Official Convention Feedback

[hikanteki]

I think everyone is asking the wrong question;  The right question  is "Is Clockwork Alchemy really a separate sister convention? or is it really just a division of FanimeCon?"  which would then explain and justify why money is budgeted for (and not funneled to it).  Perhaps there is a separation to attract the older crowd (that has a higher spending demographic than FanimeCon attendees)?" 

This is indeed a pertinent question, and it would do the organizers good to figure out what they want the answer to be. If it's a separate event, then move it to a different weekend, and separate the website and marketing materials (it's not a good use of resources to add a couple of extra glossy Clockwork pages to all 25000 Fanime program guides...nor is it a good use of resources to add 30 upside-down Fanime pages to CA program guides). If it's a division of Fanime, then treat it like one and have all the badges be Fanime-branded, lose the dual registration system and move CA programming to the Fairmont or Mariott or one of the hotels near the convention center, since nobody who attends Fanime goes to the DoubleTree for programming. As it stands now, it's got one foot in Fanime and one foot out, which isn't doing Fanime (or CA, for that matter) any good.

[aetherltd]

move CA programming to the Fairmont

Oh, I wish... The Fairmont decor fits so much better with steampunk.

[InsaneDavid]

Getting this thread back on topic....

General: Had an outstanding time this year.  Although attendance was more than ever, the entire convention still had a low-key and relaxed feel.  Any issues that I had would disappear from memory shortly thereafter.  Any event like this is what you make of it - plain and simple.  Inconsiderate people are inconsiderate people - nothing the convention can really do about that. (I'm looking at you, woman with the wallscroll in your backpack at Thursday swap meet who nearly took one of my eyes out a dozen times, even after I politely mentioned such many times)  Big crowds? Step to the side and let them pass, there are plenty of different routes to get around the Convention Center and attached facilities.

Registration:

• Excellent as with last year, plenty of room to host a line backup if there IS a system issue.
• No complaints about walking through the queue maze - after all, it's a weekend of walking.
• As has been mentioned, online registration should use passwords as e-mail / zip code is in no way secure.
• PROTIP: If you're uncomfortable with your real name on your badge, cut out a little piece of duct tape that will cover it on your badge and stick it over your real name after registration.  If ConOps or anyone else needs to check the validity of your badge you can always lift the tape up but otherwise your privacy will be maintained.

Artist Alley:

• Funky vinyl smell from the new window shades has dissipated over the past year - hurray!
• Nice call on the side entrance keep the exhibit level of the convention center from getting backed up with people walking in. Also got rid of a bottleneck inside as it started everyone in the middle of the room.  Smart move, don't change this.
• Two exits, again, smart move.  More exits than entrances keep the room flowing and once more prevent massive stagnant blobs of people from choking up the exhibit level walkway.
• Never encountered a line getting into AA this year.  If it was too crowded inside we would just loop back around later.
• Eliminate the "hang out" area in AA.  With the smaller size compared to other halls, any spare space should be utilized for traffic flow.  Plenty of places to kick back in other halls or out in the hallways.

Dealer's Hall:

• Outstanding layout and plenty of space to get around.
• Great assortment of vendors including those who I look forward to seeing every year.
• Nice kick back / recharge food court area with plenty of space to relax without choking up traffic flow.
• If there was a line to get in, it was generally always moving if the hall was open.  As long as lines are MOVING (which they always were) anyone griping in a moving line is just griping to gripe.
• Love that there's so much to see here, and as I said in point one - plenty of space to breathe around the entrances, exits, restrooms, and of course the food court.  Don't change a thing.

