Feedback of CGD 2017

[Imperial]

I myself never see (hear small grasps, but I want words in my face.) any of the feedback for my department that is submitted on the Official Feedback Form of Fanime even though I request it, I want to hear back from you, the fans, about Cosplay gatherings, the Cosplay Hangout and Repair station, and the new photo room. What went good, what went bad, etc. Did the hangout miss any supplies, what ran out on you, etc.

Some things to note that I know is a problem.

1. Not enough signage for hangout. I got a lot of people kinda shocked that we had a hangout, that there was a repair station, etc. It is duly noted, and I will add more signage/ social media presence on the hangout.

2. Not enough photographers. It is going to be a problem until I secure enough people to be photographers, as I dont want my staffers running ragged from gathering to gathering, attending 3 gatherings in the span of an hour (I have done that, I didn't have fun and people knew I smelled of con funk due to it.)

3. Better Social media presence. I admit I was better on facebook than here. I am somewhat shying away from here from requests of the higher ups, but until I work out a place where you dont need an account to view all info of a gathering, and post on it saying "HEY I WANNA COME TO THIS AS X FROM Z" its going to be here.

4. In general, not enough staff. Dear god I do a lot by myself, and my co-head keeps bonking me on the head to split the load. I had assistance, but I didn't clearly guide them for the purpose I needed them for, and lead to other issues arising.

Still, what did you peeps think of CGD this year? Be honest, I don't mind the bull being tossed, but I want notes that I can take and really put hammer to nail and fix as best I can.

[InsaneDavid]

To begin with, and I believe this to be my most important comment, THANK YOU to all Cosplay Gatherings Department staff and volunteers for the hours upon hours of time and effort you put into supporting cosplayers at FanimeCon.  Giving us a place to relax and repair, to meet other cosplayers, and giving us the ability to host cosplay gatherings.  I've said it many times before, but if it weren't for FanimeCon cosplay gatherings, I would not be a cosplayer, as the Old School Cosplay Gathering is what inspired my wife (then girlfriend) and I to do so, first in 2014.

Thankfully I didn't require use of the repair station this year but I did utilize the hangout on Friday when I couldn't find the gatherings check-in table.  I knew that the Cosplay Hangout would have the answers I needed, which it did, and I was also able to say hi and talk with you for a few minutes prior to my gathering.

If I could recommend anything for the Hangout it would be to get the supplies donation push out really early and keep it in the public mind of attendee cosplayers.  I know I often have insane coupons for craft stores that I let expire, when I should be using them to pick up essentials to donate to the Hangout (hot glue for best example).

I know there has been mention that having the Hangout in a badged area is not an ideal arrangement and simply a requirement to be able to have it.  However the additional level of cosplayer safety given with its current location is something that is appreciated as specific effort has to be made to go there.  Better signage and awareness, which you mentioned above, is really all I think it needs in addition.

Personally the entire gathering host process this year was extremely painless and smooth, dependent upon one thing - the host making themselves available to comments and concerns.  Just being on the forums or posting in a Facebook event page every couple weeks is all that really is needed to show cosplayers interested in a gathering that the host has their hands on it, and everything is moving along.  Ultimately this falls upon a gathering host.  I actually use this as an opportunity to promote my gathering on a weekly basis, although I understand the Old School Cosplay Gathering is a unique beast in this sense since it potentially covers hundreds upon hundreds of works, with different anime opening videos to get everyone psyched up for the gathering.  Over the past two years I've had attendees become inspired to come to the gathering based upon seeing a series they cosplay as featured during one of my weekly posts.

Depending on how things play out toward the end of this year and into the beginning of next, I am seriously considering applying for CGD staff.  My wife is considering the same as she's really enjoys being an unofficial photographer at our gathering but her non-Fanime schedule is traditionally way more rigid than mine.  There are a lot of changes coming up for the two of us during the back half of 2017, but it is something we would really like to do if it is a possibility.

Gatherings should be listed on Fanime.com - in the main index.  This year there was a link for it, but it would take you to a page that said there were no gatherings.  The only thing worse than the gatherings not being listed there is saying there aren't any to display - and that's exactly how it was.  I know this is more of a web team issue than CGD but I wanted to toss it out there.  It would be wonderful if this would be a link to the forum thread for each gathering, but even just mirroring over the list that is printed on the signboards to the website would be really nice.

