i realize i'm cross-pollinating cons here, but i'm going to be running both hall cosplay and the cosplay contest at sakuracon next year (theoretically) and i had some ideas for how to run hall cosplay.
currently, hall cosplay is limited by staff availability; space to inspect and photograph costumes without blocking hallways; record-keeping capacity to keep track of names, characters, badges, and permission to use pictures; and the time and luck needed for a judge to see every good costume before the con ends or the cosplayer changes clothes.
with aleeza's (or other photobooth coordinator's) approval, i'm planning on having people at sakuracon who want to be in the hall cosplay contest go to the photobooth to get their picture taken. at a predetermined point (probably the end of each day), the hall cosplay judges would go through all the contest pictures taken that day to pick winners.
that way, if you see someone with a good costume, you can tell them to go get their picture taken instead of telling them to wait there while you find a judge. you'll already have pictures to post on the website. the photobooth already has a system for getting permission to use pictures, and it's one central place to which everyone, contestants and judges alike, can be directed. you'll only need judges for half an hour or so at the end of each day, instead of roaming around looking for winners for three days straight - the rest of the time you'll only need a photographer who was going to be taking pictures all day anyway.
granted, it depends on the photobooth staffers having both time and space to deal with everyone who wants to show off their costume, but that can be dealt with by assigning photobooth a bigger room or an extra contest-only photographer if necessary.
this is still in the planning stages until i get word that photobooth doesn't mind me volunteering them for stuff, but it seems like a workable plan to me. i'll let you know if it bombs at sakuracon, so you'll know whether or not to try it at the next kumoricon.