Video Rooms:

• Nice assortment of programming.  Nostalgia Room had a great lineup of stuff you can currently purchase, just like last year, which is awesome.  Promoting old school is great, doubly when many of these titles are finally starting to be re-released.
• Staff in Video Main should maybe think about easing up on their volunteers.  I don't know how many times I heard "Don't do that, I told you not to do that, you're going to piss everyone off." between program changes.  I understand you have to run what you say you're going to run and when but obviously no malice was intended, just inexperience.  Even if the intention wasn't there, it came across as very grating toward those running the playlists.
• Badge checks, or lack thereof.  I've heard conflicting things from staff here and there but video rooms should be badged.  I had always assumed they were badged.  If over the past four years they were not badged then why for 2012-2014 was my badge always checked.  It is unsafe for attendees if unbadged people can get into the video rooms.  Video rooms are one of my favorite parts of conventions, having them be unbadged is a waste of value.
• Staff running Nostalgia Room were excellent as usual, very welcoming and polite between program changes.
• Strangely warm in most video rooms other than Video Main.  Smaller rooms need more air circulation.
• GameCenter CX marathon next year guys, come on!  Way more in line with what Fanime should be than Nostalgia Critic or the AVGN.

Swap Meet:

• Outstanding venue.  This is the perfect thing to have in South Hall as you have room to grow.
• No complaints about the "walk" to South Hall.  It's part of the Convention Center and it literally takes 30 seconds to get to the door from the Mariott side Convention Center entrance.  Less than the span of the Dealer's Hall!
• I would remove one row of sellers and then spread everyone out with that new space.  There's plenty of long ways room to expand so I would like to see more space in between each row.
• Again, line always moving.  Sure you could line up before it opened if you wanted but there was no need.  The venue has the capacity to take everyone inside.  Lining up was a choice not a requirement and most seemed to be cool with this.
• Rovers on Thursday were straight up honest about what was going on.  Big kudos for this!  There was something like a 15 minute proposed delay to get all the sellers inside on Thursday night and the Rovers staff made this clear to all of us.  I can recall only one person in the entire line complaining about it, definitely the minority.  Once the line did start moving it didn't stop - everyone made it inside.
• Got stiffed on inclusion into the Pocket Guide - pretty big oversight.
• Now that registration is fixed, this should be badged even on Day Zero - it should be another special perk for registering early and picking up on Thursday.
• Found a localization prototype video game at Thursday swap! Type of things you only find at places like this.

Peacebonding / Cosplay Hangout:

• Having the Cosplay Hangout away from both peacebonding stations wasn't a great idea but it feels like it was something that got shifted around at the last moment, no big deal.
• Hilton peacebonding station - keep this!  A lot of people enter the convention from the Hilton side and having peacebonding kind of away from the massive crowds in a quieter area does wonders for when you're just setting up a cosplay for the day.  Automatic doors at the Hilton entrance FTW!
• Soft peacebonding tags yet again - THANK YOU!  I already mentioned this in the peacebonding thread but the soft tags are so much nicer than zip ties as they don't hurt the hand when on a handle and are much less prone to damaging props - also highly visible.
• Cut and dry props and weapons policy.  Rules and restrictions were clear as crystal.  Lots of help in the peacebonding thread to get props ready prior to the con.
• All and all, outstanding job by peacebonding staff.  Yours is a thankless job but is critical to the safety and enjoyment of all con-goers.  May common sense always prevail.

Casino Night:

• Great idea, nice to see something themed to the anniversary of the convention!
• The only line of the convention for me!  No one's fault though, ended up being way more popular than expected.
• Thank you for checking badges!

Gaming Hall:

• Finally some diversity in the arcade lineup.  For the first time in a long time it was actually what you would expect from an Anime convention!  Lots of Bemani, nice assortment of games, machines were actually serviced.
• Need one more change machine.  For the amount of attendees and the cost / game ratio, there should be at least three, stacked against one another in a triangle, in the middle of the arcade area.  The easier it is to get change, the more money will be spent on games.  I'm guessing this is a 50/50 revenue split between you and the operator - if not, get someone new.
• More space to sit down - I've already seen this addressed by staff, thanks for that!

Guide:

• First Aid was NOT mentioned anywhere in the maps!  What gives guys?  Flying Hands Massage gets pointed out but not the First Aid stations?
• Personally I don't have any issues with the scheduling or how it's written in the pocket guide.  I see that as another "complain to complain" point but the shaded print could be lightened, I understand that.  My girlfriend and I sit down for a few minutes on Thursday with a highlighter and mark things we want to see or that look interesting.  Then we write in any gatherings we're going to.  Boom, fast, easy, done.
• Getting it out earlier would be helpful - sure you've heard it over and over but yeah, would be nice.

