon’s hotel department in a way that makes sense. In order to fulfill our arrangement to make noise in our gaming space at night, we must fill the suites. Parties and Minicon functional rooms will have priority.

It may happen that we have more or fewer requests for suites than we have available. If you’re flexible about reserving a suite (willing to take a suite, but also willing to take a regular room as needed), we love you a little more than we love everyone else. Please let the Hotel department know that you are entitled to EXTRA love. If you'd strongly prefer to have a suite, please also let Hotel know, and understand that you still may not get a suite if they’re already assigned to other uses.

</blockquote>

===Keys===
So many keys.
In the Hotel Liaison role, it generally means you need to check into all of the "Master account" sleeping rooms and get the key cards and distribute them. I recommend keeping one copy of each so that if a department head is not available, you can still let people into that room (this happens more often that you would think). Further, I use the Blue Painter tape (the One True Tape) to label them so they are easy to find. Avoid room numbers and use function name ("Bar", "Grn", etc.). In addition, at least at the DoubleTree Park-Place, we get at least one copy of the Function Space Master (physical) key, to lock/unlock function space. Generally we can be more responsive than the hotel in opening and closing rooms. Many of the double tree rooms can be open & locked, so that when the team is done with that room, they only need to shut the door (we did this often during M56 for BBT and Science). For much of the function space, since there is equipment or merchandise, try to be close in time with the department heads in opening the doors.

Hotel

2023-04-13T14:36:23Z

Avanderg: /* Room Allocation */

=Hotel Liaison and Department=

==Core Responsibilities==
* [[#Hotel Visits | Visiting Hotels]]
* [[*Hotel Contract | Contract / Negotiation]]
* [[*Function Space | Function Space setup]]
* [[#Sleeping Rooms | Sleeping Room setup]]
* [[#Room Allocation|Room Allocation]]
* [[#Keys| Keys, Locking & unlocking]]

===Hotel Visits===
Visit different hotels with Function Space. Ideally, visit a hotel during a convention and understand the layout and how that convention uses the space. If that is not available, work with conventions that have been in that hotel and ask for a copy of their convention "map" to get that understanding. Tour the Function Space, see an average sleeping room, see at least 1 of the suites. Think about where different activities will be, where can ConSuite / Member Lounge and the Bar be located. Is there inaccessible space and where are the elevators? Where would a good place for Party Rooms be? What are the hotel's policies on alcohol, food, and corkage?

===Hotel Contract===
'''Get it in writing!''' Handshake agreements are great, but what if?
The contract needs to have
* Room Nights / Room Block / Costs for different types rooms
* Function space costs
* Force Majeure (thanks COVID for making this part all too real)
* Rules for Common Space (lights on in the Garden Court/Atrium)
* Audio Visual
* Service Fees & Minimums
* So much other stuff. Expect to read at least 12 pages at least 5 times.


What to negotiate on
* Room night costs
* Room block attrition rate
* Function space costs
* Alcohol Policies
* Common space policies
* Noise policies
* Table, stage, chair costs & allocations (what setup is included in Function Space and what is not)
* Setup dates / times (when will we have access to rooms)
* Tear down dates / times (when do we need our stuff out of rooms)


===Function Space===
* Room Function (for digital signage)
* Setup and Tear down dates/times
* Room layout (tables, chairs, stage, physical arrangements, A/V)
* Services - water stations, pitchers & glasses for panelists, large garbage / extra recycling

===Sleeping Rooms===
This section will focus on Sleeping Rooms used for ''convention activities''. Party Rooms & allocation in general will be covered elsewhere.
Sleeping Rooms are frequently used for:
* Bar & Bar Annex
* ConSuite
* Green Room
* Teen Room
* GPS Auction

Considerations:
* Check-in / Check-out - much like function space, this will dictate when we have access to move-in and when we need to move-out
* Bed Removal
* Television Removal
* Adding Tables & Chairs
* Water Stations, Large garbage / Recycling

===Room Allocation===
In the past, we have allocated the Garden Court (RadishTree) and Atrium (Park Place) rooms.
Other sleeping rooms have been left to the hotel by design.
We look at Sleeping Room as convention space (Bar, ConSuite), accessibility, distance to function, need for Double beds, Parties, GoH needs, and requests from ConCom and Members in order to build a layout for the specified areas. That includes Atrium Space, Parlor rooms, Suites, etc.

For '''Minicon 57''', the hotel has requested that we approach this differently. In the past, we have had people book "regular" rooms, then move them to the allocated space. For 2024, the hotel would like those people to go through Minicon and not get their own room. Once we provide a full Atrium layout, the hotel will generate the room Confirmation numbers for those folks.

Sample Language from 2020:
<blockquote>
Do you want a hotel room for Minicon? Here is that information.

Single or double occupancy rates are as follows - Regular rooms are $92 per night, Suites (near the pool) are $122 per night, Whirlpool rooms (very limited quantity) $122, Executive Level Rooms on 14th floor (Near Consuite) $112.

The cut off date for these rates is Thursday, March 19, 2020 . PLEASE get your hotel registration in before March 19. Expect to pay a higher rate if your hotel room is not reserved by March 19.

Parties will be located in the suites facing the pool.

For any desired room type, go to the DoubleTree website and book a regular room.
If you'd another type of room (party room, suite, executive level room), after booking the regular room, do one of the following:
If you’d like to host a party, please contact parties@minicon55.mnstf.org.
If you’d like a suite or an executive level room, please contact hotel@minicon55.mnstf.org.

In your email, please state in the first sentence of the email body what type of room you want. If you have a detailed explanation about why, that's fine, but include that information AFTER the description of your need.

We are in the process of determining how many rooms need to be set aside for Minicon (green room, teen room, parties, other). You may not hear that you have a non-regular room immediately, but someone should contact you within a week to let you know that your request was received.

Important information about the suites - Suites will be allocated by Minicon’s hotel department in a way that makes sense. In order to fulfill our arrangement to make noise in our gaming space at night, we must fill the suites. Parties and Minicon functional rooms will have priority.

It may happen that we have more or fewer requests for suites than we have available. If you’re flexible about reserving a suite (willing to take a suite, but also willing to take a regular room as needed), we love you a little more than we love everyone else. Please let the Hotel department know that you are entitled to EXTRA love. If you'd strongly prefer to have a suite, please also let Hotel know, and understand that you still may not get a suite if they’re already assigned to other uses.

</blockquote>

===Keys===
So many keys.
In the Hotel Liaison role, it generally means you need to check into all of the "Master account" sleeping rooms and get the key cards and distribute them. I recommend keeping one copy of each so that if a department head is not available, you can still let people into that room (this happens more often that you would think). Further, I use the Blue Painter tape (the One True Tape) to label them so they are easy to find. Avoid room numbers and use function name ("Bar", "Grn", etc.). In addition, at least at the DoubleTree Park-Place, we get at least one copy of the Function Space Master (physical) key, to lock/unlock function space. Generally we can be more responsive than the hotel in opening and closing rooms. Many of the double tree rooms can be open & locked, so that when the team is done with that room, they only need to shut the door (we did this often for M56 for BBT and Science). For much of the function space, since there is equipment or merchandise, try to be close in time with the department heads in opening the doors.

Hotel

2023-04-13T14:34:45Z

Avanderg: /* Keys */

=Hotel Liaison and Department=

==Core Responsibilities==
* [[#Hotel Visits | Visiting Hotels]]
* [[*Hotel Contract | Contract / Negotiation]]
* [[*Function Space | Function Space setup]]
* [[#Sleeping Rooms | Sleeping Room setup]]
* [[#Room Allocation|Room Allocation]]
* [[#Keys| Keys, Locking & unlocking]]

===Hotel Visits===
Visit different hotels with Function Space. Ideally, visit a hotel during a convention and understand the layout and how that convention uses the space. If that is not available, work with conventions that have been in that hotel and ask for a copy of their convention "map" to get that understanding. Tour the Function Space, see an average sleeping room, see at least 1 of the suites. Think about where different activities will be, where can ConSuite / Member Lounge and the Bar be located. Is there inaccessible space and where are the elevators? Where would a good place for Party Rooms be? What are the hotel's policies on alcohol, food, and corkage?

===Hotel Contract===
'''Get it in writing!''' Handshake agreements are great, but what if?
The contract needs to have
* Room Nights / Room Block / Costs for different types rooms
* Function space costs
* Force Majeure (thanks COVID for making this part all too real)
* Rules for Common Space (lights on in the Garden Court/Atrium)
* Audio Visual
* Service Fees & Minimums
* So much other stuff. Expect to read at least 12 pages at least 5 times.


What to negotiate on
* Room night costs
* Room block attrition rate
* Function space costs
* Alcohol Policies
* Common space policies
* Noise policies
* Table, stage, chair costs & allocations (what setup is included in Function Space and what is not)
* Setup dates / times (when will we have access to rooms)
* Tear down dates / times (when do we need our stuff out of rooms)


===Function Space===
* Room Function (for digital signage)
* Setup and Tear down dates/times
* Room layout (tables, chairs, stage, physical arrangements, A/V)
* Services - water stations, pitchers & glasses for panelists, large garbage / extra recycling

===Sleeping Rooms===
This section will focus on Sleeping Rooms used for ''convention activities''. Party Rooms & allocation in general will be covered elsewhere.
Sleeping Rooms are frequently used for:
* Bar & Bar Annex
* ConSuite
* Green Room
* Teen Room
* GPS Auction

Considerations:
* Check-in / Check-out - much like function space, this will dictate when we have access to move-in and when we need to move-out
* Bed Removal
* Television Removal
* Adding Tables & Chairs
* Water Stations, Large garbage / Recycling

===Room Allocation===
In the past, we have allocated the Garden Court (RadishTree) and Atrium (Park Place) rooms.
Other sleeping rooms have been left to the hotel by design.
We look at Sleeping Room as convention space (Bar, ConSuite), accessibility, distance to function, need for Double beds, Parties, GoH needs, and requests from ConCom and Members in order to build a layout for the specified areas. That includes Atrium Space, Parlor rooms, Suites, etc.

For '''Minicon 57''', the hotel has requested that we approach this differently. In the past, we have had people book "regular" rooms, then move them to the allocated space. For 2024, the hotel would like those people to go through Minicon and not get their own room. Once we provide a full Atrium layout, the hotel will generate the room Confirmation numbers for those folks.

Sample Language from 2020:
<blockquote>
Do you want a hotel room for Minicon? Here is that information.

Single or double occupancy rates are as follows - Regular rooms are $92 per night, Suites (near the pool) are $122 per night, Whirlpool rooms (very limited quantity) $122, Executive Level Rooms on 14th floor (Near Consuite) $112.

The cut off date for these rates is Thursday, March 19, 2020 . PLEASE get your hotel registration in before March 19. Expect to pay a higher rate if your hotel room is not reserved by March 19.

Parties will be located in the suites facing the pool.

For any desired room type, go to the DoubleTree website and book a regular room.
If you'd another type of room (party room, suite, executive level room), after booking the regular room, do one of the following:
If you’d like to host a party, please contact parties@minicon55.mnstf.org.
If you’d like a suite or an executive level room, please contact hotel@minicon55.mnstf.org.

In your email, please state in the first sentence of the email body what type of room you want. If you have a detailed explanation about why, that's fine, but include that information AFTER the description of your need.

We are in the process of determining how many rooms need to be set aside for Minicon (green room, teen room, parties, other). You may not hear that you have a non-regular room immediately, but someone should contact you within a week to let you know that your request was received.

Important information about the suites - Suites will be allocated by Minicon’s hotel department in a way that makes sense. In order to fulfill our arrangement to make noise in our gaming space at night, we must fill the suites. Parties and Minicon functional rooms will have priority.

It may happen that we have more or fewer requests for suites than we have available. If you’re flexible about reserving a suite (willing to take a suite, but also willing to take a regular room as needed), we love you a little more than we love everyone else. Please let the Hotel department know that you are entitled to EXTRA love. If you'd strongly prefer to have a suite, please also let Hotel know, and understand that you still may not get a suite if they’re already assigned to other uses.
</blockquote>

===Keys===
So many keys.
In the Hotel Liaison role, it generally means you need to check into all of the "Master account" sleeping rooms and get the key cards and distribute them. I recommend keeping one copy of each so that if a department head is not available, you can still let people into that room (this happens more often that you would think). Further, I use the Blue Painter tape (the One True Tape) to label them so they are easy to find. Avoid room numbers and use function name ("Bar", "Grn", etc.). In addition, at least at the DoubleTree Park-Place, we get at least one copy of the Function Space Master (physical) key, to lock/unlock function space. Generally we can be more responsive than the hotel in opening and closing rooms. Many of the double tree rooms can be open & locked, so that when the team is done with that room, they only need to shut the door (we did this often for M56 for BBT and Science). For much of the function space, since there is equipment or merchandise, try to be close in time with the department heads in opening the doors.

Hotel

2023-04-12T20:30:51Z

Avanderg: /* Core Responsibilities */

=Hotel Liaison and Department=

==Core Responsibilities==
* [[#Hotel Visits | Visiting Hotels]]
* [[*Hotel Contract | Contract / Negotiation]]
* [[*Function Space | Function Space setup]]
* [[#Sleeping Rooms | Sleeping Room setup]]
* [[#Room Allocation|Room Allocation]]
* [[#Keys| Keys, Locking & unlocking]]

===Hotel Visits===
Visit different hotels with Function Space. Ideally, visit a hotel during a convention and understand the layout and how that convention uses the space. If that is not available, work with conventions that have been in that hotel and ask for a copy of their convention "map" to get that understanding. Tour the Function Space, see an average sleeping room, see at least 1 of the suites. Think about where different activities will be, where can ConSuite / Member Lounge and the Bar be located. Is there inaccessible space and where are the elevators? Where would a good place for Party Rooms be? What are the hotel's policies on alcohol, food, and corkage?

===Hotel Contract===
'''Get it in writing!''' Handshake agreements are great, but what if?
The contract needs to have
* Room Nights / Room Block / Costs for different types rooms
* Function space costs
* Force Majeure (thanks COVID for making this part all too real)
* Rules for Common Space (lights on in the Garden Court/Atrium)
* Audio Visual
* Service Fees & Minimums
* So much other stuff. Expect to read at least 12 pages at least 5 times.


What to negotiate on
* Room night costs
* Room block attrition rate
* Function space costs
* Alcohol Policies
* Common space policies
* Noise policies
* Table, stage, chair costs & allocations (what setup is included in Function Space and what is not)
* Setup dates / times (when will we have access to rooms)
* Tear down dates / times (when do we need our stuff out of rooms)


===Function Space===
* Room Function (for digital signage)
* Setup and Tear down dates/times
* Room layout (tables, chairs, stage, physical arrangements, A/V)
* Services - water stations, pitchers & glasses for panelists, large garbage / extra recycling

===Sleeping Rooms===
This section will focus on Sleeping Rooms used for ''convention activities''. Party Rooms & allocation in general will be covered elsewhere.
Sleeping Rooms are frequently used for:
* Bar & Bar Annex
* ConSuite
* Green Room
* Teen Room
* GPS Auction

Considerations:
* Check-in / Check-out - much like function space, this will dictate when we have access to move-in and when we need to move-out
* Bed Removal
* Television Removal
* Adding Tables & Chairs
* Water Stations, Large garbage / Recycling

===Room Allocation===
In the past, we have allocated the Garden Court (RadishTree) and Atrium (Park Place) rooms.
Other sleeping rooms have been left to the hotel by design.
We look at Sleeping Room as convention space (Bar, ConSuite), accessibility, distance to function, need for Double beds, Parties, GoH needs, and requests from ConCom and Members in order to build a layout for the specified areas. That includes Atrium Space, Parlor rooms, Suites, etc.

For '''Minicon 57''', the hotel has requested that we approach this differently. In the past, we have had people book "regular" rooms, then move them to the allocated space. For 2024, the hotel would like those people to go through Minicon and not get their own room. Once we provide a full Atrium layout, the hotel will generate the room Confirmation numbers for those folks.

Sample Language from 2020:
<blockquote>
Do you want a hotel room for Minicon? Here is that information.

Single or double occupancy rates are as follows - Regular rooms are $92 per night, Suites (near the pool) are $122 per night, Whirlpool rooms (very limited quantity) $122, Executive Level Rooms on 14th floor (Near Consuite) $112.

The cut off date for these rates is Thursday, March 19, 2020 . PLEASE get your hotel registration in before March 19. Expect to pay a higher rate if your hotel room is not reserved by March 19.

Parties will be located in the suites facing the pool.

For any desired room type, go to the DoubleTree website and book a regular room.
If you'd another type of room (party room, suite, executive level room), after booking the regular room, do one of the following:
If you’d like to host a party, please contact parties@minicon55.mnstf.org.
If you’d like a suite or an executive level room, please contact hotel@minicon55.mnstf.org.

In your email, please state in the first sentence of the email body what type of room you want. If you have a detailed explanation about why, that's fine, but include that information AFTER the description of your need.

We are in the process of determining how many rooms need to be set aside for Minicon (green room, teen room, parties, other). You may not hear that you have a non-regular room immediately, but someone should contact you within a week to let you know that your request was received.

Important information about the suites - Suites will be allocated by Minicon’s hotel department in a way that makes sense. In order to fulfill our arrangement to make noise in our gaming space at night, we must fill the suites. Parties and Minicon functional rooms will have priority.

It may happen that we have more or fewer requests for suites than we have available. If you’re flexible about reserving a suite (willing to take a suite, but also willing to take a regular room as needed), we love you a little more than we love everyone else. Please let the Hotel department know that you are entitled to EXTRA love. If you'd strongly prefer to have a suite, please also let Hotel know, and understand that you still may not get a suite if they’re already assigned to other uses.
</blockquote>

===Keys===
So many keys.

Hotel

2023-04-12T20:29:36Z

Avanderg: /* Core Responsibilities */

=Hotel Liaison and Department=

==Core Responsibilities==
* [[#Hotel Visits | Visiting Hotels]]
* [[*Hotel Contract | Contract / Negotiation]]
* [[*Function Space | Function Space setup]]
* [[#Sleeping Rooms | Sleeping Room setup]]
* [[#Room Allocation|Room Allocation]]
* [[#Keys|Keys]]

===Hotel Visits===
Visit different hotels with Function Space. Ideally, visit a hotel during a convention and understand the layout and how that convention uses the space. If that is not available, work with conventions that have been in that hotel and ask for a copy of their convention "map" to get that understanding. Tour the Function Space, see an average sleeping room, see at least 1 of the suites. Think about where different activities will be, where can ConSuite / Member Lounge and the Bar be located. Is there inaccessible space and where are the elevators? Where would a good place for Party Rooms be? What are the hotel's policies on alcohol, food, and corkage?

===Hotel Contract===
'''Get it in writing!''' Handshake agreements are great, but what if?
The contract needs to have
* Room Nights / Room Block / Costs for different types rooms
* Function space costs
* Force Majeure (thanks COVID for making this part all too real)
* Rules for Common Space (lights on in the Garden Court/Atrium)
* Audio Visual
* Service Fees & Minimums
* So much other stuff. Expect to read at least 12 pages at least 5 times.


What to negotiate on
* Room night costs
* Room block attrition rate
* Function space costs
* Alcohol Policies
* Common space policies
* Noise policies
* Table, stage, chair costs & allocations (what setup is included in Function Space and what is not)
* Setup dates / times (when will we have access to rooms)
* Tear down dates / times (when do we need our stuff out of rooms)


===Function Space===
* Room Function (for digital signage)
* Setup and Tear down dates/times
* Room layout (tables, chairs, stage, physical arrangements, A/V)
* Services - water stations, pitchers & glasses for panelists, large garbage / extra recycling

===Sleeping Rooms===
This section will focus on Sleeping Rooms used for ''convention activities''. Party Rooms & allocation in general will be covered elsewhere.
Sleeping Rooms are frequently used for:
* Bar & Bar Annex
* ConSuite
* Green Room
* Teen Room
* GPS Auction

Considerations:
* Check-in / Check-out - much like function space, this will dictate when we have access to move-in and when we need to move-out
* Bed Removal
* Television Removal
* Adding Tables & Chairs
* Water Stations, Large garbage / Recycling

===Room Allocation===
In the past, we have allocated the Garden Court (RadishTree) and Atrium (Park Place) rooms.
Other sleeping rooms have been left to the hotel by design.
We look at Sleeping Room as convention space (Bar, ConSuite), accessibility, distance to function, need for Double beds, Parties, GoH needs, and requests from ConCom and Members in order to build a layout for the specified areas. That includes Atrium Space, Parlor rooms, Suites, etc.

For '''Minicon 57''', the hotel has requested that we approach this differently. In the past, we have had people book "regular" rooms, then move them to the allocated space. For 2024, the hotel would like those people to go through Minicon and not get their own room. Once we provide a full Atrium layout, the hotel will generate the room Confirmation numbers for those folks.

Sample Language from 2020:
<blockquote>
Do you want a hotel room for Minicon? Here is that information.

Single or double occupancy rates are as follows - Regular rooms are $92 per night, Suites (near the pool) are $122 per night, Whirlpool rooms (very limited quantity) $122, Executive Level Rooms on 14th floor (Near Consuite) $112.

The cut off date for these rates is Thursday, March 19, 2020 . PLEASE get your hotel registration in before March 19. Expect to pay a higher rate if your hotel room is not reserved by March 19.

Parties will be located in the suites facing the pool.

For any desired room type, go to the DoubleTree website and book a regular room.
If you'd another type of room (party room, suite, executive level room), after booking the regular room, do one of the following:
If you’d like to host a party, please contact parties@minicon55.mnstf.org.
If you’d like a suite or an executive level room, please contact hotel@minicon55.mnstf.org.

In your email, please state in the first sentence of the email body what type of room you want. If you have a detailed explanation about why, that's fine, but include that information AFTER the description of your need.

We are in the process of determining how many rooms need to be set aside for Minicon (green room, teen room, parties, other). You may not hear that you have a non-regular room immediately, but someone should contact you within a week to let you know that your request was received.