A big thanks for keeping gatherings on the lower level in unbadged areas.  As I've heard you say, gatherings are by and for fans, regular attendees, and should be open and unrestricted.  Gatherings are also a wonderful advertising tool to get people interested in the convention and buy that badge to check out more of it.  Thanks for fighting the good fight and keeping gatherings open to all - cosplayers and spectators alike.

An additional inside gatherings area to make up for losing The Hub (which always had terrible lighting anyway) would be nice and I know this is something that CGD would like as well.  The lower protected steps area off the of the video rooms we were talking about for a bit on Sunday morning may be a good candidate, depending on viability from the higher ups.  As a general convention comment, the tables and chairs down there were a great use of that space and did wonders for a relaxation space to replace what used to be at The Hub.

Lastly, a specific nod of appreciation to you yourself, Imperial - every time we talked at the con, the first thing you would ask me was how I was doing.  With how big a convention like FanimeCon is, it is easy to forget that at the core it is really built upon the people who both host and attend it every year.  That is no truer than with Cosplay Gatherings - fandoms coming together simply to share in common interest.  I often say the spirit of anime and cosplay fandom is reflected in the massive diversity of the Old School Gathering, but the spirit of why anime conventions began is reflected nowhere stronger than in the Cosplay Gatherings Department - fans being fans together.  Thank you again.

[powerofunity]

I had a great experience running the cosplay gathering this year, so many kudos for that! :) i did not visit the hangout/repair station or the photo room, so I cannot comment on those, but here are my thoughts on the cosplay gathering that I ran.

Pros:
+ I had to request a later gathering time than the usual timeslots because of my work schedule. I thought there might be some difficulties with this, but I basically just PM'd you and you said it would be fine. I'm glad your department was able to be flexible about the schedule.

+ My gathering was lucky enough to get a photographer *and* the official photos were released practically one day after the gathering. I really appreciated the quick turnaround time. My photographer was also really helpful in terms of suggesting photo ops, calling out the time for each photo, and simply being there despite the late timeslot.

Cons:
- I think there was supposed to be an email or other message sent out about the check-in procedure at con, but I never received it, so I wasn't aware that I was supposed to check in prior to my cosplay gathering. Luckily, one of your staff members found me, but I felt bad that she had to hunt me down.

- Not sure if the Fanime Slickpic galleries are part of your department, but it was a little disconcerting that they were categorized by when the photos were taken, rather than by gathering or topic. It works for random hall photos, but it was a little frustrating trying to find all of the photos for a single gathering.

Neither Pros Nor Cons:
* Some people were wondering why Monday was no longer an option for cosplay gatherings. Can you give any info about this? I understand that it might be kind of a hassle because people will be checking out of hotels and such, but it would be nice to get an official word about this.

All in all, thanks for the hard work that you and your staff put in!

[Imperial]

Cons:
- I think there was supposed to be an email or other message sent out about the check-in procedure at con, but I never received it, so I wasn't aware that I was supposed to check in prior to my cosplay gathering. Luckily, one of your staff members found me, but I felt bad that she had to hunt me down.

- Not sure if the Fanime Slickpic galleries are part of your department, but it was a little disconcerting that they were categorized by when the photos were taken, rather than by gathering or topic. It works for random hall photos, but it was a little frustrating trying to find all of the photos for a single gathering.

Neither Pros Nor Cons:
* Some people were wondering why Monday was no longer an option for cosplay gatherings. Can you give any info about this? I understand that it might be kind of a hassle because people will be checking out of hotels and such, but it would be nice to get an official word about this.

All in all, thanks for the hard work that you and your staff put in!

so, from the top.

I think people naturally block Bcc emails or something, because last year i got complaints for just CCing people and their name out and about, so I tried Bcc. as you can see, things didn't roll properly.

I had it sorted by time, as if I didn't, the nightmare that is organizing the photos would even be worse, cause I have photogs dump their photos in their downtime. if they had to remember what gatherings where what photos when dear god it would be a mess regardless. I thought times would be the best go at it.

I pulled mondays from gatherings in 2 parts. 1 being lack of demand. 2 being I am cleaning the room back up to ship to logistics, and that is a massive time sink we have to do at end of con, and I just want to celebrate that I made it through sunday night.