Stage Zero:

• Fix the audio mix, it's WAY too loud.  Near impossible to enjoy anything if you're actually sitting at Stage Zero and nothing but a nuisance if you're in the surrounding area.  We shouldn't have to scream down at The Hub during a gathering to talk due to the reverberation from above.  Acceptable volume should be loud but MAN was it way too loud and distorted this year.
• More should be done here to promote the convention, including pushing events in Gaming, upcoming panels, announcements about gatherings, mentioning if / when halls are going to be opening and closing - in between regular Stage Zero programming.

General:

• Badge checks extremely lax compared to previous years - this is bad and the one big step back from last year.
• Police and security presence - nice to see this in the Convention Center and in the surrounding areas.
• Guests: old school people such as myself would like to see more old school guests, a nice diverse mix over all, if you would.
• As I said at the start, no matter how many people were at the convention, never did it seem overcrowded.  The Street Level is your friend, utilize it if you want to get from point A to B quickly.
• Free flyer tables need to go away.  This makes a choke point for foot traffic.  Also way more tables than are actually needed for the amount of different flyers being left.
• Restrooms over by Peet's on the upper floor should be open.  It's a long trek to the nearest lower level restroom or even to the nearest restrooms in Gaming.  I get that during a dance or something taking place in those rooms you'd need to restrict access but there needs to be easily accessible facilities on that side of the convention center otherwise.
• Speaking of restrooms - they were serviced much more frequently this year - EXCELLENT!
• Tony's thread comprised of stories about his years of FanimeCon experiences - really exemplified what the spirit of a convention like this is and was the best hype up for the convention possible.

Thanks for taking time to hear feedback!  Fanime was outrageously enjoyable this year and I cannot wait until the next.  Thank you to all staff and volunteers for your efforts to put forth a great convention!

[eHash]

• Restrooms over by Peet's on the upper floor should be open.  It's a long trek to the nearest lower level restroom or even to the nearest restrooms in Gaming.  I get that during a dance or something taking place in those rooms you'd need to restrict access but there needs to be easily accessible facilities on that side of the convention center otherwise.

For Safety and Security reasons this hallway was supposed to remain closed during the day.  These bathrooms were reserved for use by Convention Center Staff only during the day.  The closer restrooms to Peete's would have been on the 2nd floor of the Hilton right inside the doors from the convention center.

First Aid was marked with the traditional plus on the map.

[InsaneDavid]

• Restrooms over by Peet's on the upper floor should be open.  It's a long trek to the nearest lower level restroom or even to the nearest restrooms in Gaming.  I get that during a dance or something taking place in those rooms you'd need to restrict access but there needs to be easily accessible facilities on that side of the convention center otherwise.

For Safety and Security reasons this hallway was supposed to remain closed during the day.  These bathrooms were reserved for use by Convention Center Staff only during the day.  The closer restrooms to Peete's would have been on the 2nd floor of the Hilton right inside the doors from the convention center.

First Aid was marked with the traditional plus on the map.

I figured it was something like that for those restrooms. Thanks for clarifying!  However the First Aid stations are not marked anywhere on the map.  I have both the pocket guide and program guide in front of me, no First Aid marked on either map of the Convention Center.  An oversight?  Not knowing before hand where they would specifically be when the maps were drafted?  This didn't turn out to be a huge problem as I know there's a permanent First Aid station in the Gaming Hall but they should be marked.

[Admiral Donuts]

First Aid was marked with the traditional plus on the map.

Where is it marked?

[otakuya]

WEBSITE
-Main point that I would like touched is updates and information on the main website. For 2016, I hope to see at least some progress made for next year. At least a splash screen, logo, countdown, and the usual information (hotels, location, etc...) as soon as possible in 2015. Hopefully very soon. Update now ~?

[Steve.Young]

Good suggestions everyone, keep them coming if you have them. No post is too late :)

[otakuya]

WEBSITE (again)

Is it possible to at least update the main site to FanimeCon 2016? Nothing is too early anymore (plus it would be a perfect way to show us that staff is working hard as of now). Plus, there are threads asking when and where FC is. It's already time for an update.

