The convention chair is an establishment in the anime convention community. Without a chair, there's no con. Therefore, one cannot pay enough attention to the position, or the duties it entails. Certainly, chair seems to be the most enviable position to hold, when an event is going well. "On the very best days, when all the cogs are working right and the wheels are greased, my job is to look pretty," quips Otakon chairman Sean Chiochankitmun, adding, "which does not happen for more than a moment."

Convention chairs are faced with tasks and duties that would be deemed anywhere form "daunting" to "batshit insane" by those on the outside. "Challenges that we face have best been likened to herding cats," notes Chiochankitmun. As an example of the absolute worst case, he cited an incident involving a nameless boy band:

"...One of the boy pop bands who, at the last minute (read: the day before their concert), were unhappy with the flooring material on the stage. Having one of my OSS... Karl Monroe locate flooring... late at night, and having the problem settled by morning, was the best decision ever made."

The moral of the tale, according to Chiochankitmun, is that "knowing and trusting your staff helps make life a heck of a lot saner." In addition, he adds that "flexibility and the ability to remember who is best, decent, and passable at doing any specific task. And delegating," are vital traits in the role of a chair.

The job isn't all bitchy boy bands and disasters, though. As Chiochankitmun fondly notes, "that I can call some of major people in the animation industry friends is something that I will particularly treasure for years to come."