Panels 2008 Infomation Options

[ZGL]

I didn't get word that Matt was to get updates -- only when I warned that I was going to add new people that I was advised to reply back to Meredeth with the new info. Did my "Webcomics 102" panel yet the new info?

I'm not sure what the rest of your post is referring to, but I believe I received an update from you, yes.

[STrRedWolf]

I'm not sure what the rest of your post is referring to, but I believe I received an update from you, yes.

Oh good. Wanted to make sure as panels this year is a radical change than from last year.

[GameraBaenre]

I wonder if there's any interest in a Gundam Model & Resin Anime Figure building panel. I've been doing this panel at several cons and events for the past couple of years. My request was rejected last year from here. But I just submitted it again.

[ZGL]

Panel submission is now closed.

Those of you who have submitted an application should expect to hear from us starting this week. No, I'm not sure exactly when you'll receive an e-mail (I can hear some of you asking already (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) ), but it will be shortly.

For the rest of you - wow, there is an incredible group this year. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[Shadow_otm]

Well, I hope to hear from you guys soon. I really hope to run a panel this year (or workshop, don't know if my info got sent over there or not). I really hope to get to raffle off those books I picked up too: some old TMNT RPG books, some weaponry reference books including an oriental one, and two Robotech books. I even have a signed 'manga-sized' Shadow Chronicles RPG book I might raffle.

[Aresef]

I actually haven't heard anything yet, and it's been almost a week. Should I panic yet or are you guys just still sifting through everything?

[Shadow_otm]

I actually haven't heard anything yet, and it's been almost a week. Should I panic yet or are you guys just still sifting through everything?

I'm guessing they're sifting through things and might have other life responsabilities causing the slowdown. Hopefully they aren't having a problem with yahoo e-mails like they did last year... I know one mailing list I'm on had some issues with yahoo about a month ago...

[ZGL]

I'm currently sifting, yes, and my lieutenants and I will be mailing stuff in the coming week. Thanks for being patient. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) There aren't any problems (to my knowledge) this year with yahoo! email addresses, but I'll keep an eye out for bouncing mails and let y'all know about it.

In the meantime, don't panic - we're getting there. Might be as long as another week for some folks, but we're working on things and things are still moving.

[alabaster]

One thing that is complicating Meredith's life right now is kinda my fault. Namely, the times and locations for guest and industry panels need to be plugged in first, because when you pay thousands of dollars in airfare and hotel to have someone appear, you give them priority in terms of scheduling. Complicating factor: due to various industry issues and some uncertainty regarding some of our guests' availability, I haven't been able to plug in the guest and industry panels yet. I've started, but am still awaiting confirmation from several of them. I expect many of those issues to be resolved this week, though, and then we'll have a better idea of what times and locations are available. (There should be PLENTY of great panels this year, based on what I'm hearing from Programming.)

[ZGL]

Hi everyone,

The first batch of approval notices are going out tonight. To forestall some questions:

- No, there is no specific schedule information available yet.
- No, just because you have not received an approval notice does not mean you were not accepted. Yet.
- Yes, notices will be going out to those who we'd like to put on a waitlist/back-up list.
- Yes, notices will be going out to those whose panels were not accepted.

Once all of the notices have been sent, we'll put a list up here and on the panels page of the website of the fan panels you can expect to see this year.

Thanks again for your patience as we sort through the list. We had many, many applications this year, and hopefully you'll see at least one or two that pique your interest.

[Ryuzaki]

I'm not positive that this is the right place to ask this, but I was wondering if anyone knows if there is going to be a Kingdom Hearts Panel? like Otakon 06 had.

[ZGL]

I'm not positive that this is the right place to ask this, but I was wondering if anyone knows if there is going to be a Kingdom Hearts Panel? like Otakon 06 had.

There was not an application for a Kingdom Hearts panel.

[Moon Jump]

Got my email today! Thanks for accepting it again! Guess I gotta get cracking on getting it ready! Hope everybody checks it out!

[ZGL]

As a note to those panelists who have received an acceptance notice but have already pre-registered:

Please contact the pre-registration department (using the Contact Us form). The staff there can add a note to your registration. Please do NOT register again in order to add this note yourself.

[alabaster]

I'm not positive that this is the right place to ask this, but I was wondering if anyone knows if there is going to be a Kingdom Hearts Panel? like Otakon 06 had.