[eHash]

I stand corrected in my earlier response.  The first aid station was NOT marked on this year's maps.

I know this isn't the right place for me to post this, but I feel like it could catalyze additional helpful comments from other non-staffers.

A simpler Mobile Website (that didn't necessarily have the tremendous amount of images eating away at my data plan) which was a little more straight to the point.

After Con starts, a section on the website (mobile and full browser)  specifically for corrections to the program guide/pocket guide should be created.  2 of the biggest errors in the printed versions were the time and location of Fan storage (naming was also not consistant).  This is important because while con ops/prog ops might have been notified of the change, infodesks still use the published sources (website -> prog guide/pocket guide -> then radio escalation to prog ops) as a reference.  That means that if something is printed wrong and a change is reported to prog ops, that information didn't seem to get passed on to the infodesks unless asked to escalate over the radio.  Ideally, this would include errors (i.e.: fan storage, first aid), changes (i.e.: fan storage hours of operation, dance bag rule), cancellations (i.e.: who wants to walk to the fairmont just to discover the panel was cancelled), or warnings/notices (i.e.: corridor 3 Bathrooms for SJCC staff use only until 3, access elevators out of service, water fountains near artist alley have low water pressure, APBs on individuals of interest that people should be careful of, and perhaps one day even shuttle or parking lot status).

Perhaps a randomizer button app on the mobile website for "I don't know what to do <right now> or at <time>" that picks something random on the schedule and responds with "Why don't you try ...."

I guess a side question...how come the concessions in the back of ex. hall 3 are never open?  Even though it's not much healthier, it's gotta be better for late night snacks then whatever is left of the pastries at peete's.

It might be cost prohibitive or not work with the current registration system, but perhaps people who take photos of cosplayers should register (when they pick up their badge) getting a visible registration number for their camera strap (similar to peacebonding) so that if someone has a problem with them they are more easily identifiable (this would require attendees to recognize this effort and always ask for a photographer's reg # before posing).  Additionally, if photographers later post their galleries, they could label it based on their photographer reg# and people would know where to look.

[brohamjeff]

Overall I thought Fanime was great.  It was my second time going and its my first convention so I don't really have anything to compare it to.  There is only one point I'd like to bring up:

Why doesn't Fanime do more to incorporate the theme into the convention.  2014 was a beach theme and 2015 was mythology but I didn't really see anything from the convention that represented those themes.  Sure, 2014 sold beach towels but what about decorations? What about filling the convention the theme to give cosplayers the incentive to design and/or make variations of their cosplay to go with the theme?  2016 is martial arts.  Why not put up some dojo style photo booths or something?  Maybe decorate the halls better.  I feel that if the convention lived up to its theme we would see some spectacular cosplay designed around it (not that the cosplays aren't already spectacular).  It just seems like the theme is irrelevant when the only thing the them covers is a new tshirt design and badges.

[fanimefreak]

Overall I thought Fanime was great.  It was my second time going and its my first convention so I don't really have anything to compare it to.  There is only one point I'd like to bring up:

Why doesn't Fanime do more to incorporate the theme into the convention.  2014 was a beach theme and 2015 was mythology but I didn't really see anything from the convention that represented those themes.  Sure, 2014 sold beach towels but what about decorations? What about filling the convention the theme to give cosplayers the incentive to design and/or make variations of their cosplay to go with the theme?  2016 is martial arts.  Why not put up some dojo style photo booths or something?  Maybe decorate the halls better.  I feel that if the convention lived up to its theme we would see some spectacular cosplay designed around it (not that the cosplays aren't already spectacular).  It just seems like the theme is irrelevant when the only thing the them covers is a new tshirt design and badges.

I agree!  I see people getting excited for the new theme already but it doesn't really matter.  Why have a theme at all when its not even utilized or represented throughout the con halls.  I'd love to see the theme incorporated with the con!  It would be really cool to have something more to spruce up the San Jose Con center.  That whole area by the artist alley entrance was poorly utilized this year, maybe put up a photo booth in that area? Or something!  Come on, guys!