[Nina Star 9]

Everything went generally smoothly for me as an attendee of gatherings, so thank you for that. :]

A few bits of feedback:

- Better signage, and better explanations of the locations. If you know where the locations are already, great, but if you don't, it's very hard to find that information leading up to con. I had to go through several different very similar-sounding forums threads in order to find an outdated listing of the gathering locations with the number key, and even then, I had to guess where some of these actually were just based on prior knowledge. I saw several people online leading up to the con asking things like "where the hell is G6??" and no one having a very specific map or list to point them towards. The maps at info tables this year were great (and saved my friend and I when trying to find the JJBA gathering and I was like "uhh...I think it's over in that area?" but thankfully we were able to find an info booth and just look it up) -- is it possible to post those maps online in an easy to find location so that people know where the gatherings are in the weeks leading up to con?

Also, I don't know how feasible it is to have with the myriad locations and the outdoor locations, but is it possible to have some A-frame signs or something at the locations themselves, especially up near the front where photos are usually taken? These would have to be kind of out of the way of photographers, and the first and last gatherings of the day (or an associated staff member) would need to be responsible for setting these up and taking them back inside for the night, but I think that it could be really helpful to have certain information on site at the gatherings. I'd image that these would have the name and number code of the location as the largest text, and then the ability to post a piece of paper with the list of gatherings for that day in that location with their times underneath that (so the signs could be reused year after year with a different set of gatherings). It would be helpful to know exactly where the gathering is, how much time the gathering has in that location, and which series is coming in after. I was at a gathering this year where the series in the adjacent location was done early, so people quickly checked their phones to find out when the next gathering was coming in and took over that space for the larger group shots at the end. Having that information handy would be great for those trying to find where the gathering they are trying to attend is as well.

- Already mentioned, but signage for the repair room. I knew generally where it was (at least, in terms of "it's in one of these rooms over on this side of this particular hallway" and still had a hard time finding it when I was specifically looking for it, until I just poked my head in and happened upon it. Also, I was only in there briefly, but there seemed to be different "stations" for different tasks (at least, I was pointed towards the table with sewing supplies, and noticed other tables with things like wig work going on), and if this is the case, having these clearly marked would be a benefit, so that they would be easier to find if you need something specific.

- The photo room. I never actually went in, but I poked my head in a couple of times (including during some very busy times of con, like Saturday afternoon), and it seemed pretty empty. It's a great idea, but if there's only one photographer in there, it seems like a bit of a waste. Maybe it was just the perfect weather where all the photographers were lined up outside still, but I feel that more can be done with this space. Maybe some photo sets like AX has, even on a much smaller scale? Some props or backdrops at the very least? Something that can entice people to want to visit that room rather than standing outside in front of the cement wall.

Otherwise, everything seemed to go very smoothly. :] Thanks for all your hard work!

[Shinigami_Lover]

I was the one in charge of One Piece and Naruto but this is in response to the One Piece gathering.  I have become really good at hiding my frustration but I really do feel this needs to be put to light...

And if I am over stepping I am sorry... but I really disliked having this happen in my gatherings. To me ALL COSPLAYERS are guest of honors in my gatherings they have all put time, money and effort into their outfits/ wigs/ props. So when the cons guest of honor comes to join in I wish they would give the gathering leads respect so that everyone can feel special at the gatherings (it is one place 'regular cosplayers' can shine)...

The guest of honor I had was talking to the cosplayers and making it hard for me to call out the photo groups (and I have a megaphone) and I had been requested to make more group photos with her (so I did add in some more) but she would make me call out the groups many times. I was trying showing respect to her by adding a few a extra shots for her and by introducing and welcoming her but I was not given any respect back... I know she is one of the cons Guest of Honor but she did not even come over to me a say thank you or anything. 

I have been doing photo shoots at Fanime since 2010 and I was made to feel like I had no knowledge about the shoot that I was running and I also was being told to slow down my count downs and it felt like they kept being taken away from me. The way I do my count downs are to kept everyone with me and wanting to stay to the end because I know that if I go slow I lose photographers and cosplayers attention (oh squirrel)... plus I have an hour to do my shoots and with the larger groups (aka manga/anime that have many seasons/movies) I have figured out how long each group has so that I can get them all done on time and have room for request. Also I do not want the people that come to watch/ participate in the shoots to be burned or to get overly hot.

