How to Conduct a Successful Skit
Have your music prerecorded. Most conventions now require this anyway. You can see our tutorial for How to Edit Sound, if you need to.
Be wary of prerecording voice clips. Most people do not have good quality microphones, and believe me, the audience will hear this over the sound system! If you can avoid speaking, it is strongly advised.
Showcase what you are good at. Can you sing, act, juggle, or do some sort of martial art? Do it (with permission of the Cosplay Coordinator, of course)! People want to be entertained, so give them a show!
Do not involve in-jokes. Everyone in the audience wants to be included in the joke. For example, if you are making your skit on Revolutionary Girl Utena, do not do things that involve too much the story or in-depth knowledge of the characters. It means you have to have watched Utena to understand, therefore leaving out the portion of the viewers that have not seen it yet.
Parody well known popular culture. The most successful skits often include some sort of Japanese or North American pop-culture situation. Reference something from a popular commercial or television show so everyone is in on the gag. For example, many people know of Captain Planet or the Axe TV ads. Things like that make a good basis for a funny skit everyone will enjoy.
Think about why you should win. Do you have a lot of time and energy involved in your costumes? Do you have a really good skit premise? Can you show off a really cool ability? If you cannot think of a reason why you should win, try and think of one and work toward it. Give the judges a reason to award you!