A BRIEF HISTORY OF SPX EXHIBITOR REGISTRATION
I know there are lots of questions, concerns and excitement about the upcoming table lottery, SPX invites and the opening of registration for 2015 so I wanted to take a minute to walk through what we’re up to and how we got here - especially for those thinking about making a first trip to SPX.
Apologies in advance. I know this is TLDR material…
REGISTRATION USED TO BE 1ST COME / 1ST SERVED – As recently as SPX 2012 can you believe that we were still using a paper registration form? It’s true. On or around January 1 we’d post the form and we’d usually be sold out within a few months.
WE CHANGED THIS BECAUSE – Well, the months time frame became weeks, then days. Meanwhile the number of registrations kept growing. For 2013 we decided make the switch to online registration, keeping everything else basically the same - first come, first served till we ran out of space.
BUT THIS WAS A MISERABLE FAILURE – because y'all broke the internet faster than Kim Kardashian in Paper Magazine. 2013 Registration was a total mess and we did our best to pick up the pieces and honor all requests for tables in the order received. One of the ways we dealt with this was…
WE TOOK OVER THE WHOLE DAMN PLACE – With so many people seeking tables and our space limited we decided to take over the entire Marriott ballroom - which took some super-fast coordination with the hotel, and a lot of outreach to our regulars to get a sense of whether they were game for a bigger floor. The result?
SPX HAS LITERALLY DOUBLED IN SIZE SINCE 2011 – SPX has always been very cautious about adding exhibitor space. We’re very proud of our reputation as a show where people spend and make money. In 2012 we added a quarter of the ballroom. In 2013 we went sea to shining sea, owning the whole space.
BUT WE STILL HAD THAT REGISTRATION PROBLEM – More space meant a bigger show and more happy exhibitors but going into 2014 we still had to solve our registration problems. Website issues aside, first come / first served was basically meaningless when you’re dealing with digital registration. We needed a different solution.
AND THAT’S HOW A LOTTERY IS BORN – This all gets back to one of our core values - openness. Most comic arts festivals are by invitation only. We knew that wasn’t for us. We’ve always resisted curation. But a pure lottery wouldn’t work either. Community is what makes SPX. We had to find a balance that honored both.
SO ACTUALLY, IT’S A DUAL SYSTEM – Our way ahead was to split our tables between a group of invited exhibitors. As a starting point for that list, we looked at creators that had a long history with SPX. Alongside this group, an open lottery fills the balance of our tables, ensuring that SPX remains open to anyone.
A (REALLY, REALLY) BIG TENT – This solution isn’t perfect. There’s no question. No solution would be. But the 2014 show was one of our best. The SPX spirit was alive and strong and - just as they should be - our tables were filled with creators of all types and experience levels, from Jules Feiffer to kids debuting their first ever mini comic.
SOME NOTABLE DATES:
Invited exhibitors will receive their notification by: January 31
The table registration lottery opens: February 1
The table registration lottery closes: February 15
Lottery winners will be announced: Mid-March
For lottery winners, payment is due by: April 15
Hopefully some of the above is helpful as background on registration process that is about to get started for SPX 2015. We’re super excited to get this show rolling in earnest. Over the next two months - with your help - SPX 2015 will really come together!
If you have any questions, first see Sam’s recent note to exhibitors. After that, hit us up on Twitter, Tumblr or wherever. We’ll be watching.
– MDT
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This is important. We are hoping for luck.
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