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[amused_]

While I "chose" the fanime location and my email told me to go to the fairmont to pick it up, the registration at Doubletree still printed my badge out.

[Saki Usagishi]

I'm kind of in awe about how many people are upset by this year. I thought this year was waaaaaaaaay better than last year.
However, there were things I am disappointed about.
Line Con otherwise known as PRE-REG BADGE PICK UP!!! It was almost as bad as last year. This is always the biggest problem and it is terrible. Get it together Fanime! You know you have thousands of people giving you their money for the con, and all the line is doing is wasting time. I wasn't going to Double Tree when I'm staying at the Fairmont.....I heard they waited 10 minutes while I waited almost 8 hours!?!?!
I was kind of upset about the panels as well. Didn't make any sense to have a small panel room at the Fairmont and then have huge crowds at the Marriott. I wanted to go to back to back panels but there was no way I could run in full cosplay from hotel to hotel. Every panel I went to this year I went an hour early to wait in line.

The Cosplay Spectacular otherwise known as Masquerade was.....wow.... in a bad way. Lots of people are sad that Rick Myers has been MIA. I love him and Evil Bunny. In protest last year my husband and me didn't go, and I had to watch it on youtube. This year we got to see a few skits toward the end because we heard rumors about how terrible black and white ball was. The MC is good for the Opening ceremonies and Closing ceremonies. I feel like he was really unprepared for the role. You don't spring an event of that size on a speaker who is use to a group of people and on going walkers in the background. Also it seemed like some acts weren't as fun or interesting like previous years.

Other than that I thought Fanime was really fun. I plan to continue to go for years to come.

[Dagger-6]

(For some reason my post isn't showing up)

Long post, my apologies.

I already submitted my feedback on the google link earlier, but decided to post my experience here as well. Overall, this Fanime felt very disorganized than in previous years. While I was already expecting a long line based on last year's "server is down / crashed" incident, I was not expecting the constant snaking outdoors and then again indoors, especially for Pre-Reg. The line didn't bother me too much, but the snaking did. It felt really unnecessary, and it felt like it added time to waiting for a badge rather than helping it. The con was fun for a while, but I do agree with many of you there was a bit too much Homestuck for my taste. It seemed like for every other cosplayer or con-goer, there was a hoard of Homestuck. But that is ultimately a fan decision and not my concern about why I was disappointed with Fanime this year.

My worst con experience happened on Sunday. I was in Artist’s Alley dressed in lolita looking for water (believe me I was dehydrated). I finally found the water area, only to discover it was empty. So, I head on over to the Rover table that just happened to be across from it and asked if there would be any more water. The rover glares at me like I asked a stupid question and shrugs. Then I asked if there was anyone he could call to get more water. He proceeds to open the fridge, pull out a cold water bottle, drinks it, and tells me it’s “my problem”. Excuse me? I understand there may be some asshole people at the con treating you like an idiot, but for someone asking politely about water only to be given attitude? That is very rude. Extremely. Rude.

Later that evening, I dressed up a bit more with one of my friends and ventured over to Black and White Ball. It was my friend’s first Fanime, and she was looking forward to the Ball. Supposedly, new rules were added to the rules already established, and we were not notified until we were AT THE DOOR. We get to the door, and they stop my friend, claiming her heels were too short. As she explained to the rover that she had been wearing these shoes for moths and that these were her only pair, the Rover just gives her attitude and claims that heels like hers “have been driven through people’s legs before in years past”.

Excuse me? Were people DRUNK in previous years? Who STABS heels through legs? What kind of dancing is that?

I managed to get past the first checkpoint but at the second, I was given both attitude, disrespect, and rude comments. First, the guy was giving me flack about my shoes. I was wearing a pair of Mary Jane shoes with no heel and calmly explained to the guy I cannot wear heels due to problems with my feet. I was given more attitude and flack about shoes then moved to the girl rover who preceded to tell me my dress was too short. My dress was directly at my knee, no higher than that, and I was wearing a petticoat beneath it. I pulled my dress down and showed that it was longer than it seemed, but the petticoat was giving it a more rounded shape. I was given attitude and flack once more. That’s when I decided that it wasn’t even WORTH the effort to attempt to enjoy the ball, let alone go.

Found out later that night, shoes skinnier and taller than my friend’s heels and dresses that were shorter than mine were allowed into the ball. Also, the demos were given by people in short shorts and stiletto like heels. So demos are allowed to not follow dress code? Who let the shorter ones in? Seriously?

Also found out later that the leg stabbing thing was a lie - they were concerned about the floors getting scraped. Why not tell us this in the first place, instead of lying straight to our faces??

If this is supposed to be a con "by fans, for fans" I don’t think the attitudes, lies, and overall disorganized scramble is necessary. And that is my two cents.

