The Shmoo Group 0wn the Con

This annual behind-the-scenes talk walks through how the ShmooCon organizers run their event. The speakers, a married couple who have led the conference for most of its history, begin by explaining why the group operates as an LLC rather than a nonprofit, pointing to the administrative overhead and the value of a small, committed core. They also announce that next year will be the final edition.

The middle of the talk covers the mechanics. Roughly 100 volunteers handle roles from AV and streaming to security and the program, and the organizers say matching people to work they enjoy has kept the team stable. They break down revenue from sponsorships and tickets, and show that hotel AV and internet fees are the biggest costs. Ticketing gets a closer look, including the bot countermeasures, the waitlist process, and efforts to curb resale at a profit. Call for papers numbers returned to just over 200 submissions, and the speakers urge applicants to follow instructions and cite prior work.

The takeaway for anyone organizing a volunteer-run event is candid. Budgeting, staffing, training and vendor relationships take far more effort than attendees see. The speakers stress recognizing the people who do the work, and the talk leaves a clear picture of the tradeoffs behind a conference of this size.