Important information about the suites - Suites will be allocated by Minicon’s hotel department in a way that makes sense. In order to fulfill our arrangement to make noise in our gaming space at night, we must fill the suites. Parties and Minicon functional rooms will have priority.

It may happen that we have more or fewer requests for suites than we have available. If you’re flexible about reserving a suite (willing to take a suite, but also willing to take a regular room as needed), we love you a little more than we love everyone else. Please let the Hotel department know that you are entitled to EXTRA love. If you'd strongly prefer to have a suite, please also let Hotel know, and understand that you still may not get a suite if they’re already assigned to other uses.
</blockquote>

===Keys===
So many keys.

Hotel

2023-04-12T20:27:36Z

Avanderg: /* Core Responsibilities */

=Hotel Liaison and Department=

==Core Responsibilities==
* [[#Hotel Visits | Visiting Hotels]]
* Hotel Contract / Negotiation
* Function Space setup
* Sleeping Room setup
* Room Allocation
* Keys

===Hotel Visits===
Visit different hotels with Function Space. Ideally, visit a hotel during a convention and understand the layout and how that convention uses the space. If that is not available, work with conventions that have been in that hotel and ask for a copy of their convention "map" to get that understanding. Tour the Function Space, see an average sleeping room, see at least 1 of the suites. Think about where different activities will be, where can ConSuite / Member Lounge and the Bar be located. Is there inaccessible space and where are the elevators? Where would a good place for Party Rooms be? What are the hotel's policies on alcohol, food, and corkage?

===Hotel Contract===
'''Get it in writing!''' Handshake agreements are great, but what if?
The contract needs to have
* Room Nights / Room Block / Costs for different types rooms
* Function space costs
* Force Majeure (thanks COVID for making this part all too real)
* Rules for Common Space (lights on in the Garden Court/Atrium)
* Audio Visual
* Service Fees & Minimums
* So much other stuff. Expect to read at least 12 pages at least 5 times.


What to negotiate on
* Room night costs
* Room block attrition rate
* Function space costs
* Alcohol Policies
* Common space policies
* Noise policies
* Table, stage, chair costs & allocations (what setup is included in Function Space and what is not)
* Setup dates / times (when will we have access to rooms)
* Tear down dates / times (when do we need our stuff out of rooms)


===Function Space===
* Room Function (for digital signage)
* Setup and Tear down dates/times
* Room layout (tables, chairs, stage, physical arrangements, A/V)
* Services - water stations, pitchers & glasses for panelists, large garbage / extra recycling

===Sleeping Rooms===
This section will focus on Sleeping Rooms used for ''convention activities''. Party Rooms & allocation in general will be covered elsewhere.
Sleeping Rooms are frequently used for:
* Bar & Bar Annex
* ConSuite
* Green Room
* Teen Room
* GPS Auction

Considerations:
* Check-in / Check-out - much like function space, this will dictate when we have access to move-in and when we need to move-out
* Bed Removal
* Television Removal
* Adding Tables & Chairs
* Water Stations, Large garbage / Recycling

===Room Allocation===
In the past, we have allocated the Garden Court (RadishTree) and Atrium (Park Place) rooms.
Other sleeping rooms have been left to the hotel by design.
We look at Sleeping Room as convention space (Bar, ConSuite), accessibility, distance to function, need for Double beds, Parties, GoH needs, and requests from ConCom and Members in order to build a layout for the specified areas. That includes Atrium Space, Parlor rooms, Suites, etc.

For '''Minicon 57''', the hotel has requested that we approach this differently. In the past, we have had people book "regular" rooms, then move them to the allocated space. For 2024, the hotel would like those people to go through Minicon and not get their own room. Once we provide a full Atrium layout, the hotel will generate the room Confirmation numbers for those folks.

Sample Language from 2020:
<blockquote>
Do you want a hotel room for Minicon? Here is that information.

Single or double occupancy rates are as follows - Regular rooms are $92 per night, Suites (near the pool) are $122 per night, Whirlpool rooms (very limited quantity) $122, Executive Level Rooms on 14th floor (Near Consuite) $112.

The cut off date for these rates is Thursday, March 19, 2020 . PLEASE get your hotel registration in before March 19. Expect to pay a higher rate if your hotel room is not reserved by March 19.

Parties will be located in the suites facing the pool.

For any desired room type, go to the DoubleTree website and book a regular room.
If you'd another type of room (party room, suite, executive level room), after booking the regular room, do one of the following:
If you’d like to host a party, please contact parties@minicon55.mnstf.org.
If you’d like a suite or an executive level room, please contact hotel@minicon55.mnstf.org.

In your email, please state in the first sentence of the email body what type of room you want. If you have a detailed explanation about why, that's fine, but include that information AFTER the description of your need.

We are in the process of determining how many rooms need to be set aside for Minicon (green room, teen room, parties, other). You may not hear that you have a non-regular room immediately, but someone should contact you within a week to let you know that your request was received.

Important information about the suites - Suites will be allocated by Minicon’s hotel department in a way that makes sense. In order to fulfill our arrangement to make noise in our gaming space at night, we must fill the suites. Parties and Minicon functional rooms will have priority.

It may happen that we have more or fewer requests for suites than we have available. If you’re flexible about reserving a suite (willing to take a suite, but also willing to take a regular room as needed), we love you a little more than we love everyone else. Please let the Hotel department know that you are entitled to EXTRA love. If you'd strongly prefer to have a suite, please also let Hotel know, and understand that you still may not get a suite if they’re already assigned to other uses.
</blockquote>

===Keys===
So many keys.

Hotel

2023-04-12T20:26:50Z

Avanderg: /* Core Responsibilities */

=Hotel Liaison and Department=

==Core Responsibilities==
* [[Hotel Visits]]
* Hotel Contract / Negotiation
* Function Space setup
* Sleeping Room setup
* Room Allocation
* Keys

===Hotel Visits===
Visit different hotels with Function Space. Ideally, visit a hotel during a convention and understand the layout and how that convention uses the space. If that is not available, work with conventions that have been in that hotel and ask for a copy of their convention "map" to get that understanding. Tour the Function Space, see an average sleeping room, see at least 1 of the suites. Think about where different activities will be, where can ConSuite / Member Lounge and the Bar be located. Is there inaccessible space and where are the elevators? Where would a good place for Party Rooms be? What are the hotel's policies on alcohol, food, and corkage?

===Hotel Contract===
'''Get it in writing!''' Handshake agreements are great, but what if?
The contract needs to have
* Room Nights / Room Block / Costs for different types rooms
* Function space costs
* Force Majeure (thanks COVID for making this part all too real)
* Rules for Common Space (lights on in the Garden Court/Atrium)
* Audio Visual
* Service Fees & Minimums
* So much other stuff. Expect to read at least 12 pages at least 5 times.


What to negotiate on
* Room night costs
* Room block attrition rate
* Function space costs
* Alcohol Policies
* Common space policies
* Noise policies
* Table, stage, chair costs & allocations (what setup is included in Function Space and what is not)
* Setup dates / times (when will we have access to rooms)
* Tear down dates / times (when do we need our stuff out of rooms)


===Function Space===
* Room Function (for digital signage)
* Setup and Tear down dates/times
* Room layout (tables, chairs, stage, physical arrangements, A/V)
* Services - water stations, pitchers & glasses for panelists, large garbage / extra recycling

===Sleeping Rooms===
This section will focus on Sleeping Rooms used for ''convention activities''. Party Rooms & allocation in general will be covered elsewhere.
Sleeping Rooms are frequently used for:
* Bar & Bar Annex
* ConSuite
* Green Room
* Teen Room
* GPS Auction

Considerations:
* Check-in / Check-out - much like function space, this will dictate when we have access to move-in and when we need to move-out
* Bed Removal
* Television Removal
* Adding Tables & Chairs
* Water Stations, Large garbage / Recycling

===Room Allocation===
In the past, we have allocated the Garden Court (RadishTree) and Atrium (Park Place) rooms.
Other sleeping rooms have been left to the hotel by design.
We look at Sleeping Room as convention space (Bar, ConSuite), accessibility, distance to function, need for Double beds, Parties, GoH needs, and requests from ConCom and Members in order to build a layout for the specified areas. That includes Atrium Space, Parlor rooms, Suites, etc.

For '''Minicon 57''', the hotel has requested that we approach this differently. In the past, we have had people book "regular" rooms, then move them to the allocated space. For 2024, the hotel would like those people to go through Minicon and not get their own room. Once we provide a full Atrium layout, the hotel will generate the room Confirmation numbers for those folks.

Sample Language from 2020:
<blockquote>
Do you want a hotel room for Minicon? Here is that information.

Single or double occupancy rates are as follows - Regular rooms are $92 per night, Suites (near the pool) are $122 per night, Whirlpool rooms (very limited quantity) $122, Executive Level Rooms on 14th floor (Near Consuite) $112.

The cut off date for these rates is Thursday, March 19, 2020 . PLEASE get your hotel registration in before March 19. Expect to pay a higher rate if your hotel room is not reserved by March 19.

Parties will be located in the suites facing the pool.

For any desired room type, go to the DoubleTree website and book a regular room.
If you'd another type of room (party room, suite, executive level room), after booking the regular room, do one of the following:
If you’d like to host a party, please contact parties@minicon55.mnstf.org.
If you’d like a suite or an executive level room, please contact hotel@minicon55.mnstf.org.

In your email, please state in the first sentence of the email body what type of room you want. If you have a detailed explanation about why, that's fine, but include that information AFTER the description of your need.

We are in the process of determining how many rooms need to be set aside for Minicon (green room, teen room, parties, other). You may not hear that you have a non-regular room immediately, but someone should contact you within a week to let you know that your request was received.

Important information about the suites - Suites will be allocated by Minicon’s hotel department in a way that makes sense. In order to fulfill our arrangement to make noise in our gaming space at night, we must fill the suites. Parties and Minicon functional rooms will have priority.

It may happen that we have more or fewer requests for suites than we have available. If you’re flexible about reserving a suite (willing to take a suite, but also willing to take a regular room as needed), we love you a little more than we love everyone else. Please let the Hotel department know that you are entitled to EXTRA love. If you'd strongly prefer to have a suite, please also let Hotel know, and understand that you still may not get a suite if they’re already assigned to other uses.
</blockquote>

===Keys===
So many keys.

Hotel

2023-04-12T20:26:23Z

Avanderg: /* Core Responsibilities */

=Hotel Liaison and Department=

==Core Responsibilities==
* [[#Hotel Visits]]
* Hotel Contract / Negotiation
* Function Space setup
* Sleeping Room setup
* Room Allocation
* Keys

===Hotel Visits===
Visit different hotels with Function Space. Ideally, visit a hotel during a convention and understand the layout and how that convention uses the space. If that is not available, work with conventions that have been in that hotel and ask for a copy of their convention "map" to get that understanding. Tour the Function Space, see an average sleeping room, see at least 1 of the suites. Think about where different activities will be, where can ConSuite / Member Lounge and the Bar be located. Is there inaccessible space and where are the elevators? Where would a good place for Party Rooms be? What are the hotel's policies on alcohol, food, and corkage?

===Hotel Contract===
'''Get it in writing!''' Handshake agreements are great, but what if?
The contract needs to have
* Room Nights / Room Block / Costs for different types rooms
* Function space costs
* Force Majeure (thanks COVID for making this part all too real)
* Rules for Common Space (lights on in the Garden Court/Atrium)
* Audio Visual
* Service Fees & Minimums
* So much other stuff. Expect to read at least 12 pages at least 5 times.


What to negotiate on
* Room night costs
* Room block attrition rate
* Function space costs
* Alcohol Policies
* Common space policies
* Noise policies
* Table, stage, chair costs & allocations (what setup is included in Function Space and what is not)
* Setup dates / times (when will we have access to rooms)
* Tear down dates / times (when do we need our stuff out of rooms)


===Function Space===
* Room Function (for digital signage)
* Setup and Tear down dates/times
* Room layout (tables, chairs, stage, physical arrangements, A/V)
* Services - water stations, pitchers & glasses for panelists, large garbage / extra recycling

===Sleeping Rooms===
This section will focus on Sleeping Rooms used for ''convention activities''. Party Rooms & allocation in general will be covered elsewhere.
Sleeping Rooms are frequently used for:
* Bar & Bar Annex
* ConSuite
* Green Room
* Teen Room
* GPS Auction

Considerations:
* Check-in / Check-out - much like function space, this will dictate when we have access to move-in and when we need to move-out
* Bed Removal
* Television Removal
* Adding Tables & Chairs
* Water Stations, Large garbage / Recycling

===Room Allocation===
In the past, we have allocated the Garden Court (RadishTree) and Atrium (Park Place) rooms.
Other sleeping rooms have been left to the hotel by design.
We look at Sleeping Room as convention space (Bar, ConSuite), accessibility, distance to function, need for Double beds, Parties, GoH needs, and requests from ConCom and Members in order to build a layout for the specified areas. That includes Atrium Space, Parlor rooms, Suites, etc.

For '''Minicon 57''', the hotel has requested that we approach this differently. In the past, we have had people book "regular" rooms, then move them to the allocated space. For 2024, the hotel would like those people to go through Minicon and not get their own room. Once we provide a full Atrium layout, the hotel will generate the room Confirmation numbers for those folks.

Sample Language from 2020:
<blockquote>
Do you want a hotel room for Minicon? Here is that information.

Single or double occupancy rates are as follows - Regular rooms are $92 per night, Suites (near the pool) are $122 per night, Whirlpool rooms (very limited quantity) $122, Executive Level Rooms on 14th floor (Near Consuite) $112.

The cut off date for these rates is Thursday, March 19, 2020 . PLEASE get your hotel registration in before March 19. Expect to pay a higher rate if your hotel room is not reserved by March 19.

Parties will be located in the suites facing the pool.

For any desired room type, go to the DoubleTree website and book a regular room.
If you'd another type of room (party room, suite, executive level room), after booking the regular room, do one of the following:
If you’d like to host a party, please contact parties@minicon55.mnstf.org.
If you’d like a suite or an executive level room, please contact hotel@minicon55.mnstf.org.

In your email, please state in the first sentence of the email body what type of room you want. If you have a detailed explanation about why, that's fine, but include that information AFTER the description of your need.

We are in the process of determining how many rooms need to be set aside for Minicon (green room, teen room, parties, other). You may not hear that you have a non-regular room immediately, but someone should contact you within a week to let you know that your request was received.

Important information about the suites - Suites will be allocated by Minicon’s hotel department in a way that makes sense. In order to fulfill our arrangement to make noise in our gaming space at night, we must fill the suites. Parties and Minicon functional rooms will have priority.

It may happen that we have more or fewer requests for suites than we have available. If you’re flexible about reserving a suite (willing to take a suite, but also willing to take a regular room as needed), we love you a little more than we love everyone else. Please let the Hotel department know that you are entitled to EXTRA love. If you'd strongly prefer to have a suite, please also let Hotel know, and understand that you still may not get a suite if they’re already assigned to other uses.
</blockquote>

===Keys===
So many keys.

Hotel

2023-04-12T20:25:58Z

Avanderg: /* Core Responsibilities */

=Hotel Liaison and Department=

==Core Responsibilities==
* [#Hotel Visits]
* Hotel Contract / Negotiation
* Function Space setup
* Sleeping Room setup
* Room Allocation
* Keys

===Hotel Visits===
Visit different hotels with Function Space. Ideally, visit a hotel during a convention and understand the layout and how that convention uses the space. If that is not available, work with conventions that have been in that hotel and ask for a copy of their convention "map" to get that understanding. Tour the Function Space, see an average sleeping room, see at least 1 of the suites. Think about where different activities will be, where can ConSuite / Member Lounge and the Bar be located. Is there inaccessible space and where are the elevators? Where would a good place for Party Rooms be? What are the hotel's policies on alcohol, food, and corkage?

===Hotel Contract===
'''Get it in writing!''' Handshake agreements are great, but what if?
The contract needs to have
* Room Nights / Room Block / Costs for different types rooms
* Function space costs
* Force Majeure (thanks COVID for making this part all too real)
* Rules for Common Space (lights on in the Garden Court/Atrium)
* Audio Visual
* Service Fees & Minimums
* So much other stuff. Expect to read at least 12 pages at least 5 times.


What to negotiate on
* Room night costs
* Room block attrition rate
* Function space costs
* Alcohol Policies
* Common space policies
* Noise policies
* Table, stage, chair costs & allocations (what setup is included in Function Space and what is not)
* Setup dates / times (when will we have access to rooms)
* Tear down dates / times (when do we need our stuff out of rooms)


===Function Space===
* Room Function (for digital signage)
* Setup and Tear down dates/times
* Room layout (tables, chairs, stage, physical arrangements, A/V)
* Services - water stations, pitchers & glasses for panelists, large garbage / extra recycling

===Sleeping Rooms===
This section will focus on Sleeping Rooms used for ''convention activities''. Party Rooms & allocation in general will be covered elsewhere.
Sleeping Rooms are frequently used for:
* Bar & Bar Annex
* ConSuite
* Green Room
* Teen Room
* GPS Auction

Considerations:
* Check-in / Check-out - much like function space, this will dictate when we have access to move-in and when we need to move-out
* Bed Removal
* Television Removal
* Adding Tables & Chairs
* Water Stations, Large garbage / Recycling

===Room Allocation===
In the past, we have allocated the Garden Court (RadishTree) and Atrium (Park Place) rooms.
Other sleeping rooms have been left to the hotel by design.
We look at Sleeping Room as convention space (Bar, ConSuite), accessibility, distance to function, need for Double beds, Parties, GoH needs, and requests from ConCom and Members in order to build a layout for the specified areas. That includes Atrium Space, Parlor rooms, Suites, etc.

For '''Minicon 57''', the hotel has requested that we approach this differently. In the past, we have had people book "regular" rooms, then move them to the allocated space. For 2024, the hotel would like those people to go through Minicon and not get their own room. Once we provide a full Atrium layout, the hotel will generate the room Confirmation numbers for those folks.

Sample Language from 2020:
<blockquote>
Do you want a hotel room for Minicon? Here is that information.

Single or double occupancy rates are as follows - Regular rooms are $92 per night, Suites (near the pool) are $122 per night, Whirlpool rooms (very limited quantity) $122, Executive Level Rooms on 14th floor (Near Consuite) $112.

The cut off date for these rates is Thursday, March 19, 2020 . PLEASE get your hotel registration in before March 19. Expect to pay a higher rate if your hotel room is not reserved by March 19.

Parties will be located in the suites facing the pool.

For any desired room type, go to the DoubleTree website and book a regular room.
If you'd another type of room (party room, suite, executive level room), after booking the regular room, do one of the following:
If you’d like to host a party, please contact parties@minicon55.mnstf.org.
If you’d like a suite or an executive level room, please contact hotel@minicon55.mnstf.org.

In your email, please state in the first sentence of the email body what type of room you want. If you have a detailed explanation about why, that's fine, but include that information AFTER the description of your need.

We are in the process of determining how many rooms need to be set aside for Minicon (green room, teen room, parties, other). You may not hear that you have a non-regular room immediately, but someone should contact you within a week to let you know that your request was received.

Important information about the suites - Suites will be allocated by Minicon’s hotel department in a way that makes sense. In order to fulfill our arrangement to make noise in our gaming space at night, we must fill the suites. Parties and Minicon functional rooms will have priority.

It may happen that we have more or fewer requests for suites than we have available. If you’re flexible about reserving a suite (willing to take a suite, but also willing to take a regular room as needed), we love you a little more than we love everyone else. Please let the Hotel department know that you are entitled to EXTRA love. If you'd strongly prefer to have a suite, please also let Hotel know, and understand that you still may not get a suite if they’re already assigned to other uses.
</blockquote>

===Keys===
So many keys.

Hotel

2023-04-12T16:53:32Z

Avanderg: /* Hotel Contract */

=Hotel Liaison and Department=

==Core Responsibilities==
* Hotel Visits
* Hotel Contract / Negotiation
* Function Space setup
* Sleeping Room setup
* Room Allocation
* Keys

===Hotel Visits===
Visit different hotels with Function Space. Ideally, visit a hotel during a convention and understand the layout and how that convention uses the space. If that is not available, work with conventions that have been in that hotel and ask for a copy of their convention "map" to get that understanding. Tour the Function Space, see an average sleeping room, see at least 1 of the suites. Think about where different activities will be, where can ConSuite / Member Lounge and the Bar be located. Is there inaccessible space and where are the elevators? Where would a good place for Party Rooms be? What are the hotel's policies on alcohol, food, and corkage?

===Hotel Contract===
'''Get it in writing!''' Handshake agreements are great, but what if?
The contract needs to have
* Room Nights / Room Block / Costs for different types rooms
* Function space costs
* Force Majeure (thanks COVID for making this part all too real)
* Rules for Common Space (lights on in the Garden Court/Atrium)
* Audio Visual
* Service Fees & Minimums
* So much other stuff. Expect to read at least 12 pages at least 5 times.


What to negotiate on
* Room night costs
* Room block attrition rate
* Function space costs
* Alcohol Policies
* Common space policies
* Noise policies
* Table, stage, chair costs & allocations (what setup is included in Function Space and what is not)
* Setup dates / times (when will we have access to rooms)
* Tear down dates / times (when do we need our stuff out of rooms)


===Function Space===
* Room Function (for digital signage)
* Setup and Tear down dates/times
* Room layout (tables, chairs, stage, physical arrangements, A/V)
* Services - water stations, pitchers & glasses for panelists, large garbage / extra recycling

===Sleeping Rooms===
This section will focus on Sleeping Rooms used for ''convention activities''. Party Rooms & allocation in general will be covered elsewhere.
Sleeping Rooms are frequently used for:
* Bar & Bar Annex
* ConSuite
* Green Room
* Teen Room
* GPS Auction

Considerations:
* Check-in / Check-out - much like function space, this will dictate when we have access to move-in and when we need to move-out
* Bed Removal
* Television Removal
* Adding Tables & Chairs
* Water Stations, Large garbage / Recycling

===Room Allocation===
In the past, we have allocated the Garden Court (RadishTree) and Atrium (Park Place) rooms.
Other sleeping rooms have been left to the hotel by design.
We look at Sleeping Room as convention space (Bar, ConSuite), accessibility, distance to function, need for Double beds, Parties, GoH needs, and requests from ConCom and Members in order to build a layout for the specified areas. That includes Atrium Space, Parlor rooms, Suites, etc.

