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[Ramenraptor]

Hey my name's Vanessa. Last year I volunteered mostly as door guard for artist alley, dealers hall, and the gaming hall. I noticed a lot of people trying to wear multiple badges from years past to hide that they don't have the current year's badge or they were told that a previous year's badge could be used. My partner and I would frequently try to stop them to confirm that they do have the badge from the current year or convince that person that it would not work;however we have to slow down the line to get this person and people usually get upset when we do this ( people try to get in as fast as they can, who can blame them.) There's also a compromise in security when one of us leaves because if someone else has no badge or an incorrect badge he or she cannot leave to enforce the rules. I would like to suggest a rule against wearing old badgesunderstand people like to wear all their badges to show off seniority but it gets in the way of security. What do you guys think?

[kookiekween99]

Eh... I really don't like that idea. Yeah, I get the whole security thing, but it would kind of put a damper on the whole fun thing of Fanime.

[Amanojaku]

I think just spreading awareness of this sort of scam attempt, as well as re-enforcement of having your current badge "clearly visible" and checked at the door will eliminate most of this issue.

[echoshadow]

You shouldn't have to aplogize for doing your job. You are doing the right thing.

Every year Fanime spends $10,000's+ so that we have great time. Our $40-60 badge is a great price for a 4 day con.

If these people cant save up, thats their fault. If you see that next time alert your head staff, point him/her out. Sad to say, but we need to make examples of them.
It is not fair when other people save and plan for a whole year and yet some loser tries to take advantage of our good con-going nature.

[Umi.Ryuuzaki]

Heya, I can only speak for the Gaming Hall but I do share your concern. I am however skeptical if "only having a current year badge" is the solution, but I do think we need to be more vigilant on checking.

I've helped our staff+door volunteers late at night and its fun watching people try to get into Exhibit Hall 3 (The Gaming Hall) without badges. We did have quite a few incidents of people trying to sneak in and if someone did walk in without showing badges, I say to someone there "intercept and double check, I'll cover." Then again we had like 2-4 people (often 3-5) watching EH3's front door. I cannot comment on other event locations sadly.

I do wonder if having a sign saying "Badge Enforced Area" or something like it would be a start of deterring?

[echoshadow]

The problem is not the lack of a sign but the staff or volunteer present. A simple loud voice saying "Please have you badges out" is enough.
I do recall this super shy volunteer with a whisper of a voice, checking badges. If I wanted to I could have easily walked by passed her with out a second thought. Only because I really didn't notice her, but I did only because she looked soo cute being all shy and what not.

[GokuMew2]

How about the current year's badge must be worn separately from any other badges? Or make people hold out the current year's badge?

Personally I think it looks rather silly when people wear like 10 badges at a time.

[cutiebunny]

Unless your goal is to cheat the system, I can't see where wearing an old badge is necessary.  I might be a bit more understanding if the only infraction was a thematic lanyard that was handed out with a past Fanime badge, but I can't recall Fanime ever giving thematic lanyards out (ie. past Anime Expo lanyards have different colors or advertise anime titles).  Unless Fanime handed out thematic lanyards prior to my attending this con in 2010, I can't see where their would be nostalgia over a plain red or blue lanyard.

..Now, a plain green lanyard. Yeah, that's perfectly understandable.  I mean, who doesn't love green? 

I agree with the staff members - Post a sign that says that all attendees must show their badge upon entry.  I know finances are tight for a lot of people, but I can't think of many places around where you can go for four days and only pay $50 once for entry.

[Firefury Amahira]

Requiring that attendees only wear the current year's badge seems to me a reasonable request that would make staff jobs easier and simpler and might speed up lines to get into badge-checked locations because people wearing multiple old badges trying to sneak through wouldn't be jamming up the works while staff verifies if they've got the current year's badge or not. Or at least require the current year's badge be worn separately from prior years- say this year's is around your neck, and a couple of prior years on your bag or a belt loop or something. Just so that con staff can quickly tell that "Yeah, they've got a badge."

[royjovero]

Eh... I really don't like that idea. Yeah, I get the whole security thing, but it would kind of put a damper on the whole fun thing of Fanime.

How would that put a hamper on the fun of Fanime? I see in your sig that you've attended since 2010, so come 2013, you'll have four badges. That's somewhat reasonable, but what about people who've got 10+ badges on their lanyard?

This is more than a security thing, as money comes into play. I saw tons of people quickly flashing their badges to get in, and I've seen some of them who didn't have a 2012 badge. By allowing people to get in without proper badges, Fanime is losing money.

