Looking for Trouble

[kevin_standlee]

I have a number of Google Searches active for terms like "Worldcon" and "Hugo Award," as part of my duties as Chairman of the WSFS Mark Protection Committee. Sometimes they turn up discussions that I decide to join. Whether it's good to paint a target on myself is another question. This morning, my searches turned up this post about the New York Comic Con, where they've started charging "professionals" $45 to attend. This has turned up a number of interesting comments, including these from Tony Lee, whose post here started the story. (Quotes below lifted both from the body of the story and Lee's reply to it):

Is this a common thing, that professionals at cons pay for their tickets? I’ve never seen it at a UK con, WorldCon didn’t,...

And sorry guys, but I won’t pay out $45 for the privilage of working for you. I give a convention organiser my time and effort for the cost of a free ticket.

And also, rather telling if you ask me, this comment in reply:

...i allways assumed that Cons paid the creators, isnt that why fans show up in the first place, to meet the creators?

At the risk of making myself anathema to yet more people, I replied in some depth about some of the traditions of convention membership at Worldcons and other general SF conventions. I know that comic book conventions have evolved their own practices.

Comments

[bovil.livejournal.com]

What a bunch of whiners!

Yes, if you're a pro, you pay to work, not for the convention but for yourself. It's common in many professions.

If we looked at professional IT conferences:

1. If you're not on the program, you pay, and the list of people on the program is a tiny percentage of the attendees. Registration fees are in the $1-2k range.

2. If you're on the show floor, you're spending a lot more than $350 for your space, and you still pay for each of your staffers.

If you want to go, you pay. You pay so you can network, sell or learn new skills.

[querldox.livejournal.com]

On the other hand, most comic cons (with the exception of San Diego to a great degree, and Wondercon to a smaller degree) have very little program, and a lot of the attraction of the con is what pros are doing sketches, signings, etc.

I can argue this one both ways.

[redneckotaku.livejournal.com]

New York Comic Con's professional means Literary Agents, Librarians, Retail Buyers, Licensing People and the people from the comics industry (such as creators). They have a much broader definition of professional than many comic book conventions. They are also a trade show for the comics industry. You can take this information and digest it however you want to.