For '''Minicon 57''', the hotel has requested that we approach this differently. In the past, we have had people book "regular" rooms, then move them to the allocated space. For 2024, the hotel would like those people to go through Minicon and not get their own room. Once we provide a full Atrium layout, the hotel will generate the room Confirmation numbers for those folks.

Sample Language from 2020:
<blockquote>
Do you want a hotel room for Minicon? Here is that information.

Single or double occupancy rates are as follows - Regular rooms are $92 per night, Suites (near the pool) are $122 per night, Whirlpool rooms (very limited quantity) $122, Executive Level Rooms on 14th floor (Near Consuite) $112.

The cut off date for these rates is Thursday, March 19, 2020 . PLEASE get your hotel registration in before March 19. Expect to pay a higher rate if your hotel room is not reserved by March 19.

Parties will be located in the suites facing the pool.

For any desired room type, go to the DoubleTree website and book a regular room.
If you'd another type of room (party room, suite, executive level room), after booking the regular room, do one of the following:
If you’d like to host a party, please contact parties@minicon55.mnstf.org.
If you’d like a suite or an executive level room, please contact hotel@minicon55.mnstf.org.

In your email, please state in the first sentence of the email body what type of room you want. If you have a detailed explanation about why, that's fine, but include that information AFTER the description of your need.

We are in the process of determining how many rooms need to be set aside for Minicon (green room, teen room, parties, other). You may not hear that you have a non-regular room immediately, but someone should contact you within a week to let you know that your request was received.

Important information about the suites - Suites will be allocated by Minicon’s hotel department in a way that makes sense. In order to fulfill our arrangement to make noise in our gaming space at night, we must fill the suites. Parties and Minicon functional rooms will have priority.

It may happen that we have more or fewer requests for suites than we have available. If you’re flexible about reserving a suite (willing to take a suite, but also willing to take a regular room as needed), we love you a little more than we love everyone else. Please let the Hotel department know that you are entitled to EXTRA love. If you'd strongly prefer to have a suite, please also let Hotel know, and understand that you still may not get a suite if they’re already assigned to other uses.
</blockquote>

===Keys===
So many keys.

Hotel

2023-04-12T16:52:57Z

Avanderg: /* Hotel Contract */

=Hotel Liaison and Department=

==Core Responsibilities==
* Hotel Visits
* Hotel Contract / Negotiation
* Function Space setup
* Sleeping Room setup
* Room Allocation
* Keys

===Hotel Visits===
Visit different hotels with Function Space. Ideally, visit a hotel during a convention and understand the layout and how that convention uses the space. If that is not available, work with conventions that have been in that hotel and ask for a copy of their convention "map" to get that understanding. Tour the Function Space, see an average sleeping room, see at least 1 of the suites. Think about where different activities will be, where can ConSuite / Member Lounge and the Bar be located. Is there inaccessible space and where are the elevators? Where would a good place for Party Rooms be? What are the hotel's policies on alcohol, food, and corkage?

===Hotel Contract===
'''Get it in writing!''' Handshake agreements are great, but what if?
The contract needs to have
* Room Nights / Room Block / Costs for different types rooms
* Function space costs
* Force Majeure (thanks COVID for making this part all too real)
* Rules for Common Space (lights on in the Garden Court/Atrium)
* Audio Visual
* Service Fees & Minimums
* So much other stuff. Expect to read at least 12 pages at least 5 times.

What to negotiate on
* Room night costs
* Room block attrition rate
* Function space costs
* Alcohol Policies
* Common space policies
* Noise policies
* Table, stage, chair costs & allocations (what setup is included in Function Space and what is not)
* Setup dates / times (when will we have access to rooms)
* Tear down dates / times (when do we need our stuff out of rooms)

===Function Space===
* Room Function (for digital signage)
* Setup and Tear down dates/times
* Room layout (tables, chairs, stage, physical arrangements, A/V)
* Services - water stations, pitchers & glasses for panelists, large garbage / extra recycling

===Sleeping Rooms===
This section will focus on Sleeping Rooms used for ''convention activities''. Party Rooms & allocation in general will be covered elsewhere.
Sleeping Rooms are frequently used for:
* Bar & Bar Annex
* ConSuite
* Green Room
* Teen Room
* GPS Auction

Considerations:
* Check-in / Check-out - much like function space, this will dictate when we have access to move-in and when we need to move-out
* Bed Removal
* Television Removal
* Adding Tables & Chairs
* Water Stations, Large garbage / Recycling

===Room Allocation===
In the past, we have allocated the Garden Court (RadishTree) and Atrium (Park Place) rooms.
Other sleeping rooms have been left to the hotel by design.
We look at Sleeping Room as convention space (Bar, ConSuite), accessibility, distance to function, need for Double beds, Parties, GoH needs, and requests from ConCom and Members in order to build a layout for the specified areas. That includes Atrium Space, Parlor rooms, Suites, etc.

For '''Minicon 57''', the hotel has requested that we approach this differently. In the past, we have had people book "regular" rooms, then move them to the allocated space. For 2024, the hotel would like those people to go through Minicon and not get their own room. Once we provide a full Atrium layout, the hotel will generate the room Confirmation numbers for those folks.

Sample Language from 2020:
<blockquote>
Do you want a hotel room for Minicon? Here is that information.

Single or double occupancy rates are as follows - Regular rooms are $92 per night, Suites (near the pool) are $122 per night, Whirlpool rooms (very limited quantity) $122, Executive Level Rooms on 14th floor (Near Consuite) $112.

The cut off date for these rates is Thursday, March 19, 2020 . PLEASE get your hotel registration in before March 19. Expect to pay a higher rate if your hotel room is not reserved by March 19.

Parties will be located in the suites facing the pool.

For any desired room type, go to the DoubleTree website and book a regular room.
If you'd another type of room (party room, suite, executive level room), after booking the regular room, do one of the following:
If you’d like to host a party, please contact parties@minicon55.mnstf.org.
If you’d like a suite or an executive level room, please contact hotel@minicon55.mnstf.org.

In your email, please state in the first sentence of the email body what type of room you want. If you have a detailed explanation about why, that's fine, but include that information AFTER the description of your need.

We are in the process of determining how many rooms need to be set aside for Minicon (green room, teen room, parties, other). You may not hear that you have a non-regular room immediately, but someone should contact you within a week to let you know that your request was received.

Important information about the suites - Suites will be allocated by Minicon’s hotel department in a way that makes sense. In order to fulfill our arrangement to make noise in our gaming space at night, we must fill the suites. Parties and Minicon functional rooms will have priority.

It may happen that we have more or fewer requests for suites than we have available. If you’re flexible about reserving a suite (willing to take a suite, but also willing to take a regular room as needed), we love you a little more than we love everyone else. Please let the Hotel department know that you are entitled to EXTRA love. If you'd strongly prefer to have a suite, please also let Hotel know, and understand that you still may not get a suite if they’re already assigned to other uses.
</blockquote>

===Keys===
So many keys.

Hotel

2023-04-12T15:54:04Z

Avanderg: /* Room Allocation */

=Hotel Liaison and Department=

==Core Responsibilities==
* Hotel Visits
* Hotel Contract / Negotiation
* Function Space setup
* Sleeping Room setup
* Room Allocation
* Keys

===Hotel Visits===
Visit different hotels with Function Space. Ideally, visit a hotel during a convention and understand the layout and how that convention uses the space. If that is not available, work with conventions that have been in that hotel and ask for a copy of their convention "map" to get that understanding. Tour the Function Space, see an average sleeping room, see at least 1 of the suites. Think about where different activities will be, where can ConSuite / Member Lounge and the Bar be located. Is there inaccessible space and where are the elevators? Where would a good place for Party Rooms be? What are the hotel's policies on alcohol, food, and corkage?

===Hotel Contract===
'''Get it in writing!''' Handshake agreements are great, but what if?
The contract needs to have
* Room Nights / Room Block / Costs for different types rooms
* Function space costs
* Force Majeure (thanks COVID for making this part all too real)
* Rules for Common Space (lights on in the Garden Court/Atrium)
* Audio Visual
* Service Fees & Minimums
* So much other stuff. Expect to read at least 12 pages at least 5 times.

What to negotiate on
* Room night costs
* Room block attrition rate
* Function space costs
* Alcohol Policies
* Common space policies
* Noise policies
* Table, stage, chair costs & allocations (what setup is included in Function Space and what is not)
* Setup dates / times (when will we have access to rooms)
* Tear down dates / times (when do we need our stuff out of rooms)

===Function Space===
* Room Function (for digital signage)
* Setup and Tear down dates/times
* Room layout (tables, chairs, stage, physical arrangements, A/V)
* Services - water stations, pitchers & glasses for panelists, large garbage / extra recycling

===Sleeping Rooms===
This section will focus on Sleeping Rooms used for ''convention activities''. Party Rooms & allocation in general will be covered elsewhere.
Sleeping Rooms are frequently used for:
* Bar & Bar Annex
* ConSuite
* Green Room
* Teen Room
* GPS Auction

Considerations:
* Check-in / Check-out - much like function space, this will dictate when we have access to move-in and when we need to move-out
* Bed Removal
* Television Removal
* Adding Tables & Chairs
* Water Stations, Large garbage / Recycling

===Room Allocation===
In the past, we have allocated the Garden Court (RadishTree) and Atrium (Park Place) rooms.
Other sleeping rooms have been left to the hotel by design.
We look at Sleeping Room as convention space (Bar, ConSuite), accessibility, distance to function, need for Double beds, Parties, GoH needs, and requests from ConCom and Members in order to build a layout for the specified areas. That includes Atrium Space, Parlor rooms, Suites, etc.

For '''Minicon 57''', the hotel has requested that we approach this differently. In the past, we have had people book "regular" rooms, then move them to the allocated space. For 2024, the hotel would like those people to go through Minicon and not get their own room. Once we provide a full Atrium layout, the hotel will generate the room Confirmation numbers for those folks.

Sample Language from 2020:
<blockquote>
Do you want a hotel room for Minicon? Here is that information.

Single or double occupancy rates are as follows - Regular rooms are $92 per night, Suites (near the pool) are $122 per night, Whirlpool rooms (very limited quantity) $122, Executive Level Rooms on 14th floor (Near Consuite) $112.

The cut off date for these rates is Thursday, March 19, 2020 . PLEASE get your hotel registration in before March 19. Expect to pay a higher rate if your hotel room is not reserved by March 19.

Parties will be located in the suites facing the pool.

For any desired room type, go to the DoubleTree website and book a regular room.
If you'd another type of room (party room, suite, executive level room), after booking the regular room, do one of the following:
If you’d like to host a party, please contact parties@minicon55.mnstf.org.
If you’d like a suite or an executive level room, please contact hotel@minicon55.mnstf.org.

In your email, please state in the first sentence of the email body what type of room you want. If you have a detailed explanation about why, that's fine, but include that information AFTER the description of your need.

We are in the process of determining how many rooms need to be set aside for Minicon (green room, teen room, parties, other). You may not hear that you have a non-regular room immediately, but someone should contact you within a week to let you know that your request was received.

Important information about the suites - Suites will be allocated by Minicon’s hotel department in a way that makes sense. In order to fulfill our arrangement to make noise in our gaming space at night, we must fill the suites. Parties and Minicon functional rooms will have priority.

It may happen that we have more or fewer requests for suites than we have available. If you’re flexible about reserving a suite (willing to take a suite, but also willing to take a regular room as needed), we love you a little more than we love everyone else. Please let the Hotel department know that you are entitled to EXTRA love. If you'd strongly prefer to have a suite, please also let Hotel know, and understand that you still may not get a suite if they’re already assigned to other uses.
</blockquote>

===Keys===
So many keys.

Hotel

2023-04-12T15:51:03Z

Avanderg: Created page with "=Hotel Liaison and Department= ==Core Responsibilities== * Hotel Visits * Hotel Contract / Negotiation * Function Space setup * Sleeping Room setup * Room Allocation * Keys..."

=Hotel Liaison and Department=

==Core Responsibilities==
* Hotel Visits
* Hotel Contract / Negotiation
* Function Space setup
* Sleeping Room setup
* Room Allocation
* Keys

===Hotel Visits===
Visit different hotels with Function Space. Ideally, visit a hotel during a convention and understand the layout and how that convention uses the space. If that is not available, work with conventions that have been in that hotel and ask for a copy of their convention "map" to get that understanding. Tour the Function Space, see an average sleeping room, see at least 1 of the suites. Think about where different activities will be, where can ConSuite / Member Lounge and the Bar be located. Is there inaccessible space and where are the elevators? Where would a good place for Party Rooms be? What are the hotel's policies on alcohol, food, and corkage?

===Hotel Contract===
'''Get it in writing!''' Handshake agreements are great, but what if?
The contract needs to have
* Room Nights / Room Block / Costs for different types rooms
* Function space costs
* Force Majeure (thanks COVID for making this part all too real)
* Rules for Common Space (lights on in the Garden Court/Atrium)
* Audio Visual
* Service Fees & Minimums
* So much other stuff. Expect to read at least 12 pages at least 5 times.

What to negotiate on
* Room night costs
* Room block attrition rate
* Function space costs
* Alcohol Policies
* Common space policies
* Noise policies
* Table, stage, chair costs & allocations (what setup is included in Function Space and what is not)
* Setup dates / times (when will we have access to rooms)
* Tear down dates / times (when do we need our stuff out of rooms)

===Function Space===
* Room Function (for digital signage)
* Setup and Tear down dates/times
* Room layout (tables, chairs, stage, physical arrangements, A/V)
* Services - water stations, pitchers & glasses for panelists, large garbage / extra recycling

===Sleeping Rooms===
This section will focus on Sleeping Rooms used for ''convention activities''. Party Rooms & allocation in general will be covered elsewhere.
Sleeping Rooms are frequently used for:
* Bar & Bar Annex
* ConSuite
* Green Room
* Teen Room
* GPS Auction

Considerations:
* Check-in / Check-out - much like function space, this will dictate when we have access to move-in and when we need to move-out
* Bed Removal
* Television Removal
* Adding Tables & Chairs
* Water Stations, Large garbage / Recycling

===Room Allocation===
In the past, we have allocated the Garden Court (RadishTree) and Atrium (Park Place) rooms.
Other sleeping rooms have been left to the hotel by design.
We look at Sleeping Room as convention space (Bar, ConSuite), accessibility, distance to function, need for Double beds, Parties, GoH needs, and requests from ConCom and Members in order to build a layout for the specified areas. That includes Atrium Space, Parlor rooms, Suites, etc.

For Minicon 57, the hotel has requested that we approach this differently. In the past, we have had people book "regular" rooms, then move them to the allocated space. For 2024, the hotel would like those people to go through Minicon and not get their own room. Once we provide a full Atrium layout, the hotel will generate the room Confirmation numbers for those folks.

Sample Language from 2020:
Do you want a hotel room for Minicon? Here is that information.

Single or double occupancy rates are as follows - Regular rooms are $92 per night, Suites (near the pool) are $122 per night, Whirlpool rooms (very limited quantity) $122, Executive Level Rooms on 14th floor (Near Consuite) $112.

The cut off date for these rates is Thursday, March 19, 2020 . PLEASE get your hotel registration in before March 19. Expect to pay a higher rate if your hotel room is not reserved by March 19.

Parties will be located in the suites facing the pool.

For any desired room type, go to the DoubleTree website and book a regular room.
If you'd another type of room (party room, suite, executive level room), after booking the regular room, do one of the following:
If you’d like to host a party, please contact parties@minicon55.mnstf.org.
If you’d like a suite or an executive level room, please contact hotel@minicon55.mnstf.org.

In your email, please state in the first sentence of the email body what type of room you want. If you have a detailed explanation about why, that's fine, but include that information AFTER the description of your need.

We are in the process of determining how many rooms need to be set aside for Minicon (green room, teen room, parties, other). You may not hear that you have a non-regular room immediately, but someone should contact you within a week to let you know that your request was received.

Important information about the suites - Suites will be allocated by Minicon’s hotel department in a way that makes sense. In order to fulfill our arrangement to make noise in our gaming space at night, we must fill the suites. Parties and Minicon functional rooms will have priority.

It may happen that we have more or fewer requests for suites than we have available. If you’re flexible about reserving a suite (willing to take a suite, but also willing to take a regular room as needed), we love you a little more than we love everyone else. Please let the Hotel department know that you are entitled to EXTRA love. If you'd strongly prefer to have a suite, please also let Hotel know, and understand that you still may not get a suite if they’re already assigned to other uses.

===Keys===
So many keys.

Main Page

2023-04-12T15:19:44Z

Avanderg: /* Resources for Minicon (and other con) running */

Consult the [http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Help:Contents User's Guide] for information on using the wiki software.
== Minnstf Links ==
*[http://www.mnstf.org Mnstf web page]
*[http://www.mnstf.org/records/ Minn-stf Records Page] - Bylaws, board minutes, tax records

== For the Board ==

* So you're a [[New Board Member|new board member]]? You should read about it.
* [[Recurring Tasks]] for the board

== Minnstf Document Digitization Project ==

Otherwise known as MinDocDigPro. This is an ongoing effort to digitize Minnstf (and in particular Minicon) documents. [[MinDocDigPro|Here's the organizing page of the project.]]

== General-interest Minicon stuff ==

Minicon continues, but since Minicon 53, the programming folks have organized things elsewhere, not on the wiki (but future programming heads should feel free to use the wiki again if they like).

==== M53 (2018) ====

* [http://mnstf.org/minicon53/ Minicon 53 (2018)]
* [[M53_Programming_Brainstorm | M53 Programming Brainstorm]]

==== M52 (2017) ====
* [http://mnstf.org/minicon52/ Minicon 52]
* [[M52_Programming_Brainstorm | M52_Programming_Brainstorm]]

==== M51 (2016) ====
* [http://www.mnstf.org/minicon51/ Minicon 51]
* [[M51 Programming Brainstorm|Minicon 51 Programming Brainstorm]]

==== M50 (2015) ====
* [http://www.mnstf.org/minicon50/ Minicon 50]
* [[M50 Programming Brainstorm|Minicon 50 Programming Brainstorm]]
==== M49 (2014) ====
* [http://www.mnstf.org/minicon49/ Minicon 49]
* [[M49 Programming Brainstorm|Minicon 49 Programming Brainstorm]]
==== M48 (2013) ====
* [http://www.mnstf.org/minicon48/ Main website]
* [[M48 Programming Brainstorm|Programming Brainstorm]]
==== M47 (2012) ====
* [http://www.mnstf.org/minicon47/ Main website]
* [[M47 Programming Brainstorm|Programming Brainstorm]]
==== M46 (2011) ====
* [[M46 Post-Mortem Agenda|Post-Mortem Agenda]]
* [[M46 Programming|Programming]]
==== M45 (2010) ====
* [http://www.mnstf.org/minicon45/ Main website]
* [[M45 Chronological listing of programming items|Programming listing]]
==== M44 (2009) ====
* [http://www.mnstf.org/minicon44/ Main website]
* [[Programming ideas for Minicon 44|Programming]]

===Planning===
*[[Minicon 5-year Not-a-plan]] -- approved document covering Minicons 46-50
*[[2nd Minicon 5-year Not-a-plan]] -- unapproved draft document covering Minicons 51-55

=== Minicon History ===
*[http://www.mnstf.org/minicon/ Minicon Home Page] - contains links to all home pages for previous Minicons
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minicon Minicon is on Wikipedia!]
*[[Minicon mini-history]] - quick summary of recent Minicons including name of chair and attendance

== Resources for Minicon (and other con) running ==

=== Running a small convention or convention-related party ===
* [[Running a Small Con]] - Tips on planning and running a small SF convention
* [[Hosting the Minicon Pool Party]]
* [[Minicon_Parties|Hosting Minicon parties at other conventions]]
* [[What the Chair Does]]
* [[Recipes]]

===Programming===

==== [[M56 Programming Brainstorm|Minicon 56 Programming Brainstorm]] ====

==== Miscellaneous Programming articles ====
* [[Programming Head - Job Description ]]
* [[The seasons of programming|A Programming Timeline]] (one way of doing programming through the year)
* [[Room requirements for Minicon]]
* [[Scheduling notes]]
* [[Supplies needed for Programming]]
* [[Who's good for which programming]]
* [[Documents or database?]]
; Historical
* [[M53 Programming Brainstorm|Minicon 53 Programming Brainstorm]]
* [[M48 Programming Brainstorm]]
* [[M47 Programming Brainstorm]]
* [[M46 Programming]] listing
* [[M45 Chronological listing of programming items|Programming listing for Minicon 45]]
* [[Minicon45_Programming|Brainstorming list for Minicon 45]]
* [[Programming ideas for Minicon 44]]
* See also previous Minicons' webpages for old program books, [[pocket program]]s, and what we said to members on the web.

==== Moderator Tip Sheet ====
The [[Moderator Tip Sheet]] was developed by the Programming Committed for Minicon 24. Besides general tips on how to plan and run a panel at an SF convention, the Tip Sheet includes a handy dandy worksheet for the moderator to use before and during the panel. Now and then other cons ask if they can use it. We always say yes.

===Registration===
* [[General thoughts on Registration]]
* FAQs of sorts (there's some overlap between these two):
** [[RegistrationMembersQTMBA|Questions members might ask]]
** [[RegistrationHeadQTMBA|Questions the registration head might ask]]
* [[Interaction between GoH and Registration]]

===GoH Handling===

* [[GoH Department|Guest Department and Liaising]]
* [[Former GoH invitation]]

===Publications===
* The [[Pocket program]]

===Hotel===
* [[Hotel]] Liaison and department

===Signs and At-Con Communications===
* [[How Many Easels]] we need at the con

===Accessibility===
*[[Making Minicon More Accessible]]

===Art Show===
* [[Art Show]] Information

===Volunteers===

* [[Badgers|Sensible instructions for badgers]]

=== Blog ===
Blog is the traditional drink of Minicon. It's a sweet fruit punch, typically spiked with liberal amounts of vodka. The nonalcoholic variant is referred to as "St. Paul blog" for historical reasons. See the [[Blog Recipe]].