I personally like the idea of a telltale lanyard for every year. That way, if the badge doesn't match the lanyard, off they go.

When it comes down to it, I believe that the badge checkers are the only ones responsible. You guys volunteered for these positions, and you know well how crazy things can get. But Fanime TRUSTED you to do your jobs properly.

Who cares if it isn't always easy? Who cares if the lines are long? Slow down, check those badges, and do your job right the first time. Besides, once attendees get through the badge check lines, chances are they're still going to have to wait to play a game, check out merchandise, etc.

[kookiekween99]

Eh... I really don't like that idea. Yeah, I get the whole security thing, but it would kind of put a damper on the whole fun thing of Fanime.

How would that put a hamper on the fun of Fanime? I see in your sig that you've attended since 2010, so come 2013, you'll have four badges. That's somewhat reasonable, but what about people who've got 10+ badges on their lanyard?

What I meant is that some people do it to brag about how many conventions they've been to. I dunno, the idea of banning previous con badges seems a bit unnecessarily militant to me, that's all.

[Firefury Amahira]

When it comes down to it, I believe that the badge checkers are the only ones responsible. You guys volunteered for these positions, and you know well how crazy things can get. But Fanime TRUSTED you to do your jobs properly.

Who cares if it isn't always easy? Who cares if the lines are long? Slow down, check those badges, and do your job right the first time. Besides, once attendees get through the badge check lines, chances are they're still going to have to wait to play a game, check out merchandise, etc.

Yes, the badge-checkers are volunteers, but it is still up to Fanime to takes steps to ensure that they can do their jobs properly, knowing better than the volunteers might about the sort of crowds and conditions that can be expected. People waiting in long lines  because the checkers have to go slowly get unhappy, and unhappy people get unpleasant, and that can put a damper on the con experience for everyone involved. A "wear one badge only when going through a badge checkpoint" rule makes it easier and faster for the badge-check people to do their job properly.

I mean honestly, would it really kill people to wear only one badge, or carry their old badges in their pack or something when they're passing through a badge check? Just because checking badges is a volunteer's job doesn't mean that the rest of us as attendees should go out of our way to make it even more difficult for them to do it. It takes all of two seconds to put away old badges and make sure that the current year's badge is clearly and easily visible. Is such a minor courtesy really that big of a headache for people?

[royjovero]

Here's another idea. Considering the fact that people will try to pull one over on the badge checkers, why not require vendors to check badges as well? Sure, someone may be able to get in with an incorrect badge, but if they can't buy anything, all would be in vain.

[cutiebunny]

^Dealers want to sell items.  To them, it doesn't matter whether you have a badge or not - all that matters is that you have the money to buy the items.

I doubt dealers are going to want to enforce badges.  It's not their job, and could possibly lead to less dealers at the convention.  Dealers pay to have a booth at Fanime, so, as far as I'm concerned, they're about as required to enforce badge rules as regular attendees are.

[Pachar]

I like to wear all my badges.  I would be unhappy if I was forced to wear only my current con badge.  I understand that the badge checkers have a difficult jog because of the speed that they have to perform at to keep us happy.
I suggest that everyone who feels like wearing multiple badges do what I do, hold the badge that is current out.  Point to it, put it in a neon sign holder or anything else to make sure that the badge checkers eyes are drawn to that badge first so that you aren't the one holding up the line.

[MPLe]

Regardless of how many badges you are wearing, the current year's badge should be visible as you're walking through check points (at the very least).

My opinion is that it doesn't matter if you want to wear one previous FanimeCon badge or ten, but only the current one matters when it comes to the checkpoints. I've been stopped by door guards plenty of times that couldn't clearly see my badge and it doesn't stop the line flow that much.

[Lucifargundam]

Just need to up the amount of volunteers and have the second person set aside while keeping the line moving.  Rules are rules- no badge- no in.

[ewu]

We can always use volunteers:) especially during the later hours. help! please:)

[wolfdaemon]

I kind of don't see how much of a problem wearing old badges is.  Granted, there's no way I could wear all my past badges without blocking out part of my cosplay, but each year the images on the badges change.  If the volunteers at the doors know what the current badge looks like, they can scan for that one if the person doesn't hold it out or motion towards it.  I think it all comes down to, if the person doesn't have a current badge and tries to sneak through, it depends on how fast/obvious they are but more than likely, a volunteer would notice their suspicious behavior and go double check them.

[Rhornez]

i agree with the sign thing, always have your badge of this year out to be seen?