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

Started by Poochy.EXE, May 24, 2013, 01:17:31 AM

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Tsu

Quote from: jetboy2012 on May 26, 2013, 12:28:21 AM
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. 

This really bugs me. Fanime announced a few days before the con that they were going to have a shortened line/front of the line privileges for those who are disabled, but I sure didn't see it happening in my line on Friday, either. Now, the attitude could be "if the disabled person doesn't seek help, we won't offer anything", but that doesn't make much sense. If someone is standing in line for more than an hour and is disabled, they should be given preferential treatment. At the very least, the staff should be checking in with them when they see them and making sure they're OK. Given that Friday's line was at least 2 hours and Thursdays was an abysmal 6+, there's no excuse for the disabled being overlooked. Even with a minimal number of staff walking around, over the course of 6 hours, people visibly struggling should have been noticed and aided. Using the "they should have said something/asked for help" doesn't really cover it.

In addition, what happened to the idea of the 2-pickups for pre/early reg? Was that abandoned when it became obvious that the lines were so absurd? I was in the pre-reg line and we were funneled into 2 separate ballrooms, but I don't know the name of them. Never been to the Fairmont before. But what I do know is that no one ever asked about it, so I'm guessing that all of the badges were just lumped into one pile.
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AllOfNone

*Incoming wall of text also please forgive me for shifting in and out of past and present tenses.  This isn't the only points I wanted to make but these are a few*

I went to my first Fanime yesterday.  While it was fun I do have some suggestions on how to improve it.  Long story short my friends and I got there a little after eight and still had to wait in line over five hours to get in.   I have suggestions for pre-reg and the convention overall.   
Just for the pre-registration and lines.   The main thing I could see wrong was line set up and lack of computers.   One staffer said this year there was going to be an estimated 20,000 or more visitors and that procedures had not really changed to accommodate the increased foot traffic from 2,000 people.   Procedures set up for 2,000 people will not work for 20,000.  Fanime is a huge event now and it needs hired professionals to help keep it smooth.   The lack of signs and staff meant registering and badge pickup was slow and painful for everyone.  No one outside knew that there were different lines for pre-registered members and people who had to register until they got inside.   The staffers outside were only there to tell people to "move along" or to stop people from blocking.    Simple signs outside instructing people what to do, where to go, and which line is which would have helped many people in knowing what to do.   Even setting up signs that say "estimated wait time from here: X amount of hours" would have let me know how much longer.  It was really discouraging thinking that I was almost done with the line only to find out I had to wait in another line inside, then another line in one room,  then another line in another room.     Also when I finally got to register I was dismayed because there was only about seven computers working for people to register with a couple of guys telling the long line they could walk to the computer one at a time.   Also the computers were waist height so some of the girls had near wardrobe malfunctions bending over to type in their names.   The lines for this room should at least have had three times the amount of computers with individual lines going up to groups of two or three of these computers.    I'm sure there are some people willing to donate their old laptops or pcs to help speed up this process.    There are also enough techno-savvy people to yank the old hard drives and put in new ones if people are concerned with personal info.    Then for payment you need at least double the amount of registers open.   You also need more badge making machines.   When there's ten people waiting at the table for two label makers to be working and then another forty people behind them you know you need to spend the extra hundred bucks on label makers to get people moving along. 

:P!!!Or like others have said spend some money and mail badges out before hand for people who registered early.  Spend the money you spent on the pocket guides to get unique holographic stickers and even maybe a unique black light symbol for each badge. If you really have the cash get a bar code on each badge with a holographic sticker.   Close down the convention to only people with badges and have several entrances with actual workers and security guards scan everyone in. I was a little disappointed my badge only got me into rooms that seemed to  demand more of my money.   Other people without badges were crowding the hallways to take pictures, show off their costumes or hang out.  I almost wish they weren't there so we could have more room to walk around sit down and relax. !!! :P

