(a) Sorry that I had missed the earlier post re: Expanding the Creation Station to include flower arranging & origami. As the Creation Manager for KC, I can say that pretty much anyone who says they want to run an event, contest, workshop, demo, skit, whatever, and to run it in the creation station, is more than welcome to do so. However, I don't personally know anyone particularly skilled in those areas. I did have origami paper available at KC '05, and in fact, received 2 entries in KC's first Creation Station art contest that were origami instead of drawings or paintings! (one was even of godzilla!)
The only concern I have about flower arranging is allergies. Personally I have been hospitalized with asthma before (right before KC '05, in fact), and some plant products prompt an allergic / asthmatic response in me. I don't know of how many others this is true...but due to this possibility I would recommend that if there is a flower arranging panel, that it be held outside, and/or in a room that could ventilate well before and after, and that whatever occurs in the room immediately after (if it is not outside), that there be a little sign up cautioning that there may still be pollens in the air and to be cautious if one is allergic.
Ditto regarding food workshops...I would *LOVE* to have a theme party type atmosphere in which folks bring and/or demo/learn how to make, items prominently featured in eps of various anime. The strawberry-picking ep & sweet card ep of Card Captor Sakura come to mind, of course, but maybe also some sweets visible in the bakeries in CLAMP School Detectives and/or Chobits?......but we should probably put up signs saying things like "if you have any food allergies please let us know and discuss with us before sampling any products" and have a list of ingredients visible in print for each item. (this also helps those trying to have vegan, vegetarian, pesadich/ passover-specific, kosher, diabetic, or other special diets.)
i attended psu in the past but not in toni's department, regretably.
a panel on the forming of the con would be great because we are a highly successful & innovative newbie on the scene, known for some of the ways we stand out from the crowd of other cons....and it would be great fun to inspire others to start up something that was actually still in oregon *chortle* i mean it's always fun to help folks develop their own projects with zeal and enthusiasm.