There was not an application for a Kingdom Hearts panel.

Much though I loved the video games, it's not a particularly current property.

[jimay]

Couple questions real quickly:

Just out of curiosity sake, approximately how many total applications did you guys get this year? Was the turnout larger than last years? Read earlier in the thread that you guys had many and many, so I realized it must have been tough going through the ones that had to go in or be left out. Good luck with that still!

And just to clarify for the panel moderators on membership comp: After providing the necessary contact information, are we done? Will there be a list for us waiting once we arrive at the con Thursday Night? or is there a totally different procedure that we need to follow?

I apologize for being a bit nit-picky but I just wanted to clarify the proper steps to getting comped without any hassle.
My fellow panelists are bugging me with questions!

[Mr.Chips]

Quick question. I got my approval notice for the panel and it mentioned something about adding "Panelist" to the special needs portion for pre-reg. Since my fellow panelist and I have already pre-reged is that information already added for us or is that something we have to do ourselves? I went ti the members only area on the website and could not find a way to update my pre-reg info.

[ZGL]

Since my fellow panelist and I have already pre-reged is that information already added for us or is that something we have to do ourselves? I went ti the members only area on the website and could not find a way to update my pre-reg info.

From two or three posts above yours:

As a note to those panelists who have received an acceptance notice but have already pre-registered:

Please contact the pre-registration department (using the Contact Us form). The staff there can add a note to your registration. Please do NOT register again in order to add this note yourself.

Oh, and Jimmy, there were approximately 175 applications submitted. The final list has approximately 70 fan panels, in addition to the offerings from guests and industry. Like I said, if we had more time for more panels, I'd love to include them, but as it is we'll be stuffed even with this many.

This post has been edited by ZGL: Jun 10 2008, 03:43 PM

Reason for edit: answered another question

[Mr.Chips]

Oh dear. I really should start paying attention more and stop power skimming. Sorry.

[Lainforce]

*crosses fingers*

Ooh, the suspense builds. I haven't gotten a response yet. =0 But it must be coming soon.

[TheStupidOne]

Due to a mailserver mishap on my end (lol postfix needs to be running durr), I have no idea if I got approved for my submission. If possible, can you resend any emails destined for me? My panel submission was the Touhou panel, PM me if you need to verify my email address or whatever.

[viga]

I still didn't get an answer. I'm so worried and panicking! Wondering if I misspelled my email or something! I'm going nuts!

I hope to be in the second batch!

[Otaku Ru]

I hope we get approved. Even if we don't, at least we get more con time (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[ZGL]

We're still sending notifications, although we got through a mighty pile yesterday.

Relax. If you submitted an application, you will receive some sort of notification - probably by the end of this week.

[Jessi_B]

Got a response for one of the panels I submitted - I hope to hear about the other soon. (I filed them side by side, so I was curious on when I'd hear about both.)

Looking forward to it! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[Alex]

I submitted forms for two panels on time, yet I haven't received any email. Should I be partially worried, since it's already the weekend?

[The INfamous MC]

I submitted forms for two panels on time, yet I haven't received any email. Should I be partially worried, since it's already the weekend?

No. Please keep in mind that ZGL is still sorting panel requests. Please be patient. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[ZGL]

I submitted forms for two panels on time, yet I haven't received any email. Should I be partially worried, since it's already the weekend?

No. Please keep in mind that ZGL is still sorting panel requests. Please be patient. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

This. In addition to sorting panel requests, I'm also dealing with my real life, which keeps me very busy from 10am-10pm. I haven't forgotten you all, and there's no organizational snafu this year - just the basic, no-frills "I am swamped." (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) You'll hear from us, and with time to spare before all of your deadlines or what have yous arrive.

[ZGL]

Yes, yes, double-posting in my own thread. Deal. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

A gentle reminder to those of you who may be receiving denial notices in your inbox: As noted on the panels information page on the website, your application might be denied. Most denials are sent because we do not have adequate space for your panel; however, some are sent because we do not feel that your proposed content will have a big enough draw or because your content is not relevant to Otakon's mission (an educational organization promoting east Asian culture).

I wish I didn't have to say this, but please do not ask people to email us with requests to put your panel back on the schedule. I've said from the very beginning that we're changing things up this year, making room for new attractions and saying goodbye to some of the old ones, and generally looking to make this year as awesome as it can be.

