Official International Wrong Planet Conference / Festival

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randoms ideas so far...

i think that having most/all of the sessions within close proximity to each other would be good (i.e. one venue), as many of us are directionally challenged and overwhelmed by transitions.

on a similar note, having a "quiet room" available for people to take a moment to calm down would be a great support for members who get overwhelmed. we have those at my work - just small rooms with carpet and soft lighting and comfy chairs where people are expected to refrain from talking too much.

i agree with what a couple people have mentioned about Vegas being a bit overwhelming due to the lights and noises. also it doesn't seem that family friendly in Vegas, and there are lots of under-18 members that may want to attend with their parents, or other members might want to bring along their kids if applicable.

author talks and book signings would be awesome too.

i know that it's really technically a general autism convention, but it would be cool to integrate stuff from the site. like, i think it would be fun to have some sessions around the theme of some of the sections of the forum, like L&D, PPR, Social Skills and Making Friends, In-Depth Adult Life Discussion, etc. we could have guest speakers and/or small break-out groups with discussion or workshops or expert intervention. this would be a way to make the conference familiar and welcoming to the members, and to take the general idea of the forum one step further.

also, it would be cool to have nametags with our usernames on them.

I'm under 18 so I will probably not go. I doubt my parents will be convinced it's worth it. Maybe if there is one on the east coast next year I would be able to go.

I just sent out a collection of emails alerting this thread to various important individuals and organizations within the autism world. I think there will be a lot of interest and will keep providing updates as things develop.

Maybe you could set up a station to video chat with the people who can'tshow up for whatever reason.

i don't honestly know what sort of organisations to approach for sponsorship. i have done some minor fundraising before (mostly just getting promos and prizes for an office i worked at), but i always had a list of places to contact.

but anyways, if i think of some places to contact (ohhhh i am getting some ideas as i am typing lol), is there a preferable contact method or email address or something? i know these are early stages but i think some kind of a form letter will be a good idea once you have the details a bit more "set", just to make sure we are all giving the organisations the same standardised information.

I would love to attend. But Hollywood or LV? Hollywood might be more doable for me, but I really loathe LV. Part of it is that my parents have had a gambling addiction for years (tried to hook me on it in LV), & there's all the sensory issues that goes along with LV. Def not my fave place. Noise alone is a huge factor for me.

Are you in need of a still photographer? I shoot all kinds of events. Haven't done a convention before, but it could be fun...other than getting there.

I'm thinking it could be a day or two of main events, with a week of buildup for those who want to participate.

Also, instead of one event in an exclusive location, what if we had several events scattered throughout the country (or the world?) locally organized, but all connected by video to the main event at a central location? Just a thought. That would help to cut down on travel.

I'm hearing back from organizations and people seem very excited. Craig Evans of Autism Hangout suggested focusing a portion of this event on "autism talents for the workplace," as this would be a good way to get corporations interested and involved financially.  

how quickly would you want to have a list of potential places to contact? i think it would take me a couple of days to get some ideas.

also, do we have a tentative date in terms of year and general season (i may have missed it in the thread).... i.e. summer 2012, spring 2013?

If Vegas, maybe we could do it at Caesar's Palace,
or the Hard Rock Hotel of Vegas, or the MGM Grand,
or the Mirage.

Marc Sirkin suggested something like this...

http://www.twestival.com/

I think he's right on target.