<span class="SFPTagline"> From SCIFIPEDIA </span>

Fan conventions are organized and run by fans for fans. This type of convention is run by an all-volunteer organization. The oldest fan-run conventions are institutions; some have run for a generation or more.

Fan-run conventions are held periodically, for example yearly, and usually occur over a weekend or long weekend since that's when most of the volunteers are free to work and fans are free to attend. These conventions usually offer richer and more varied content than professionally run conventions. Multiple, simultaneous tracks of panels and other content mean more activities can be offered in the alloted time. Examples of typical events and activities include: *discussion panels

• talks by featured speakers, perhaps followed by a question-and-answer session
• autograph sessions
• photo opportunity sessions
• dealers' rooms
• media screenings
• costume contests
• model contests
• charity auctions
• author readings
• on-site meetings by outside groups (such as a fan club or Starfleet International at a Sci Fi convention)
• parties and other venues of informal social interaction
• games or gaming
• filking
• workshops covering such diverse topics as acting, artwork, writing, and costuming
• serious lectures
• art auctions
• other charity activities
• a hospitality suite where fans can rest, talk, socialize, and eat snacks.

A common organization for fan-run conventions includes a convention committee that does the bulk of the planning and preparation, committee or subcommittee staffs to assist with preparation, and volunteers that work only at the convention itself. Small conventions may be planned and run by as few as three or four people. The largest fan-run conventions are planned by a committee of perhaps several dozen people, and require several hundred people to run the convention itself. To entice people to volunteer, the committee may offer perks such as head-of-line privileges, reserved seating, free meals, or free admission.

A hallmark of fan-run conventions is that they charge only enough to pay for the convention and recoup their seed money. If the organization that hosts a fan-run convention is incorporated, it is normally as a nonprofit or not-for-profit corporation. Fan-run conventions often raise money for designated charities. In addition, some donate any profits from the convention itself to a charity. Some always work for the same charity while others pick different charities each time.