Reg feedback (Feedback will not effectively reach staff if you do not use form)

[Poochy.EXE]

I noticed while picking up my badge today that (a) the line was several hours long, and (b) the badges were pre-printed and the volunteers had to look for each person's name, which struck me as extremely inefficient. I'd like to suggest in future years, you simply print out a bunch of blank badges. When someone reaches the pre-reg booth, just look up the type of badge they had, take a badge of that type, and scribble their name on with a permanent marker. It'll make things go much faster.

[renalcul]

I noticed while picking up my badge today that (a) the line was several hours long, and (b) the badges were pre-printed and the volunteers had to look for each person's name, which struck me as extremely inefficient. I'd like to suggest in future years, you simply print out a bunch of blank badges. When someone reaches the pre-reg booth, just look up the type of badge they had, take a badge of that type, and scribble their name on with a permanent marker. It'll make things go much faster.

This is the worst idea I have ever heard.

[Tabbychan]

I was actually kind of disappointed at how they made the badges this year with the sticker name ^^; But I do have a suggestion:)

I know mailing out badges is a hassle but even the rovers looked frustrated and tired yesterday XD Maybe you guys could make a third option that costs like $10 more to mail out badges. You can still put out regular pre reg, early reg, ect but this one would be more expensive to help pay for shipping and such :) I know there are a lot of people who would be willing to shed that extra money so that they can avoid that line so it would lessen the traffic and make things a little smoother on your end ^^

[OGIGA]

I noticed while picking up my badge today that (a) the line was several hours long, and (b) the badges were pre-printed and the volunteers had to look for each person's name, which struck me as extremely inefficient. I'd like to suggest in future years, you simply print out a bunch of blank badges. When someone reaches the pre-reg booth, just look up the type of badge they had, take a badge of that type, and scribble their name on with a permanent marker. It'll make things go much faster.

That is a good idea and it's how other conventions do it. For example, ALA, the line was long but surprisingly fast.

[ELDEMONIO]

I noticed while picking up my badge today that (a) the line was several hours long, and (b) the badges were pre-printed and the volunteers had to look for each person's name, which struck me as extremely inefficient. I'd like to suggest in future years, you simply print out a bunch of blank badges. When someone reaches the pre-reg booth, just look up the type of badge they had, take a badge of that type, and scribble their name on with a permanent marker. It'll make things go much faster.

I agree that that was a stupid idea. I understand they tried doing something new which i give them credit for. But it's obvious it would take longer.And having the badges with printed names doesn't make the badge feel as special as the ones in previous years. The whole "technical issues" has happened 2yrs now and they better go back to making badges like before and extend the hours. 7pm was a horrible idea since people where still waiting in line at 11.I'm sure it was longer but i couldn't check. I don't mind the wait as long as the lines move a little. But when they have issues and we are in the same spot for like a hour then it's fustrating and makes you think what are they doing? I can rant all day but i understand some issues are not easily solved. I know they are restricted and like yesterday, had to follow the hotel's rules and have everyone outside for a few hours. Maybe it's time to give out badges in a different place where it's not as restricted? Like parks? or something.

[kookiekween99]

Really disappointed in the printed labels too. It's not pretty, and it covers up the artwork partially. I preregister specifically for the pretty badges, and it's so disheartening to spend six hours in line only to get a badge that isn't much different from the early reg/normal badges.

Also, waiting in line six hours last year was forgivable because of the power outage, but what the hell was up with this year? Every single time I was funneled into a new line, they kept telling me "Don't worry! You're almost there!" I felt so lied to. Why can't you just be honest and tell me, "Yay, you're finally in the building, but it's another two hour wait from here!"

[renalcul]

Honestly. They should just make an option for 15$ to have it mailed to you, and heck another option for 5$ to allow for a custom artwork like staff badges.

I mean seriously. If Pax can mail them with 70000 attendees I don't see what the problem is. I mean you can counterfeit and duplicate these shitty sticker badges way easier than you can duplicate previous years.

