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 (CT), September 30, 2025. After the deadline has passed, all applications will be reviewed and applicants will be notified via email on Eventeny. 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 Heads at panels@animemilwaukee.org for additional assistance. Please give our team at least 48 hours to answer any questions.
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. The only exception is for membership ribbons, which are allowed.
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. Our form also includes space to include any content warnings for your panel. Please include the warnings you want attendees to be aware of in advance. Failure to warn about sensitive subjects presented may result in your panels being declined in the future
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 membership.
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 membership! All attendees and panelists must have a membership 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 membership 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.
Please do not post any panel advertisements within the Hyatt, Hilton, or Baird Center spaces. The Baird Center has asked us not to allow attendees or staff to tape up advertisements of panels, local events, or food spaces due to not allowing stickers/tape. If you are caught taping up advertisements of panels, you will be asked to take them down and could face repercussions as dictated by the Convention Management.
Agree to prioritize the safety and well-being of all attendees, staff, and the venue. Please do not engage in any reckless, dangerous, or destructive behavior that could endanger yourself, others, or venue property. This includes, but is not limited to: Smashing or breaking objects, Introducing hazardous or ingestible items (e.g., hot sauces, unknown substances), Using weapons or realistic props without prior approval, performing unsafe stunts or demonstrations, and forcing audience participation without consent
Failure to follow these guidelines may result in removal from the convention, membership confiscation of this year's memberships, your rollover memberships for the following year, and/or liability for damages by Convention Management.
Information for Panel Application Process
Once panel submissions close, 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.
Emails will be sent out for approval/rejections by November 30th. Check your spam or junk mail folder if you have not received an email by the November 30, 2025. Anime Milwaukee will be posting a panel update on Facebook and Twitter during that time.
If your panel is accepted, the confirmation email will include the tentative time and date for your panel. You will have until December 13th, 2025 to let us know if this time will not work. 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 memberships. 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 membership as a panelist? See the details below.
Panelist Memberships
IMPORTANT Information, please read: In past years we have offered membership reimbursement for panelists who have completed their obligations and have been signed off on their forms. PLEASE REVIEW THE MEMBERSHIP SYSTEM BELOW:
Purchase your Anime Milwaukee membership. This step is crucial.
Submit your panel with your legal name and the legal names of up to three co-panelists on the appropriate lines of the panel submission form. Your legal names will not be shared outside of Eventeny for Registration purposes.
Each named panelist in an approved panel (maximum of 4) will receive one rollover membership for next year’s convention.
What does this mean? It means that once you have completed all of your panel obligations and our Panels team confirms it, your membership “reimbursement” will rollover to the following year’s AMKE.
Still have questions?
Please see our Panelists FAQs. Any other questions, please contact panels@animemilwaukee.org and we will be happy to help!