=Account creation & editing privileges=
How do you register to be able to edit this wiki? The Mnstf wiki has been the victim of large numbers of spammers. Because of this, we've set it so that only administrators can make accounts, so please contact one of them to register. They are, as of 2023, [[User:Dd-b:DD-B]], [[User:Jiawen |Rachel]], [[User:Laurel | Laurel]] and [[User:Straitm | Matt Strait]].

Note to sysops and people trying to edit the wiki: People need to be in the "approved" group in order to edit pages (it's not good enough to just have an account, since lots of spambots have accounts already).

M56 Programming Brainstorm

2023-01-10T05:06:06Z

Avanderg: /* Portable Gamine */

'''[http://mnstf.org/minicon56/ Minicon 56 (2023)] will take place April 7-9, 2023, at the St. Louis Park Doubletree.
Our Guests of Honor are: Author Martha Wells, Artist Sara Felix, Fan Greg Ketter'''

== THE MINICON 56 PROGRAMMING BRAINSTORM WIKI page is OPEN FOR BUSINESS ==
Which doesn't mean it isn't still Under Construction. This is just the first pass as of 5pm, January 7, 2023. --- sharon

=== READ THIS FIRST ===
Here's the programming ideas that we have so far. Some of them may actually become programming items, especially if YOU volunteer for them! But there's still plenty of time to suggest new items or tweaks to the existing ones. We welcome your input!

Have a programming idea to suggest? See something you'd like to volunteer for? Shoot us an email at
'''programming@minicon56.mnstf.org.
'''

==CONVENTION==

===Opening Ceremony===
Welcome to the convention! Meet the Guests of Honor! Find out about the weekend's events! Share the love!

===Closing Ceremony===
A chance to recap and reflect on what this year's Minicon has been, including a traditional assassination.

===How to Host a Room Party===
What do you need to host an excellent room party? Do you need a theme? Are chips and dips sufficient? What do you need from the con, and what does the concom need from you?

===Moderators and Panelists Workshop===
Tips on being an excellent panelist or moderator. First half for panelists, second half for moderators.

== LITERATURE AND WRITING ==
=== ‘The Untamed’ Geek-Out===
The Untamed is a Chinese live-action drama that started as a “phone novel” in China. It has spread worldwide, mostly through its popularity in fan fiction. There is a Chinese graphic novel, three seasons of an animated show (subtitled) and, now, a print publication of the English translation. We’re all big fans. (OK, actually we’re all obsessed with it.)

=== Writing Non-Gendered Characters===
A discussion of the difficulties of using the English language without using gendered pronouns or descriptions. Ada Palmer has postulated a world where mention of gender is obscene. Becky Chambers’ Monk and Robot stories hide the biologic gender of both protagonists. And, of course, Murderbot has no recourse except to be a thing (“it”). It is difficult to write without pronouns? Should SF have come up with new non-gendered pronouns? Or we could just argue about whether we see Murderbot as male or female.

===Educating Science through Fiction===
Science fiction plays a prominent role in shaping the public opinion of science, especially among children, teens, and young adults. As creators, what is our take on the most effective ways to inspire a new generation of scientists, engineers and researchers?

=== Worldbuilding in Fantasy vs Science Fiction===
The Murderbot Diaries and Martha Wells’ fantasy books feature complex, detailed worlds. Is there a difference between creating an SF universe and a fantasy world? (Or is advanced science really just a form of magic?) Are advanced scientific societies necessarily more advanced socially?

===Pets or Pests===
The creatures in F&SF are sometimes treated as beings (equal to us), sometimes as beloved pets, sometimes as annoying pests. They can be viewed as characters, companions, pets and pests, feral, and wild. How does that choice affect the story? What if a different choice had been made?

For example, fire lizards in Pern are depicted primarily as wild or pets. What if their primary role had been that of pests? How would that change the story? In the Liaden series, the cats are pets, but there are glimpses that they might actually be background characters.

Are there stories where the critters change their role over the course of the story? How does this transition affect the story?

=== Psychoanalysis for Robots===
Can robots be mentally ill? Certainly robots are not neurotypical, but can they get depressed? Psychotic? Does the ability to process more information prevent or lead to autism? Do they have to malfunction to be unhappy? Let’s do psychological analyses of our favorite robots.

=== LGBTQ+ Representation in SF/F===
Queer characters are showing up in both YA and adult F/SF. Where are they? Are they getting it right? Which books/shows are the best? And, maybe, assuming that such representation merely a good start, what is the next step?

=== Archive of Our Own===
The platform for writers of fan fiction won the Hugo for Other Forms, at the Helsinki, Finland WorldCon. Anybody know anything about the history of fanfic, the beginnings of AO3, who writes for AO3? And, perhaps the biggest question, why?

=== Professionals Writing Fan Fiction===
How is fan writing different from professional writing? Do you read fan fiction about your own characters? Do you need to hide your identity when writing fanfic? Some professional writers are quite open about their fanfic writing, some got their start there.

=== “Ficable” Moments===
An exploration of what makes a book or show open as a launch point for fan fiction. Is it a large cast of interesting characters? Lots of plot holes or moments of ambiguity? Or is it places where deeper relationships between characters are hinted at but not actually explored? Which shows/books are the most “ficable”? Are there good shows/books that do not lend themselves to fan fiction?

=== Chinese Stories===
A discussion of books, stories, and television coming out of China, in honor of 2023 WorldCon in ChengDu, China. There are dozens of Chinese-American and Chinese-Canadian writers, for both the adult and YA audience. The Chinese epic, Journey to the West got a modern abridged translation. The graphic novel ''American Born Chinese'' is being made into a movie. And Chinese dramas are streaming on YouTube and Netflix.

=== Restoring the Tower of Babel===
The landmark fantasy, Babel by R.F. Kuang asserts that “An act of translation is always an act of betrayal.” It might be true that, since the fall of the Biblical tower, no one has been able to truly communicate. Let’s discuss the book, along with the concept of language as a barrier to communication. Can we properly translate another language? Can we truly understand each other just with words?

=== Writing the Twin Cities===
There are stories that are of particular interest to the Twin Cities, that either take place here or represent a unique way of thinking.

=== Noir in F/SF===
The hard-drinking, mostly-outcast detective working from a dingy office somewhere in the low-rent district, and barely getting by, never really went out of style. Though they no longer have to be male, right? Or a detective? What are some old and new examples of noir? What is the attraction of the noir story?

=== “Oh my God, It’s full of stars?”===
There are moments in science fiction that send chills down your spine, as the universe suddenly opens in front of you. What books inspired this sense of wonder in the past? But it seems, these days, that stories happen mostly in bleak dystopias. Is there still a sense of wonder? Where can you find it?

=== Humor in genre fiction===
A serious discussion of funny F/SF and horror.

=== Retelling Court Intrigue Stories===
Many fantasy and science fiction stories take place in societies modeled after Courts and Kings and Swordsmen. Or, rather, they are modeled after the stories we have heard about such things. Which books use these ideas? Do they have to be fantasies? Which authors provide the most inspiration (Dumas, Austin, etc)?

===Changing Worlds===
How have current events and changing social norms affected what we expect from fictional worlds? This panel was proposed for the 2020 Minicon, and seems even more relevant in 2023.

== FANDOM AND THE CULTURAL ZEITGEIST ==
===Midwestside Story: The Archival Movie!===
Long ago at a Convention not very far away, there was a production called Midwestside Story. Come see footage of that historic event.

=== Genre Bookselling Over the Decades===
Specialty bookstores have had a nearly unrecognized effect on the genre. How have they contributed to the field? Why hasn’t anyone noticed? What are the benefits and pitfalls of genre bookselling?
(Sara worked at Crime and Space in Texas, so could be on this too.)

=== What’s in the basement?===
Lurking beneath the store on 38th Street is a basement bigger than the store. It’s totally packed with . . . who knows what. Contrary to popular belief, Neil Gaiman never lived there, and multiple requests to move in down there have been denied. What treasures might be down there? Or what monsters might emerge from the hearts of books?

=== What’s in the Porn Section?===
Graphic novels with adult content have been a frequent target for politicians looking for easy public outrage. The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund has provided some protection against censorship of adult comics and prosecution of the comic shops that sell them. What is still available? How can we ensure continued access to stories some consider objectionable? Free XXXenophile comic for appropriately aged attendees.

=== Amazon is Evil===
One-stop, on-line, instant availability of everything seems like a great idea. But booksellers have a particular dislike of Amazon, since it began with a stated intent to put actual bookstores out of business. How are they doing this? Do we want to stop them? Once Amazon is the source of everything, will they control our desires?

=== Are Corporations the Future of Nations?===
As corporations accrue more power and financial influence, the world seems to be drifting toward corporations as governing agencies. Multinational corporations are organizing to explore space. This drift is being noticed by science fiction writers such as Ada Palmer and Paolo Bacigalupi. (Who else?) Is the galaxy going to be populated by nations or by corporations?

=== Neurodiversity in F/SF===
Neurodiverse characters are showing up in both YA and adult F/SF. Where are they? Are they getting it right? Which books/shows are the best? And, maybe, assuming that such representation merely a good start, what is the next step?

===The Ethics of Robot Soldiers===

===Risk Assessment in the Modern Age===

How well do we assess risk? How accurate are our risk assessments, and what distorts them?

Examples are many: Covid and RSV risks and precautions, Monkey pox risk to different groups, airline travel vs automobile, food safety, crime.

Panelists pick one or two current risks and discuss in depth.

===Aging Fannishly, or The Next Step===
How do we cope with the challenges of aging? Mobility, hearing, and eyesight issues, and feeling overwhelmed by Too Much Change can interfere with our fannish lives. Agism is a nasty prejudice. What do we wish younger fans knew about older fans? What are the assumptions on each side?

===The History of Filk===
The history of Filk in story and song.

===RUNE Lives!===
Writers, reviewers, and artists are needed to keep this fine fannish tradition alive. Come hear about our clubzine in print and find out how YOU could contribute.

===Convention Travel Tales===
Come hear about What Happened on the way to or from a con and add any offbeat stories you have.

===My First Convention, or What Not To Do===
One person’s first con involved a broken bathroom door, a room full o' fans getting by cheaply, AND a broken bed. Oh, and one person who'd been up all night announced to a roomful of sleepy people that the sun had just come up. He was not defenestrated, but it WAS close. Tell us your stories!

===Stories from Convention Volunteers===
You just know there are some incredible experiences to hear about. Come listen, then share yours. And if you don't volunteer, find out how you can contribute to fandom.

===The History of Minicon===
Share stories of Minicon through the decades.
How has the con ( and fandom) evolved? When did it become more mainstream? What happened to the hotels??!

===Fannish Hobbies===
What do fans like to do and what makes these activities fannish? Did you know that fanzines are still around?

===The Power of Play===
The concept of play includes many ideas such as stress relief, a path to creativity, connection with others (and our younger selves), and more. Science fiction and fantasy fans enjoy playing around mentally, after all. Silly hats, clothes, footwear, and toys are encouraged for panel members and attendees.

===A Minnesota Worldcon===
This has been talked about since Minneapolis lost the bid for the 1973 worldcon -- and kept running bid parties for the fun of it. Is a worldcon here possible? What are the pros and cons?

== ART and CRAFT ==
=== Designing and making the Hugo and Lodestar Awards===
The famed Hugo rocket design has been the same for ages but, each year, the WorldCon committee choses a different artist to design a unique base. Sara Felix has designed two of these, and has also designed several Lodestar Awards. Come see a presentation by our Artist Guest of Honor about the awards and the design process. With photos!

=== Make Your Own Tiara===
Sara Felix hosts a workshop in which everyone gets a kit to make a simple tiara, with extra bits to make it their own. Probably we will also hear about how to make tiaras, what supplies are needed, and where to get them. Bring your own projects or (Buy a kit for 15 dollars.)

=== Crafting and Creativity===
The world of Fine Arts seems to elevate some media over others. Our Artist Guest of Honor works in resin, inks, and tiaras. How do you choose an artistic medium? When does something usually called a “craft” become Art? Are some media meant for “letting go” while others demand complete control?

=== Parenting and Creativity===
Having kids, of course, forces parents to redesign their entire lives and all of their priorities. Not to mention, they’re a huge distraction. How does one maintain an artistic career, or even hobby, once their lives have been rearranged?

=== Creating with your Kids===
Parents and their kids talk about teaming up to do a fannish/artistic pursuit.

===Fabric Swap and Discussion===
Bring your leftover or never used fabric for swapping. Share stories of how you use up scraps and pieces. Other than traditional fabric stores, where are some good places to find interesting bits to work with? What is your favorite YouTube channel for fabric ideas? How much is too much? Bring your extra bits and swap for other people's extra bits.

== PARTICIPATORY and INTERVIEWS ==

=== Greg Knows Everybody===
Really, he does. Name just about any F/SF author from the past fifty years, and Greg will almost certainly have a story. He can start with Harlan Ellison, RA Lafferty, Julia Adams (who played the Creature from the Black Lagoon’s love interest), and Joe Lansdale. Requests will be encouraged. (This would be instead of an interview, I think)

===Martha Wells Interview===

=== The Fellowship of the Woosters===
A reading from Mike Ford’s legendary story starring Bertie Wooster as Strider, for which a typed manuscript was recently unearthed at DreamHaven. Greg can’t read it because he’ll laugh too hard.

===Instant Stories===
Panelists will create stories based on prompts from the audience.

==READINGS==

== SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ==
===Ask a Scientist===
A selection of scientists answer questions from the audience.
===Ask a Scientist to Respond to Knuckle-headed Clickbait Headlines===
Real headlines from articles that you don't want to read! "Scientists Hatch Bold Plan to Save Humanity From Supervolcano," "Selfies can now Diagnose Cancer," "Automated Cloud Security In Four Steps," "19 shocking food facts, you'll never want to eat again," "Is clickbait killing science journalism? The answer will shock you!"

===Ask an Expert Who Can’t Get A Word In Edgewise===
Really smart people who normally get overshadowed by their more outspoken compatriots share their expertise.
===Caffeine: Different Effects in Different People===
===Food Chemistry===
How does food nourish us on a chemical level? How does it affect our brain chemistry? What are some issues with food today vs issues 100 years ago? Can lab designed foods be healthy?

===Gardening in Climate Change===

How is climate change affecting what you plant in your garden? Is your climate zone changing? If so, is that killing your favorite plants? Is it opening the way to plant things that you couldn't grow before? Are new weeds, and new insects moving in?

Is gardening to augment your pantry becoming necessary, or is that just a trend? Will food forests take off? If so, who has access to the food?

===Volcanoes===
Geologists and aficionados geek out about volcanoes.

== MEDIA, COMICS, GAMING ==
=== Storytelling in games===
Games are stories. In video games, the player becomes the protagonist of a story that at least seems to be controlled by the player. But the best games are written to guide the player’s choices along the intended story line. How do they do this? What games have the best stories? How does the player contribute to the story?

=== Music in Video Games===
The use of orchestrated music in video games has possibly inspired a whole new generation of musicians. Which games have the best or most elaborate sound tracks? How does music add to the game experience?

=== Future methods of storytelling===
Some of us are used to getting our stories in some published form, like magazines or novels. But there are many other ways to tell stories. We will discuss live storytelling, video and board games, manga and graphic novels, and anything else we can think of except, possibly, interpretive dance.

=== The New Golden Age of Comics===
Supposedly there is renewed interest in the Golden Age of Comics, with new releases of old titles. What was the Golden Age of Comics? Which are your favorites? Is there really something new happening, or is it just a marketing ploy?

=== The Multiverse in Popular Culture===
There’s a lot of action in alternate universes these days, what with the whole Marvel Multiverse thing. Where else can we find alternate worlds? Does it represent a new way of thinking? Did Einstein change the way we think about the universe?

===SF/F Shows and Movies We Think You'd Like===
Recommend Shows and movies from the last year.
The last part could involve obscure shows and movies from any year.

=== Portable Gaming ===
With the most recent entries into portable gaming, the Nintendo Switch and Steam Deck, how has portable gaming changed, or has it at all? Have these devices changed how people think of a "gaming laptop"? What games lend themselves to screen sizes? What accessories are a "must" for these consoles?

== NOT YET CLASSIFIED ==

M56 Programming Brainstorm

2023-01-10T05:05:57Z

Avanderg: /* MEDIA, COMICS, GAMING */

'''[http://mnstf.org/minicon56/ Minicon 56 (2023)] will take place April 7-9, 2023, at the St. Louis Park Doubletree.
Our Guests of Honor are: Author Martha Wells, Artist Sara Felix, Fan Greg Ketter'''

== THE MINICON 56 PROGRAMMING BRAINSTORM WIKI page is OPEN FOR BUSINESS ==
Which doesn't mean it isn't still Under Construction. This is just the first pass as of 5pm, January 7, 2023. --- sharon

=== READ THIS FIRST ===
Here's the programming ideas that we have so far. Some of them may actually become programming items, especially if YOU volunteer for them! But there's still plenty of time to suggest new items or tweaks to the existing ones. We welcome your input!

Have a programming idea to suggest? See something you'd like to volunteer for? Shoot us an email at
'''programming@minicon56.mnstf.org.
'''

==CONVENTION==

===Opening Ceremony===
Welcome to the convention! Meet the Guests of Honor! Find out about the weekend's events! Share the love!

===Closing Ceremony===
A chance to recap and reflect on what this year's Minicon has been, including a traditional assassination.

===How to Host a Room Party===
What do you need to host an excellent room party? Do you need a theme? Are chips and dips sufficient? What do you need from the con, and what does the concom need from you?

===Moderators and Panelists Workshop===
Tips on being an excellent panelist or moderator. First half for panelists, second half for moderators.

== LITERATURE AND WRITING ==
=== ‘The Untamed’ Geek-Out===
The Untamed is a Chinese live-action drama that started as a “phone novel” in China. It has spread worldwide, mostly through its popularity in fan fiction. There is a Chinese graphic novel, three seasons of an animated show (subtitled) and, now, a print publication of the English translation. We’re all big fans. (OK, actually we’re all obsessed with it.)

=== Writing Non-Gendered Characters===
A discussion of the difficulties of using the English language without using gendered pronouns or descriptions. Ada Palmer has postulated a world where mention of gender is obscene. Becky Chambers’ Monk and Robot stories hide the biologic gender of both protagonists. And, of course, Murderbot has no recourse except to be a thing (“it”). It is difficult to write without pronouns? Should SF have come up with new non-gendered pronouns? Or we could just argue about whether we see Murderbot as male or female.

===Educating Science through Fiction===
Science fiction plays a prominent role in shaping the public opinion of science, especially among children, teens, and young adults. As creators, what is our take on the most effective ways to inspire a new generation of scientists, engineers and researchers?

=== Worldbuilding in Fantasy vs Science Fiction===
The Murderbot Diaries and Martha Wells’ fantasy books feature complex, detailed worlds. Is there a difference between creating an SF universe and a fantasy world? (Or is advanced science really just a form of magic?) Are advanced scientific societies necessarily more advanced socially?

===Pets or Pests===
The creatures in F&SF are sometimes treated as beings (equal to us), sometimes as beloved pets, sometimes as annoying pests. They can be viewed as characters, companions, pets and pests, feral, and wild. How does that choice affect the story? What if a different choice had been made?

For example, fire lizards in Pern are depicted primarily as wild or pets. What if their primary role had been that of pests? How would that change the story? In the Liaden series, the cats are pets, but there are glimpses that they might actually be background characters.

Are there stories where the critters change their role over the course of the story? How does this transition affect the story?

=== Psychoanalysis for Robots===
Can robots be mentally ill? Certainly robots are not neurotypical, but can they get depressed? Psychotic? Does the ability to process more information prevent or lead to autism? Do they have to malfunction to be unhappy? Let’s do psychological analyses of our favorite robots.

=== LGBTQ+ Representation in SF/F===
Queer characters are showing up in both YA and adult F/SF. Where are they? Are they getting it right? Which books/shows are the best? And, maybe, assuming that such representation merely a good start, what is the next step?

=== Archive of Our Own===
The platform for writers of fan fiction won the Hugo for Other Forms, at the Helsinki, Finland WorldCon. Anybody know anything about the history of fanfic, the beginnings of AO3, who writes for AO3? And, perhaps the biggest question, why?

=== Professionals Writing Fan Fiction===
How is fan writing different from professional writing? Do you read fan fiction about your own characters? Do you need to hide your identity when writing fanfic? Some professional writers are quite open about their fanfic writing, some got their start there.

=== “Ficable” Moments===
An exploration of what makes a book or show open as a launch point for fan fiction. Is it a large cast of interesting characters? Lots of plot holes or moments of ambiguity? Or is it places where deeper relationships between characters are hinted at but not actually explored? Which shows/books are the most “ficable”? Are there good shows/books that do not lend themselves to fan fiction?

=== Chinese Stories===
A discussion of books, stories, and television coming out of China, in honor of 2023 WorldCon in ChengDu, China. There are dozens of Chinese-American and Chinese-Canadian writers, for both the adult and YA audience. The Chinese epic, Journey to the West got a modern abridged translation. The graphic novel ''American Born Chinese'' is being made into a movie. And Chinese dramas are streaming on YouTube and Netflix.

=== Restoring the Tower of Babel===
The landmark fantasy, Babel by R.F. Kuang asserts that “An act of translation is always an act of betrayal.” It might be true that, since the fall of the Biblical tower, no one has been able to truly communicate. Let’s discuss the book, along with the concept of language as a barrier to communication. Can we properly translate another language? Can we truly understand each other just with words?

=== Writing the Twin Cities===
There are stories that are of particular interest to the Twin Cities, that either take place here or represent a unique way of thinking.