In the years past I have been told that I keep everyone on their toes and am able to run my shoots very well... this year though I did not feel like I did as well as I have in past.

I am just one of the 'regular cosplayers' that want to help others have a chance to show off their work. If the Guest of Honor wants to come to my gatherings next year I am open for it, but I ask that you guys mention that the gatherings are for EVERYONE and not just them... they have times for themselves to shine... The gatherings might be the only time some of the other 'regular cosplayers' get photos taken...

Thank you and see you next year,
DicePanda
#cosplayuplifting

[Imperial]

- Better signage, and better explanations of the locations. If you know where the locations are already, great, but if you don't, it's very hard to find that information leading up to con. I had to go through several different very similar-sounding forums threads in order to find an outdated listing of the gathering locations with the number key, and even then, I had to guess where some of these actually were just based on prior knowledge. I saw several people online leading up to the con asking things like "where the hell is G6??" and no one having a very specific map or list to point them towards. The maps at info tables this year were great (and saved my friend and I when trying to find the JJBA gathering and I was like "uhh...I think it's over in that area?" but thankfully we were able to find an info booth and just look it up) -- is it possible to post those maps online in an easy to find location so that people know where the gatherings are in the weeks leading up to con?

There was a hangup, and I hope to have a neutral map (not in line with the theme of the year, rather, general fanime design) with new location names and numbers soon. There was a snag for the map to come out this year to be in line with theme, and I do have plans to make gathering spaces in different areas to accomodate for the loss of G4 and half loss of G8 (I can't move the benches, so I can't do midsize gatherings there anymore). For future reference, and I didn't advertise it very well again, but on the Fanime Cosplay Gatherings page on facebook, There is a gallery with pictures showing where they are, and landmarks to help find the locations as needed.

Also, I don't know how feasible it is to have with the myriad locations and the outdoor locations, but is it possible to have some A-frame signs or something at the locations themselves, especially up near the front where photos are usually taken? These would have to be kind of out of the way of photographers, and the first and last gatherings of the day (or an associated staff member) would need to be responsible for setting these up and taking them back inside for the night, but I think that it could be really helpful to have certain information on site at the gatherings. I'd image that these would have the name and number code of the location as the largest text, and then the ability to post a piece of paper with the list of gatherings for that day in that location with their times underneath that (so the signs could be reused year after year with a different set of gatherings). It would be helpful to know exactly where the gathering is, how much time the gathering has in that location, and which series is coming in after. I was at a gathering this year where the series in the adjacent location was done early, so people quickly checked their phones to find out when the next gathering was coming in and took over that space for the larger group shots at the end. Having that information handy would be great for those trying to find where the gathering they are trying to attend is as well.

For me, I see the idea of having easels with what gatherings are at each spot, and proposed that with proper people, and was told that in order to ensure that the signs are not damaged if they are on the ground floor, is to have a staff member within reach of it. I don't have the number of staff to warrant those needs, but I get the idea you have. I have some alt ideas as to how to execute this, and I will get to talk with proper people on Alt idea by the end of the month.

- Already mentioned, but signage for the repair room. I knew generally where it was (at least, in terms of "it's in one of these rooms over on this side of this particular hallway" and still had a hard time finding it when I was specifically looking for it, until I just poked my head in and happened upon it. Also, I was only in there briefly, but there seemed to be different "stations" for different tasks (at least, I was pointed towards the table with sewing supplies, and noticed other tables with things like wig work going on), and if this is the case, having these clearly marked would be a benefit, so that they would be easier to find if you need something specific.

Its something that I am working on training my staff so they can always greet you as you enter, and point you the right way to what and where items for repair are. I didn't really get to do my training speel I normally do due to time constraints (first year of a full time job that is never consistant really screws any planning you want to do, especially if you got rained in from the one meeting you normally do it at.) But yes, signage will be increased for where said hangout will be. Signs as to stations, May be worked out in the future running of the room, but we don't want our room to seem like its unstaffed, hense the greeting and assisting with where X things are.