[vralls13]

I think someone high up in staff has made of his/her mind that mailing is bad and no one or no thing will change their mind. That said passports (worth much more than a con badge) are sent thru the mail. Sent certified with signing required. If they are so worried about people reporting a badge as "lost" (when it is in fact not). To get around that they could require that you waive the right to have a duplicate badge. Just insure the certified mail for the price of the badge, if it really does go missing the USPS tracking will show that. Really it's not rocket science, it's a solvable problem and the fact that no one has even tried brought me to my initial conclusion. Regardless this year was it for me, I am not going if I have to spend 10 hours in line just to pick up the badge.

[hikanteki]

This issue always comes up--people suggest mailing out badges, and in the past Fanime has always shot them down.

I realize that there are concerns about badges getting lost in the mail or people may duplicate them once they have the design.  Are these concerns justified?  Yes.  But are they justified enough to make THOUSANDS of people wait in like over 6 hours?  NO.

These are real people that have paid money well ahead of time to attend Fanime, and this year our first impression was a 7 hour wait with the names on a sticker tackily placed on the badge.  (Seriously, the pre-reg badges were the exact same quality as the at con-reg badges this year, but that issue was minor compared to the wait time.)  Some of these people had jobs or school the next day, and while some wait time is expected...getting there right when preregistration opens (7) and having to wait until 1 AM is not.

I think it's time for Fanime to start mailing out badges because the wait for lines has only gotten longer, and I don't think they'll be able to do anything at con that will make it go faster next time.  They've had plenty of chances.

Kudos to the volunteers for staying up until everyone in line got a badge...but this really could have been prevented and saved both the volunteers and attendees a lot of trouble.  I've been a loyal supporter of Fanime for four years, but unless this issue is solved (meaning solved, not simply saying "we're working on it") it will be my last. Too bad, because the convention is a couple of blocks from me.

[asiren]

I don't really care what is used to make the process faster, but waiting 6 hours and 15 minutes in line for picking up 2 preregistration badges is ridiculous.  I actually had to wait a bit longer since I was the leader of a group of 2 (myself and my husband) and yes, there was yet another line just for groups!

I haven't been to Fanime for a several years and now I don't think I'm ever going back as I don't even really keep track of current anime anymore.  (The most recent anime I saw was Sword Art Online.)  If I do, I'm definitely not preregistering again just to suffer through another wasted 6-7 hours of my life.  I thought the whole point of preregistering was so you'd get through the registration process faster, not get through it slower than those that just show up without preregistering for it.

Part of me doesn't want to attend Fanime at all this weekend even though I paid $100 for it.

I know that the staff is doing the best they can.  However, unless the registration situation changes, people are going to either avoid preregistration or just avoid Fanime if most of the time is spent on waiting in line.  So I highly recommend figuring out some sort of method that reduces wait time and announcing it ahead of time.

Also, if you expect long lines, please inform everyone so they can adequately prepare for it.  I didn't think of bring something to eat while waiting in line Thursday night, so yes, I was also starving the whole time since I didn't have dinner yet.  Good thing I don't have any serious health issues to worry about.  I saw someone else faint while waiting in line; I hope he/she is okay.  They were far behind me in the line, so who knows how long they waited before fainting.

[Physalis]

They need to be a lot smarter for this day. About 6 hours for a crappy badge that we stood in a long line for last year. C'mon freaking make it simple mail the suckers out too.

People who bought their badge last year should have got priority vs people who bought this year.

Create 2 lines one could be for people who registered last year and groups. The other line for people who register this year.

With that being said they could add a qr or bar code so when you enter the door they can scan your registration paper. Your badge would be gathered at the room and waiting when you hit upstairs. They scan the paper and a gofer grabs from the pile. You can even have those lines in there separate as well. Bins and organization helps get the process running smoothly.

I bought my badge but I feel like not going now nor in the future.