=== Noir in F/SF===
The hard-drinking, mostly-outcast detective working from a dingy office somewhere in the low-rent district, and barely getting by, never really went out of style. Though they no longer have to be male, right? Or a detective? What are some old and new examples of noir? What is the attraction of the noir story?

=== “Oh my God, It’s full of stars?”===
There are moments in science fiction that send chills down your spine, as the universe suddenly opens in front of you. What books inspired this sense of wonder in the past? But it seems, these days, that stories happen mostly in bleak dystopias. Is there still a sense of wonder? Where can you find it?

=== Humor in genre fiction===
A serious discussion of funny F/SF and horror.

=== Retelling Court Intrigue Stories===
Many fantasy and science fiction stories take place in societies modeled after Courts and Kings and Swordsmen. Or, rather, they are modeled after the stories we have heard about such things. Which books use these ideas? Do they have to be fantasies? Which authors provide the most inspiration (Dumas, Austin, etc)?

===Changing Worlds===
How have current events and changing social norms affected what we expect from fictional worlds? This panel was proposed for the 2020 Minicon, and seems even more relevant in 2023.

== FANDOM AND THE CULTURAL ZEITGEIST ==
===Midwestside Story: The Archival Movie!===
Long ago at a Convention not very far away, there was a production called Midwestside Story. Come see footage of that historic event.

=== Genre Bookselling Over the Decades===
Specialty bookstores have had a nearly unrecognized effect on the genre. How have they contributed to the field? Why hasn’t anyone noticed? What are the benefits and pitfalls of genre bookselling?
(Sara worked at Crime and Space in Texas, so could be on this too.)

=== What’s in the basement?===
Lurking beneath the store on 38th Street is a basement bigger than the store. It’s totally packed with . . . who knows what. Contrary to popular belief, Neil Gaiman never lived there, and multiple requests to move in down there have been denied. What treasures might be down there? Or what monsters might emerge from the hearts of books?

=== What’s in the Porn Section?===
Graphic novels with adult content have been a frequent target for politicians looking for easy public outrage. The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund has provided some protection against censorship of adult comics and prosecution of the comic shops that sell them. What is still available? How can we ensure continued access to stories some consider objectionable? Free XXXenophile comic for appropriately aged attendees.

=== Amazon is Evil===
One-stop, on-line, instant availability of everything seems like a great idea. But booksellers have a particular dislike of Amazon, since it began with a stated intent to put actual bookstores out of business. How are they doing this? Do we want to stop them? Once Amazon is the source of everything, will they control our desires?

=== Are Corporations the Future of Nations?===
As corporations accrue more power and financial influence, the world seems to be drifting toward corporations as governing agencies. Multinational corporations are organizing to explore space. This drift is being noticed by science fiction writers such as Ada Palmer and Paolo Bacigalupi. (Who else?) Is the galaxy going to be populated by nations or by corporations?

=== Neurodiversity in F/SF===
Neurodiverse characters are showing up in both YA and adult F/SF. Where are they? Are they getting it right? Which books/shows are the best? And, maybe, assuming that such representation merely a good start, what is the next step?

===The Ethics of Robot Soldiers===

===Risk Assessment in the Modern Age===

How well do we assess risk? How accurate are our risk assessments, and what distorts them?

Examples are many: Covid and RSV risks and precautions, Monkey pox risk to different groups, airline travel vs automobile, food safety, crime.

Panelists pick one or two current risks and discuss in depth.

===Aging Fannishly, or The Next Step===
How do we cope with the challenges of aging? Mobility, hearing, and eyesight issues, and feeling overwhelmed by Too Much Change can interfere with our fannish lives. Agism is a nasty prejudice. What do we wish younger fans knew about older fans? What are the assumptions on each side?

===The History of Filk===
The history of Filk in story and song.

===RUNE Lives!===
Writers, reviewers, and artists are needed to keep this fine fannish tradition alive. Come hear about our clubzine in print and find out how YOU could contribute.

===Convention Travel Tales===
Come hear about What Happened on the way to or from a con and add any offbeat stories you have.

===My First Convention, or What Not To Do===
One person’s first con involved a broken bathroom door, a room full o' fans getting by cheaply, AND a broken bed. Oh, and one person who'd been up all night announced to a roomful of sleepy people that the sun had just come up. He was not defenestrated, but it WAS close. Tell us your stories!

===Stories from Convention Volunteers===
You just know there are some incredible experiences to hear about. Come listen, then share yours. And if you don't volunteer, find out how you can contribute to fandom.

===The History of Minicon===
Share stories of Minicon through the decades.
How has the con ( and fandom) evolved? When did it become more mainstream? What happened to the hotels??!

===Fannish Hobbies===
What do fans like to do and what makes these activities fannish? Did you know that fanzines are still around?

===The Power of Play===
The concept of play includes many ideas such as stress relief, a path to creativity, connection with others (and our younger selves), and more. Science fiction and fantasy fans enjoy playing around mentally, after all. Silly hats, clothes, footwear, and toys are encouraged for panel members and attendees.

===A Minnesota Worldcon===
This has been talked about since Minneapolis lost the bid for the 1973 worldcon -- and kept running bid parties for the fun of it. Is a worldcon here possible? What are the pros and cons?

== ART and CRAFT ==
=== Designing and making the Hugo and Lodestar Awards===
The famed Hugo rocket design has been the same for ages but, each year, the WorldCon committee choses a different artist to design a unique base. Sara Felix has designed two of these, and has also designed several Lodestar Awards. Come see a presentation by our Artist Guest of Honor about the awards and the design process. With photos!

=== Make Your Own Tiara===
Sara Felix hosts a workshop in which everyone gets a kit to make a simple tiara, with extra bits to make it their own. Probably we will also hear about how to make tiaras, what supplies are needed, and where to get them. Bring your own projects or (Buy a kit for 15 dollars.)

=== Crafting and Creativity===
The world of Fine Arts seems to elevate some media over others. Our Artist Guest of Honor works in resin, inks, and tiaras. How do you choose an artistic medium? When does something usually called a “craft” become Art? Are some media meant for “letting go” while others demand complete control?

=== Parenting and Creativity===
Having kids, of course, forces parents to redesign their entire lives and all of their priorities. Not to mention, they’re a huge distraction. How does one maintain an artistic career, or even hobby, once their lives have been rearranged?

=== Creating with your Kids===
Parents and their kids talk about teaming up to do a fannish/artistic pursuit.

===Fabric Swap and Discussion===
Bring your leftover or never used fabric for swapping. Share stories of how you use up scraps and pieces. Other than traditional fabric stores, where are some good places to find interesting bits to work with? What is your favorite YouTube channel for fabric ideas? How much is too much? Bring your extra bits and swap for other people's extra bits.

== PARTICIPATORY and INTERVIEWS ==

=== Greg Knows Everybody===
Really, he does. Name just about any F/SF author from the past fifty years, and Greg will almost certainly have a story. He can start with Harlan Ellison, RA Lafferty, Julia Adams (who played the Creature from the Black Lagoon’s love interest), and Joe Lansdale. Requests will be encouraged. (This would be instead of an interview, I think)

===Martha Wells Interview===

=== The Fellowship of the Woosters===
A reading from Mike Ford’s legendary story starring Bertie Wooster as Strider, for which a typed manuscript was recently unearthed at DreamHaven. Greg can’t read it because he’ll laugh too hard.

===Instant Stories===
Panelists will create stories based on prompts from the audience.

==READINGS==

== SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ==
===Ask a Scientist===
A selection of scientists answer questions from the audience.
===Ask a Scientist to Respond to Knuckle-headed Clickbait Headlines===
Real headlines from articles that you don't want to read! "Scientists Hatch Bold Plan to Save Humanity From Supervolcano," "Selfies can now Diagnose Cancer," "Automated Cloud Security In Four Steps," "19 shocking food facts, you'll never want to eat again," "Is clickbait killing science journalism? The answer will shock you!"

===Ask an Expert Who Can’t Get A Word In Edgewise===
Really smart people who normally get overshadowed by their more outspoken compatriots share their expertise.
===Caffeine: Different Effects in Different People===
===Food Chemistry===
How does food nourish us on a chemical level? How does it affect our brain chemistry? What are some issues with food today vs issues 100 years ago? Can lab designed foods be healthy?

===Gardening in Climate Change===

How is climate change affecting what you plant in your garden? Is your climate zone changing? If so, is that killing your favorite plants? Is it opening the way to plant things that you couldn't grow before? Are new weeds, and new insects moving in?

Is gardening to augment your pantry becoming necessary, or is that just a trend? Will food forests take off? If so, who has access to the food?

===Volcanoes===
Geologists and aficionados geek out about volcanoes.

== MEDIA, COMICS, GAMING ==
=== Storytelling in games===
Games are stories. In video games, the player becomes the protagonist of a story that at least seems to be controlled by the player. But the best games are written to guide the player’s choices along the intended story line. How do they do this? What games have the best stories? How does the player contribute to the story?

=== Music in Video Games===
The use of orchestrated music in video games has possibly inspired a whole new generation of musicians. Which games have the best or most elaborate sound tracks? How does music add to the game experience?

=== Future methods of storytelling===
Some of us are used to getting our stories in some published form, like magazines or novels. But there are many other ways to tell stories. We will discuss live storytelling, video and board games, manga and graphic novels, and anything else we can think of except, possibly, interpretive dance.

=== The New Golden Age of Comics===
Supposedly there is renewed interest in the Golden Age of Comics, with new releases of old titles. What was the Golden Age of Comics? Which are your favorites? Is there really something new happening, or is it just a marketing ploy?

=== The Multiverse in Popular Culture===
There’s a lot of action in alternate universes these days, what with the whole Marvel Multiverse thing. Where else can we find alternate worlds? Does it represent a new way of thinking? Did Einstein change the way we think about the universe?

===SF/F Shows and Movies We Think You'd Like===
Recommend Shows and movies from the last year.
The last part could involve obscure shows and movies from any year.

=== Portable Gamine ===
With the most recent entries into portable gaming, the Nintendo Switch and Steam Deck, how has portable gaming changed, or has it at all? Have these devices changed how people think of a "gaming laptop"? What games lend themselves to screen sizes? What accessories are a "must" for these consoles?

== NOT YET CLASSIFIED ==

Minicon Parties

2016-04-16T23:59:01Z

Avanderg: Added Requesting to Run section

Minicon has often hosted parties at other science fiction conventions. This is traditional.

If you wish to host a Minicon party at your home town convention then read on.
But note that the purpose of any such party is to promote Minicon not to embarrass it!

== Running a Party ==

'''''Matthew Strait should be credited for most of this section.'''''

So, running a party. First, there are no regulations to follow or anything. (Minicon these days hardly has any official policies.) Just common sense stuff like "please don't get us in trouble".

Here's what we do:

Decorate the room with Peeps paraphernalia and things that say Minicon and/or Minn-stf. It's not necessary that all of our parties be Peeps-themed, but (unless you have a lot of other decorations) it's probably a good idea. Minicon has some bins of party stuff that they may let you use.

Cover the table/desk with a tablecloth to protect it, primarily from blog.

Put out some combination of cheese, meat (summer sausage, generally), crackers, candy, cookies, vegetables. Don't feel constrained by what you've seen at our parties in the past; the idea is just to have munchies.

Make blog. The recipe is [[Blog Recipe|here]].

The canonical recipe has vodka in it, but we always leave that out (making it "St Paul blog") and have vodka on the side for people to add or not add as suits them. The vodka can be a major fraction of the cost of the party if people like their blog very strong. I buy Smirnoff, which runs $25/1.5 liters around here, I think. I'm not sure if there's a cost effective way to buy one nights' worth. If you have no use for leftover vodka, it would be OK to skip it entirely.

The amount of blog that gets consumed is wildly unpredictable, even given previous experience at a particular convention. I can tell you only that between 1/2 and 3 batches will get drunk. But I don't think people get too sad if it runs out after the second batch, so I'd bring enough for that.

Occasionally we have also brought a cooler with cans of soda and/or beer, but we have found that people hardly take the soda (presumably they have gotten enough from the con suite) and having beer means we have to watch the beer *and* the vodka. Some people do really like getting beer, though.

You may sell memberships, but there's no expectation of it. we have found that very few people actually buy memberships in a party even if we actively pitch. (By "very few" I mean an average of perhaps one membership per 5 parties.) Please do have registration forms available (and easily visible), but if you don't want to handle Minicon money, just tell them to mail them in or use the on-line registration. If you do end up handling Minicon money, I think the easiest way to deal with it is for you to mail the registration and payment on to our PO box.

We put up 4-10 posters around the hotel to advertise the party. Sometimes these attempt to be clever, sometimes they just say "Minicon, Room XXX, Friday night". If your room ends up being in the middle of a row of parties, this is probably skippable, but if it's off down the end of a hall away from the action, it's important to do.

== Requesting to Run a Party ==
If you are interested in running a party, please send the request to the Chair of the current [http://mnstf.org/minicon52/ Minicon] with the request. Information to include, at a minimum, would be the Convention where you want to run the party and the dates of the convention.

== Parties at Chicago conventions ==

Hi, I'm Rich Price. My wife, Sharon, and I intend to run Minicon 45 parties at at least two of the three regional conventions in the Chicago area. We would welcome your help in this effort!

To contact us, just drop a note on my [[User_talk:Richpri|talk page]] with your phone number or email address.

Sample GoH Letter

2015-05-08T15:08:10Z

Avanderg:

''Guest'',

This email is about your upcoming Guest of Honor appearance at Minicon ''NN'', and about appearing on programming panels. Minicon will be ''Month, Days, Year'', in Bloomington, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis. This email contains information about what to expect at our convention, and some early programming suggestions.

('''If Artist''')
THIS PART NEEDS TO BE CORRECTED AFTER DISCUSSION ABOUT WHAT'S BEEN AGREED UPON WITH CHAIR, AND WHAT NORMALLY IS AGREED. Frequently, we feature artists work as part of our progress reports, flyers, postcards, badges and other publications. Please send a zipped folder of SOME PREFERRED FORMAT electronic files to EMAIL ADDRESS. If your prefer, you can send a CD/DVD to our P.O. Box. 
''Shipping information''

Within the next month, I will be sending an email about travel arrangements. Will you be traveling with a companion? If your potential companion is interested in participating in programming, please let us know their interests so that we can be sure to include them.

We plan to include the following in your schedule:

8:00PM - 10:00PM Thursday - Meet-and-greet with the other Guests of Honor and our Convention Committee

7:00PM Friday - Opening Ceremony

4:00PM Sunday - Closing Ceremony

('''If Artist''')
5:30PM - Friday Art Show Reception - Meet The Artists

Our programming panels are typically one hour long with a half hour break in between. We rarely schedule Guest of Honor panels back-to-back. This is to allow for meal breaks and down time.

If any of your breaks should be at a specific time, feel free to let us know. While we do have a stipend for meals during the convention, we also have a Consuite and a Programming Green Room with sandwich fixings, fruits, vegetables, salty snacks, and sweet snacks. If you have any dietary restrictions that we should be aware of (vegetarian, kosher, diabetic...), we would be happy to make sure that something is available for you. In addition, if you have snacking preferences, we will make an effort to have those available. We also have a Minicon Bar which serves beer, wine, and Minicon Blog (a traditional Minicon punch, served with or without alcohol). Kaffeeklatches, or in some cases BeerKlacthes typically take place adjacent to the Minicon Bar. If you would like to participate in a Kaffeklatch or a Beerklatch, please let us know your preferences and we will try to make that beverage available.

Regarding programming items - With your permission, we’ll plan to schedule the (If Artist - live demonstration, If Musician - performance, If Author - reading and signing) a Guest of Honor interview, and three to five additional panels specifically devoted to your interests. You will receive an email from our programming department in late October that includes items brainstormed with you in mind. If you'd like to suggest anything beforehand, please feel free.

Our "Kid's Programming" track is always happy to have Guest suggestions and willing participation. All kid's programming events (of course) will include our own child wranglers. Popular past events have included "Design An Alien" crafts, bedtime stories, "How To Draw A Dragon," and sing-alongs.

('''If non-music GoH''')
We understand that you have an interest in music (''filk, folk, whatever''). You are welcome to perform a concert if you'd like.

We're all very excited that you're coming, and we look forward to meeting you!

Respectfully,
NAME, GOH HEAD
CC: NAME, MINICON CHAIR

----

October Programming email should include the following:

If you would like any Audio Visual equipment to be available for any of your programming items, please let us know what you'd like. If a projector will be necessary, please let us know what sort of hookups we should be prepared for.

Please feel free to suggest any modifications to these titles or descriptions. In addition to these suggested panels, we also have a much larger list of panel suggestions at our Programming Brainstorming page at THIS YEAR'S BRAINSTORMING PAGE LINK. Please feel free to let us know if any of those panels would be more suited to your preferences, or if there is an entirely different topic that you'd like to discuss. If there's a panel topic of discussion that you've always wanted to do but has never been suggested, we'd love to include it.

Respectfully,
NAME, PROGRAMMING HEAD
CC: NAME, GOH HEAD

Sample GoH Letter

2015-05-06T23:38:09Z

Avanderg:

''Guest'',

This email is about your upcoming Guest of Honor appearance at Minicon ''NN'', and about appearing on programming panels. Minicon will be ''Month, Days, Year'', in Bloomington, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis. This email contains information about what to expect at our convention, and some early programming suggestions.

('''If Artist''')
Would you be so kind as to send a CD/DVD with images for Minicon to use for flyers, postcards, Program Book, Badges - ''what format/size/etc'' 
''Shipping information''

Will you be traveling with a companion? If so, is your companion interested in participating in programming?

We plan to include the following in your schedule:

8:00PM - 10:00PM Thursday - Meet-and-greet with the other Guests of Honor and our Convention Committee

7:00PM Friday - Opening Ceremony

4:00PM Sunday - Closing Ceremony

('''If Artist''')
5:30PM - Friday Art Show Reception - Meet The Artists

Our programming panels are typically one hour long with a half hour break in between. We rarely schedule Guest of Honor panels back-to-back. This is to allow for meal breaks and down time.

If any of your breaks should be at a specific time, feel free to let us know. While we do have a stipend for meals during the convention, we also have a Consuite, and a Programming Green Room with sandwich fixings, fruits, vegetables, salty snacks, and sweet snacks. If you have any dietary restrictions that we should be aware of (vegetarian, kosher, diabetic...), we would be happy to make sure that something is available for you. In addition, if you have snacking preferences, we will make an effort to have those available. We also have a Minicon Bar which serves beer, wine, and Minicon Blog (a traditional Minicon punch, served with or without alcohol). Kaffeeklatches, or in some cases BeerKlacthes typically take place adjacent to the Minicon Bar. If you would like to participate in a Kaffeklatch or a Beerklatch, please let us know your preferences and we will try to make that beverage available.

Regarding programming items - With your permission, we’ll plan to schedule the (If Artist - live demonstration, If Musician - performance, If Author - reading and signing) a Guest of Honor interview, and three to five additional panels specifically devoted to your interests. You will receive an email from our programming department in late October that includes items brainstormed with you in mind. If you'd like to suggest anything beforehand, please feel free.

Our "Kid's Programming" track is always happy to have Guest suggestions and willing participation. All kid's programming events (of course) will include our own child wranglers. Popular past events have included "Design An Alien" crafts, bedtime stories, "How To Draw A Dragon," and sing-alongs.

('''If non-music GoH''')
We understand that you have an interest in music (''filk, folk, whatever''). You are welcome to perform a concert if you'd like.

We're all very excited that you're coming, and we look forward to meeting you!

Respectfully,
NAME, GOH HEAD
CC: NAME, MINICON CHAIR

*****************************

October Programming email should include the following:

If you would like any Audio Visual equipment to be available for any of your programming items, please let us know what you'd like. If a projector will be necessary, please let us know what sort of hookups we should be prepared for.

Please feel free to suggest any modifications to these titles or descriptions. In addition to these suggested panels, we also have a much larger list of panel suggestions at our Programming Brainstorming page at THIS YEAR'S BRAINSTORMING PAGE LINK. Please feel free to let us know if any of those panels would be more suited to your preferences, or if there is an entirely different topic that you'd like to discuss. If there's a panel topic of discussion that you've always wanted to do but has never been suggested, we'd love to include it.

Respectfully,
NAME, PROGRAMMING HEAD
CC: NAME, GOH HEAD

Sample GoH Letter

2015-05-06T13:08:42Z

Avanderg: GoH intro email

''Guest'',

This email is about your upcoming Guest of Honor appearance at Minicon ''NN'', and about appearing on programming panels. Minicon will be ''Dates'', 2014 in Bloomington, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis. This email contains information about what to expect at our convention, and a list of suggested panels.

Will you be traveling with a +1? Is your +1 interested in participating in programming?

We plan to include the following in your schedule:

8:00PM - 10:00PM Thursday - Meet-and-greet with the other Guests of Honor and our Convention Committee

7:00PM Friday - Opening Ceremony

4:00PM Sunday - Closing Ceremony

Our programming panels are typically one hour long with a half hour break in between. We rarely schedule Guest of Honor panels back-to-back. This is to allow for meal breaks and down time.

If any of your breaks should be at a specific time, feel free to let us know. While we do have a stipend for meals during the convention, we also have a Consuite, and a Programming Green Room with sandwich fixings, fruits, vegetables, salty snacks, and sweet snacks. If you have any dietary restrictions that we should be aware of (vegetarian, kosher, diabetic...), we would be happy to make sure that something is available for you. In addition, if you have snacking preferences, we will make an effort to have those available. We also have a Minicon Bar which serves beer, wine, and Minicon Blog (the traditional Minicon adult beverage). Kaffeeklatches, or in some cases BeerKlacthes typically take place adjacent to the Minicon Bar.

Regarding programming items - With your permission, we’ll plan to schedule the ('''If Artist''' live demonstration,) a Guest of Honor interview, and three to five additional panels specifically devoted to your interests.

