Natcon running guide

This article is intended to provide a Natcon running guide to inform and assist potential and future Australian National SF Conventions.

Responsibilities of the Convention

• provide a venue, programming slot (traditionally three hours in length), and minor administrative support if needed (e.g. printing of agendas) for the Natcon Business Meeting
• advertise the Ditmar nomination form and ballot, and make ballots available to eligible voters (including the previous Natcons members)
  • Note: it has become traditional to snailmail Ditmar Ballots only to those eligible voters who have not supplied an email address
• make identity and contact information of its members available to both the current and succeeding years Ditmar committee for purposes of informing and confirming Ditmar voting.
  • Note: making this information available may be something that requires careful harmonization with your conventions privacy policy
• produce trophies and certificates
  • Ties are possible, so you may need to create more trophies than there are awards, or have the capability to create additional trophies as needed after the event.
• organise to post out uncollected awards
• include a number of non-Ditmars in the ceremony, including the A. Bertram Chandler and the Norma K. Hemming Awards (ASFF Awards) and the Peter McNamara Achievement Award

Things the Convention Committee should remember

• Contact Awards finalists (ie. people who appear, or whose work appears, on the ballot) to ensure they are present or have a representative present at the ceremony to collect any relevant physical awards
• Ensure uncollected physical awards (eg. trophies, certificates, finalist pins etc.) are delivered to their winners promptly

Responsibilities of the Standing Committee of the Business Meeting

• manage the evolution of the Natcon Constitution and rules under than Constitution including the Ditmar rules and the Natcon Standing Committee Rules
• assist in the management of an eligibility list
• produce a nomination form
• collect and collate nominations
• produce a ballot
• collect and collate votes
• assist the Convention regarding Natcon matters
• assist the Convention regarding general Convention matters (eg. Accessibility)