Fanime budgeting tips. I know the money you make isn't instantaneous transferred to your accounts but hopefully you guys are realizing this is now more like a business rather a fan run convention.  Rather than 100 fans coming and having a fun time with each other  at a picnic you now have a business with a  huge customer base who is willing to shell out cash and attend this event.  It's a spend money to get money type of situation now and there are tons of people not happy with the way things are being handled. If money is tight I recommend trying to get more sponsors even if it is not related to anime.  Those ice cream and hot dog vendors were cleaning up shop yesterday because of the huge line.   It's annoying but run ad space in your magazine to help get costs down.   Allow businesses to post their logo's on the wall and sell their products for attendees to consume.  Good cosplayers can hand out business cards for sponsors.   I'm not talking about have more people slap cards on the ad tables because that was a huge mess.  I didn't even want to look at those ads and it was a waste of space. Work with local businesses on getting them to sell their food at your event.   There were a lot of hungry people in line who were getting angry.  Allow places like Mcdonalds to serve at your event.   Tell them you want them to come and serve the hungry masses for a small markup with you getting a percentage of the profits. Businesses will be impressed with your attendance because all the see with 20k people is dollar signs.  I'm estimating here and I don't know what costs what, or who fronts the bill until all is said and done but you guys are now raking in something along the lines of $800k from 20k worth of ticket sales of at $40 a piece.  That is not too shabby and it let's sponsors know their ads will be seen by that many people and 20k+ people are willing to spend money.  Also maybe if there is any profits if say you pay $600k for the rooms and another $50k for guest speakers you have another $150k for spending now or saving for next year.   If you do have a surplus I say save it for next years con  to get computers, staff,  a sales pitch team, an accountant,  to give this event a more professional feel.  I say get rid of the pocket guide.  It is redundant when you already have the more superior magazine and probably a waste of money.  I only used the pocket guide for the map and if people really want to find out what time the anime they want to watch is on they can look at the magazine.  Maybe use the money you save from not printing the pocket guide on signs.   Poster board is not expensive and this helps people from standing in the middle trying to figure out what goes where.   "This way to the gaming hall", "this way to the dealers room" , "this way to food",  "movie viewing rooms 1-4 here" , "artist alley out this way",  "stay on this side of the walkway for dealer hall and this side for gaming room" etc.  If necessary hire people to work at registration and sales.   The volunteer staff looked disgruntled, tired, and angry a lot of people were complaining to them.   Having paid staff gives them the incentive of a paycheck while the "volunteer 20 hours to get into Fanime for free" is like working less than a forth of California's minimum wage.   A lot of your volunteers  working the line looked like they might cry at any second.  Also hire more custodial staff.  I only saw two people cleaning up the entire convention  hall.   

Security. Spend money on some security guards.   You have little girls and taped up paper signs, guarding exits,  and telling people what to do.    You have disgruntled volunteer staffers walking the halls and lines barely doing the minimum to help others.  You have caution tape which fails to do anything but stretch out and break separating a huge line inside.   Get some cheap rope from Walmart to help section off the lines.  Have security stand by entrances going to the registration hotel to dissuade line jumpers.  One guy cut in line behind us but that was before he realized where the preregistered line was.   Have security help out at the registration lines.  Have security walk the dealers hall and be ready for anything.   A guy/girl dressed in slacks and a nice shirt exerts a lot more authority than a cosplayer or a kid in a Power Rangers shirt and jeans can do.   

More nitpicking on my part but can you remind people to shower or at least use deodorant or body spray.  It's not cool if I can smell people several feet away with my back turned.     

In the end I left feeling a little unsatisfied because I didn't get to do everything I wanted. I wasted over five hours in line and I stayed til the closing of the main halls.   Main thing I missed was going to the maid cafe because  the line was too long and I wanted to see other things.I was also hoping for the girls working there to be a little older, these girls looked as young as twelve.   Since Fanime is in San Jose you could hire some girls from the local coffee shops to come work in the maid cafe.  I'm sure they wouldn't mind the extra tips and putting on more clothes to work  *wink* *wink*.     

weavrmom

As an older woman who attends huge and streamlined knitter's conventions (yes!) where thousands of attendees can buy registrations online and print out their own badges with barcodes right up to and through the entire time of the convention, then simply waltz right in to the con immediately with NO LINES (this takes place over in the wilds of Santa Clara),  I was utterly shocked and appalled at the low-tech, medieval way that registration was handled at Fanime.

In the heart of Silicon Valley, I expected streamlined and efficient methods in line with at least what middle aged knitters can summon.  Instead, because I could not pre-register, I got to sit in line  for 4 1/2 hours with my daughter and several of our new best friends who we got to know intimately as we waited in line after barbaric line. This ambience was improved by officious volunteers coming around at random intervals to tell everyone to stand up in a line that had no discernable movement, breaking up card parties, naps, and much needed leg rest for about half those in line, who would promptly sit/lie down again out of self-preservation almost immediately. These volunteers did not seem able to comprehend the logic that standing or sitting did not change the actual speed of the line.