('''If Artist''')
Friday Art Show Reception - Meet The Artists

Cheese, art, and a minimal amount of snootyness‡. This is a chance to meet the artists involved in making the art in the Minicon Art Show, discuss work, and get answers to your questions about the art on display.

‡The Minicon Art Show makes no guarantees as to frequency or amplitude of snootyness.

('''If non-music GoH''')
We understand that you have an interest in music (''filk, folk, whatever''), would you like a concert slot?

*****************************

If you would like any Audio Visual equipment to be available for any of your programming items, please let us know what you'd like. If a projector will be necessary, please let us know what sort of hookups we should be prepared for.

Please feel free to suggest any modifications to these titles or descriptions. In addition to these suggested panels, we also have a much larger list of panel suggestions at our Programming Brainstorming page at http://tinyurl.com/btbcsj9. Please feel free to let us know if any of those panels would be more suited to your preferences, or if there is an entirely different topic that you'd like to discuss. If there's a panel topic of discussion that you've always wanted to do but has never been suggested, we'd love to include it.

We're all very excited that you're coming, and we look forward to meeting you!

Respectfully,

''GoH Head'' 
email / goh@minicon''NN''.mnstf.org

GoH Department

2015-05-06T12:41:21Z

Avanderg:

== Guest of Honor (GoH) Department and Guest Liaison Responsibilities ==

=== Pre-con Responsibilities ===
==== Soon after Guest is announced ====
*GoH (Department Head) sends intro email to collect basic information [[Sample GoH Letter]]

==== September - December Timeframe ====

*Contact GoH (Department Head has initial responsibility and will provide 'virtual' introduction once liaisons are assigned)
*Get GoH interests and communicate those to Programming and Music
**Provide link (as appropriate) to Programming Wiki
*Get +1 information (who is attending with GoH)
**Preferred Badge Name
*Get +1 interests (are they interested in being on certain panels, etc.) or is this a pro handler?
*Arrange travel - Either book travel and get reimbursed or send travel requests to Chair for purchase
**We attempt to keep the cost under $550 per flight.
**Need name on state ID and Birthdate for airlines
**Ask for rewards program information for booking
*Communicate travel to Chair, Programming, Hotel
*Communicate GoH and +1 info to Registration
*Assign Guest Liaison's to GoH - Inform Programming of assignments
*Get short Bio (1-2 paragraphs) for early PR's - send to Publications

==== December - February Timeframe ====

*Stay copied on all communication from Art, Music, and Programming to GoH
*Notify Programming, Art of any extra scheduling from Guest (signings, etc.)
*Send Former GoH letter (at discretion of Chair)
*Request picture of GoH from the GoH for Program Book
*Get longer Bio (~1 page) for Program Book - send to Publications
*Review schedule as it is built for GoH perspective
*Review Kaffeeklatch (or variant) and location
*Get pens for signings
*Communicate mobile number so GoH can call/text liaison
*Provide Department head mobile number as backup for liaison
*Provide shipping information for Art GoHs

==== Work Party ====

*Get GoH badges, schedules (full registration envelope)
*Get GoH stipend ($50/day for GoH)
*Get a copy of schedules for liaison
*Make a sign to take to the airport
*Verify with Hotel that GoH rooms are set for late check-out on final day

=== At-con Responsibilities ===
For the purposes of this section, consider everything from the end of the work party until the GoH flies home to be At-con.

==== Pre-arival ====

*GoH Department Head to work with Hotel to get keys for GoH rooms
*Verify Keys, Stipend, Badges, Schedule, Program Book, Pocket Guide ready for GoH

==== Arrival ====

*Park in MSP Short Term parking
*Review flight / baggage claim information
*Bring GoH and +1 to Hotel
*Deliver to room
*Deliver Keys, Stipend, Badges, Schedule, Program Book, Pocket Guide
*Arrange to meet the GoH after they have settled in
*Provide tour of rooms to acquaint them with layout - Consuite, Bar, Green Room, Art Show, Music, Programming Rooms
*Arrange time to accompany GoH to Reception - Verify GoH has time to eat or provide food prior to Reception
*Remember to remind the GoH that GoH can call us with any questions or needs
*Provide the time for late check-out on final day, arrange logistics (is there a good time to move luggage to liaison vehicle, store it with Concierge, etc.)

==== Each Day of Con ====

*Arrange escort to/from Green Room and Programming, as desired
*Make sure they get to their panels (be their external scheduling brain)
*Bring pens to panels and signings
*Review published limit and ask members to cycle through line if they exceed signing limit
*Make sure GoH has time to eat and has breaks between activities
*For panels / events that require ''tech'' (A/V) - arrive early, work with Programming to test
*For music events, arrange with Programming and Music for sound-check, etc.
*You also need to be available whenever they are for the same as above - no getting drunk while they are still doing panels/music, etc. You also need to be up when they need to be up, so you either skip some sleep or live on their schedule for a couple of days. You might also need to take them places, like MOA or MIA or whatever they want/need to do outside of the convention.

==== When it is time for the GoH to depart for home ====

*Get luggage to vehicle
*Drop GoH off at airport
*Come back for the Dead Dog Party!

=== General Notes ===

*Keep receipts for reimbursement
*Liaison may need to occasionally ask a Member to move on or otherwise fend off an overly zealous fan

=== Administrivia ===
This page supersedes [[Interaction between GoH and Registration]]

GoH Department

2015-04-26T02:28:18Z

Avanderg: /* December - February Timeframe */

== Guest of Honor (GoH) Department and Guest Liaison Responsibilities ==

=== Pre-con Responsibilities ===

==== September - December Timeframe ====

*Contact GoH (Department Head has initial responsibility and will provide 'virtual' introduction once liaisons are assigned)
*Get GoH interests and communicate those to Programming and Music
**Provide link (as appropriate) to Programming Wiki
*Get +1 information (who is attending with GoH)
**Preferred Badge Name
*Get +1 interests (are they interested in being on certain panels, etc.) or is this a pro handler?
*Arrange travel - Either book travel and get reimbursed or send travel requests to Chair for purchase
**We attempt to keep the cost under $550 per flight.
**Need name on state ID and Birthdate for airlines
**Ask for rewards program information for booking
*Communicate travel to Chair, Programming, Hotel
*Communicate GoH and +1 info to Registration
*Assign Guest Liaison's to GoH - Inform Programming of assignments
*Get short Bio (1-2 paragraphs) for early PR's - send to Publications

==== December - February Timeframe ====

*Stay copied on all communication from Art, Music, and Programming to GoH
*Notify Programming, Art of any extra scheduling from Guest (signings, etc.)
*Send Former GoH letter (at discretion of Chair)
*Request picture of GoH from the GoH for Program Book
*Get longer Bio (~1 page) for Program Book - send to Publications
*Review schedule as it is built for GoH perspective
*Review Kaffeeklatch (or variant) and location
*Get pens for signings
*Communicate mobile number so GoH can call/text liaison
*Provide Department head mobile number as backup for liaison
*Provide shipping information for Art GoHs

==== Work Party ====

*Get GoH badges, schedules (full registration envelope)
*Get GoH stipend ($50/day for GoH)
*Get a copy of schedules for liaison
*Make a sign to take to the airport
*Verify with Hotel that GoH rooms are set for late check-out on final day

=== At-con Responsibilities ===
For the purposes of this section, consider everything from the end of the work party until the GoH flies home to be At-con.

==== Pre-arival ====

*GoH Department Head to work with Hotel to get keys for GoH rooms
*Verify Keys, Stipend, Badges, Schedule, Program Book, Pocket Guide ready for GoH

==== Arrival ====

*Park in MSP Short Term parking
*Review flight / baggage claim information
*Bring GoH and +1 to Hotel
*Deliver to room
*Deliver Keys, Stipend, Badges, Schedule, Program Book, Pocket Guide
*Arrange to meet the GoH after they have settled in
*Provide tour of rooms to acquaint them with layout - Consuite, Bar, Green Room, Art Show, Music, Programming Rooms
*Arrange time to accompany GoH to Reception - Verify GoH has time to eat or provide food prior to Reception
*Remember to remind the GoH that GoH can call us with any questions or needs
*Provide the time for late check-out on final day, arrange logistics (is there a good time to move luggage to liaison vehicle, store it with Concierge, etc.)

==== Each Day of Con ====

*Arrange escort to/from Green Room and Programming, as desired
*Make sure they get to their panels (be their external scheduling brain)
*Bring pens to panels and signings
*Review published limit and ask members to cycle through line if they exceed signing limit
*Make sure GoH has time to eat and has breaks between activities
*For panels / events that require ''tech'' (A/V) - arrive early, work with Programming to test
*For music events, arrange with Programming and Music for sound-check, etc.
*You also need to be available whenever they are for the same as above - no getting drunk while they are still doing panels/music, etc. You also need to be up when they need to be up, so you either skip some sleep or live on their schedule for a couple of days. You might also need to take them places, like MOA or MIA or whatever they want/need to do outside of the convention.

==== When it is time for the GoH to depart for home ====

*Get luggage to vehicle
*Drop GoH off at airport
*Come back for the Dead Dog Party!

=== General Notes ===

*Keep receipts for reimbursement
*Liaison may need to occasionally ask a Member to move on or otherwise fend off an overly zealous fan

=== Administrivia ===
This page supersedes [[Interaction between GoH and Registration]]

GoH Department

2015-04-08T02:48:39Z

Avanderg: /* When it is time for the GoH to leave */

== Guest of Honor (GoH) Department and Guest Liaison Responsibilities ==

=== Pre-con Responsibilities ===

==== September - December Timeframe ====

*Contact GoH (Department Head has initial responsibility and will provide 'virtual' introduction once liaisons are assigned)
*Get GoH interests and communicate those to Programming and Music
**Provide link (as appropriate) to Programming Wiki
*Get +1 information (who is attending with GoH)
**Preferred Badge Name
*Get +1 interests (are they interested in being on certain panels, etc.) or is this a pro handler?
*Arrange travel - Either book travel and get reimbursed or send travel requests to Chair for purchase
**We attempt to keep the cost under $550 per flight.
**Need name on state ID and Birthdate for airlines
**Ask for rewards program information for booking
*Communicate travel to Chair, Programming, Hotel
*Communicate GoH and +1 info to Registration
*Assign Guest Liaison's to GoH - Inform Programming of assignments
*Get short Bio (1-2 paragraphs) for early PR's - send to Publications

==== December - February Timeframe ====

*Stay copied on all communication from Art, Music, and Programming to GoH
*Send Former GoH letter (at discretion of Chair)
*Request picture of GoH from the GoH for Program Book
*Get longer Bio (~1 page) for Program Book - send to Publications
*Review schedule as it is built for GoH perspective
*Review Kaffeeklatch (or variant) and location
*Get pens for signings
*Communicate mobile number so GoH can call/text liaison
*Provide Department head mobile number as backup for liaison
*Provide shipping information for Art GoHs

==== Work Party ====

*Get GoH badges, schedules (full registration envelope)
*Get GoH stipend ($50/day for GoH)
*Get a copy of schedules for liaison
*Make a sign to take to the airport
*Verify with Hotel that GoH rooms are set for late check-out on final day

=== At-con Responsibilities ===
For the purposes of this section, consider everything from the end of the work party until the GoH flies home to be At-con.

==== Pre-arival ====

*GoH Department Head to work with Hotel to get keys for GoH rooms
*Verify Keys, Stipend, Badges, Schedule, Program Book, Pocket Guide ready for GoH

==== Arrival ====

*Park in MSP Short Term parking
*Review flight / baggage claim information
*Bring GoH and +1 to Hotel
*Deliver to room
*Deliver Keys, Stipend, Badges, Schedule, Program Book, Pocket Guide
*Arrange to meet the GoH after they have settled in
*Provide tour of rooms to acquaint them with layout - Consuite, Bar, Green Room, Art Show, Music, Programming Rooms
*Arrange time to accompany GoH to Reception - Verify GoH has time to eat or provide food prior to Reception
*Remember to remind the GoH that GoH can call us with any questions or needs
*Provide the time for late check-out on final day, arrange logistics (is there a good time to move luggage to liaison vehicle, store it with Concierge, etc.)

==== Each Day of Con ====

*Arrange escort to/from Green Room and Programming, as desired
*Make sure they get to their panels (be their external scheduling brain)
*Bring pens to panels and signings
*Review published limit and ask members to cycle through line if they exceed signing limit
*Make sure GoH has time to eat and has breaks between activities
*For panels / events that require ''tech'' (A/V) - arrive early, work with Programming to test
*For music events, arrange with Programming and Music for sound-check, etc.
*You also need to be available whenever they are for the same as above - no getting drunk while they are still doing panels/music, etc. You also need to be up when they need to be up, so you either skip some sleep or live on their schedule for a couple of days. You might also need to take them places, like MOA or MIA or whatever they want/need to do outside of the convention.

==== When it is time for the GoH to depart for home ====

*Get luggage to vehicle
*Drop GoH off at airport
*Come back for the Dead Dog Party!

=== General Notes ===

*Keep receipts for reimbursement
*Liaison may need to occasionally ask a Member to move on or otherwise fend off an overly zealous fan

=== Administrivia ===
This page supersedes [[Interaction between GoH and Registration]]

GoH Department

2015-04-08T02:48:10Z

Avanderg: /* When they leave */

== Guest of Honor (GoH) Department and Guest Liaison Responsibilities ==

=== Pre-con Responsibilities ===

==== September - December Timeframe ====

*Contact GoH (Department Head has initial responsibility and will provide 'virtual' introduction once liaisons are assigned)
*Get GoH interests and communicate those to Programming and Music
**Provide link (as appropriate) to Programming Wiki
*Get +1 information (who is attending with GoH)
**Preferred Badge Name
*Get +1 interests (are they interested in being on certain panels, etc.) or is this a pro handler?
*Arrange travel - Either book travel and get reimbursed or send travel requests to Chair for purchase
**We attempt to keep the cost under $550 per flight.
**Need name on state ID and Birthdate for airlines
**Ask for rewards program information for booking
*Communicate travel to Chair, Programming, Hotel
*Communicate GoH and +1 info to Registration
*Assign Guest Liaison's to GoH - Inform Programming of assignments
*Get short Bio (1-2 paragraphs) for early PR's - send to Publications

==== December - February Timeframe ====

*Stay copied on all communication from Art, Music, and Programming to GoH
*Send Former GoH letter (at discretion of Chair)
*Request picture of GoH from the GoH for Program Book
*Get longer Bio (~1 page) for Program Book - send to Publications
*Review schedule as it is built for GoH perspective
*Review Kaffeeklatch (or variant) and location
*Get pens for signings
*Communicate mobile number so GoH can call/text liaison
*Provide Department head mobile number as backup for liaison
*Provide shipping information for Art GoHs

==== Work Party ====

*Get GoH badges, schedules (full registration envelope)
*Get GoH stipend ($50/day for GoH)
*Get a copy of schedules for liaison
*Make a sign to take to the airport
*Verify with Hotel that GoH rooms are set for late check-out on final day

=== At-con Responsibilities ===
For the purposes of this section, consider everything from the end of the work party until the GoH flies home to be At-con.

==== Pre-arival ====

*GoH Department Head to work with Hotel to get keys for GoH rooms
*Verify Keys, Stipend, Badges, Schedule, Program Book, Pocket Guide ready for GoH

==== Arrival ====

*Park in MSP Short Term parking
*Review flight / baggage claim information
*Bring GoH and +1 to Hotel
*Deliver to room
*Deliver Keys, Stipend, Badges, Schedule, Program Book, Pocket Guide
*Arrange to meet the GoH after they have settled in
*Provide tour of rooms to acquaint them with layout - Consuite, Bar, Green Room, Art Show, Music, Programming Rooms
*Arrange time to accompany GoH to Reception - Verify GoH has time to eat or provide food prior to Reception
*Remember to remind the GoH that GoH can call us with any questions or needs
*Provide the time for late check-out on final day, arrange logistics (is there a good time to move luggage to liaison vehicle, store it with Concierge, etc.)

==== Each Day of Con ====

*Arrange escort to/from Green Room and Programming, as desired
*Make sure they get to their panels (be their external scheduling brain)
*Bring pens to panels and signings
*Review published limit and ask members to cycle through line if they exceed signing limit
*Make sure GoH has time to eat and has breaks between activities
*For panels / events that require ''tech'' (A/V) - arrive early, work with Programming to test
*For music events, arrange with Programming and Music for sound-check, etc.
*You also need to be available whenever they are for the same as above - no getting drunk while they are still doing panels/music, etc. You also need to be up when they need to be up, so you either skip some sleep or live on their schedule for a couple of days. You might also need to take them places, like MOA or MIA or whatever they want/need to do outside of the convention.

==== When it is time for the GoH to leave ====

*Get luggage to vehicle
*Drop GoH off at airport
*Come back for the Dead Dog Party!

=== General Notes ===

*Keep receipts for reimbursement
*Liaison may need to occasionally ask a Member to move on or otherwise fend off an overly zealous fan

=== Administrivia ===
This page supersedes [[Interaction between GoH and Registration]]

GoH Department

2015-04-08T02:47:22Z

Avanderg: /* December - February Timeframe */

== Guest of Honor (GoH) Department and Guest Liaison Responsibilities ==

=== Pre-con Responsibilities ===

==== September - December Timeframe ====

*Contact GoH (Department Head has initial responsibility and will provide 'virtual' introduction once liaisons are assigned)
*Get GoH interests and communicate those to Programming and Music
**Provide link (as appropriate) to Programming Wiki
*Get +1 information (who is attending with GoH)
**Preferred Badge Name
*Get +1 interests (are they interested in being on certain panels, etc.) or is this a pro handler?
*Arrange travel - Either book travel and get reimbursed or send travel requests to Chair for purchase
**We attempt to keep the cost under $550 per flight.
**Need name on state ID and Birthdate for airlines
**Ask for rewards program information for booking
*Communicate travel to Chair, Programming, Hotel
*Communicate GoH and +1 info to Registration
*Assign Guest Liaison's to GoH - Inform Programming of assignments
*Get short Bio (1-2 paragraphs) for early PR's - send to Publications

==== December - February Timeframe ====

*Stay copied on all communication from Art, Music, and Programming to GoH
*Send Former GoH letter (at discretion of Chair)
*Request picture of GoH from the GoH for Program Book
*Get longer Bio (~1 page) for Program Book - send to Publications
*Review schedule as it is built for GoH perspective
*Review Kaffeeklatch (or variant) and location
*Get pens for signings
*Communicate mobile number so GoH can call/text liaison
*Provide Department head mobile number as backup for liaison
*Provide shipping information for Art GoHs

==== Work Party ====

*Get GoH badges, schedules (full registration envelope)
*Get GoH stipend ($50/day for GoH)
*Get a copy of schedules for liaison
*Make a sign to take to the airport
*Verify with Hotel that GoH rooms are set for late check-out on final day

=== At-con Responsibilities ===
For the purposes of this section, consider everything from the end of the work party until the GoH flies home to be At-con.

==== Pre-arival ====

*GoH Department Head to work with Hotel to get keys for GoH rooms
*Verify Keys, Stipend, Badges, Schedule, Program Book, Pocket Guide ready for GoH

==== Arrival ====

*Park in MSP Short Term parking
*Review flight / baggage claim information
*Bring GoH and +1 to Hotel
*Deliver to room
*Deliver Keys, Stipend, Badges, Schedule, Program Book, Pocket Guide
*Arrange to meet the GoH after they have settled in
*Provide tour of rooms to acquaint them with layout - Consuite, Bar, Green Room, Art Show, Music, Programming Rooms
*Arrange time to accompany GoH to Reception - Verify GoH has time to eat or provide food prior to Reception
*Remember to remind the GoH that GoH can call us with any questions or needs
*Provide the time for late check-out on final day, arrange logistics (is there a good time to move luggage to liaison vehicle, store it with Concierge, etc.)

==== Each Day of Con ====

*Arrange escort to/from Green Room and Programming, as desired
*Make sure they get to their panels (be their external scheduling brain)
*Bring pens to panels and signings
*Review published limit and ask members to cycle through line if they exceed signing limit
*Make sure GoH has time to eat and has breaks between activities
*For panels / events that require ''tech'' (A/V) - arrive early, work with Programming to test
*For music events, arrange with Programming and Music for sound-check, etc.
*You also need to be available whenever they are for the same as above - no getting drunk while they are still doing panels/music, etc. You also need to be up when they need to be up, so you either skip some sleep or live on their schedule for a couple of days. You might also need to take them places, like MOA or MIA or whatever they want/need to do outside of the convention.

==== When they leave ====

*Get luggage to vehicle
*Drop GoH off at airport
*Come back for the Dead Dog Party!

=== General Notes ===

*Keep receipts for reimbursement
*Liaison may need to occasionally ask a Member to move on or otherwise fend off an overly zealous fan

=== Administrivia ===
This page supersedes [[Interaction between GoH and Registration]]

GoH Department

2015-04-08T02:46:19Z

Avanderg: /* December - February Timeframe */

== Guest of Honor (GoH) Department and Guest Liaison Responsibilities ==

=== Pre-con Responsibilities ===

==== September - December Timeframe ====

*Contact GoH (Department Head has initial responsibility and will provide 'virtual' introduction once liaisons are assigned)
*Get GoH interests and communicate those to Programming and Music
**Provide link (as appropriate) to Programming Wiki
*Get +1 information (who is attending with GoH)
**Preferred Badge Name
*Get +1 interests (are they interested in being on certain panels, etc.) or is this a pro handler?
*Arrange travel - Either book travel and get reimbursed or send travel requests to Chair for purchase
**We attempt to keep the cost under $550 per flight.
**Need name on state ID and Birthdate for airlines
**Ask for rewards program information for booking
*Communicate travel to Chair, Programming, Hotel
*Communicate GoH and +1 info to Registration
*Assign Guest Liaison's to GoH - Inform Programming of assignments
*Get short Bio (1-2 paragraphs) for early PR's - send to Publications

==== December - February Timeframe ====

*Stay copied on all communication from Art, Music, and Programming to GoH
*Send Former GoH letter (at discretion of Chair)
*Request picture of GoH from the GoH for Program Book
*Get longer Bio (~1 page) for Program Book - send to Publications
*Review schedule as it is built for GoH perspective
*Review Kaffeeklatch (or variant) and location
*Get pens for signings
*Communicate mobile number so GoH can call/text liaison
*Provide Department head mobile number as backup for liaison

==== Work Party ====

*Get GoH badges, schedules (full registration envelope)
*Get GoH stipend ($50/day for GoH)
*Get a copy of schedules for liaison
*Make a sign to take to the airport
*Verify with Hotel that GoH rooms are set for late check-out on final day

=== At-con Responsibilities ===
For the purposes of this section, consider everything from the end of the work party until the GoH flies home to be At-con.