----

Notices are still being sent. My real life has quieted down just slightly (well, not really) and I'm sending out batches every night.

[Otaku Ru]

Ugh. Nothing but bad news has come to me today, our rejected panel being one of them. -___-

It would be kinda nice to know more of a reason than just "the subject matter." It's a rather bot-ish response to people like us who have been planning for their panel for months now. Then again, you guys have hundreds of rejections, I bet.


...So much fail.

This post has been edited by Otaku Ru: Jun 16 2008, 06:12 AM

[alabaster]

One very good thing that's come out of the last few years is that we are seriously looking at balancing fan panels with more (for want of a better word) serious academic panels. Meatier subjects, tighter presentation, more credible panel leaders -- these are all in the mix. In the past we've been criticized -- rightly -- for having too many of the "Why SHOW_XYZ rocks!" panels.

I've attended some of these myself, though not at Otakon. There are few things more frustrating than being far more qualified and informed than the panelists on stage --- I've had that happen to me on occasion, usually for Doctor Who related panels. And you don't need three panels on the same general "why ninjas will beat pirates" nonsense. We have the ability to pick and choose, and are trying to build for diversity as much as anything.

Lacking any other context, here's what *I* would rationally assume:

1. There was a better, similar panel on offer from another panelist. Popular topics get lots of submissions. Yours might not have been the best.
2. The subject matter wasn't relevant to the con's mission. Ninjas versus pirates is rather pointless, to use a silly example, and not particularly relevant outside a discussion of One Piece. Internet memes, for example, are a waste of convention time and resources.
3. Your subject matter may have been deemed inappropriate, or simply done to death. A "Why furries suck and why you should hate them" panel, for example, is unlikely to get much traction. "Subs vs Dubs" isn't worth arguing about anymore.

[Otaku Ru]

One very good thing that's come out of the last few years is that we are seriously looking at balancing fan panels with more (for want of a better word) serious academic panels. Meatier subjects, tighter presentation, more credible panel leaders -- these are all in the mix. In the past we've been criticized -- rightly -- for having too many of the "Why SHOW_XYZ rocks!" panels.

I've attended some of these myself, though not at Otakon. There are few things more frustrating than being far more qualified and informed than the panelists on stage --- I've had that happen to me on occasion, usually for Doctor Who related panels. And you don't need three panels on the same general "why ninjas will beat pirates" nonsense. We have the ability to pick and choose, and are trying to build for diversity as much as anything.

Lacking any other context, here's what *I* would rationally assume:

1. There was a better, similar panel on offer from another panelist. Popular topics get lots of submissions. Yours might not have been the best.
2. The subject matter wasn't relevant to the con's mission. Ninjas versus pirates is rather pointless, to use a silly example, and not particularly relevant outside a discussion of One Piece. Internet memes, for example, are a waste of convention time and resources.
3. Your subject matter may have been deemed inappropriate, or simply done to death. A "Why furries suck and why you should hate them" panel, for example, is unlikely to get much traction. "Subs vs Dubs" isn't worth arguing about anymore.

Thanks Jim, that helps a lot. Our panel was a "small piece of a much larger pie" kinda thing, and my guess is someone beat us to the rest of the pie. Maybe I'll ditch my previous idea and do a Sonic the Hedgehog panel next year. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Shadow_otm]

Well unfortionatly, I'm guessing due to subject matter, my RPG panel was rejected this year. I was really hoping to raffle off those Robotech RPG books too.

If you guys have any suggestions for me on what kind of subjects I could add or change to the subject and idea of my panel to make it appropriate for next year, please let me know.

And like last year I'm willing to send you my cell number in the case you have any at-con cancelations or no-shows that you need a fill at a moment's notice.

[Jessi_B]

I got word on the second panel - no big deal. We had done that last year and at Katsucon - we'll come up with something new to try for next year. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

I *am* looking forward to doing the panel that I and my other partner applied for, though! Yay! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[Tofusensei]

Frankly I am a bit upset.

I'm part of a group that has run the digital fansubbing panel at Otakon every year since 2002. We have a 6 year uninterrupted streak and you rejected the panel application this year? We've grown in attendance every year!

Ever since Sam Dang moved on from panels we've had nothing but problems. This is an outrage! I can't believe this is how you treat the people who have literally helped build Otakon into what it is.

