Clockwork Alchemy: Is this where my Fanime money is going?

[InsaneChan]

I feel like there are a lot of problems with the conventions being the same weekend. Fanime trying to run TWO cons at once seems like a waste of resources that, ultimately, affect Fanime itself. Ever since management shifted, and they started doing two cons, Fanime has been much more disappointing to me. I've been attending since 2004, and the con was always amazing those first handful of years I went. But now things have changed dramatically.

Heck, Clockwork Alchemy already has a full website launch, and has since January. Now we're three months away and still no Fanime site launch or any projected date yet. I feel that with trying to create a successful steam punk con every year, both cons are not getting the attention and resources they deserve.

Personally, I feel that if the cons were different weekends, organizers could focus more on each separate con and things would run more smoothly.

The worst of it is that I am paying good money for Fanime. I'm paying for an anime convention, and don't appreciate my money being used for another con I am not interested in. I realize that many people are fans of both, and I myself used to like steam punk quite a lot, but it seems extremely unfair to attendee's to get divided resources.

Is there anyone at Fanime who can address these issues?

[thepsynergist]

At least you get free admission included with your Fanime ticket.  I agree that it feels like Fanime is a ghost of its former self, I still enjoy it.  I suppose that by them running two cons, there's a little bit of something for everyone to enjoy. 

[echoshadow]

From what we been told in the days after Fanime was over in the feedback chaos,  is that Clockwork has it's own staff. And that Fanime's problems was of its own lack of staff/in for seen problems. Fanime only helped in advertising Clockwork.  So we been told.

Of course that may or may not be true. But that was the story they told us at the feedback panel and in the feedback forums.

[Admiral Donuts]

I'll admit, this thread makes me curious about how much reg money goes to Clockwork. It's probably not a simple split since both cons share some resources (housing, shuttle, webspace, etc).

I know not EVERY dollar I spend on reg goes towards something I personally take part in, but when there's a whole other con under the same financial umbrella... eh...

[InsaneChan]

At least you get free admission included with your Fanime ticket.  I agree that it feels like Fanime is a ghost of its former self, I still enjoy it.  I suppose that by them running two cons, there's a little bit of something for everyone to enjoy.

I mean, I feel like this is part of the problem. It's not necessarily "free admission," because you're paying for it with your Fanime registration. When you go to register for Clockwork, it takes you to the Fanime reg page. So this means they're using your money from Fanime reg to run Clockwork. I understand the advantages of having "a little bit for everyone," but that really shouldn't mean a whole different con being run alongside Fanime. This is also a problem for people who are fans of both things, because they would not be able to do all the things they want to at both cons. There might be wonderful panels and events that take place at the same time at both cons, and people would have the stress of just not being able to make it to them.

Ultimately, I just don't think it's fair for everyone, fans of one thing and also for fans of both.

From what we been told in the days after Fanime was over in the feedback chaos,  is that Clockwork has it's own staff. And that Fanime's problems was of its own lack of staff/in for seen problems. Fanime only helped in advertising Clockwork.  So we been told.

Of course that may or may not be true. But that was the story they told us at the feedback panel and in the feedback forums.

If they say so, I guess there's really not much we can do to about it. If that is truly the case, as they say, then the main issue is still the money they're using for it. Also, it's more than them just being advertised by Fanime. Their registration is the same, so they're definitely being run together by Fanime itself.

I'll admit, this thread makes me curious about how much reg money goes to Clockwork. It's probably not a simple split since both cons share some resources (housing, shuttle, webspace, etc).

I know not EVERY dollar I spend on reg goes towards something I personally take part in, but when there's a whole other con under the same financial umbrella... eh...

Yeah, you're right that I also don't do every thing I pay for at Fanime, but that's simply due to not every person being involved in every aspect of the anime/Japanese media/culture spectrum. However, I'm just concerned that the money that should be going towards making Fanime a great experience every year, is being divided for a completely unrelated con. I don't believe it's a 50% split, but any amount is too much.

TLDR; If they want a steampunk con, they should have a steampunk con. But it should have separate registration.

[ttyls]

Good point by the OP. I've always wondered why Fanime's quality has been slipping so dramatically every year despite reg prices (regular badge and artist alley, I'm sure it's the same for other events like swap meet, dealers, etc.) either being the same or increasing each year. Fan support is always strong as ever, so that's not the problem. Knowing where the money goes to would be very helpful, especially with the concerns raised by everyone else in this thread.

[Arkham]

Clockwork Alchemy has its own staff, and of course brings in its own attendees.
We are not taking any attention away from the Staff that focuses on FanimeCon.