==== Pre-arival ====

*GoH Department Head to work with Hotel to get keys for GoH rooms
*Verify Keys, Stipend, Badges, Schedule, Program Book, Pocket Guide ready for GoH

==== Arrival ====

*Park in MSP Short Term parking
*Review flight / baggage claim information
*Bring GoH and +1 to Hotel
*Deliver to room
*Deliver Keys, Stipend, Badges, Schedule, Program Book, Pocket Guide
*Arrange to meet the GoH after they have settled in
*Provide tour of rooms to acquaint them with layout - Consuite, Bar, Green Room, Art Show, Music, Programming Rooms
*Arrange time to accompany GoH to Reception - Verify GoH has time to eat or provide food prior to Reception
*Remember to remind the GoH that GoH can call us with any questions or needs
*Provide the time for late check-out on final day, arrange logistics (is there a good time to move luggage to liaison vehicle, store it with Concierge, etc.)

==== Each Day of Con ====

*Arrange escort to/from Green Room and Programming, as desired
*Make sure they get to their panels (be their external scheduling brain)
*Bring pens to panels and signings
*Review published limit and ask members to cycle through line if they exceed signing limit
*Make sure GoH has time to eat and has breaks between activities
*For panels / events that require ''tech'' (A/V) - arrive early, work with Programming to test
*For music events, arrange with Programming and Music for sound-check, etc.
*You also need to be available whenever they are for the same as above - no getting drunk while they are still doing panels/music, etc. You also need to be up when they need to be up, so you either skip some sleep or live on their schedule for a couple of days. You might also need to take them places, like MOA or MIA or whatever they want/need to do outside of the convention.

==== When they leave ====

*Get luggage to vehicle
*Drop GoH off at airport
*Come back for the Dead Dog Party!

=== General Notes ===

*Keep receipts for reimbursement
*Liaison may need to occasionally ask a Member to move on or otherwise fend off an overly zealous fan

=== Administrivia ===
This page supersedes [[Interaction between GoH and Registration]]

GoH Department

2015-04-08T02:45:27Z

Avanderg:

== Guest of Honor (GoH) Department and Guest Liaison Responsibilities ==

=== Pre-con Responsibilities ===

==== September - December Timeframe ====

*Contact GoH (Department Head has initial responsibility and will provide 'virtual' introduction once liaisons are assigned)
*Get GoH interests and communicate those to Programming and Music
**Provide link (as appropriate) to Programming Wiki
*Get +1 information (who is attending with GoH)
**Preferred Badge Name
*Get +1 interests (are they interested in being on certain panels, etc.) or is this a pro handler?
*Arrange travel - Either book travel and get reimbursed or send travel requests to Chair for purchase
**We attempt to keep the cost under $550 per flight.
**Need name on state ID and Birthdate for airlines
**Ask for rewards program information for booking
*Communicate travel to Chair, Programming, Hotel
*Communicate GoH and +1 info to Registration
*Assign Guest Liaison's to GoH - Inform Programming of assignments
*Get short Bio (1-2 paragraphs) for early PR's - send to Publications

==== December - February Timeframe ====

*Stayed copied on all communication from Music and Programming to GoH
*Send Former GoH letter (at discretion of Chair)
*Request picture of GoH from the GoH for Program Book
*Get longer Bio (~1 page) for Program Book - send to Publications
*Review schedule as it is built for GoH perspective
*Review Kaffeeklatch (or variant) and location
*Get pens for signings
*Communicate mobile number so GoH can call/text liaison
*Provide Department head mobile number as backup for liaison

==== Work Party ====

*Get GoH badges, schedules (full registration envelope)
*Get GoH stipend ($50/day for GoH)
*Get a copy of schedules for liaison
*Make a sign to take to the airport
*Verify with Hotel that GoH rooms are set for late check-out on final day

=== At-con Responsibilities ===
For the purposes of this section, consider everything from the end of the work party until the GoH flies home to be At-con.

==== Pre-arival ====

*GoH Department Head to work with Hotel to get keys for GoH rooms
*Verify Keys, Stipend, Badges, Schedule, Program Book, Pocket Guide ready for GoH

==== Arrival ====

*Park in MSP Short Term parking
*Review flight / baggage claim information
*Bring GoH and +1 to Hotel
*Deliver to room
*Deliver Keys, Stipend, Badges, Schedule, Program Book, Pocket Guide
*Arrange to meet the GoH after they have settled in
*Provide tour of rooms to acquaint them with layout - Consuite, Bar, Green Room, Art Show, Music, Programming Rooms
*Arrange time to accompany GoH to Reception - Verify GoH has time to eat or provide food prior to Reception
*Remember to remind the GoH that GoH can call us with any questions or needs
*Provide the time for late check-out on final day, arrange logistics (is there a good time to move luggage to liaison vehicle, store it with Concierge, etc.)

==== Each Day of Con ====

*Arrange escort to/from Green Room and Programming, as desired
*Make sure they get to their panels (be their external scheduling brain)
*Bring pens to panels and signings
*Review published limit and ask members to cycle through line if they exceed signing limit
*Make sure GoH has time to eat and has breaks between activities
*For panels / events that require ''tech'' (A/V) - arrive early, work with Programming to test
*For music events, arrange with Programming and Music for sound-check, etc.
*You also need to be available whenever they are for the same as above - no getting drunk while they are still doing panels/music, etc. You also need to be up when they need to be up, so you either skip some sleep or live on their schedule for a couple of days. You might also need to take them places, like MOA or MIA or whatever they want/need to do outside of the convention.

==== When they leave ====

*Get luggage to vehicle
*Drop GoH off at airport
*Come back for the Dead Dog Party!

=== General Notes ===

*Keep receipts for reimbursement
*Liaison may need to occasionally ask a Member to move on or otherwise fend off an overly zealous fan

=== Administrivia ===
This page supersedes [[Interaction between GoH and Registration]]

Main Page

2015-04-08T02:44:14Z

Avanderg: /* GoH Handling */

Consult the [http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Help:Contents User's Guide] for information on using the wiki software.
== Minnstf Links ==
*[http://www.mnstf.org Mnstf web page]
*[http://www.mnstf.org/records/ Minn-stf Records Page] - Bylaws, older Board minutes, tax records

=== Minnstf History ===
[http://www.smithway.org/history/fathers1.html The Floundering Fathers Panel] - An interview with Minnstf founders Nate Bucklin, Ken Fletcher, Fred Haskell, Frank Stodolka, and Jim Young, circa 1977

== Minnstf Document Digitization Project ==

Otherwise known as MinDocDigPro. This is an ongoing effort to digitize Minnstf (and in particular Minicon) documents. [[MinDocDigPro|Here's the organizing page of the project.]]

== Minnstf Recurring Annual Tasks ==

(This is a work in progress; discussion on Natter and LJ welcome.)

Proposals for future Minicons: Due to the board by January 31, approximately 14 months before the proposed convention.

Proposals for next year’s Fallcon: Due to the board by February 15, approximately 8 months before the proposed convention.

ASCAP: Due March 31(?) for previous year. To be done by Head of Minicon Music (currently Becca Leathers). (Note as of 1/4/14: Is this being taken over by Minn-stf board?)

Voting meeting: The Membership Secretary (currently, Laura Krentz) and outgoing President (currently, Peer Dudda) should make arrangements for nomination and voting meetings. The voting meeting must happen before March 31, typically before Minicon. There are two nominating meetings that must happen before then.

Officers: Chosen by the new board at the voting meeting or as soon as possible thereafter. Names and positions of officers should be submitted to the MnStf Webmaster (currently Eric Forste).

Minicon preliminary finances: Due to the board within one month after convention. That report should include gross income, gross profit, and amount given to the board. Final finances should be available within three months, or an explanation of extenuating circumstances.

Taxes: Due April 15 (technical drop-dead date is May 15). At this point, we only have to file the “postcard,” and that can be done online. Beth Friedman filed online in 2013 for calendar year 2012, and has the login. In theory, the Treasurer (currently Carol Kennedy) is in charge of seeing that such happens.

Annual renewal with the Minnesota Secretary of State for Minnesota Science Fiction Society: Should be done by December 1 or earlier, though the actual deadline is December 31. This is the current link to do so: http://mblsportal.sos.state.mn.us/Business/SearchDetails?filingGuid=5c18cf48-aed4-e011-a886-001ec94ffe7f. Done by Beth Friedman for 2014.

Solicitations for the next year’s Fallcon: Both at and immediately after Fallcon.

Fallcon preliminary finances: Due to the board within one month after convention. That report should include gross income, gross profit, and amount given to the board. Final finances should be available within three months, or an explanation of extenuating circumstances.

Solicitations for future Minicons: Due early November, approximately 17 months before the convention to be proposed. To be done by a board member (secretary?) (currently, Kevin Austin).

Annual website registration contact information verification through GANDI (http://en.gandi.net/). Current domains are mnstf.org and minicon.org. GANDI sends notifications to the address on file (who?), who needs to confirm information.

== General-interest Minicon stuff ==
=== Current Minicon Webpages ===
* [http://www.mnstf.org/minicon50/ Minicon 50]
* [[M50 Programming Brainstorm|Minicon 50 Programming Brainstorm]]

=== Previous Minicons ===
==== M49 (2014) ====
* [http://www.mnstf.org/minicon49/ Minicon 49]
* [[M49 Programming Brainstorm|Minicon 49 Programming Brainstorm]]
==== M48 (2013) ====
* [http://www.mnstf.org/minicon48/ Main website]
* [[M48 Programming Brainstorm|Programming Brainstorm]]
==== M47 (2012) ====
* [http://www.mnstf.org/minicon47/ Main website]
* [[M47 Programming Brainstorm|Programming Brainstorm]]
==== M46 (2011) ====
* [[M46 Post-Mortem Agenda|Post-Mortem Agenda]]
* [[M46 Programming|Programming]]
==== M45 (2010) ====
* [http://www.mnstf.org/minicon45/ Main website]
* [[M45 Chronological listing of programming items|Programming listing]]
==== M44 (2009) ====
* [http://www.mnstf.org/minicon44/ Main website]
* [[Programming ideas for Minicon 44|Programming]]

===Planning===
*[[Minicon 5-year Not-a-plan]] -- approved document covering Minicons 46-50
*[[2nd Minicon 5-year Not-a-plan]] -- unapproved draft document covering Minicons 51-55

=== Minicon History ===
*[http://www.mnstf.org/minicon/ Minicon Home Page] - contains links to all home pages for previous Minicons
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minicon Minicon is on Wikipedia!]
*[[Minicon mini-history]] - quick summary of recent Minicons including name of chair and attendance
*[http://www.mnstf.org/minicon/history/minicon_history.html Fred's Minicon history, updated at least to 50] - includes dates, hotel, GOH, and attendance

== Resources for Minicon (and other con) running ==

=== Running a small convention or convention-related party ===
* [[Running a Small Con]] - Tips on planning and running a small SF convention
* [[Hosting the Minicon Pool Party]]
* [[Minicon_Parties|Hosting Minicon parties at other conventions]]
* [[What the Chair Does]]
* [[Recipes]]

===Programming===

Take a look at the [[M49 Programming Brainstorm|Minicon 49 Programming Brainstorm]].
* [[Programming Head - Job Description ]]
* [[The seasons of programming|A Programming Timeline]] (one way of doing programming through the year)
* [[Room requirements for Minicon]]
* [[Scheduling notes]]
* [[Supplies needed for Programming]]
* [[Who's good for which programming]]
* [[Documents or database?]]
; Historical
* [[M48 Programming Brainstorm]]
* [[M47 Programming Brainstorm]]
* [[M46 Programming]] listing
* [[M45 Chronological listing of programming items|Programming listing for Minicon 45]]
* [[Minicon45_Programming|Brainstorming list for Minicon 45]]
* [[Programming ideas for Minicon 44]]
* See also previous Minicons' webpages for old program books, [[pocket program]]s, and what we said to members on the web.

==== Moderator Tip Sheet ====
The [[Moderator Tip Sheet]] was developed by the Programming Committed for Minicon 24. Besides general tips on how to plan and run a panel at an SF convention, the Tip Sheet includes a handy dandy worksheet for the moderator to use before and during the panel. Now and then other cons ask if they can use it. We always say yes.

===Registration===
* [[General thoughts on Registration]]
* FAQs of sorts (there's some overlap between these two):
** [[RegistrationMembersQTMBA|Questions members might ask]]
** [[RegistrationHeadQTMBA|Questions the registration head might ask]]
* [[Interaction between GoH and Registration]]

===GoH Handling===

* [[GoH Department|Guest Department and Liaising]]

===Publications===
* The [[Pocket program]]

===Signs and At-Con Communications===
* [[How Many Easels]] we need at the con

===Art Show===
* [[Art Show]] Information

===Volunteers===

* [[Badgers|Sensible instructions for badgers]]

=== Blog ===
Blog is the traditional drink of Minicon. It's a sweet fruit punch, typically spiked with liberal amounts of vodka. The nonalcoholic variant is referred to as "St. Paul blog" for historical reasons. See the [[Blog Recipe]].

=Account creation & editing privileges=
How do you register to be able to edit this wiki? The Mnstf wiki has been the victim of large numbers of spammers. Because of this, we've set it so that only people who are registered can edit the wiki, and that you need to email a sysop to register. Sysops are noted on the [[Special:ListUsers | user list]]. As of March 25, 2011, the sysops are [[User:Jiawen | Jiawen]], [[User:Laurel | Laurel]] and [[User:Straitm | Straitm]]. Note to sysops and people trying to edit the wiki: As of January 2015, people need to be in the "approved" group in order to edit pages (it's not good enough to just have an account, since lots of spambots have accounts already).

Interaction between GoH and Registration

2015-04-08T02:43:12Z

Avanderg:

This page is superseded by [[GoH Department|Guest Department and Liaising]] and is left here for historical reasons.

The Guest Liaison needs to gather registration information for all Guest(s) of Honor, and for all traveling companions (i.e. spouse, significant other, children) of the guest(s). The Guest Liaison should pass this information to the Registration department so that it can be entered into the registration database. The Guest Liaison should indicate which of these memberships are to be comped (free) and which need to be paid for.

GoH Department

2015-04-08T02:33:18Z

Avanderg: /* Pre-con Responsibilities */

== Guest of Honor (GoH) Department and Guest Liaison Responsibilities ==

=== Pre-con Responsibilities ===

==== September - December Timeframe ====

*Contact GoH (Department Head has initial responsibility and will provide 'virtual' introduction once liaisons are assigned)
*Get GoH interests and communicate those to Programming and Music
**Provide link (as appropriate) to Programming Wiki
*Get +1 information (who is attending with GoH)
**Preferred Badge Name
*Get +1 interests (are they interested in being on certain panels, etc.) or is this a pro handler?
*Arrange travel - Either book travel and get reimbursed or send travel requests to Chair for purchase
**We attempt to keep the cost under $550 per flight.
**Need name on state ID and Birthdate for airlines
**Ask for rewards program information for booking
*Communicate travel to Chair, Programming, Hotel
*Communicate GoH and +1 info to Registration
*Assign Guest Liaison's to GoH - Inform Programming of assignments
*Get short Bio (1-2 paragraphs) for early PR's - send to Publications

==== December - February Timeframe ====

*Stayed copied on all communication from Music and Programming to GoH
*Send Former GoH letter (at discretion of Chair)
*Request picture of GoH from the GoH for Program Book
*Get longer Bio (~1 page) for Program Book - send to Publications
*Review schedule as it is built for GoH perspective
*Review Kaffeeklatch (or variant) and location
*Get pens for signings
*Communicate mobile number so GoH can call/text liaison
*Provide Department head mobile number as backup for liaison

==== Work Party ====

*Get GoH badges, schedules (full registration envelope)
*Get GoH stipend ($50/day for GoH)
*Get a copy of schedules for liaison
*Make a sign to take to the airport
*Verify with Hotel that GoH rooms are set for late check-out on final day

=== At-con Responsibilities ===
For the purposes of this section, consider everything from the end of the work party until the GoH flies home to be At-con.

==== Pre-arival ====

*GoH Department Head to work with Hotel to get keys for GoH rooms
*Verify Keys, Stipend, Badges, Schedule, Program Book, Pocket Guide ready for GoH

==== Arrival ====

*Park in MSP Short Term parking
*Review flight / baggage claim information
*Bring GoH and +1 to Hotel
*Deliver to room
*Deliver Keys, Stipend, Badges, Schedule, Program Book, Pocket Guide
*Arrange to meet the GoH after they have settled in
*Provide tour of rooms to acquaint them with layout - Consuite, Bar, Green Room, Art Show, Music, Programming Rooms
*Arrange time to accompany GoH to Reception - Verify GoH has time to eat or provide food prior to Reception
*Remember to remind the GoH that GoH can call us with any questions or needs
*Provide the time for late check-out on final day, arrange logistics (is there a good time to move luggage to liaison vehicle, store it with Concierge, etc.)

==== Each Day of Con ====

*Arrange escort to/from Green Room and Programming, as desired
*Make sure they get to their panels (be their external scheduling brain)
*Bring pens to panels and signings
*Review published limit and ask members to cycle through line if they exceed signing limit
*Make sure GoH has time to eat and has breaks between activities
*For panels / events that require ''tech'' (A/V) - arrive early, work with Programming to test
*For music events, arrange with Programming and Music for sound-check, etc.
*You also need to be available whenever they are for the same as above - no getting drunk while they are still doing panels/music, etc. You also need to be up when they need to be up, so you either skip some sleep or live on their schedule for a couple of days. You might also need to take them places, like MOA or MIA or whatever they want/need to do outside of the convention.

==== When they leave ====

*Get luggage to vehicle
*Drop GoH off at airport
*Come back for the Dead Dog Party!

=== General Notes ===

*Keep receipts for reimbursement
*Liaison may need to occasionally ask a Member to move on or otherwise fend off an overly zealous fan

GoH Department

2015-04-08T02:29:35Z

Avanderg: /* December - February Timeframe */

== Guest of Honor (GoH) Department and Guest Liaison Responsibilities ==

=== Pre-con Responsibilities ===

==== September - December Timeframe ====

*Contact GoH (Department Head has initial responsibility and will provide 'virtual' introduction once liaisons are assigned)
*Get +1 information (who is attending with GoH)
*Get +1 interests (are they interested in being on certain panels, etc.) or is this a pro handler?
*Arrange travel - Either book travel and get reimbursed or send travel requests to Chair for purchase. We attempt to keep the cost under $550 per flight.
*Communicate travel to Chair, Programming, Hotel
*Communicate interests to Programming, Music
*Communicate GoH and +1 info to registrations
*Assign Guest Liaison's to GoH - Inform Programming of assignments
*Get short Bio (1-2 paragraphs) for early PR's - send to Publications

==== December - February Timeframe ====

*Stayed copied on all communication from Music and Programming to GoH
*Send Former GoH letter (at discretion of Chair)
*Request picture of GoH from the GoH for Program Book
*Get longer Bio (~1 page) for Program Book - send to Publications
*Review schedule as it is built for GoH perspective
*Review Kaffeeklatch (or variant) and location
*Get pens for signings
*Communicate mobile number so GoH can call/text liaison
*Provide Department head mobile number as backup for liaison

==== Work Party ====

*Get GoH badges, schedules (full registration envelope)
*Get GoH stipend ($50/day for GoH)
*Get a copy of schedules for liaison
*Make a sign to take to the airport
*Verify with Hotel that GoH rooms are set for late check-out on final day

=== At-con Responsibilities ===
For the purposes of this section, consider everything from the end of the work party until the GoH flies home to be At-con.

==== Pre-arival ====

*GoH Department Head to work with Hotel to get keys for GoH rooms
*Verify Keys, Stipend, Badges, Schedule, Program Book, Pocket Guide ready for GoH

==== Arrival ====

*Park in MSP Short Term parking
*Review flight / baggage claim information
*Bring GoH and +1 to Hotel
*Deliver to room
*Deliver Keys, Stipend, Badges, Schedule, Program Book, Pocket Guide
*Arrange to meet the GoH after they have settled in
*Provide tour of rooms to acquaint them with layout - Consuite, Bar, Green Room, Art Show, Music, Programming Rooms
*Arrange time to accompany GoH to Reception - Verify GoH has time to eat or provide food prior to Reception
*Remember to remind the GoH that GoH can call us with any questions or needs
*Provide the time for late check-out on final day, arrange logistics (is there a good time to move luggage to liaison vehicle, store it with Concierge, etc.)

==== Each Day of Con ====

*Arrange escort to/from Green Room and Programming, as desired
*Make sure they get to their panels (be their external scheduling brain)
*Bring pens to panels and signings
*Review published limit and ask members to cycle through line if they exceed signing limit
*Make sure GoH has time to eat and has breaks between activities
*For panels / events that require ''tech'' (A/V) - arrive early, work with Programming to test
*For music events, arrange with Programming and Music for sound-check, etc.
*You also need to be available whenever they are for the same as above - no getting drunk while they are still doing panels/music, etc. You also need to be up when they need to be up, so you either skip some sleep or live on their schedule for a couple of days. You might also need to take them places, like MOA or MIA or whatever they want/need to do outside of the convention.

==== When they leave ====

*Get luggage to vehicle
*Drop GoH off at airport
*Come back for the Dead Dog Party!

