Chicago Zine Fest? Tell us about it!

[Blake]

Being to far away I couldn't make the Chicago Zine Fest but have been very interested in learning how it went.  If you attended/participated/worked the Fest, please do let us know how it went, etc...  And some photos would be sweet!

Thanks Much!

[leslie perrine]

Yeah, we actually forgot the PA at home...whoops.
As for the sandwiches--I honestly don't even know where they came from. They weren't part of the day or our planning. Apparently someone had a meeting somewhere and had extra and just put them out on our food table. Sorry if it seemed like something everyone was a part of and we didn't tell you..I was very confused about them as well.
Thanks so much for everyone's input on the fest!

Sarah Morean said:

I had a great time! I went as an exhibitor.

It was weird though how people kept eating these sandwiches and I was like, 'where did they get sandwiches?' but then later I learned there were free sandwiches.

It was very difficult for exhibitors to hear about those kinds of things. The announcement system wasn't very good. I think next year they should have volunteers walk around with sandwich boards or something to announce the free sandwiches, or workshops etc.

I did like how the workshops were right by the main entrance and not in some hidden room. From the photos I've seen, the programming was VERY well attended. Way better than even some comics conventions I've seen -- where the programmers are paid to be there! I think having the workshops in the open helped attendance a lot.

Also, there was this stupid long email before the show that was 'everything you need to know about the chicago zine fest' and it was laughably long. There's no way I was going to read that. I don't know anybody who read that. THEN, when my crowd and I did need to find something out about the show, it wasn't even in the email! We couldn't find the information at least -- when we needed a place to park, we had no idea where to park around the show. We found some expensive parking across the street that cost more than our table!

Still, the crowds were good -- full of zine readers, not just makers -- so that's always fun.

[Johnny Misfit!]

yea someone in knew from the college had a meeting earlier in the afternoon and dropped off the rest of their sandwiches. it wasnt announced, but a good gesture. i think it was in part to how great the zine fest was. it made other people at columbia respect such a great event. had i known this, i would have made mention of them or gave them to tablers only.
as for parking, sarah, you're in chicago, downtown in fact, on a weekend, during a St Pats day festival. so it is what it is. we're not in lake-bryant of nicolette or wherever is cool in MPLS. cant wait by the way. and then i will complain there was not adequate bike parking. joking.
thanks to the organizers, noted by wearing organizer buttons (along with outdated photos of themselves, you know what i mean leslie). this was a super event and i am glad to have been a part of it.

leslie perrine said:

Yeah, we actually forgot the PA at home...whoops.
As for the sandwiches--I honestly don't even know where they came from. They weren't part of the day or our planning. Apparently someone had a meeting somewhere and had extra and just put them out on our food table. Sorry if it seemed like something everyone was a part of and we didn't tell you..I was very confused about them as well.
Thanks so much for everyone's input on the fest!

Sarah Morean said:

I had a great time! I went as an exhibitor.

It was weird though how people kept eating these sandwiches and I was like, 'where did they get sandwiches?' but then later I learned there were free sandwiches.

It was very difficult for exhibitors to hear about those kinds of things. The announcement system wasn't very good. I think next year they should have volunteers walk around with sandwich boards or something to announce the free sandwiches, or workshops etc.

I did like how the workshops were right by the main entrance and not in some hidden room. From the photos I've seen, the programming was VERY well attended. Way better than even some comics conventions I've seen -- where the programmers are paid to be there! I think having the workshops in the open helped attendance a lot.

Also, there was this stupid long email before the show that was 'everything you need to know about the chicago zine fest' and it was laughably long. There's no way I was going to read that. I don't know anybody who read that. THEN, when my crowd and I did need to find something out about the show, it wasn't even in the email! We couldn't find the information at least -- when we needed a place to park, we had no idea where to park around the show. We found some expensive parking across the street that cost more than our table!

Still, the crowds were good -- full of zine readers, not just makers -- so that's always fun.

[Dan 10things]

Johnny Misfit! said:

yea someone in knew from the college had a meeting earlier in the afternoon and dropped off the rest of their sandwiches. it wasnt announced, but a good gesture.

I love stuff like that, ya gotta dig spontaneous sandwich giving.