Do you have information/descriptions for the rovers? Specifically interested in the one with the water bottle.  When you say 'rover table' do you mean the one on the 3rd floor of the marriot or the peace bonding table by the lost and found?  We don't have any tables aside from those so I want to confirm it was in fact a Rover with a yellow armband.  If we do have rovers behaving that way, please give us as best a description you can and I'll forward it to our division heads/seconds.

[amre1204]

Do you have information/descriptions for the rovers? Specifically interested in the one with the water bottle.  When you say 'rover table' do you mean the one on the 3rd floor of the marriot or the peace bonding table by the lost and found?  We don't have any tables aside from those so I want to confirm it was in fact a Rover with a yellow armband.  If we do have rovers behaving that way, please give us as best a description you can and I'll forward it to our division heads/seconds.

It was in Artist Alley, specifically near the middle but on the left side of the building (when entering). It was a series of tables set up in a square shape with a fridge. I assumed it was a rover table since there were a few sitting there (along with some of the people carrying the "Ask me for info" signs or what not) which is why I went to them in the first place - again assuming it was indeed a rover table or a table with staff. Sorry I can't give you much more than that.

[Dracil]

This seems to indicate there was indeed a staff table.  http://2013.fanime.com/artist-alley-map

[themalletofjustice]

Would it be possible to place a link to the Black & White Ball FAQ on the Registration page right under the link to the "Code of Conduct". That's the page everyone has to go to to register and might help in getting the word out about the dress code.

[Direnkei]

I believe construction will be finished this fall, according to the official San Jose website (http://www.sanjose.org/content/san-jose-convention-center-expansion-and-renovation-opening-fall-2013). MercuryNews.com also had an article about it. Some people are saying next year, but this is incorrect from what I've read. Just wanted to throw that out there for people who are concerned about that.

Construction or not, I'm unsure if I will be returning to Fanime after the mess it was this year.

i hope it come backs to san jose its great there. i mean it was packed this year but half the con was closed off. i mean next year its gunna have an added 125,000 total sq.ft of new space according that link.  i just think fanime need to stay in the bay area it the only one really. i mean there some small one but fanime is the best even if this year was wishy washy

[Wabbit98]

Would it be possible to place a link to the Black & White Ball FAQ on the Registration page right under the link to the "Code of Conduct". That's the page everyone has to go to to register and might help in getting the word out about the dress code.

That could be a possibility.  We will consider trying to do something like that going forward.  We thank you for your suggestion.

-Kevin

[AuroraSareii]

Isn't Clockwork its own con though? It seems kind of rude to send a huge number of people to a different con to pick up their badges because fanime is unable to handle their own attendees. Yeah, I wish we'd known about getting our badges at CA, I had a group that was going to go there friday evening but missed it because of the lines at Fairmont, but you can't expect one convention to process everyone from a different convention.

[AuroraSareii]

Last time I checked the con was 24hrs... 24/6= 4.... so 1/4 the day=4/5 the day?      Yeah, the long wait is horrendous- but considering the unique circumstances like having relocate where badge pickup was going to be as well as other factors- this wasn't as bad as it could have been.

Still though....a fourth of a day (if you were to actually be awake all 24 hours) is a LONG time to spend doing essentially nothing. In the case of Friday, where a lot of the attendees from the area actually have school until 3pm, this already cuts off most of their day. Friday also tends to have some big stuff happening, this year was Steam Powered Giraffe at Clockwork, but if you happened to be one of the many people just barely getting off school, coming to the convention to find a 5 hour line is the last thing you want.

A quarter of a day doesn't sound like much on its own, but when you factor in how much you pay for a badge, what actually goes on in those hours you spend standing in a line, and that the convention is only 3 and a half days, that is a significant portion.

[Enkai]

I didn't actually end up attending black and white ball because my feet were killing me by the time we were about ready to go to it, but I think that more at-con information would be better.

It was very difficult to find information in the little pocket guide that we used to get around; all we saw was a little blurb about it, nothing about when and where.  Any blurbs need that basic information, and in the case of B&W ball, a comment on the dress code and that it is strictly enforced.  You don't have to enumerate the rules of the dress code in the pocket guide, but definitely where to find it (both online and in the big program).

I don't know what it was like at the door since I didn't actually make it out there, but it seems like a sign that specifically states the rules that you could point to if you can't let somebody in would be helpful.  I'm hearing these stories about "not x brand of dance shoes," which is clearly a miscommunication.  If the rules are nickel diameter heels no more than 4" high, then that should be what is pointed to.  It's not going to help much with getting the word out before hand, but at the very least it would help with consistency in enforcement.