- The photo room. I never actually went in, but I poked my head in a couple of times (including during some very busy times of con, like Saturday afternoon), and it seemed pretty empty. It's a great idea, but if there's only one photographer in there, it seems like a bit of a waste. Maybe it was just the perfect weather where all the photographers were lined up outside still, but I feel that more can be done with this space. Maybe some photo sets like AX has, even on a much smaller scale? Some props or backdrops at the very least? Something that can entice people to want to visit that room rather than standing outside in front of the cement wall.

I did mention in the announcement of the room that it would be just black drape sets due to limited turnaround, but I get where you are at. Future plans due include art themed backdrops, some generic, some in theme. I just couldn't turn it to be made in time with the request of us getting the room.

[Love Sign Master Spark]

General:

Thanks to the staff of the Cosplay Gathering for all the work they put into this, including the unglamourous behind-the-scenes grunt work that goes into having a smooth experience for the attendees.  It's easy to take CGD for granted until one attends a con that doesn't have such a presence, heh. I was able to locate the available gatherings that wanted to attend or take photos at no problems.  Having a place I could visit to rest my feet and fill up my water bottle, if nothing else, is welcomed.

  Some unsorted thoughts from my own personal experience:

- I was happy to see the mirror there.  Did come in to touch up makeup a time or two and even pulling up a chair next to it beats braving the bathrooms.

- No sings for the cosplay hangout.  I just guessed it was in the same place as last year.  Anyways, already noted so nothing to add.

- I don't recall seeing any signs that had the list of cosplay gatherings downstairs.  Is that really the case or did I miss one completely?  (never went by downstairs info booth after buying badge but it would have been the first place to check)

- Didn't really stop by the photo room and the few times I did more than peek in, it was a deserted oasis.  I didn't really expect to find anything in the way of props to do poses with though it would have been fantastic to find a broom to pose with since I didn't want to carry mine around all day.   :)  And now that my imagination has been stirred, I can visualize a selection of props and accessories to do poses with such as party hats, silly glasses, party masks, pom-poms, and more.  Wonder if there's ways to get some of this donated since I'm thinking of cheap party store crap?  Having a few backdrops to pose in front of would also inspire me to stay longer. (at the moment I'm visualizing the one used in the 2015 B&W Ball photo booth; that felt classy.  Sorry, sidetracking)

- OK, this may be going off topic; I feel inclined to lend a helping hand to the cosplay department.  Whether as staff or a volunteer doesn't matter to me.  Where do I apply?

[bahamutknightzero]

For all of the work that presented to the CGD, I really wanted to express my thanks to them for making all of this possible. The only small nitpick that I could think of was the equipment break down (megaphones becoming unavailable), but the CGD reps that was helping out at the gatherings were more than helpful to make our gatherings run without any sort of hitch. Speaking as the DC gathering organizer, I really appreciated the help and offer all my thanks to everyone in the CGD.

[MonadoLink]

I thought CGD was amazing this year, and the more feedback, the better it'll get. I think the more signs and maps we can get, the better. I know there was a hangout sign at one entrance but not the other, and anywhere we can get a full gatherings list is a plus. Pocket guide would be cool, but I assume that is easier said than done. I was surprised how many people did not know there was x gathering or that there was a gathering involving what they were cosplaying, and it joyed me to help them find said gatherings but I think the more ways we can advertise, the better. The plans you anticipate for next year sound great.

[powerofunity]

so, from the top.

I think people naturally block Bcc emails or something, because last year i got complaints for just CCing people and their name out and about, so I tried Bcc. as you can see, things didn't roll properly.

I had it sorted by time, as if I didn't, the nightmare that is organizing the photos would even be worse, cause I have photogs dump their photos in their downtime. if they had to remember what gatherings where what photos when dear god it would be a mess regardless. I thought times would be the best go at it.

I pulled mondays from gatherings in 2 parts. 1 being lack of demand. 2 being I am cleaning the room back up to ship to logistics, and that is a massive time sink we have to do at end of con, and I just want to celebrate that I made it through sunday night.

Hm, I just checked the emails you sent out from 2016, and I received your Bcc emails with no problem. Probably just a hiccup this year or something. If anything, it's not a huge deal, so I wouldn't worry about it. I'll just remember to check in at the table next year haha.

