Photo courtesy of Olivia Doyle
Per Matt
Dragon Con is less than 30 days away, so what’s the best way to prepare yourself for the the multi-genre pop-culture event? Pay very close attention to the convention’s social media!
There will be so many panels, performances, signings and live events, only to name a few things, that will be taking place from September 4th to 7th throughout downtown Atlanta, Georgia, it can be tough to keep track of it all. Social Media Coordinator Olivia Doyle helps preview Dragon Con and what to expect from the event.
As a social media coordinator, please describe some of your job responsibilities
– “Most have this view that social media coordinators sit behind a computer and tap away at social media updates, and I’ve had positions like that, but working for Dragon Con is pretty different. Dragon Con has such an engaged fan base that most of what I do is just have conversations with people: Answer questions, listen to feedback, share in their excitement and repost photos of cosplays or events past, etc.”
“People want to know we aren’t automated messages and are actually humans and I insist that we really are (but that might be something a robot would say to cover it up). We’re fans of the convention, just like everyone else and we want to talk about it!”
“It’s also a lot of research about trends in digital media and keeping up with fandom news. Basically, I’m on the Internet all day, ha ha.”
Photo Courtesy of Dragon Con
How long have you been a staff member of Dragon Con?
– “I’m one of the new kids, to be honest. I’ve been working for the social media team for a little over a year now.”
How did you initially get involved working at Dragon Con? What led you to the social media team?
– “So… this is actually a little back-asswards. I did not get involved with Dragon Con before the social media team, they pretty much both happened at the same time. Oddly enough, I went to school with the Director, Sean Magee, and the Assistant Director and when a position opened on the team, Sean came and found me. I was currently working for another large organization, doing social media, so it was a nice transition.”
As Dragon Con approaches, what will the social media team highlight before, during and after the convention?
– “Man, these last few months have been a blur. Our social media has been moving so fast, in preparation for the event, that we are whizzing by with guest announcements, updates, party promotions, fandom news, and so much more.”
“We are going to be highlighting specific events at the hotels for guests to attend, more parties, more announcements, more news, and really engaging with people in the next 20 days. During the event, it’s really no different… expect photos. I am the manager of our Instagram account, so you’ll see me running around and snapping photos like a mad woman. That’s pretty normal for me, though. After the convention, we take a break, man. Of course, we still monitor everything and respond when needed, but we really don’t start posting a lot until about a month after the event.”
“We work pretty much year round, so any break we can get, we snatch it.”
What Dragon Con events are you planning on covering this year?
– “We usually take the stand, ‘divide and conquer,’ on this one. Our team looks at the schedule and we pick five events a day to attend. Sometimes, we attend all of them, sometimes something else catches our eyes (ooh shiny!) and we focus on that.”
“Although… I also work at the Aquarium, so I’m pretty obligated to attend the party there. All jokes aside, I love the Dragon Con Night at the Aquarium.”
Photo Courtesy of Olivia Doyle
What were some of the most-talked-about social media topics from last year? What do you expect will be trending this year?
– “There was a lot of hype around costume prep and planning for next year’s event… even before the 2014 event happened. We know a lot of Dragon Con fans are passionate about guests and planning ahead, and that’s something we can always expect to be trending.”
“Last year, the Marriott sing-a-long seemed to garner a lot of attention and that was absolutely unplanned. We’ll just say we’re ready to be surprised!”
What events are you most looking forward to attending this year?
– “I know this is a SUPER lame answer, but I always love the art show. Swag from there is pretty much the only reason my apartment is decorated. I come from an art background and I really enjoy walking around to see all the artist tables and talking about their work.”
How do you normally spend your time at Dragon Con?
– “As I mentioned above, I run around like a nut, but that’s the entire team. We move very quickly from event to event, hotel to hotel, and from party to party. We want to make sure we cover as much as we can.”
Do you ever host panels? If so, will you be hosting any this year?
– “I do not and I most likely will not.”
Is there anything else you’d like to add?
– “Can I shamelessly plug our social media pages? We totally have an Instagram now.” *eyebrow waggle*
For More Information:
– Dragon Con Facebook
– Dragon Con Twitter
– Dragon Con Website
– Dragon Con Google+
– Dragon Con Instagram