Regarding getting word out before hand; definitely take advantage of social media.  The only mention of it on facebook was from Day 3, which is too late for people to make sure their shoes are correct.  Similar twitter, maybe utilize a hastag #FanimeB&WDressCode or something similar.  More a critique of the website than anything else, but I feel that the links could be made clearer (underlining maybe?).  For something as important as the dress code for this event, the link to it needs to be obvious.  Relying on scrollover changes doesn't help if you don't know to scroll over, and the font choice was bold enough in general that listing the links in actual bold didn't make it obvious there was something special there unless you looked closely.  People skim, I know I do, and if you want to get information out, you need to make sure getting to that information is unmistakeable.

[kookiekween99]

Do you have information/descriptions for the rovers? Specifically interested in the one with the water bottle.  When you say 'rover table' do you mean the one on the 3rd floor of the marriot or the peace bonding table by the lost and found?  We don't have any tables aside from those so I want to confirm it was in fact a Rover with a yellow armband.  If we do have rovers behaving that way, please give us as best a description you can and I'll forward it to our division heads/seconds.

It was in Artist Alley, specifically near the middle but on the left side of the building (when entering). It was a series of tables set up in a square shape with a fridge. I assumed it was a rover table since there were a few sitting there (along with some of the people carrying the "Ask me for info" signs or what not) which is why I went to them in the first place - again assuming it was indeed a rover table or a table with staff. Sorry I can't give you much more than that.

Do you remember around what time this was? Roaming info desks aren't supposed to be sitting down, they're supposed to be roaming. Also, was it perhaps one of the info desk staff who was rude to you?

[Wabbit98]

Enkai,

Thank you for your comments and suggestions.  We will take them under consideration and see what we can do about them for next year.

-Kevin

[PinkHairSasuke]

Isn't Clockwork its own con though? It seems kind of rude to send a huge number of people to a different con to pick up their badges because fanime is unable to handle their own attendees. Yeah, I wish we'd known about getting our badges at CA, I had a group that was going to go there friday evening but missed it because of the lines at Fairmont, but you can't expect one convention to process everyone from a different convention.

I believe CA is to Fanime as Wondercon is to Comicon. A smaller con that is like a sister one to the bigger one.

[aetherltd]

the Doubletree hotel is a great place for a convention that is currently the szie of what CA is.. so I dunno what they will be planning on for future years.

Those involved with CA generally like the Doubletree, and the Doubletree likes CA. Other than access to food and bad shuttle bus service, there have been few problems.

With good shuttle bus service (like 2012), the Doubletree is seven minutes from the convention center. With miserable shuttle bus service (like 2013), it's 45 to 90 minutes away.

[amre1204]

Do you remember around what time this was? Roaming info desks aren't supposed to be sitting down, they're supposed to be roaming. Also, was it perhaps one of the info desk staff who was rude to you?

It was between 1 and 1:30 PM. The roaming info desks had already left by the time I had finished my conversation about the water bottle. It wasn't them.

[Rhornez]

I wish there was some sort of quiz to keep annoying, racist, elitist dickheads who give non-anime cosplayers shit out of Fanime. Knock it the fuck off. Stop getting your panties in an enormous twist because people who like a series you don't like is there.

I was let down this year, but only because I wasn't in cosplay, didn't have a camera, and had almost no money to spend on merch. The Masquerade disappointed me deeply, and I wish there were better questions at Banzai Arcade on Sunday. Other than that, good con.

your not referring to me right?

[Yuu- pon]

 After reading the many explanations of the B&W 'shoe code' I completely understand and agree with it. Dancing in stilettos just seems like a really bad idea anyway.

Maybe it would help to put a note in the B&W requirements to bring a second pair of shoes just in case.

[avatarkayla]

I can't even begin to describe how much of a let down this con was. Each and every issue that took place before, at and after this Fanime 2013 has been given the same response of "If you think you can do better then volunteer", "We were under staffed", or "It's complicated.".

The underlined expectation that I see from these responses is that nothing will change. Forums will continue to be locked, blocking fellow con goers the ability to share in there own experiences (GOOD and BAD) about this year. Badge pick up Lines (pre-reg and not) will continue to last longer than the con it's self. Artists ally will continue to feel like its planning was the left to the last minute and god forbid you ask any questions. Cosplayers will repeatedly be disappointed by a computer-less and un-organized cosplay spectacular. And hours to months spent working on an outfit for the black and white ball will be put to waste, because they weren't even allowed in the door.

My prediction for future years is that some people will continue to attend Fanime, but no one will even bother to buy a badge. Why pay to wait in line, or be turned away when the most fun people have at this con is being outside the con itself and do what we do best. BE FANS WITH THE FANS.

I post this on the FORUMS because I wish to hear what other people who have attended Fanime 2013 have to say about this year. If staff wants they can respond to my feedback form that will be sent to them via the link they posted.

[sakaki]

Totally agree with you. I too have a locked thread regarding the Cosplay Spectacular and all the issues there, and was super disappointed no one bothered to respond to any of it.

You know what? I also realized that the only fun I had was because of the people I was with and the people I met. And you don't need to attend a kluge like this to do that....

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