I think organizing photos by the time is acceptable for the first year doing it, and I do agree it would be a lot of unnecessary work for the photographers to manually sort them into gatherings. In the future, might it be possible to have the gathering organizer put the uploaded photos into a separate album or something? I can't speak for the other organizers, but I know I'd be willing to do it for my gathering. I'm not sure how the CGD photo uploading process works, but if each organizer were given access to the Slickpic account for about 5-15 minutes (depending on the size of the gathering) at the con, I think it would work out.

Totally understandable about Monday gatherings, and I can foresee clean-up taking longer in the future with all the new changes you talked about in this thread.

Thanks for the helpful responses! :)

[Nina Star 9]

- Glad to hear about the new maps. Is there a way to get this printed in the program guide or pocket guide, as well? Or at least a list of gatherings?

The album of locations is great, but still not quite enough, especially when everything isn't in one easily accessible place. I'd recommend having a section on the website about it, a sticky in the forums just of the locations, and having it on the gatherings FB. Multiple places to find the list, map, descriptions, and photos, and having it in multiple places where people might look.

- I can see how the easel sign thing would be a problem with needing someone there to ensure it isn't damaged. Can't wait to hear about the alternative idea. :]

- When I entered, I was greeted and told "I think thread is at the corner table." After wandering between the tables for a bit looking for it, I was then directed towards the actual table with the items I needed. So some direction, but the staff helping me didn't seem to know where it was, either. I like the greetings, but having signs on the tables (if they are organized into 'stations' like they seemed to be, evenly loosely) would also help keep things more organized.

- The problem with the photo room was less the lack of extra goodies in there as it was the total lack of people in there. I think the most people I saw in there at once was four, and this was at a very busy time of con. Having extras, like props and backdrops, would, I think, be an incentive for people to want to go in there rather than hang out outside for the same type of photo against a blank wall. Glad that you're looking into that.

But really, most things were very well-run and very smooth! It's just a few minor things that would help improve the department :]

- I don't recall seeing any signs that had the list of cosplay gatherings downstairs.  Is that really the case or did I miss one completely?  (never went by downstairs info booth after buying badge but it would have been the first place to check)

There was one at the downstairs info booth. I feel like there should have been one closer to the entrance of the con as well (I don't remember seeing one, but a friend said that there was one earlier in the weekend, but it was removed by Sunday, so we had to go to the info booth to get our gathering info)

I was the one in charge of One Piece and Naruto but this is in response to the One Piece gathering.  I have become really good at hiding my frustration but I really do feel this needs to be put to light...

And if I am over stepping I am sorry... but I really disliked having this happen in my gatherings. To me ALL COSPLAYERS are guest of honors in my gatherings they have all put time, money and effort into their outfits/ wigs/ props. So when the cons guest of honor comes to join in I wish they would give the gathering leads respect so that everyone can feel special at the gatherings (it is one place 'regular cosplayers' can shine)...

The guest of honor I had was talking to the cosplayers and making it hard for me to call out the photo groups (and I have a megaphone) and I had been requested to make more group photos with her (so I did add in some more) but she would make me call out the groups many times. I was trying showing respect to her by adding a few a extra shots for her and by introducing and welcoming her but I was not given any respect back... I know she is one of the cons Guest of Honor but she did not even come over to me a say thank you or anything. 

I have been doing photo shoots at Fanime since 2010 and I was made to feel like I had no knowledge about the shoot that I was running and I also was being told to slow down my count downs and it felt like they kept being taken away from me. The way I do my count downs are to kept everyone with me and wanting to stay to the end because I know that if I go slow I lose photographers and cosplayers attention (oh squirrel)... plus I have an hour to do my shoots and with the larger groups (aka manga/anime that have many seasons/movies) I have figured out how long each group has so that I can get them all done on time and have room for request. Also I do not want the people that come to watch/ participate in the shoots to be burned or to get overly hot.

In the years past I have been told that I keep everyone on their toes and am able to run my shoots very well... this year though I did not feel like I did as well as I have in past.

I am just one of the 'regular cosplayers' that want to help others have a chance to show off their work. If the Guest of Honor wants to come to my gatherings next year I am open for it, but I ask that you guys mention that the gatherings are for EVERYONE and not just them... they have times for themselves to shine... The gatherings might be the only time some of the other 'regular cosplayers' get photos taken...