I cannot speak to whatever issues may be delaying FanimeCon's website launch, as I
have not been involved with their web team. I only worked on the Clockwork Alchemy website.

[ttyls]

I think the problem is less about whether staff is split or not, and more about how the money from registration is split if both cons are using the same reg, if I'm reading OP's posts correctly.

[SquishyK]

I think Clockwork Alchemy is overall a greater asset to Fanime. By combining efforts they have opened up additional much needed housing options for Fanime attendees. As for the money issue I'm sure that housing a convention at DoubleTree is considerably less expensive then at the San Jose convention center and Fanime draws in big name international guests while most of Clockwork Alchemy's guests tend to be local favorites. So I'm sure that Fanime is getting the lion's share of reg money. Not to mention that most of Fanime's big issues (dissemination of timely and accurate information, over crowding, insufficient housing) are not likely to be solved by simply throwing more money at the problem. In fact I'm consistently astounded by the number of people who complain about reg prices considering they still pale in comparison to Comic Con, and Anime Expo (considering you have to purchase addition admission for events). Of course this year they are allowing attendees to select their main reason for registering (Fanime or Clockwork Alchemy) so I'm sure they will get a good idea of how the money should be distributed as to not disadvantage either convention. I do find it a bit troubling that Fanime still doesn't have their website up and running. Anime Expo already has registration up for AMVs, Masquerade, and Exhibition hall (to name a few) and that convention isn't even until July!

[DangerHeart]

I think Clockwork Alchemy is overall a greater asset to Fanime. By combining efforts they have opened up additional much needed housing options for Fanime attendees. As for the money issue I'm sure that housing a convention at DoubleTree is considerably less expensive then at the San Jose convention center and Fanime draws in big name international guests while most of Clockwork Alchemy's guests tend to be local favorites. So I'm sure that Fanime is getting the lion's share of reg money. Not to mention that most of Fanime's big issues (dissemination of timely and accurate information, over crowding, insufficient housing) are not likely to be solved by simply throwing more money at the problem. In fact I'm consistently astounded by the number of people who complain about reg prices considering they still pale in comparison to Comic Con, and Anime Expo (considering you have to purchase addition admission for events). Of course this year they are allowing attendees to select their main reason for registering (Fanime or Clockwork Alchemy) so I'm sure they will get a good idea of how the money should be distributed as to not disadvantage either convention. I do find it a bit troubling that Fanime still doesn't have their website up and running. Anime Expo already has registration up for AMVs, Masquerade, and Exhibition hall (to name a few) and that convention isn't even until July!

Heck even SacAnime(which runs twice a year) changed the site at least two weeks after the last con to reflect the new dates, and they've already started announcing guests and have artist alley sold out and that con isn't until August. I think this is the slowest Fanime has ever started.

[InsaneChan]

I think that with everything brought up, it can be agreed that the main issue is the combined registration. You have Fanime attendees paying about as much as usual (maybe a bit more), and then the Clockwork attendees who don't care about Fanime spending $50-$60 for a smaller con. To be honest, I just don't find this very logical. I know Fanime considers this an investment opportunity, but I still don't see why they just can't have separate registration?

[cutiebunny]

It always bothers me when I see these topics and no one from Fanime staff addresses it with a valid response.  I grow weary of the "It's proprietary/confidential" responses I see on these topics, if there is one at all.  I could understand if we were asking about staffing at a particular area at a particular time of day, but things like "How will you rectify the 6 hour registration line?" are valid concerns that should be properly addressed. 

Depending on the problem, throwing more money at the problem would help.  You could hire full time staff.  Or you could hop on board the 21st century train and buy scanners so that all attendees need to do is show a barcode and their registration data would pop up. You know, things that every other large convention is already doing.  I don't know about everyone else, but I would gladly pay an additional $10 to aide in purchasing the technology and equipment needed to prevent me from spending another 6 hours of my life in line.

[SpiritOfKairi]

It always bothers me when I see these topics and no one from Fanime staff addresses it with a valid response.  I grow weary of the "It's proprietary/confidential" responses I see on these topics, if there is one at all.  I could understand if we were asking about staffing at a particular area at a particular time of day, but things like "How will you rectify the 6 hour registration line?" are valid concerns that should be properly addressed. 

While the answers about the registration lines have been vague and dodgey at best, I do think that things will be better this year for one reason - registration won't be at the Fairmont.  I don't know how long you have been going to Fanime, but for the last 3 years whenever a major event has been held at that hotel, it doesn't go well.  In 2013 it was registration; 2012 it was the swap meet where you had to wait for 45 minutes to snake through 2 rooms, and if you wanted to buy something in room 1 while in room 2, you had to go back in line all over again; in 2011 it was the B&W Ball where you had to wait for an hour to enter a cramped room without bathrooms, and if you had to go, you had to leave the room and wait in line all over again.  After moving these events to places that are not the Fairmont (back to the CC for the swap meet and the Parkside Hall for the ball), things have run MUCH smoother.  Since registration is back at the CC this year and the only issue that location has faced is the Day 0 power outage of 2012, I think things might just be alright.  (Could also just be wishful thinking on my part, but judging from previous years it makes sense with how things have gone.)

