A prominent author of western mystery fiction is invited to be guest speaker.
"[3] Conference participants have voted on an award for the most humorous mystery novel since 1996.
One regularly occurring wild card award is based on geographical location, with its name changing depending upon the location of the convention, such as the Otter (Monterey, 2004), the Calavera (El Paso, 2005), the Rocky (Denver, 2008; Colorado Springs, 2013), and the Rose (Portland, 2015).
[4] Other wildcard awards "include the Watson, for the mystery with the best sidekick (Santa Fe 2011 & Colorado Springs 2013), and the Hawaii Five-O, for best law enforcement or police procedural (Waikoloa, Hawaii 2009).
The Panik award was given in memory of Paul Anik for best LA noir (Los Angeles 2010).