Right...What's a Chairman?

Over the weekend, at Frolic, I was reminded how much being the chairman for a large fan convention goes beyond the scope of a full time job to boarder on the edge of madness as almost a lifestyle.  Almost anywhere I go I can expect people to want to talk shop about the convention in one capacity or another which is totally cool, this is part of what I signed up for.  What I find I end up doing a lot of, though, is explaining just what it is that I do--and to a degree what any con chairman does--with regard to an event like Further Confusion.

For the grins and giggles of it, I decided that it would be interesting to throw together a few slides to outline what my role as Chairman of Further Confusion is really all about.  Well, "a few slides" turned out to be seven.  It's kind of nice having a quick little presentation I can pull up on my phone any time somebody asks me what it is that I do.  Or geeky.  Or maybe a little sad.  Probably a mix of all three, honestly. :)



Presentation notes behind the cut...


Slide 1 - Cover Slide

Slide 2 - What the Chairman is not

1. The point of being Chairman at Further Confusion isn't "to get your way" or impose personal agenda on the convention above all other concerns, its to help a team of very talented people make the a great event for our community.
2. At a convention this large, the Chairman can't manage everything, can't do everything.  He's simply one part of team working to meet ever-moving goals.
3. The chairman isn't the guy who's got all of the answers to every problem.  He can't be that guy, it's impossible.  But he is the guy who works with the team to make to arrive at good answers to those problems.

Slide 3 - What the Chairman is

1. This may be the most important function of Further Confusion's Chairman, to keep the executive departments in sync and help find solutions to problems that pop up in the planning and operation of a convention.
2. The chairman, through words, actions, and behaviors, sets a tone for the convention's volunteer staff who in turn help set the tone for the convention over all.  
3. I hesitate to put this up here, it seems to go against notion of "not a king" but it is important.  Most of the decisions a Chairman has to make are easy, logical no-brainers.  Every so often one pops up that's extremely contentious and he's got to make it, has to take the heat for it.  It can be a challenging role that, at times, is not fun.

Slide 4 - What the Chairman does

1. If the Chairman isn't seeking out the needs, concerns and ideas of convention staff or the community then he's performing a disservice to the community.
2. There are a lot of things that happen behind the scenes in convention planning and operation, one of the Chairman's main tasks is to help the team establish priorities for tasks.
3. The Chairman doesn't take credit for everything good about the convention, he makes sure that the team members responsible for those good things get due recognition.  Conversely, the Chairman takes responsibility for everything that wasn't so good, then focuses on helping the next chairman improve those issues in the next year.

Slide 5 - What Rocks/Sucks about the job

1. Rocks - This is on the top of the list because it's true, the people that you work with to make the convention happen are truly good, dedicated folks and a pleasure to work with.
2. Rocks - Seriously, you meet a lot of very good, very cool people working as a convention executive, more so as the Chairman or Vice Chairman.  It's an insanely social position.
3. Rocks - There is huge reward in helping team members who have great ideas and projects for the convention achieve their goals.  It tees into the next point...
4. Rocks - This is really is the ultimate goal of every Chairman at Further Confusion, to make each year's convention better than the one the came before it.  It's actually far more challenging than you'd imagine but with a great team it's doable and exceptionally rewarding for everybody.

1. Sucks - There are times people will come to you with really good ideas that just can't work.  They can't work for reasons of venue.  They can't work for reasons of budget.  They can't work for any number of reasons but they're still insanely great ideas…and saying no to somebody who brings such a great idea to your team is a heart breaking.
2. Sucks - The problem with running a convention is that every goal is a moving target, some moving faster and more erratically than others.  You can hit the majority of them relatively easily, hitting all of them is frustratingly close to impossible.  For as hard as you try you're never going to make everybody 100% happy…but you still have to try in earnest.
3. Sucks - This will tee in to the next point, everything you say about the convention in all public forums--and all private ones--reflects on the convention.  It is something you have to keep in mind all the time.
4. Sucks - It doesn't matter where you are or what you are doing, people will want to talk to you about the convention…and you have to listen.  Because that's your job.  It's your life, really.  You can't ever not be the Chairman so long as you hold this job function.

 Slide 6 - So what are the perks?

1. None.  This is the truth.  The Chairman of Further Confusion gains zero perks above and beyond those of any other member of the convention staff or volunteers. 
2. In fact, he even loses perks if he's also registered as a sponsor or a patron.
3. The Chairman has to be prepared and willing to do any job as needed from speaking with the press to guarding a door.
4. Though some people see it as a perk it's really more of a responsibility, the Chairman traditionally gets to set how the theme for their run of Further Confusion is chosen.  I chose to let the fans at Further Confusion: Unleashed! at FC2012 vote by applause for FC2013's theme.

Slide 7 - So...Uh...Why do it?

1. I think this slide says it all quite perfectly.