Thursday, March 5, 2009

My Checklist for Staple!

Hi folks! I'm Keith Quinn, creator of the Local Heroes and Playtime Projects strips. For the second year in a row, I'll be at Staple!, and boy, I'm excited! I want to make sure I bring everything I need for a successful show, but time's running out. What I need is a checklist to keep me from frantically gathering the goods at the last minute or, even worse, forget to bring something important.

First thing's first, let's make sure I have my "convention basics":

  • The goods
    • A big stack of Local Heroes #1.
    • Two or three copies of Heroes Incorporated #1.
    • A big stack of Playtime Projects Temporary Tattoos.

  • Hand-outs
    • A stack of flyers. (Special note: The backs of my flyers double as sketchcards!)

  • Cash
    • I need to make sure I can make change for any customer that needs it. It's especially important to bring plenty of singles and a scattering of change.
    • Receipts.
Whoa, whoa whoa...I'm already forgetting some important things. Don't I want my table to look nice? What if someone wants a sketch on those sketchcards?
  • Table supplies
    • Table cloth. (I picked up a nice disposable one from Target!)
    • Character standees and price list.
    • Napkins/paper towels.
    • Tape, rubber bands, big clips.
    • Scissors (That table cloth is probably bigger than I need).
    • Garbage bags.

  • Art supplies—got to have something to use on those sketchcards!
    • Pencils, pens, sharpies, markers, etc.
    • Erasers.
    • Pencil sharpener.

If I bring nothing else, at least the basics are covered. But I can do better. I want to make sure I capture some promotional moments as well as some great memories. And I probably want to make sure some personal comfort is accounted for.

  • "Capture the moment" gear
    • Camera (with fresh batteries!).
    • Flip camera (also with fresh batteries).
    • Extra batteries.
    • Autograph book.

  • Comfort
    • Bottled water.
    • Small snack.
    • A table partner—great to spend time with (and to watch the table when you have to step away!).
Whew! I think I'm set...for now. In the future, especially if I were to have a larger table, I might also include more books and other merchandise, and maybe even sketches and portfolio pages for fans to flip through.

Am I missing anything? What do you have in your convention checklist?

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Thanks Keith!
This is my first STAPLE!, and my first time working a table at a non-anime-related event. Good to know the necessities are about the same. (And thank goodness for not needing to lug around a suitcase full of markers!)