Programming FAQ

1. Why don’t you bring ________ band/musical act?
We welcome all suggestions for events, guests and musical acts. Here are some things to take into consideration when making a suggestion to AE staff:

  • Are they out of town? – If they are, how many people are in the band. Beyond that, how many others will need to travel with the band? This includes any of their road crew and agents. The more people that have to travel with the musical act is less money spent on bringing in other guests.
  • How popular are they? – Though we love to bring in the most popular bands from Japan, we do have to take into account the size of the convention and the revenue generated in turn. As well, we want to balance musical acts with other guests.
  • Contact information? – Do they have agents? If so, it would help AE staff a lot if any contact information can be included in the suggestion as well.

2. I have an event in mind. Should I fill out the event submission form?
If you are submitting the form, please ensure that you are prepared for the commitment in terms of planning and event follow-up. If you are unsure about taking the responsibility of organizing the event, or if you want to check whether the event will appeal to your target audience first, please open a new discussion thread for the event in the forum section instead.

3. I have an idea for _____ Who do I contact?
You can find the names and emails of the people in charge of the particular areas in AE that will be able to help you directly on the Contact page. Please do allow us a few days to get to your response though.

Do you have an idea for an event or panel you’d like to run at this year’s convention?  If so, we want to hear it!  If you like to suggest an idea for an event / panel, but will be unable to run it, please visit our Facebook Page.  Please note that, due to the volume of requests, submitting a panel application will not necessarily guarantee that the panel will be accepted.  Requests will be reviewed and responded to on a ‘first-come, first-served’ basis.

Submission deadline is generally 2 weeks before the event.

General Rules for Event & Panel Hosts

  • Hosts providing content, totalling more than 60 minutes in length through one or more panels, will be given a free pass to the convention. This applies to both the primary and secondary hosts. All other panelists will need to buy a pass to Anime Evolution for the day they are hosting the event and will be charged first tier pre-registration prices.
  • Hosts are not allowed to sell merchandise during the panel. Free prizes, samples, and giveaways are allowed after the prizes have been approved by the panel coordinator.
  • Make sure that your event is age and content appropriate (i.e. no racist comments or vulgar language). If the panel/event is intended for adults only, please indicate this on the form.
  • Panels and events have a maximum time of 90 minutes for set-up and presentation. Additional presentation time may be requested, but must be approved by the panel coordinator. If you require additional set-up time, this may be indicated on the form.
  • Please arrive 15 minutes before your event to set-up. If changes need to be made, please contact the panel coordinator no later than 2 weeks prior to the event date.
  • Anime Evolution can provide certain audio/visual equipment such as microphones, projectors, DVD players and adapters if needed. Any equipment requirements should be listed on your form. Event hosts are to provide all other supplies and materials needed to run their event.
  • All event hosts must demonstrate that they have sufficient knowledge of the topic they are presenting. Please provide a detailed description of what you will be doing in the appropriate section of the form.
  • While you are welcome to request your panel’s preferred date and time, we cannot guarantee those times. If you are unable to make the date and time scheduled for you, please notify us as soon as possible.
  • If you do not show up for your event without prior notification before the event or without just cause (family emergency, accident on the way to the convention, etc.) you may not be eligible to participate as a host in future Anime Evolution Conventions.