=== General Notes ===

*Keep receipts for reimbursement
*Liaison may need to occasionally ask a Member to move on or otherwise fend off an overly zealous fan

GoH Department

2015-04-08T02:29:03Z

Avanderg: /* September - December Timeframe */

== Guest of Honor (GoH) Department and Guest Liaison Responsibilities ==

=== Pre-con Responsibilities ===

==== September - December Timeframe ====

*Contact GoH (Department Head has initial responsibility and will provide 'virtual' introduction once liaisons are assigned)
*Get +1 information (who is attending with GoH)
*Get +1 interests (are they interested in being on certain panels, etc.) or is this a pro handler?
*Arrange travel - Either book travel and get reimbursed or send travel requests to Chair for purchase. We attempt to keep the cost under $550 per flight.
*Communicate travel to Chair, Programming, Hotel
*Communicate interests to Programming, Music
*Communicate GoH and +1 info to registrations
*Assign Guest Liaison's to GoH - Inform Programming of assignments
*Get short Bio (1-2 paragraphs) for early PR's - send to Publications

==== December - February Timeframe ====

*Stayed copied on all communication from Music and Programming to GoH
*Send Former GoH letter (at discretion of Chair)
*Request picture of GoH from the GoH for Program Book
*Get longer Bio for Program Book (1 page) - send to Publications
*Review schedule as it is built for GoH perspective
*Review Kaffeeklatch (or variant) and location
*Get pens for signings
*Communicate mobile number so GoH can call/text liaison
*Provide Department head mobile number as backup for liaison

==== Work Party ====

*Get GoH badges, schedules (full registration envelope)
*Get GoH stipend ($50/day for GoH)
*Get a copy of schedules for liaison
*Make a sign to take to the airport
*Verify with Hotel that GoH rooms are set for late check-out on final day

=== At-con Responsibilities ===
For the purposes of this section, consider everything from the end of the work party until the GoH flies home to be At-con.

==== Pre-arival ====

*GoH Department Head to work with Hotel to get keys for GoH rooms
*Verify Keys, Stipend, Badges, Schedule, Program Book, Pocket Guide ready for GoH

==== Arrival ====

*Park in MSP Short Term parking
*Review flight / baggage claim information
*Bring GoH and +1 to Hotel
*Deliver to room
*Deliver Keys, Stipend, Badges, Schedule, Program Book, Pocket Guide
*Arrange to meet the GoH after they have settled in
*Provide tour of rooms to acquaint them with layout - Consuite, Bar, Green Room, Art Show, Music, Programming Rooms
*Arrange time to accompany GoH to Reception - Verify GoH has time to eat or provide food prior to Reception
*Remember to remind the GoH that GoH can call us with any questions or needs
*Provide the time for late check-out on final day, arrange logistics (is there a good time to move luggage to liaison vehicle, store it with Concierge, etc.)

==== Each Day of Con ====

*Arrange escort to/from Green Room and Programming, as desired
*Make sure they get to their panels (be their external scheduling brain)
*Bring pens to panels and signings
*Review published limit and ask members to cycle through line if they exceed signing limit
*Make sure GoH has time to eat and has breaks between activities
*For panels / events that require ''tech'' (A/V) - arrive early, work with Programming to test
*For music events, arrange with Programming and Music for sound-check, etc.
*You also need to be available whenever they are for the same as above - no getting drunk while they are still doing panels/music, etc. You also need to be up when they need to be up, so you either skip some sleep or live on their schedule for a couple of days. You might also need to take them places, like MOA or MIA or whatever they want/need to do outside of the convention.

==== When they leave ====

*Get luggage to vehicle
*Drop GoH off at airport
*Come back for the Dead Dog Party!

=== General Notes ===

*Keep receipts for reimbursement
*Liaison may need to occasionally ask a Member to move on or otherwise fend off an overly zealous fan

GoH Department

2015-04-08T02:26:21Z

Avanderg: /* General Notes */

== Guest of Honor (GoH) Department and Guest Liaison Responsibilities ==

=== Pre-con Responsibilities ===

==== September - December Timeframe ====

*Contact GoH (communication examples later in this document)
*Get +1 information (who is attending with GoH)
*Get +1 interests (are they interested in being on certain panels, etc.) or is this a pro handler?
*Arrange travel - Either book travel and get reimbursed or send travel requests to Chair for purchase. We attempt to keep the cost under $550 per flight.
*Communicate travel to Chair, Programming, Hotel
*Communicate interests to Programming, Music
*Communicate GoH and +1 info to registrations
*Assign Guest Liaison's to GoH - Inform Programming of assignments
*Get short Bio for early PR's (1-2 paragraphs) - send to Publications

==== December - February Timeframe ====

*Stayed copied on all communication from Music and Programming to GoH
*Send Former GoH letter (at discretion of Chair)
*Request picture of GoH from the GoH for Program Book
*Get longer Bio for Program Book (1 page) - send to Publications
*Review schedule as it is built for GoH perspective
*Review Kaffeeklatch (or variant) and location
*Get pens for signings
*Communicate mobile number so GoH can call/text liaison
*Provide Department head mobile number as backup for liaison

==== Work Party ====

*Get GoH badges, schedules (full registration envelope)
*Get GoH stipend ($50/day for GoH)
*Get a copy of schedules for liaison
*Make a sign to take to the airport
*Verify with Hotel that GoH rooms are set for late check-out on final day

=== At-con Responsibilities ===
For the purposes of this section, consider everything from the end of the work party until the GoH flies home to be At-con.

==== Pre-arival ====

*GoH Department Head to work with Hotel to get keys for GoH rooms
*Verify Keys, Stipend, Badges, Schedule, Program Book, Pocket Guide ready for GoH

==== Arrival ====

*Park in MSP Short Term parking
*Review flight / baggage claim information
*Bring GoH and +1 to Hotel
*Deliver to room
*Deliver Keys, Stipend, Badges, Schedule, Program Book, Pocket Guide
*Arrange to meet the GoH after they have settled in
*Provide tour of rooms to acquaint them with layout - Consuite, Bar, Green Room, Art Show, Music, Programming Rooms
*Arrange time to accompany GoH to Reception - Verify GoH has time to eat or provide food prior to Reception
*Remember to remind the GoH that GoH can call us with any questions or needs
*Provide the time for late check-out on final day, arrange logistics (is there a good time to move luggage to liaison vehicle, store it with Concierge, etc.)

==== Each Day of Con ====

*Arrange escort to/from Green Room and Programming, as desired
*Make sure they get to their panels (be their external scheduling brain)
*Bring pens to panels and signings
*Review published limit and ask members to cycle through line if they exceed signing limit
*Make sure GoH has time to eat and has breaks between activities
*For panels / events that require ''tech'' (A/V) - arrive early, work with Programming to test
*For music events, arrange with Programming and Music for sound-check, etc.
*You also need to be available whenever they are for the same as above - no getting drunk while they are still doing panels/music, etc. You also need to be up when they need to be up, so you either skip some sleep or live on their schedule for a couple of days. You might also need to take them places, like MOA or MIA or whatever they want/need to do outside of the convention.

==== When they leave ====

*Get luggage to vehicle
*Drop GoH off at airport
*Come back for the Dead Dog Party!

=== General Notes ===

*Keep receipts for reimbursement
*Liaison may need to occasionally ask a Member to move on or otherwise fend off an overly zealous fan

GoH Department

2015-04-08T02:22:16Z

Avanderg: /* Guest of Honor (GoH) Department and Guest Liaison Responsibilities */

GoH Department

2015-04-08T02:21:52Z

Avanderg: /* At-con Responsibilities */

GoH Department

2015-04-08T02:21:15Z

Avanderg: /* Each Day of Con */

GoH Department

2015-04-08T02:18:19Z

Avanderg: /* When they leave */

== Guest of Honor (GoH) Department and Guest Liaison Responsibilities ==

=== Pre-con Responsibilities ===

==== September - December Timeframe ====

*Contact GoH (communication examples later in this document)
*Get +1 information (who is attending with GoH)
*Get +1 interests (are they interested in being on certain panels, etc.) or is this a pro handler?
*Arrange travel - Either book travel and get reimbursed or send travel requests to Chair for purchase. We attempt to keep the cost under $550 per flight.
*Communicate travel to Chair, Programming, Hotel
*Communicate interests to Programming, Music
*Communicate GoH and +1 info to registrations
*Assign Guest Liaison's to GoH - Inform Programming of assignments
*Get short Bio for early PR's (1-2 paragraphs) - send to Publications

==== December - February Timeframe ====

*Stayed copied on all communication from Music and Programming to GoH
*Send Former GoH letter (at discretion of Chair)
*Request picture of GoH from the GoH for Program Book
*Get longer Bio for Program Book (1 page) - send to Publications
*Review schedule as it is built for GoH perspective
*Review Kaffeeklatch (or variant) and location
*Get pens for signings
*Communicate mobile number so GoH can call/text liaison
*Provide Department head mobile number as backup for liaison

==== Work Party ====

*Get GoH badges, schedules (full registration envelope)
*Get GoH stipend ($50/day for GoH)
*Get a copy of schedules for liaison
*Make a sign to take to the airport
*Verify with Hotel that GoH rooms are set for late check-out on final day

=== At-con Responsibilities ===
For the purposes of this section, consider everything from the end of the work party until the GoH flies home to be At-con.

==== Pre-arival ====

*GoH Department Head to work with Hotel to get keys for GoH rooms
*Verify Keys, Stipend, Badges, Schedule, Program Book, Pocket Guide ready for GoH

==== Arrival ====

*Park in MSP Short Term parking
*Review flight / baggage claim information
*Bring GoH and +1 to Hotel
*Deliver to room
*Deliver Keys, Stipend, Badges, Schedule, Program Book, Pocket Guide
*Arrange to meet the GoH after they have settled in
*Provide tour of rooms to acquaint them with layout - Consuite, Bar, Green Room, Art Show, Music, Programming Rooms
*Arrange time to accompany GoH to Reception - Verify GoH has time to eat or provide food prior to Reception
*Remember to remind the GoH that GoH can call us with any questions or needs
*Provide the time for late check-out on final day, arrange logistics (is there a good time to move luggage to liaison vehicle, store it with Concierge, etc.)

==== Each Day of Con ====

*Arrange escort to/from Green Room and Programming, as desired
*Make sure they get to their panels (be their external scheduling brain)
*Bring pens to panels and signings
*Review published limit and ask members to cycle through line if they exceed signing limit
*Make sure GoH has time to eat and has breaks between activities
*You also need to be available whenever they are for the same as above - no getting drunk while they are still doing panels/music, etc. You also need to be up when they need to be up, so you either skip some sleep or live on their schedule for a couple of days. You might also need to take them places, like MOA or MIA or whatever they want/need to do outside of the convention.

==== When they leave ====

*Get luggage to vehicle
*Drop GoH off at airport
*Come back for the Dead Dog Party!

=== General Notes ===

*Keep receipts for reimbursement

GoH Department

2015-04-08T02:17:39Z

Avanderg: Created page with "== Guest of Honor (GoH) Department and Guest Liaison Responsibilities == === Pre-con Responsibilities === ==== September - December Timeframe ==== *Contact GoH (communicati..."

== Guest of Honor (GoH) Department and Guest Liaison Responsibilities ==

=== Pre-con Responsibilities ===

==== September - December Timeframe ====

*Contact GoH (communication examples later in this document)
*Get +1 information (who is attending with GoH)
*Get +1 interests (are they interested in being on certain panels, etc.) or is this a pro handler?
*Arrange travel - Either book travel and get reimbursed or send travel requests to Chair for purchase. We attempt to keep the cost under $550 per flight.
*Communicate travel to Chair, Programming, Hotel
*Communicate interests to Programming, Music
*Communicate GoH and +1 info to registrations
*Assign Guest Liaison's to GoH - Inform Programming of assignments
*Get short Bio for early PR's (1-2 paragraphs) - send to Publications

==== December - February Timeframe ====

*Stayed copied on all communication from Music and Programming to GoH
*Send Former GoH letter (at discretion of Chair)
*Request picture of GoH from the GoH for Program Book
*Get longer Bio for Program Book (1 page) - send to Publications
*Review schedule as it is built for GoH perspective
*Review Kaffeeklatch (or variant) and location
*Get pens for signings
*Communicate mobile number so GoH can call/text liaison
*Provide Department head mobile number as backup for liaison

==== Work Party ====

*Get GoH badges, schedules (full registration envelope)
*Get GoH stipend ($50/day for GoH)
*Get a copy of schedules for liaison
*Make a sign to take to the airport
*Verify with Hotel that GoH rooms are set for late check-out on final day

=== At-con Responsibilities ===
For the purposes of this section, consider everything from the end of the work party until the GoH flies home to be At-con.

==== Pre-arival ====

*GoH Department Head to work with Hotel to get keys for GoH rooms
*Verify Keys, Stipend, Badges, Schedule, Program Book, Pocket Guide ready for GoH

==== Arrival ====

*Park in MSP Short Term parking
*Review flight / baggage claim information
*Bring GoH and +1 to Hotel
*Deliver to room
*Deliver Keys, Stipend, Badges, Schedule, Program Book, Pocket Guide
*Arrange to meet the GoH after they have settled in
*Provide tour of rooms to acquaint them with layout - Consuite, Bar, Green Room, Art Show, Music, Programming Rooms
*Arrange time to accompany GoH to Reception - Verify GoH has time to eat or provide food prior to Reception
*Remember to remind the GoH that GoH can call us with any questions or needs
*Provide the time for late check-out on final day, arrange logistics (is there a good time to move luggage to liaison vehicle, store it with Concierge, etc.)

==== Each Day of Con ====

*Arrange escort to/from Green Room and Programming, as desired
*Make sure they get to their panels (be their external scheduling brain)
*Bring pens to panels and signings
*Review published limit and ask members to cycle through line if they exceed signing limit
*Make sure GoH has time to eat and has breaks between activities
*You also need to be available whenever they are for the same as above - no getting drunk while they are still doing panels/music, etc. You also need to be up when they need to be up, so you either skip some sleep or live on their schedule for a couple of days. You might also need to take them places, like MOA or MIA or whatever they want/need to do outside of the convention.

==== When they leave ====

*Get luggage to vehicle
*Drop off at airport
*Come back for the Dead Dog Party!

=== General Notes ===

*Keep receipts for reimbursement

Main Page

2015-04-08T01:41:49Z

Avanderg: /* GoH Handling */

Consult the [http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Help:Contents User's Guide] for information on using the wiki software.
== Minnstf Links ==
*[http://www.mnstf.org Mnstf web page]
*[http://www.mnstf.org/records/ Minn-stf Records Page] - Bylaws, older Board minutes, tax records

=== Minnstf History ===
[http://www.smithway.org/history/fathers1.html The Floundering Fathers Panel] - An interview with Minnstf founders Nate Bucklin, Ken Fletcher, Fred Haskell, Frank Stodolka, and Jim Young, circa 1977

== Minnstf Document Digitization Project ==

Otherwise known as MinDocDigPro. This is an ongoing effort to digitize Minnstf (and in particular Minicon) documents. [[MinDocDigPro|Here's the organizing page of the project.]]

== Minnstf Recurring Annual Tasks ==

(This is a work in progress; discussion on Natter and LJ welcome.)

Proposals for future Minicons: Due to the board by January 31, approximately 14 months before the proposed convention.

Proposals for next year’s Fallcon: Due to the board by February 15, approximately 8 months before the proposed convention.

ASCAP: Due March 31(?) for previous year. To be done by Head of Minicon Music (currently Becca Leathers). (Note as of 1/4/14: Is this being taken over by Minn-stf board?)

Voting meeting: The Membership Secretary (currently, Laura Krentz) and outgoing President (currently, Peer Dudda) should make arrangements for nomination and voting meetings. The voting meeting must happen before March 31, typically before Minicon. There are two nominating meetings that must happen before then.

Officers: Chosen by the new board at the voting meeting or as soon as possible thereafter. Names and positions of officers should be submitted to the MnStf Webmaster (currently Eric Forste).

Minicon preliminary finances: Due to the board within one month after convention. That report should include gross income, gross profit, and amount given to the board. Final finances should be available within three months, or an explanation of extenuating circumstances.

Taxes: Due April 15 (technical drop-dead date is May 15). At this point, we only have to file the “postcard,” and that can be done online. Beth Friedman filed online in 2013 for calendar year 2012, and has the login. In theory, the Treasurer (currently Carol Kennedy) is in charge of seeing that such happens.

Annual renewal with the Minnesota Secretary of State for Minnesota Science Fiction Society: Should be done by December 1 or earlier, though the actual deadline is December 31. This is the current link to do so: http://mblsportal.sos.state.mn.us/Business/SearchDetails?filingGuid=5c18cf48-aed4-e011-a886-001ec94ffe7f. Done by Beth Friedman for 2014.

Solicitations for the next year’s Fallcon: Both at and immediately after Fallcon.

Fallcon preliminary finances: Due to the board within one month after convention. That report should include gross income, gross profit, and amount given to the board. Final finances should be available within three months, or an explanation of extenuating circumstances.

Solicitations for future Minicons: Due early November, approximately 17 months before the convention to be proposed. To be done by a board member (secretary?) (currently, Kevin Austin).

Annual website registration contact information verification through GANDI (http://en.gandi.net/). Current domains are mnstf.org and minicon.org. GANDI sends notifications to the address on file (who?), who needs to confirm information.

== General-interest Minicon stuff ==
=== Current Minicon Webpages ===
* [http://www.mnstf.org/minicon50/ Minicon 50]
* [[M50 Programming Brainstorm|Minicon 50 Programming Brainstorm]]

=== Previous Minicons ===
==== M49 (2014) ====
* [http://www.mnstf.org/minicon49/ Minicon 49]
* [[M49 Programming Brainstorm|Minicon 49 Programming Brainstorm]]
==== M48 (2013) ====
* [http://www.mnstf.org/minicon48/ Main website]
* [[M48 Programming Brainstorm|Programming Brainstorm]]
==== M47 (2012) ====
* [http://www.mnstf.org/minicon47/ Main website]
* [[M47 Programming Brainstorm|Programming Brainstorm]]
==== M46 (2011) ====
* [[M46 Post-Mortem Agenda|Post-Mortem Agenda]]
* [[M46 Programming|Programming]]
==== M45 (2010) ====
* [http://www.mnstf.org/minicon45/ Main website]
* [[M45 Chronological listing of programming items|Programming listing]]
==== M44 (2009) ====
* [http://www.mnstf.org/minicon44/ Main website]
* [[Programming ideas for Minicon 44|Programming]]

===Planning===
*[[Minicon 5-year Not-a-plan]] -- approved document covering Minicons 46-50
*[[2nd Minicon 5-year Not-a-plan]] -- unapproved draft document covering Minicons 51-55

=== Minicon History ===
*[http://www.mnstf.org/minicon/ Minicon Home Page] - contains links to all home pages for previous Minicons
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minicon Minicon is on Wikipedia!]
*[[Minicon mini-history]] - quick summary of recent Minicons including name of chair and attendance
*[http://www.mnstf.org/minicon/history/minicon_history.html Fred's Minicon history, updated at least to 50] - includes dates, hotel, GOH, and attendance

== Resources for Minicon (and other con) running ==

=== Running a small convention or convention-related party ===
* [[Running a Small Con]] - Tips on planning and running a small SF convention
* [[Hosting the Minicon Pool Party]]
* [[Minicon_Parties|Hosting Minicon parties at other conventions]]
* [[What the Chair Does]]
* [[Recipes]]

===Programming===

Take a look at the [[M49 Programming Brainstorm|Minicon 49 Programming Brainstorm]].
* [[Programming Head - Job Description ]]
* [[The seasons of programming|A Programming Timeline]] (one way of doing programming through the year)
* [[Room requirements for Minicon]]
* [[Scheduling notes]]
* [[Supplies needed for Programming]]
* [[Who's good for which programming]]
* [[Documents or database?]]
; Historical
* [[M48 Programming Brainstorm]]
* [[M47 Programming Brainstorm]]
* [[M46 Programming]] listing
* [[M45 Chronological listing of programming items|Programming listing for Minicon 45]]
* [[Minicon45_Programming|Brainstorming list for Minicon 45]]
* [[Programming ideas for Minicon 44]]
* See also previous Minicons' webpages for old program books, [[pocket program]]s, and what we said to members on the web.

==== Moderator Tip Sheet ====
The [[Moderator Tip Sheet]] was developed by the Programming Committed for Minicon 24. Besides general tips on how to plan and run a panel at an SF convention, the Tip Sheet includes a handy dandy worksheet for the moderator to use before and during the panel. Now and then other cons ask if they can use it. We always say yes.

===Registration===
* [[General thoughts on Registration]]
* FAQs of sorts (there's some overlap between these two):
** [[RegistrationMembersQTMBA|Questions members might ask]]
** [[RegistrationHeadQTMBA|Questions the registration head might ask]]
* [[Interaction between GoH and Registration]]

===GoH Handling===

* [[GoH Department|Guest Department and Liaising]]
* [[Interaction between GoH and Registration]]

===Publications===
* The [[Pocket program]]

===Signs and At-Con Communications===
* [[How Many Easels]] we need at the con

===Art Show===
* [[Art Show]] Information

===Volunteers===

* [[Badgers|Sensible instructions for badgers]]

=== Blog ===
Blog is the traditional drink of Minicon. It's a sweet fruit punch, typically spiked with liberal amounts of vodka. The nonalcoholic variant is referred to as "St. Paul blog" for historical reasons. See the [[Blog Recipe]].

=Account creation & editing privileges=
How do you register to be able to edit this wiki? The Mnstf wiki has been the victim of large numbers of spammers. Because of this, we've set it so that only people who are registered can edit the wiki, and that you need to email a sysop to register. Sysops are noted on the [[Special:ListUsers | user list]]. As of March 25, 2011, the sysops are [[User:Jiawen | Jiawen]], [[User:Laurel | Laurel]] and [[User:Straitm | Straitm]]. Note to sysops and people trying to edit the wiki: As of January 2015, people need to be in the "approved" group in order to edit pages (it's not good enough to just have an account, since lots of spambots have accounts already).