[sad1sttimeattendee]

Fanime, you're hosting this convention in the middle of Silicon Valley. The place where new technology and innovation is the hallmark. Yet, why can't you integrate that into the registration/badge pick-up process?

This is the first year I registered to go. My brothers and sisters have been here before. I wanted to experience this, but can't. Thursday, line. Friday morning, line. I'll try again on Saturday, but I felt ripped off. I pre-registered, I should be able to go up to the table and just pick up my badge.

Why do I have to wait, and why can't you guys mail out the badges? This is inexcusable.

[Gaki]

I'm honestly unhappy with the way everything was handled. A line for another line which was for another line for another line? Stop me before I make an Xzibit meme. Too late, someone already did. http://www.quickmeme.com/meme/3ukb6l/

I do like that pre/early reg had different badges than people who buy on-site, but printing our names on a sticker and then slapping it onto a blank card? What.^The.Hell. Quote sad1sttimeattendee who may not be coming next year thanks to this fiasco:

Fanime, you're hosting this convention in the middle of Silicon Valley. The place where new technology and innovation is the hallmark. Yet, why can't you integrate that into the registration/badge pick-up process?

I know that everything is kind of a mess - you have the convention center under construction, you've got to handle the registration about a block away in another hotel, and there are huge masses of people to take care of with only a handful. Honestly speaking, I wouldn't mind having my badge held hostage for a few hours while I helped out, be it keeping the peace with the hallways/lines, helping find the proper badges, checking people in, or whatever the hell needs to be done. I also don't think I'm the only one.

And seriously guys, you're not giving us incentive for pre-registering anymore. Used to be that we could be in and out of the line in less than an hour with a shiny badge that had our name personalized on it, now it's a pre-made card with a simple printed out sticker. We're in a line that's comparable to the line of people who are buying theirs on-site instead of supporting you guys ahead of time. The only real advantage was once we got inside the line moved a little faster due to not needing to sign some electronic sheets (also, only 6-7 computers there too? We're in the Silicon valley FFS), that was it.

[nemuneko]

This was, by far, the WORST year I have ever experienced with pre-reg at Fanime. I've been attending since the late 90s and I've never had this much of a wait for pre-reg, except on the Thursday before the con when I took part in the swap meet in 2010. In previous years, we've waited less than an hour (usually just 5-10 minutes tops) in line for pre-reg (normally getting there on a Friday afternoon). Last year, it only took about 10 minutes on a Friday. We waited over 3 hours today, while my boyfriend, who didn't pre-reg, got out in 4 hours (just a little bit after we got our badges). What the heck happened?

What is the point of pre-registering if you have to wait in line for 3+ hours? I thought the point was to avoid that. For Thursdays, I can understand (since everyone likes to get there early to get their badges before the con starts). But on a Friday afternoon? I can understand that construction is going on and the registration area had to be moved, but shouldn't this have been planned out beforehand? We asked a staff member why it was so slow and he said it was because more people were showing up than last year. I get that, but why hasn't this happened in previous years? Seems very odd to me.

I love going to Fanime (I go every single year with friends), but this was just ridiculous and really soured my experience with the con. Horrible organization and complete lack of planning. If this is how it's going to be next year, then count me out.

[Poochy.EXE]

If the reason badges aren't mailed out is concern over the possibility of counterfeit badges, here's an easy solution: Put a holographic sticker on every badge, and look for them when checking badges at the door. That's what Otakon does, and it works just fine.

[renalcul]

If the reason badges aren't mailed out is concern over the possibility of counterfeit badges, here's an easy solution: Put a holographic sticker on every badge, and look for them when checking badges at the door. That's what Otakon does, and it works just fine.

Honestly, with the amount of people who sneak into events without badges anyway, i'm surprised that they care so much about counterfeiters.

[Tsu]

I'm one of the "lucky" ones- I came during the "slow time" on Friday and only had to spend 2 hours in line. But it was still 2 hours. I remember coming to this con a couple years ago and spending 15 minutes in line.

