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Welcome to Panel Programming!

Have you ever wanted to present something you know a lot about? Or present with a group of friends cosplaying your favorite characters? Or have you ever wanted to perform in front of a live audience? Or option D: all of the above?! Then this will be PERFECT for you!

A panel is usually an open discussion about a certain topic (such as a specific anime/manga/fandom/webtoon/game series or other related topic). Some panels may include games or quizzes, how-tos, or an introduction to a topic.

Panel Programming brings you great events during the convention from Friday to Sunday. From fan-led discussions on the latest hit anime, manga, video games, and pop culture to various workshops and demos, we have it all.

Panel Registration

Our forms and schedules are built on these forms. They are mandatory for all groups and individuals running a panel. Applications are due no later than 11:59pm, August 31, 2023. After the deadline has passed, all applications will be reviewed and applicants will be notified via email. This goes for whether your submission was accepted, waitlisted, or declined. Submitting an application does not automatically approve your panel. Your panel is only final if and when you receive written approval from the Panels Department Head or the Director of Programming.

  • Panel applications are NOT first-come first-served. We do our best to provide a variety of content, so take the time to make sure your panel submissions are unique and well thought out!

  • Before submitting a panel application form, please read the rules and guidelines below.

  • If you have any questions after reviewing the rules and guidelines, please contact our Panels Department Head at panels@animemilwaukee.org for additional assistance.

Panel Rules

  • No outside food or drink is allowed in panel rooms! The convention center must cater any and all food in panel rooms. This can get very expensive. Panelists serving food will be banned from running panels in the future and may be subject to legal liability.

  • No Stickers! Stickers or items with an adhesive backing may not be used or distributed per convention center policy.

  • Stay within your rating. Please remember that we are a family-friendly convention and there are people of all ages who attend panels (including children). Unless you specify in your application that you are an 18+ event, you will be expected to be age appropriate. If you wish to host an 18+ panel, they must be held after 9:00 PM.

  • Treat equipment with care and respect. If the equipment is not yours, DO NOT TOUCH IT! Our equipment is there to enhance your panel. "Please contact us in advance with non-standard equipment requirements. Should we believe that you have been tampering with equipment not belonging to you, it can result in cancellation of your panels and the confiscation of your badge.

  • Do not remove equipment from the room. We have a dedicated tech team that will take down/set up any equipment. If you need additional setup time, please make a note on your panel submission application. If equipment needs to be moved, our teams will take care of it.

  • All persons in the room must have a badge! All attendees and panelists must have a badge for the convention in accordance with our policies. Even if someone is there just to help or see just your panel, you MUST have a badge to be in the convention space.

  • Do not rearrange the furniture in the panel rooms. The convention center is in charge of setting up the chairs, stages, tables, etc in the rooms. The rooms are scheduled to have specific setups depending on the panels happening in the rooms. You can request your preferred room setup in the application form.

If we are led to believe that you are being disrespectful or not following rules, an Anime Milwaukee Officer can and will confiscate your badge.

Information for Panel Application Process

  • Once panel submissions close on August 31st, it takes several weeks to review all panel submissions, schedule panels, and finalize information before Panel Programming sends out Acceptance, Waitlist, and Declined notifications. Panels will be scheduled around finalized Cosplay Meetups, guest panels, and main events to the best of the convention's ability.

  • Check your spam or junk mail folder if you have not received an email by Mid-November 2023. Anime Milwaukee will be posting a panels update on Facebook and Twitter during that time.

  • If your panel is accepted, the confirmation email may include the tentative time and date for your panel. Dates and times are subject to change leading up to the convention.

  • Every effort will be made to schedule panels as close to the requested time as possible.

  • Panel Acceptance

    • Accepted - the panel will be included on the convention schedule and you will be able to receive your comped badges. If you need to cancel your panel for any reason, email panels@animemilwaukee.org ASAP so another panel can take your place.

    • Declined - the panel was not accepted for the convention.

    • Waitlist - the panel is pending, meaning we cannot include it in the schedule at this time. Waitlisted panels may be moved onto the schedule if other panels get canceled.

  • How do I get a badge as a panelist? See the details below.

Panelist Badges

IMPORTANT Information, please read: In past years we have offered badge reimbursement for panelists who have completed their obligations and have been signed off on their forms. PLEASE REVIEW THE BADGE SYSTEM BELOW:

  • Purchase your Anime Milwaukee badge. This step is crucial.

  • Our system is no longer a reimbursement system. We have initiated a ROLLOVER system as of AMKE 2022.

  • Only a maximum of 2 badges will be eligible for rollover (Panel Host and Panel Assistant).

  • What does this mean? It means that once you have completed all of your panel obligations and our Panels team confirms it, your badge “reimbursement” will rollover to the following year’s AMKE.

    • “But what if I want to host another panel?”

      • Love that! We will have notes on your account that will notify us of your badge status. If you apply for a panel for the following year and get accepted, the process will repeat itself. You will not need to purchase another badge, the rollover will continue.

    • “What if I can’t make it to the following AMKE year?”

      • We understand that life happens and you will not always be able to make it out to Anime Milwaukee. If this is the case, please send an email to panels@animemilwaukee.org so that we can figure out the next steps.

    • “I don’t want to apply for a panel again next year, how will my rollover work?”

      • As mentioned above, we will have on file who will receive a rollover to the next year’s AMKE. When we open up Registration for the next AMKE, you will receive an email via our registration system, Eventeny, with a link to redeem your complimentary badge. If you aren’t sure if you have received approval for that rollover, please reach out to panels@animemilwaukee.org to confirm.

Do you still have questions about the new Rollover System? Or questions about anything? Please contact panels@animemilwaukee.org and we will be happy to help!