Depending on the problem, throwing more money at the problem would help.  You could hire full time staff.  Or you could hop on board the 21st century train and buy scanners so that all attendees need to do is show a barcode and their registration data would pop up. You know, things that every other large convention is already doing.  I don't know about everyone else, but I would gladly pay an additional $10 to aide in purchasing the technology and equipment needed to prevent me from spending another 6 hours of my life in line.

I think many others would gladly pay a few dollars more for assurance that the line would move faster.  However, suggestions like this have been made for years, and so far nothing has been done.  I think the idea to charge $10 more for mailed badges has been suggested since around 2009-2010, but Fanime hasn't done it for "security reasons".  It's definitely a nice thought that they would implement stuff like this in the near future, but it probably won't happen.

[cutiebunny]

While the answers about the registration lines have been vague and dodgey at best, I do think that things will be better this year for one reason - registration won't be at the Fairmont.  I don't know how long you have been going to Fanime, but for the last 3 years whenever a major event has been held at that hotel, it doesn't go well.

I have, since 2010, gone through registration late Friday morning.  Since 2010, my wait time has doubled every year, regardless of where registration is held.  In 2010, I waited 45 minutes.  In 2011, it was 1.5 hours.  In 2012, I spent 3 hours in line.  In 2013, I made a last minute decision to attend Animazement instead, but had I not, I'm sure I would have been waiting six hours like many others did. I don't think that, in terms of registration, the location is the issue, but perhaps it boils down to staffing and/or registration method.

What bothers me is that nothing sounds like it's going to change.  When Fanime higher ups tell you that, despite the 6 hour wait time, last minute guest announcements and a guest list that was largely lackluster, it was a great convention, you not only question where exactly the convention is heading, but if you want to be there for it.

I think many others would gladly pay a few dollars more for assurance that the line would move faster.  However, suggestions like this have been made for years, and so far nothing has been done.  I think the idea to charge $10 more for mailed badges has been suggested since around 2009-2010, but Fanime hasn't done it for "security reasons".  It's definitely a nice thought that they would implement stuff like this in the near future, but it probably won't happen.

I understand why Fanime won't send badges in the mail and I remember the last year AX tried it, it was problematic.  My badge arrived late on Day 0, but I had already left for the con earlier that morning.  Send out the badges too early and people will counterfeit them, and send them out too late and attendees will leave before their badges arrive.

Fanime will eventually need to decide how big it really wants to be and if it has the resources to sustain those numbers.  Perhaps having another con running concurrently with Fanime is a good way to solve that, but it seems unfair that attendees are not able to select where their funds will go. 

[Admiral Donuts]

I understand why Fanime won't send badges in the mail and I remember the last year AX tried it, it was problematic.  My badge arrived late on Day 0, but I had already left for the con earlier that morning.  Send out the badges too early and people will counterfeit them, and send them out too late and attendees will leave before their badges arrive.

I think with the new way Fanime does badges (plastic badge with personal info on a sticker) could lend itself to mailing badges out. Send out the sticker then issuing the badge at the con, if you don't get your badge in the mail then can re-print it at the con.

[InsaneChan]

While we're on the topic, I'd just like to chime in that I actually personally find mailing out badges way too problematic. There are so many things that could go wrong (badges not arriving on time, badges not arriving at all, post office issues, etc etc). Furthermore, people may show up and claim their badges never arrived, get a new one, only to have lied and give their now free extra badge to a friend (or worse, scalp it at a discounted rate and make a profit). This could potentially just lose way too much money for the con.

I personally think that they just need a better system for distributing badges at-con. Last year was indeed a nightmare, and when my group and I finally made it to a window, the girl was very nice, but very chatty; stopping her work to talk to us about something completely random and therefor my badge took at least five minutes to distribute. The majority of this was her just standing there and making small talk. I remember thinking, "Geez, no wonder we were in line for five hours!"

I don't have an immediate solution to offer, but I believe Fanime has the resources to create a more efficient system.

[Purelovely]

I hate to say this and it may be a bit harsh but I feel like Clockwork Alchemy is a leech upon Fanime. I'm sure that others feel this way as well.

