this will be interesting

i learned today that something i tried to have implemented for nearly ten years is finally going to occur at the comic-con this year. i have always felt it unfair that people could park their butts in a chair in a program room when it opened in order to guarantee themselves a seat for a panel occurring later in the day.

what happens is there are people filling seats in panels they couldn't give a rat's ass about seeing. they tend to talk with their friends through the panel, read, sleep and generally not participate. they are disrespectful of the panel members in a sense they aren't there to support the purpose of the program. in the meantime there will be a line outside of people waiting who would like to be in the panel, but can't be because the room is full... ofttimes with those who only want to be in the room for a later program. people will rush to find a seat at 11:00 a.m. for a panel they want to see at 4:00 p.m.

each year i would ask at executive meetings why couldn't the panels in the "big" rooms, i.e. the 6 quad (6ABCD), 20 and hall H be cleared between panels. i was told it wasn't possible. there were too many people to try to turn a room around for another panel. excuse me? i was responsible for clearing a 462,000 sq ft room holding over 30K people each night and getting it completely empty in fifteen minutes or less. so i didn't buy the argument i was given.

well, this year things are going to be different.

there will be a fifteen minute break between programs in those rooms in order to clear them for the line outside to enter to fill for the next panel.

it is about freaking time.

i hope they get it right.