Who can I talk to about an appeal?

[rotinoma]

One very good thing that's come out of the last few years is that we are seriously looking at balancing fan panels with more (for want of a better word) serious academic panels. Meatier subjects, tighter presentation, more credible panel leaders -- these are all in the mix. In the past we've been criticized -- rightly -- for having too many of the "Why SHOW_XYZ rocks!" panels.

I've attended some of these myself, though not at Otakon. There are few things more frustrating than being far more qualified and informed than the panelists on stage --- I've had that happen to me on occasion, usually for Doctor Who related panels. And you don't need three panels on the same general "why ninjas will beat pirates" nonsense. We have the ability to pick and choose, and are trying to build for diversity as much as anything.

Lacking any other context, here's what *I* would rationally assume:

1. There was a better, similar panel on offer from another panelist. Popular topics get lots of submissions. Yours might not have been the best.
2. The subject matter wasn't relevant to the con's mission. Ninjas versus pirates is rather pointless, to use a silly example, and not particularly relevant outside a discussion of One Piece. Internet memes, for example, are a waste of convention time and resources.
3. Your subject matter may have been deemed inappropriate, or simply done to death. A "Why furries suck and why you should hate them" panel, for example, is unlikely to get much traction. "Subs vs Dubs" isn't worth arguing about anymore.

Just to share a bit--I put in an application for the anime blogging panel and it was rejected. The rejection was a cut-and-paste response and it does not say why exactly--I don't blame them as it is fairly typical to not give too many details why they'd reject someone. But looking at Jim's thinking, it doesn't apply to everyone:

1. I was hoping there is a better/similar panel going on, but the main reason I wanted to run a panel on this was because there wasn't one in the past, and I haven't found any information about one this year. I hardly want to reinvent the wheel.
2. The subject matter may or may not be relevant to the con's mission, and that's probably debatable. It is probably more relevant than pirates versus ninjas however.
3. I don't think it's particularly inappropriate (in fact, in this day and age it ought to be something pretty important) and it's certainly not done to death.

In the weeks prior to the panel deadline I was thinking about it. Now that I saw the rejection, I think it may simply be because (if you are a first-timer like me) that your application wasn't what Otakon was looking for. Looking back I would've have redone it and gotten the ball rolling earlier and flesh out more in the application what my panel was going to be specifically and why I want to run it at Otakon. But it seems scheduling can also a big problem if you can't make it on a certain day. I'm just guessing here.

The mistake I thought I made with my application was not approaching it as a resume--I think you need to sell your panel with it. It's one thing to expect some help from the friendly/helpful panel folks in submitting your application but the mistake I think I made was presuming that they want you to run a panel. You need to presume the opposite and try to sell it as if they are going to reject you.

[alabaster]

Frankly I am a bit upset.

I'm part of a group that has run the digital fansubbing panel at Otakon every year since 2002. We have a 6 year uninterrupted streak and you rejected the panel application this year? We've grown in attendance every year!

Ever since Sam Dang moved on from panels we've had nothing but problems. This is an outrage! I can't believe this is how you treat the people who have literally helped build Otakon into what it is.

Who can I talk to about an appeal?

Six years is a long time to run any panel. That doesn't mean it automatically gets to run every year.

You can certainly question the decision, but there is no "appeal".

There's a total of one person who could overrule a joint decision of the Programming and Panels heads, and that's the con chair, who is unlikely to reverse the decision for a broad range of reasons.

[Tofusensei]

Frankly I am a bit upset.

I'm part of a group that has run the digital fansubbing panel at Otakon every year since 2002. We have a 6 year uninterrupted streak and you rejected the panel application this year? We've grown in attendance every year!

Ever since Sam Dang moved on from panels we've had nothing but problems. This is an outrage! I can't believe this is how you treat the people who have literally helped build Otakon into what it is.

Who can I talk to about an appeal?

Six years is a long time to run any panel. That doesn't mean it automatically gets to run every year.

You can certainly question the decision, but there is no "appeal".

There's a total of one person who could overrule a joint decision of the Programming and Panels heads, and that's the con chair, who is unlikely to reverse the decision for a broad range of reasons.

I understand what you are saying.