If nothing else, think of capitalism! All those hours we and our several thousand dearest new buddies from the Reg Line could have been shopping in Artist's Alley and the Dealer's Hall. But no, despite our best efforts at speed shopping, we got thrown out of Artist's Alley when it closed down, still not having made it through, with cash left we would like to have spent. Also, you wouldn't need as many volunteers, or could put them to better (much better!) use.

If I was a dealer or artist, I would demand some of my fee back for lost sales. You deprived them of many, many thousands of lost hours of potential customer shopping, and thus untold sales. I repeat, we spent nearly half of our one day at Fanime IN LINE. How ridiculous. How inefficient.

Once in to the con, it was a blast (I was that Cooking Mama that everyone was taking their picture with). I attended my first con (the World Science Fiction Convention in Heidelberg, Germany) back when I was 16, and since I can remember nothing about registration, assume it was well run even in those ancient days.

I have simply never witnessed or experienced such gross inefficiency in my 58 years. I doubt anyone in my family will be attending Fanime again until we hear that procedures have been brought out of the middle ages up to at least the mid-80's. 





Rhornez

LineandlackofGUESTSthisyearwithtonsofhomestuckcosplayerscon2013 did it for me. plus the convention is getting way packed now, i think there should be a change of venue if the new renovations dont help with the influx of attendees

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Been going to Fanime Since 2008

otakuya

Simple solution? Fanime/ARG chairs and staff, listen to us, please.


I'd hate to say it, but Fanime should be run more like AX rather than just a small con now. We need professional event planning companies, corporate sponsors, new attendant registering systems, on-site medical and law enforcement units, to name a few.

The 'By Fans For Fans' mentality doesn't work anymore if there's going to be 22,000 attendants and most 'staff' is a volunteer with little to no experience handling massive events.

I want pre-registering, the registration fee, time spent in line, and time spent on Fanime grounds to actually mean something and have it be worth the high price of admission.

Jiraya

I pre-reg'd but why would I pick up my badge on Thurs, if I didn't need, and pre-reg was only 1 hour before the swap meet. I waited till Friday, and by waited I mean we got in line at 1PM and got out badges at 5PM. I think something has to be done. I would say you mail the badges. I understand the counterfeit concern, but measures can be taken, and should be taken. I notice that only access to the dealer room and swapmeet were the only times I had to flash my badge. I think place people with smart phones at each entrance and use bar codes, that is the least expensive method for security.

Just my 2 cents.
not sure why but this year just didn't seem as fun as previous years, the dealer room was lacking a bit, and most of the movies I wanted to watch were showing either super late or super early. I know you can't please everyone, and don't expect to, but waiting in line just to pick up a badge I paid for months in advance was not as much fun as everyone thinks. At least last year we were given water bottles while we waited.

babyghia

I waited to pick up my badge on Saturday around noon. I had wanted to pick it up Friday night but was too late (7 is WAY too early to close).

First problem: Lack of signs and people to ask where pre-reg is. Luckily I knew that registration was on the second floor so I just walked up there. Saw one sign saying Registration that I followed. The rest of the time I had to ask someone if I was going in the right direction. Probably asked 10 Rovers where to go. Even hand written signs would have been better. I realize that next year registration will be some place else but I had no clue where to go and kept seeing rooms with people on the At Con line that I questioned where I was going and ended up asking repeatedly where to go. Everyone I asked was nice about answering my questions by the way.

Second problem: While the line to check in for my badge was very short, I had to join another line to get my badge. This process is always one that irks me. As soon as someone knows the name(s), there should be a person looking for them and getting the badges ready. Also I had to join a line that had a mix of At con reg and pre-reg.

Third problem: I realize everyone at the badge pickup was tired but just handing the badge, lanyard, and fasteners was quite rude. Badges should have been had the lanyard and fasteners already set up for con goers.

The badge itself: I was very disappointed with the badge. In all the years I have gone, I have never gotten a pre-reg badge so unpersonalized. Repeat Fanime goers are use to getting special badges. This one felt like we might as well had registered At con instead of planning months ahead.

At con reg: I noticed that a number of people were sitting in front of computers not helping people register. I've seen this almost every year I have attended and At con registers don't like seeing it either. They may be doing something important but they looks like they could be helping people and it frustrates people more after waiting in a long line. Plus there are never enough people at the At con registration areas and since there are usually A LOT of people on line on a Saturday, you should have A LOT of people doing registration.