I know the registration staff is resistant to mailing out badges, but frankly, something has to change. The crowd is only going to get worse and registration needs to adapt in order to keep up with the increasing crowds.

I, for one, am in agreement with those who want the badges mailed out. I would pre-order earlier and pay an extra fee to get my badge. I'd sign a waiver indicating that if I lose the badge (meaning, it successfully makes it to me but I misplace it) that I don't get a new one printed unless I purchase another one. I'd do a lot of things to avoid the ridiculous lines.

And while I'm all for Thursday being badgeless, it really does destroy the only remaining point of getting a pre/early-reg badge. We don't get a short line, we don't get exclusive access a day earlier... the only thing we get is the option to stand in a 6-7 hour line in order to get our badge, by which point everyone's pretty much exhausted and doesn't want to do anything at the con that night anyway. As another 10+ year Fanimecon-goer, I'm really disappointed.

Oh, and let me be clear, I don't hold this against the registration staffers. They were utterly exhausted on Friday and did muss up a few things while I was trying to pick up my badge but considering (I overheard) that they were there as late as 2:30 AM the prior day and had to be back to it by 8, I can't blame them. We need more reg staffers and we need a system that doesn't completely rely upon exhausted people to get thousands of people processed every day.

[otakuya]

My suggestion would be to get rid of registration altogether.

Hear me out.

Fanime is now a city wide street festival rather than an enclosed convention. You can not deny access or  have to pay to get to public areas. So have everything for free. For things like Musicfest, BW Ball, Cosplay Spectacular, etc. implement an a la carte ticket system like county fairs because not everyone is there for just one event.  The increase of outdoor and badgeless activities devalue not only the price of registration but now time. I have as much enjoyment just sitting at a park bench and watch cosplayers go by rather than spend 5-10 hours in line and pay $50+ to do the same thing.

[storrmmarch]

The lines this year were just inexcusable.  I like Fanime and want to give them the benefit of the doubt.  By fans for fans, right?  That's the motto.

Fan's don't want to waste a convention day standing in line.

This is my third fanime in a row and unless I can get my badge before coming next year (mail, fairygodmother, whatever) I can't see myself coming back.

It's not worth my time, money, or stress to have to sit in a line all day.

[jetboy2012]

It seems the power that be at Fanime are taking the "If it ain't broke, don't fix it approach."  Every year, people would suggest mailing out badges and every year, it is shot down.  Granted, the system isn't completely broken... yet.  However, there are about 1000 cracks and the dam is just itching to burst. 

This year, I was in line for about 6+ hours on Thursday.  During those 6+ hours, I noticed a few things.  First, there were a lot of handicapped and special needs folks that were really suffering while waiting in line.  One of the person I was speaking with was diabetic.  He was suffering so bad that he was literally ready to keel over by hour 4.  The whole "line after line" and the "almost there" approach didn't help him either.  Second, a lot of people who took public transportation waited for 3-hours but were forced to give up because the last train left at 10:30pm. 

Three years ago, the line was about 20-min for pre-reg.  Two years ago was about 1-hour.  Last year was about 4-hours (Friday morning - power outage did not affect me).  This year is 6+ hours.  Next year, will it be 8+ hours?  If that is the case, I would not be surprised if one of the handicapped/special needs folks die while waiting in line.  While this might seem like a joke to some people, it is a serious matter.  I have seen events getting canceled (even major ones) because of incidents like these.  The last thing I want is to see is Fanime ending. 

Also, keep in mind that SJ Convention Center construction will be complete next year.  If a major incident like a person injuring or dying in line happened during the first year after renovation, I seriously doubt they will want Fanime back.  Not to mention that they definitely don't want a lawsuit in their hands. 

Construction will be done next year and the staff might believe that the situation will improve.  However, I seriously urge you to rethink this.  Almost always, unexpected events will cause problems.  It is time to seriously look for solutions and alternatives to this "long-lines" issue before it causes a major incident.