Westercon78/BayCon 2026 Panel Request Logo
  • Westercon78/BayCon 2026 Panel Request Form

    Are you interested in being a panelist at BayCon 2026? If yes, please fill out this form and someone from our programming staff will reach out.
  • Thank you for being so interested in supporting BayCon with your panel ideas.

    At this time submissions are closed for additional panels. Keep your idea handy, though, for next year's BayCon. You can close this window at this tme.

  • Panel Topic

  • Tell us a bit about your panel. Remember: This year's theme is "A Convenient Parallel Dimension."

  • We recommend not having more than 5 total people on your panels. Any more than that and it gets harder to manage. If you have a particular reason you want more than 5, email us at programming@baycon.org and let us know why after submitting this form.

  • Please note that you are responsible for inviting these additional people, and that we strive to maintain panel sizes with five or fewer participants. Additionally, adjustments to the lineup may be requested by the DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) team if deemed necessary.

    Also Note: If you don't have anyone in mind, that's ok. We will also be sending out a separate call for those who wish to be on panels. If you're on a panel, you are not required to purchase a membership.

  • Panel Format

  • Q&A

    A short introduction of the topic and panelists with moderator-curated questions, followed by audience Q&A.

  • Talk Show

    The easiest format to mimic is the TV talk show (daytime and late night!). It has a host/moderator and guests/panelists who have interesting conversations! Think Oprah, The View, David Letterman. This can include a Q&A session at the end if there's time or you want to include it.

  • Debate

    When there are two or more distinct or polarized viewpoints (eg. Spike vs Angel), consider a classic debate format. Think of the TV show Crossfire and create a panel using the same format.

  • Hot Seat

    A panel of experts provides feedback to a willing audience member who presents an idea. Think American Idol, X-Factor, or The Voice.

  • Game Show

    Great for more lighthearted topics. You can also use game show techniques and sprinkle them into the structure of the panel. For example, you can Spin the Wheel to determine who gets to answer then next question or what IS the next question.

  • Presentation

    A short introduction of the topic and panelists with each panelist presenting their perspectives on the topic, followed by audience Q&A.

  • UnPanel

    This is where there IS no moderator facilitating the panel discussion.

  • Themed Panel

    Take the theme of the event (A Convenient Parallel Dimension) and get creative! For example: Programmatic Punch leveraged the word “Punch” into a boxing format!

  • Scheduling Constraints?

  • Scheduling Preference

    Please note that we will make every effort to accommodate these commitments, though our ability to do so will depend on the availability of panel slots.
  • Please note that we will make every effort to accommodate these requests but may not be able to approve every request.

  • Demographics

    Moving forward, to assist our DEI Committee in determining representation amongst our community members, it would be helpful to note those panels with panelists and topics that are inclusive of all of our community members and to serve those members who are underrepresented. While this information is strictly voluntary, it would be incredibly helpful for our records and reporting to have this information for transparency purposes.
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