Anon

Quote from: foester on May 25, 2013, 01:29:01 PM
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.

Quote from: jetboy2012 on May 26, 2013, 12:28:21 AM
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.

Funny (or maybe not) that you mention this, on the first night after the 2am mark, a girl passed out in line just heading up to the reg tables. Poor thing, to pass out just as the end was so near. I can only imagine her having to wake up in a hospital bed to a medical bill AND having to wait in the friday/saturday line. I don't think the Fairmont would want that bad publicity ever again.

SpiritOfKairi

I didn't so much mind the badges (though they were of obviously lower quality than the last few years and the clasp cut into and damaged it).  For me it was how the lines were handled at the Fairmont.  First off, it was VERY unclear where to go.  I had pre-reg'd, and had to ask about 3-4 different people before finally finding where a line was, and then had to ask several more people to confirm I was in the RIGHT line since there was no clear signage about if you were in the pre-reg line (which had never been a problem at the CC).  Then, there was the shuffling from room to room for hours on end before FINALLY getting your badge.  Now I didn't so much mind the long line at the CC last year because of the extraordinary circumstances, and I could see it was really long, and could estimate how long it would be.  The way it worked this year though, it was pretty much impossible to guess that since all you could do was hope the next room you were in was the final one.  This was very annoying, and added to the frustration of the long wait.  Which, it SHOULD NOT be taking hours for pre-reg.  Up until 2012's con it was only taking 25-30 minutes to get badges.  Now I understand the situation last year with the generator blowing, which was out of Fanime's control.  However, why was it taking so long this year?  Did that many more people pre-reg, or was it because pre-reg Thursday didn't open until 7 pm?  Whatever the case was, the way the line was done was very inefficient, and dragged the wait out for much longer than it should have been.

But also, what was the point of making us go to a separate table to get the badges?  Why couldn't it have been done like all years past where you get the bag and schedule with the badge?  This made no sense, and I couldn't see any good reason for it.



royjovero

To be honest, I doubt the powers that be at Fanime will ever listen to its fans. "For fans, by fans." What a joke.

Every year, the option of mailed badges is brought up and shot down with the quickness.  EDC tickets are $200+, come with a lot of extra goodies, and are mailed out.  PAX tickets cost more and are mailed out.  Others have expressed their willingness to pay a premium to have their badges mailed out, but staff doesn't care.

Last year's registration fiasco was enough to make me NOT want to pay for a badge this year, and I'm glad I didn't.  I had friends wait 7+ hours in line on Day 0, and others wait similar times the morning of Day 1.  This is inexcusable.

When it comes to the registration process, no let me say this about Fanime as a whole, the staff needs to stop being so damned lazy.  Back when the hotel blocks opened, the staff messed up bad when they posted the wrong link on the website, and the correct one on Twitter and Facebook. This is extremely inconsiderate for those who may have been in school, where social networking sites could be blocked.  Also, staff didn't announce any special guests or anything like that until a few weeks before the con started.

There needs to be major changes.

/rant

DangerHeart

Quote from: AllOfNone on May 26, 2013, 01:40:54 PM
Main thing I missed was going to the maid cafe because  the line was too long and I wanted to see other things.I was also hoping for the girls working there to be a little older, these girls looked as young as twelve.   Since Fanime is in San Jose you could hire some girls from the local coffee shops to come work in the maid cafe.  I'm sure they wouldn't mind the extra tips and putting on more clothes to work  *wink* *wink*.   

Every one of the Maids is a volunteer that goes through tryouts and training to be in the cafe. And the minimum age is 16 by the convention. I get that some looked young but to my understanding as a friend of a veteran Maid, some are in their 20s. Hiring outside people would take away from the experience that it seems all the girls really love because I've seen many stay friends for years even after they retire from the cafe. Plus I don't think they get tips so that's out anyways.

BACK ON TOPIC: Registration was ridiculous this year for some reason. I ended up leaving my group in line(I wasn't the leader)to go get everyone breakfast. We'd lined up around 7:30 and by 10 we were all starving. But when I got back with food they were already in the first ballroom and the rover at the door wouldn't let me in, or let me call one of my friends out to just come get the food and I would leave.

One of the friends also has a blood sugar problem so she needed food or she was going to pass out, which she nearly did if they had to wait even 30 more minutes. But no one would let me take her food even after I explained this.

