Panel Programming | WisCon (original) (raw)
If you are scheduled to participate in a panel, information about how to participate will come directly from our Panel Programming team!
- contact: panels@wiscon.net
- Deadline to submit a program idea: February 21
WisCon is famous for panel programming that’s full of great conversation, including the hilarious and the intensely political. Our panels celebrate our Guests of Honor, delve into discussions of gender, race, disability, and class, and explore every aspect of science fiction from current books and film to transformative works to fandom itself.
Who’s on our panels? You are — the members of the convention, including professional authors, detail-loving academics, and attentive fans.
Development Timeline
How Panels are Born
Tips for Panelists
Tips for Mods
Development Timeline
WisCon programming is developed in stages, all heavily influenced by our participants and attendees.
Idea Collection: We collect ideas throughout the year and close idea submission in February. We receive many hundreds of ideas, so we’re forced to cut, combine, or postpone some because we simply don’t have the space to run them all. You can submit a program idea for a panel here until the deadline.
Participant Signup: After we close idea collection, we open up the list of potential panels as a survey so members can let us know their interest in ideas and so they can volunteer to be panelists or moderators.
Scheduling and Program Assignments: Using the participant sign-up information, we determine which items will be scheduled, who will be assigned to them and when, and in what room they will happen. Participants receive an email confirming the details of their assignments A first cut at the schedule generally goes out to program participants in early April.
Program Assignments: By late April we’re able to publicly reveal the full program schedule. Minor adjustments will continue to be made even into the convention itself (e.g., a panelist may need to leave a panel), but the schedule we reveal in late April is 99% final!
Duration: The standard program time slot is one hour and 15 minutes (75 minutes), followed by a 15-minute break until the next program. No one is going to actually kick anyone out of a program room during the 15-minute break, but remember that break is your chance to use the restroom! Continuing our tradition of supporting our convention attendees’ need to eat meals without missing programming, lunch and dinner breaks are scheduled at 11:30am-1pm and 5:30-7pm.
Tips for Panelists
WisCon programming items are inclusive. You don’t have to be a published expert to be a great WisCon presenter or panelist. If you are new to panels or need a refresher, this list will help you be a great panelist.
Preparing for the convention
- Your moderator will contact you before the convention. Respond to your moderator’s email. This is your chance to define the format, structure, and scope of the panel.
- Re-read the panel description and raise questions about anything that’s not clear.
- Let the other panelists know what your interpretation of the panel description is. Everyone doesn’t have to agree to the same take on a panel, but it is helpful to let each other know where you’re coming from before hand. If you are going to discuss specific books, mention them in your email to the other panelists. You don’t all need to have read the same books to have an interesting discussion.
- Formulate the things you’d like to convey during the allotted time Keep this list simple. You may want to keep the sub-topics to no more than three.
- Different people have different styles and different panels have different structures. Decide beforehand how structured your panel will be and how much time will be devoted to panelist participation and audience participation.
- Do your homework. Gather the names of the books and authors you want to discuss. People in the audience will ask for specifics. Read, view, listen to relevant materials. Prepare notes and/or spend time thinking about the topic. You may do this on your own and in emails with the other panelists, depending on how the group decides to interact before the convention.
At the Con
- Meet up in the 2nd floor Green Room 10 minutes before the panel start time. This gives you an opportunity to meet fellow panelists and finalize details.
- Start on time! If unavoidably late, quietly enter the room, take a place at the table and wait for your mod to fold you into the panel-already-in-progress. Don’t apologize for being late. The audience is paying attention to the ongoing discussion, not to you.
- Share the time with other panelists and the audience. Respect the other panelists views. If you disagree don’t make it personal.
Be aware that the other panelists may have as much to say as you do. Let the moderator manage the panelists’ time. In an hour-and-fifteen minute panel for five panelists there are roughly 15 minutes apiece not counting audience input. WisCon audiences want to get into the discussion as soon as possible. Prepare to answer lots of audience questions. The moderator will let the audience know how soon they will start taking questions, while setting up the panel. Defer to the moderator as they directs the conversation.
Bring a notepad. Discussion moves very quickly and it can help to take notes of what you want to cover when the moderator gets back to you.
Look at the audience. Resist the temptation to address your comments solely to a fellow panelist, even when responding to a specific point.
Speak one at a time. Refrain from whispering with other panelists.
Use the microphone, when available. Make sure it is turned on. If using a microphone is new to you ask the moderator for instructions.