That being said, of course the panel has evolved tremendously over the years (along with the evolution of digital fansubbing). Digital fansubbing (and therefore piracy) is the #1 issue the anime industry is facing in this day and age. To not have a panel dedicated to it puts you in league with AX which is not a con one would imagine you'd want to be associated with.

We were actually planning on having a panel discussion with members from the industry attending and discussing the issues with very experienced and influential fansubbers participating. I'm certain your convention is making a mistake by not tackling this issue.

If there is an explanation for why it was rejected, I'd like to hear it. Thanks.

[Otaku Ru]

I sort of agree with Tofusensei. I've seen panels on Digital Fansubbing and piracy issues at just about every good convention I've been to. Cutting out a panel on such a hot issue isn't something I'd expect, especially from Otakon.

[jimay]

Just to add a couple of my two cents:

Remember, Otakon was looking for a different focus this year compared to the other years. Given Jim's reasons, I would totally understand the reasoning behind the rejections. In addition, I think the panel team was looking for a more cultural focus this year than in the past. That was the impression I got when I read through the panels page on this website. Also we should keep in mind that there were about 175 some panels submitted this year with only 60 some getting through according to Meredith. Thats less than 35% of the total submissions! It's like trying to get into a tough college/university!

I don't think that anyone who has been denied approval should be crazily bent out of shape. However, I do realize that after months of preparations and planning, getting denied would be a tough pill to take. But I think we should cut the panel team some slack. Heck this year's process was definitely a lot better than last year's fiasco. At least it was a cut and dry answer, instead of utter confusion. In my opinion, they did a great job of putting the preparations together to get everything together.

That being said, I was denied two of my panels that I submitted for this year (J-Dramas! and J-Music: Best of 2008). Therefore, I can understand what it feels like to be denied approval for a panel that you really wanted and helplessly prepared for.

Bottom line: I just think we should cut these guys some slack. The percentages aren't really necessarily in our favor, so to assume that one would make it automatically would be absurd. It just wasn't part of their focus this year.

ja

[Tofusensei]

Just to add a couple of my two cents:

Remember, Otakon was looking for a different focus this year compared to the other years. Given Jim's reasons, I would totally understand the reasoning behind the rejections.

"more (for want of a better word) serious academic panels. Meatier subjects, tighter presentation, more credible panel leaders"

To quote Jim's reasons. Looking at those, I'm still at a loss for what the rejection reason was. I hope it had nothing to do with events that may have transpired last year in my absence. Please someone give me an explanation. I have hundreds of people to report back to with an explanation why there will be no digital fansubbing panel this year.

[Ashi]

I received a rejection letter too. I was looking forward to hosting my panel. Like a lot of people, I spent months and months on mine. It was difficult to take the news, but this gives me time to come up with a better panel idea for next year. (I guess I'll try at AnimeUSA or Katsucon then, but they're during the school year.) While I agree that perhaps a more detailed answer would have helped, as I cannot figure out what rejection criteria my panel fit, it was nice to at least receive a notice. I didn't get anything back last year and was really bummed out because of it. I commend the panels department for getting back to everyone in a timely manner. (I do find it hilarious that it was easier for me to get into college, haha.)

With that said, I was wondering if someone could clarify the criteria for hosting a panel? My subject was about a part of Japanese culture, so I assumed it represented the convention's mission. But since it was rejected, I'm guessing that my proposal wasn't good enough or that something was missing to make it stand out (or there's a possibility that my subject wasn't interesting). I know the form was straight forward, but I think it would be nice to know what is the convention looking for in a panel and a panelist. Maybe after the convention ends, someone could do this point by point and say exactly what the convention is looking for? I'm just throwing out ideas, but I would like to know what I can do to improve my application for Otakon 2009 so I can, hopefully, finally host a panel.

Well, this gives me more time to participate in the LARP and some tournaments, so all is not at a loss. ^^;

[ZGL]

Criteria for hosting a panel (it's late, and I've been running since 9:15 Tuesday morning, so I might miss something - this is not all-inclusive but is fairly indicative):

- Be professional, not only in your application but in all of your dealings with panels staff. We hold the department to very high standards, both staff-wise and panelist-wise. This doesn't mean kiss up to us and we'll give you a panel, but we'll remember if you were fantastic (or horrific) to work with.
- Make your app the best it can be. This doesn't mean writing twelve hundred pages (in fact, in many cases it means precisely the opposite). Convince us that your panel NEEDS to be on the schedule.
- Apply for something related in some way to Asian culture. Anime, video games, ninja, manga, food, Tokyo, K-pop, the Olympics! - whatever.
- If your panel has been on the schedule a while, tell us what's different about it this year, and why we should keep scheduling you instead of putting a rookie in the game.