I understand that there aren't enough volunteers to process everyone quickly but given what I've read about other cons, something can obviously be done. All we get is someone saying "No" and never a detailed explanation of why it can't be changed. It seems like someone higher up is just dead set on never mailing out badges or changing the system to match some of the other well known cons. I'm afraid attendance will drop if something isn't done to solve things next year. This was my first con and I don't want to see it die.

svatoid

I agree with those that call for changes.
This year I was in line on thursday at about 3:30PM. I did not get my badge until about 10:30PM. Registration was supposed to start at 7PM. it did not start until about 7:45PM. At that point the people in a separate line--handicapped (which I do not have a problem with) and the Artist Alley folk were processed first (they should have a completely separate area).
I am willing to pay extra for having my badge mailed to me. However, if the organizers want to continue with this process, then they need 3-4 times the number of people processing registrations than they have now.
I am not sure what was going on on thurdsay--sometimes the line moved rather quickly (once the line started moving at all) at other times we were stuck in place for 15-30 minutes.
I love Fanime. Think it is a great convention. But the registartion process needs a complete do over.

limDsage

I have to agree, the pre-reg lines were ridiculous on Thursday. My roommate (who is also my co-worker) and I got to San Jose around 7:30 and we stayed until 1:30am to get the badge. Unfortunately, we had to leave since we are coming from San Mateo, and we have to work the next day since our office is at South SF.

I also don't mind paying extra if the staff implements mailing out pre-reg/early reg badges. I think it's more feasible and more convenient for people who might live far from SJ or even for those who don't want to attend the pick up day for reasons like work, school, disabilities, etc. And I also think that it will be more convenient for the staff and its volunteers since they won't have to stay late to give out the pre-reg badges.

tl;dr: It's a win-win situation for both con-goers and staff members if mailing the badges were to be implemented; it saves time and gives a lot of convenience for both fans and staffers.

This is my first Fanime and I enjoyed it so far, and hopefully next year issues like this won't happen again.



Twitter: @limDsage
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arcadiapandora

Dear Fanime,


With utmost respect, please change your registration system for next year.

As an attendee to this con and several others since 2005, I've been in a lot of ridiculous lines. Fanime has taken the cake for ridiculousness the past two years. Conventions such as GDC or E3 have many more attendees but still somehow manage to make their registration fast and efficient. I have never had to wait in line at GDC or E3 for my pre-reg badge.

If you'll allow, some suggestions for improvement:

1) Automated check-in. GDC, for example, sets up about 30-50 laptops with a registration protocol that allows users to verify information. Once you check in, you walk to a booth and receive your badge from a person who verifies your ID with the just printed badge. It's fast and simple. You can rent laptops for short periods of time to avoid a humongous cost investment.

2) MAIL OUT BADGES. Please, please, PLEASE quit shooting this down! So many of us are willing to provide extra revenue to Fanime for this option. At 10-15$ a pop you'll make up for more than your time investment and mail costs to do this.

3) If registration of this nature continues, increase the incentives for pre-registering. Right now there are none, except a very small discount that is completely negated by the time waiting in line. I should not have to wait in line 3-4 hours to pick up my per-registered badge.

4) More registration personnel. I could not believe how few volunteers were manning the booths considering the number of attendees in line.


In short... Fanime, at this point you are no longer a small convention. According to many businesses in the area, this is SJCC's biggest convention of the year. You've got to put on your big boy pants and start considering new ways to manage your growing number of attendees. Assuming you didn't scare off a lot of long-time congoers, next year will only be larger. You have to anticipate this!

Fanime isn't wholly fan sponsored (I have a friend from one of the businesses who sponsors Fanime) and it shouldn't be treated as such any longer. No more excuses Fanime - step up to the plate!
<3

SOawesomeness

Hi everyone,

I just wanted to let you know that I read every single one of these suggestions and concerns you all have (including all e-mails). I am actively thinking of how to speed up the process as much as we can. Any suggestions (that may be too long for the forums) can be e-mailed to registration AT fanime DOT com. Unique and very different ideas that think outside the box are incredibly appreciated.

Thanks!
Ellie S.
Head of Registration
FanimeCon - "By Fans, For Fans"
FanmeCon: Twitter | Facebook

Dany

Quote from: storrmmarch on May 25, 2013, 05:26:35 PM
Fans don't want to waste a convention day standing in line.

This summarizes my feelings to a T.  The registration process has officially reached a point to where it gives no consideration to the value of a person's time and schedule.

