This episode of the 10-4 Podcast features Jim Demonakos, who has had a long and successful career in the fandom and convention industry. Jim is currently the Convention Director of LightBoxExpo and he was the Founder and built the Emerald City Comic-Con from the ground up to one of America’s largest fandom events. Jim is also a New York Times Best Selling author.

In this conversation we talk about:

• Jim’s advice on selecting, organizing and managing teams for major events that have over 100,00 guests
• How to hire – and why hiring people who know your industry isn’t as important as you may think
• How to plan for the unexpected – and how much leeway he gives managers to solve problems
• Why managing lines can create or destroy the vibe of your event
• The value of scheduling staff downtime

The interview ends with Jim’s advice about what think about if you’re considering starting a new event of if you've ever managed an event team, this episode is filled with lots of wisdom from a true industry veteran.