If you feel that your panel and/or its application met all of this criteria, then the likely answer is that we did not have enough space, or the space that was available wasn't appropriate for your panel. As cool as "The Way of Tea" sounds, it probably won't fill a 750-seat ballroom for an hour. Similarly, we all know that a Death Note panel would not be a good fit for the 200 seat panel room.

The other likely reason was that we had several applications for the same topic (this year we got three or four Metal Gear applications, and [surprisingly] three or four "How to survive on your trip to Japan" applications) and had to choose the best one. This sort of choice really boils down to the "professionalism" point - if your application is polished, interesting, and enthusiastic (and has a similar personality behind it), it's got a great chance.

As a sort-of side note, we really do mean that you're welcome to re-apply next year, and we do keep watching and listening. We know (hope, perhaps) that you've been working hard planning your panel, and in most cases regret that we cannot schedule all of the applications we receive.

I hope this has clarified some of the concerns you've all raised.

[Rakuen]

About how close are you to finishing the confirmations/rejections?

[ZGL]

The last of the notifications [accepted/denied/waitlisted] have been sent. The Approved List stands at 64. Approximately 90 were denied. The waitlist has 13 panels on it. This makes a total of approximately 170 panel applications submitted this year.

When all of the approved panels have been scheduled, The List will be published both here on the BBS and on the panels page of the website.

If you have not received a waitlist, approval, or denial notice from the panels department, but you submitted an application, please use the Contact Us form on the website to be in touch with us. Include the name of your proposed panel in the subject line.

Thank you all once again for your patience during this most hectic time - it makes all of the insanity worthwhile. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[tsubasa-no-kami]

The last of the notifications [accepted/denied/waitlisted] have been sent. The Approved List stands at 64. Approximately 90 were denied. The waitlist has 13 panels on it. This makes a total of approximately 170 panel applications submitted this year.

When all of the approved panels have been scheduled, The List will be published both here on the BBS and on the panels page of the website.

If you have not received a waitlist, approval, or denial notice from the panels department, but you submitted an application, please use the Contact Us form on the website to be in touch with us. Include the name of your proposed panel in the subject line.

Thank you all once again for your patience during this most hectic time - it makes all of the insanity worthwhile. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Spiffy~~! There are going to be a lot of killer panels : )~~!!

Any word about the workshops? Were they notified along with panels?

Rawk on~

[ZGL]

Any word about the workshops? Were they notified along with panels?

Workshops is a separate department, and I can't speak for them.

[greatsg]

Hi there, my panel, "Awesomely Bad Japanese Music Videos," was one of the lucky ones to get approved, and much to my surprise as well. I'm definitely making sure I get everything perfect for it.

I'm curious as to when we will find out the length of time our panels will be getting, I think I requested two hours if possible. The main reason is that the sooner I can know the length of time I have, the easier it is for me to go through the video library I have to choose the best material to fit the time spot. Thi. s way I can make sure I don't run over my time and also fit in all the material I can for the audience to enjoy.

Thanks again, and I can't wait to bring this event to Otakon.

[alabaster]

Meredith's taking a well-earned vacation for a few days (though she's working on con stuff anyway if I know her) and may have limited net access.

If I remember correctly, the overwhelming majority of panel times are either 50 minutes or 80 minutes (1-hour or 90-minute panels with a 10-minute transition). I'm sure she'll let you know when she gets back.

[ZGL]

Shh, don't tell anyone, but I'm secretly working on con stuff here in the wilds of New Jersey, and using (*gasp!*) a neighbor's WiFi connection to do it until the Fios gets set up here. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

To answer your question, I'm working on tackling the schedulebeast this week. Real Life has dealt me a "vacation" in an apartment complex surrounded by highways, and I'm here for two weeks. I don't want to tell you a specific date, but I'm optimistic that the schedule e-mails will go out to those with approved panels by the end of this month.

And, as Jim mentioned, this year (with only one or two exceptions), the longest available timeslot is an hour and a half.