Clockwork may have their own staff but they are taking up some hotel rooms and making the registration lines even worse. I'm sure there are people who ONLY go to that con and they must feel the same way about Fanime. It's unfair to both cons. Fanime had Memorial weekend first. Make Clockwork Alchemy take another weekend.

[SquishyK]

I hate to say this and it may be a bit harsh but I feel like Clockwork Alchemy is a leech upon Fanime. I'm sure that others feel this way as well.

Clockwork may have their own staff but they are taking up some hotel rooms and making the registration lines even worse. I'm sure there are people who ONLY go to that con and they must feel the same way about Fanime. It's unfair to both cons. Fanime had Memorial weekend first. Make Clockwork Alchemy take another weekend.

um... you DO realize that Clockwork Alchemy has their own registration lines right? AND you can get your badge at Clockwork Alchemy even if you are only going for Fanime. Just saying'

Another advantage of Clockwork Alchemy is that the evening dances at Fanime had started to get extremely crowded and they have to make people wait in line to get in. Clockwork Alchemy added more evening entertainment to help alleviate some of this over crowding. My friends have been quite pleased with Emperor Norton's Ball these past two years, to the point that we don't even go to Fanime's Black and White Ball anymore. Also there was a point where 3-4 tables in the Dealer's Room where dedicated to steampunk, this might not sound like a lot but I'm sure they have been turning down many more and it was reducing the number of anime venders that could sell at Fanime. Now they have somewhere more appropriate to go freeing up space at Fanime.

[Purelovely]

I hate to say this and it may be a bit harsh but I feel like Clockwork Alchemy is a leech upon Fanime. I'm sure that others feel this way as well.

Clockwork may have their own staff but they are taking up some hotel rooms and making the registration lines even worse. I'm sure there are people who ONLY go to that con and they must feel the same way about Fanime. It's unfair to both cons. Fanime had Memorial weekend first. Make Clockwork Alchemy take another weekend.

um... you DO realize that Clockwork Alchemy has their own registration lines right? AND you can get your badge at Clockwork Alchemy even if you are only going for Fanime. Just saying'

Another advantage of Clockwork Alchemy is that the evening dances at Fanime had started to get extremely crowded and they have to make people wait in line to get in. Clockwork Alchemy added more evening entertainment to help alleviate some of this over crowding. My friends have been quite pleased with Emperor Norton's Ball these past two years, to the point that we don't even go to Fanime's Black and White Ball anymore. Also there was a point where 3-4 tables in the Dealer's Room where dedicated to steampunk, this might not sound like a lot but I'm sure they have been turning down many more and it was reducing the number of anime venders that could sell at Fanime. Now they have somewhere more appropriate to go freeing up space at Fanime.

I hope they do. I've never been aware of that fact. It seems in the past they just combined it all into one badge pickup area. I hope more people use the Clockwork area to pick up badges this year.

I still think to be fair to both cons that Fanime should remain Memorial weekend and Clockwork needs to be moved to a different time. If they did then maybe they could make Clockwork into a bigger con for their fans.

[Kahluah]

I hate to say this and it may be a bit harsh but I feel like Clockwork Alchemy is a leech upon Fanime. I'm sure that others feel this way as well.

Clockwork may have their own staff but they are taking up some hotel rooms and making the registration lines even worse. I'm sure there are people who ONLY go to that con and they must feel the same way about Fanime. It's unfair to both cons. Fanime had Memorial weekend first. Make Clockwork Alchemy take another weekend.

um... you DO realize that Clockwork Alchemy has their own registration lines right? AND you can get your badge at Clockwork Alchemy even if you are only going for Fanime. Just saying'

Another advantage of Clockwork Alchemy is that the evening dances at Fanime had started to get extremely crowded and they have to make people wait in line to get in. Clockwork Alchemy added more evening entertainment to help alleviate some of this over crowding. My friends have been quite pleased with Emperor Norton's Ball these past two years, to the point that we don't even go to Fanime's Black and White Ball anymore. Also there was a point where 3-4 tables in the Dealer's Room where dedicated to steampunk, this might not sound like a lot but I'm sure they have been turning down many more and it was reducing the number of anime venders that could sell at Fanime. Now they have somewhere more appropriate to go freeing up space at Fanime.

I hope they do. I've never been aware of that fact. It seems in the past they just combined it all into one badge pickup area. I hope more people use the Clockwork area to pick up badges this year.

I still think to be fair to both cons that Fanime should remain Memorial weekend and Clockwork needs to be moved to a different time. If they did then maybe they could make Clockwork into a bigger con for their fans.

I kind of agree that if Clockwork is moved more people might attend it. I would love to attend Clockwork, but I cant handle two cons on the same weekend so I usually opt out for Fanime