I personally spent six hours in line, after spending about the same time in line LAST year because of all of the power failures in the convention center. Four of those hours were outside, in the cold. And yes, I was cold because I only brought a hoodie to wear for outdoors and didn't plan to spend four hours after dark on a day when I knew I would have to get up for work at 5:30 AM the next morning. I finally got home about 12:30AM because I had to still drive home to San Mateo after I got our badges.

(A HUGE thank you to the young lady who went to Johnny Rockets and could not finish her fries from her meal and shared with us at some point during the outside segment. The small, greasy boost was truly appreciated XD )

I had two people that I got in line with, both first-time attendees to Fanime. Both eventually had to leave the line after hours of waiting because one had a graveyard shift at his work, and the other was restricted to the schedule of public transit.  I don't want to think how long they waited the next day for their badges. A really poor first impression :(

When I came into the last room (after going through outside, a second room, and the Ballroom...it was like Disneyland with less entertainment while you stood there) and saw five desks for reg and five lines for badges, I wanted to scream but was too damn tired to. The arrangement was absolutely too few for the amount of people that showed up. All of that for a badge that I pre-paid for that didn't even have my info personalized into it.

...which I gotta say, would have made a HUGE difference to the appearance.  A pointedly positive note: this year's badges outside of that were beautiful and really pro looking!! Why ruin such a great looking badge with such a bleah sticker? :(

I would love to see other options investigated for reg process, and I would certainly pay to support those options. Many of my own thoughts were already brought up here, especially more tech-inclined items involving scannable paperwork and printing badges on the spot, so that you could go to either location and pick up your badge in the event that you need to change at the last minute.  Mailing can be a bit nervewracking as I have a hard time trusting the post office. :P  I really have no groundbreaking additional ideas, other than to investigate what the big shows are doing. It may not alleviate every line completely, but if I can cut my wait even to half of what I had this year, I'd be a lot happier and greatly appreciative.
2012 Costumes (or so we hope!)
Ayukawa, Miime, Oscar, Yuria, D'Eon

Naiagu

I also spent 6 hours in line on pre-reg day. First of all, I was freezing outside, the outfit I chose to wear was to accommodate for the heat at 4:30pm not for the chilling cold night later that day so I froze my legs off. Before I went from outside to an inside room one of the staff ladies told us at the front of the line to remember the person in back of the line going inside because we would be separated. After going inside and being "reunited" with the other end of the line I was supposed to remember, there were a dozen new people behind that guy that said they just wandered into the line when they saw it come in. They were not even aware there was an outside line :[.

Another thing was when I got to the final room, besides screaming in my head that my legs were going to fall off, good troll Fanime. Leading us to what we thought was the end and then handing us bags. I actually didn't have a problem with this my problem was when I went to pick up my badges. I was a group leader, when I got my badge they handed me one badge. I asked where I go to get the rest, I was told to get in every line of the beginning letter of my friends that I had under my name. .___. I really thought when grabbing mine the rest would be attached behind it with a rubber band or something. I actually had to go to 5 different lines to get everyone's badges on my list, some lines longer than others which really sucked. I ended up out of the line around 10:20pm ish, starving but with no energy to get anything or do anything, still sad I missed the first day of swap meet.
Fanime line up 2017:
Thur:
Fri: Ruby Rose 4th Season
Sat: Sa-chan(Gintama)
Sun: AM Haruhi (Ouran) / PM Phichit (YOI)

SquallLHeart

Quote from: jetboy2012 on May 26, 2013, 12:28:21 AM
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. 

actually.. the system was broken when they did mail out badges in the past... which was why it was fixed and decided until there were better anti-counterfeiting implementations done.. that they would not be able to mail out badges ahead of time.

many of the people that continue to suggest mailing out badges are the ones who don't realize it was done before.

as someone who saw first hand of the flaws in registration this year.. there's really no point in adding on to what has been said.. yes.. it needs to be fixed.. yes.. it needs to be improved.. but most of all.. they need more people.

so.... i do very much suggest, that instead of continuing to complain... stand up and physically be proactive and be part of the solution. help volunteer yourself and become staff. see first-hand what staffers go through and help to make everyone's experience at Fanime better. your inputs are much better heard in person than on a forum.
Trung D. Nguyen
Fanime: Autographs Head '11 | Rovers '01-present | Gopher '99-'00
Anime Expo: AxCon '07-'2009
ComicCon: Vol '04-'05

staff/vol. for misc. conventions all around the nation... ranging from 30.. to 130K+ attendees...