The complete schedule for PaleyFest 2011 is due to be released tomorrow, January 19, telling us exactly when the True Blood panel will take place. Planning to attend? Not sure what to expect? We’re here to help! The two of us have attended several Paley events and we’re ready to answer questions you might have.

What Is PaleyFest?

Presented by the Paley Center for Media, PaleyFest is a two-week event that spotlights various television shows with a different panel every evening. The panels will include members of the show’s cast and creative team, which will be announced in advance. This is not a Comic Con type of event; you’ll see a lot of people in the audience who are from the Los Angeles area and go to these panels as an evening out. Fans come, of course, but think more “lecture” vibe than “screaming fans” vibe.

When Is PaleyFest?

The event runs March 4-18, 2011. Occasionally a panel will be scheduled on a weekend afternoon, but all panels during the week are evening events.

Where Is PaleyFest?

All events will take place at the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills, CA. The venue seats 1,800, which means more tickets are available, but it’s still considerably more intimate than Comic Con.

How Do I Get Tickets?

Order your tickets through the Paley Center website. Right now Premium Festival Passes are available which include passes to every panel, premium seating, an invitation to an after-party, and more. If you’re interested in attending the entire 2-week event, then this pass is for you. However, if $1,200 is out of your price range, fear not! You can buy tickets to individual panels and create your own PaleyFest experience. Tickets go on sale to Paley Center members on January 21 and to the general public on January 23. In the past tickets to individual panels have cost around $50 to the public, so if you’re only interested in attending the True Blood panel, you can do it on the cheap.

What Are Events Like?

Unlike events such as Comic Con, PaleyFest only has one panel per evening, which means you don’t have to choose between two different panels happening at the same time. Whew! Seating is on a first come, first serve basis (unless you have a Premium Festival Pass with preferred seating), so you’ll want to get in line about an hour early if you can. Even if you don’t get a super-close seat, though, you’ll be able to see the panel pretty easily; the theater is fairly intimate. Panels start with an introduction from the moderator, then either a screening of an episode or a highlight reel. Following the screening, the moderator will return and introduce everyone on the panel. Cue the applause. The first part of the panel will be questions prepared by the moderator followed by a brief fan Q&A session.

Will I Be Able To Get Autographs?

That depends how much you want it. First, be sure to bring an item for them to sign, or you could have them sign your PaleyFest program. Next, decide who you want to have sign your item. You’ll probably only have time to get a couple of signatures, so focus! After the panel concludes, often the cast and creative team will stick around for 10 minutes or so to sign autographs, but be prepared to run to the front if you’re keen on getting that signature. You’ll need to be persistent about putting your item up to be signed, but you should be able to get one or two signatures. Note: we said “be persistent”, not “belligerent”. Other people want signatures, too, so please be considerate.

Did we answer all of your questions? If not, post your question in the comments and we’ll do our best to answer it for you.