Thank you and see you next year,
DicePanda
#cosplayuplifting

This is interesting to me. I wasn't at the One Piece gathering, but I looked at who the guest was and they were scheduled to be at a gathering that I also attended. If they were there, I did not notice that there was a guest of honor there (at least, no big deal was made about that fact that I saw), and it seemed to run like a normal gathering. Either by Sunday they were acting differently, or they ended up not attending said gathering.

[thecrazycyborggirl]

Great improvement this year, CGD! Thank you so much for all your hard work and efforts.

I never walked by the CGD booth on the first floor, and must've missed the description of the location in the email that was sent out. When I began my search for the booth to check in as a host, I was sent by staff at badge pick up (literally 20 ft away from the CGD booth) to go upstairs to ask the info desk upstairs. When I went upstairs, I was sent back downstairs. From there I was sent back to badge-pick up (where I asked a different staff member). And then back upstairs, until after 30 minutes of wandering around I finally found the CGD booth but ended up late to my gathering. Bless your souls CGD, everything was smooth afterwards. However, what was sad to me is the lack of knowledge other staff had about Cosplay Gatherings. The same exact thing happened last year when I asked where a specific location was (I wasn't entirely familiar yet with every gathering location [letter#, ex: G8]).

I was so sad I never found the photo-op room; I was looking so forward to it too!!

I also wish my gathering was titled as a [ONE] Gathering OPM/MP100 as it was meant to be rather than just One Punch Man. There were so many Mob Psycho cosplayers this weekend that I saw but many did not show up; many MP cosplayers I informed of the gathering did not know about it beforehand but showed up in the end. However, what made things most awkward was that when the MP cosplayers arrived, the OPM cosplayers looked incredibly confused.

In short, better location for the CGD booth, more signs, landmarks for gathering spots (some cosplayers did not know where to find the gathering location and subsequently arrived late), and more informed general staff (I know this is out of CGD's power to control all staff, but still, it'd be great if staff as a whole were better prepared and more informed like that of SVCC.)

Great organization and fun nevertheless!! Thanks for a memorable experience and congrats on CGD's growth and improvement.

[Tierfal]

I totally meant to send in an ~official~ note to Fanime to make sure they heard it, but naturally one con led to another and my life devolved into a craft mess, and I never got to it...

The two things I most wanted to say were: Imperial, you (and B. whose cosplay name I cannot find for the LIFE of me right now!) and every staff member I interacted with were, as always, super cheerful and super helpful.  I especially tormented one poor person at the table on Saturday when I was stranded between having too much caffeine and not nearly enough and just rambled aimlessly, but everyone was always super delightful.  I vaguely remember (...caffeine) it being a bit tricky to find the table, but once we did, everyone was so knowledgeable and nice!

I also LOVED the staff photographer thing!  We had Emerald Hook for both of the gatherings I ran, and he was fantastic – not just the photo quality (excellent) and turnaround time (practically immediate), but he was also extremely helpful with actually running the gathering by helping me corral people, suggest poses, make sure everyone was staying in consistent light, etc.  Also, actually GETTING photos back was sort of a novelty, since my gatherings are usually a bit ad hoc on the photographer front.  All in all, I just thought that was the coolest thing, and especially given what a strain it had to be on the staff and the photographers, thank you so much to everyone involved for making it happen!

I haven't personally been to any of the other cosplayer spaces, but I have a friend from SoCal who's an epic cosplayer who came to Fanime in 2016 and said the hangout room was one of her favorite things about the con.  Having somewhere to retreat to that was quiet and stocked with water and so forth when she and her group were running low on spoons was a godsend, and she mentioned once that she'd never seen a con that was quite as accessible for things like that as Fanime.  Seriously major kudos to you guys for making that happen, too!

Also, now that I've run and seen gatherings at a few other cons... I really appreciate you guys even more.  Even with the occasional hiccups from gremlins in the technology, Life getting in the way, etc., you guys are a thousand times more organized than anywhere else, and we're the ones who benefit the most from that.  The cosplay community is a huge part of what makes Fanime such a great con, and all of the immense amount of work you guys do supports that!  Thank you!!

[Angelx624]

I know this is super late, but I had a great time hosting gatherings this past Fanime, and the gathering staff are super amazing to work with! :) Thank you so much for all your hard work!

I don't know if I'll be hosting gatherings next year(there is one I want to host but idk if it's a gathering that's really needed.. :( )