Messages

We are still working on the form for this year, but we will announce when it is ready.

Hey Everyone,

I wanted to open the floor to you, the fans and cosplayers, on specific items you have feedback wise for Cosplay Gatherings. Here is what I know I need to improve on.

- Social Media Presence. We were relatively weak on social media, and the forums this year. I admit, I had items come in my life that made things more difficult to be here and on our page

Photos were missing in spots or had quality issues, these will be focused on to fix next year.

Lack of Gatherings/last second gatherings - Can be linked to the above, but honestly I needed to advertise this more

Things that went well

Hangout was always filled with people relaxing, cooling off, and fixing their cosplay.

I HAD PHOTOGS ROAMING THE FLOOR, long time coming

Workshops were knocked out of the park! Large attendance to most if not all of them

No Crazy incidents at the gatherings from what I saw.

In General, this year I feel I am back to B era power. yes there are some points to work on, but people know of us now, and enjoy us for what we are! We hope to evolve, so please give feedback and ways to improve upon it. Complaining exists, but give me something that I can do to fix the problem.

fanimecon.slickpic.com is where the Cosplay Gatherings Department has their pictures. Do note, we are getting more and more people uploading, and if someone wants a place where they can upload, we do have a section for the attendees to upload to!

Sorry, A lot has changed in my life lately, and I took a back seat posting here. I do See everything, but I dont post as much as I should....

okay, noted. will adapt.

This is the final edition of this list for this year.

Friday
1pm
Phoenix Wright @ G3
1:30pm
Gravity Falls @ G7
2pm
Stein's Gate @ G6
Hakuoki @ G8
2:30pm
Bendy and the Ink Machine @ G7
3pm
Xeno Games @ G4
Yuri on Ice @ G6
4pm
Steven Universe @ G6
Fate/Stay Night Grand Order @ G7
5pm
Dream Daddy @G2
Free! Iwatobi Swim Club @ G4
Disney @ G6
Stardew Valley @ G8
5:30pm
Osomatsu-san @G5
6pm
Old School Cosplay @ G3
7:30pm
Yu Gi Oh! @ G3
Saturday
10am
Love Live @ G6
Marvel @ G7
Dark Souls @ G8
11am
Clamp @G4
Tokusatsu @ G5
Boku no Hero Academia @ G6
Naruto @ G7
Touhou Project @ G8
DC Comics @ G9
HIGH NOON
Overwatch @ G6
Dragon Age @ G3
Show by Rock @ G5
Pokemon @ G7
1pm
Mass Effect @ G2
Kemono Friends @ G4
Dramatical Murder @ G5
Super Smash Bros @ G7
Homestuck @ G9
2pm
Tokyo Ghoul @ G2
Monster Hunter @ G3
Halo @ G4
Vocaloid @ G6
Nintendo @ G7
Fate Series @ G8
3pm
Borderlands @ G3
Voltron @ G5
All Fighting games @ G6
League of Legends @ G9
3:30pm
Kingdom Hearts @ G7
4PM
Persona @ G6
5pm
Fallout @ G6
Tales of Series @ G7
6pm
Undertale @ G6
Sunday
10am
Disney Extended Universe @ G6
Final Fantasy @ G7
11am
Black Butler @ G4
Valve @ G6
Noon
Bungou Stray Dogs @ G4
Hetalia @ G5
Hunter X Hunter @ G6
Full Metal Alchemist @ G7
Haikyuu!! @ G9
1pm
Sailor Moon @ G3
Star Vs The Forces of the Evil @ G4
Avatar: The Last Airbender/ LoK @ G5
The iDOLM@STER @ G6
Pro Wrestling @ G7
Houseki No Kuni @ G8
Critical Role @ G9

2pm
Touken Ranbu @ G4
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure @ G6
Dangan Ronpa @ G7
Gintama @ G8
Jfashion @ G9

3pm
Legend of Zelda @ G4
Star Wars @ G6
One Piece @ G7
The Adventure Zone @ G8

4pm
Shonen Jump! @ G5
Works of Monty Oum (RWBY) @ G6

5pm
All Sports Shows @ G5
Fire Emblem @ G6
Harry Potter @ G9

https://apps.fanime.com/2018/gatheringapp/ gatherings form is now live!

[I'm not convention staff]

well, I do get to see the person who is working on said form on the 10th, so you could say an announcement of an announcement is the tenth of this month.

Ah, alright! Just another question though, do we all really need to wait till May 14th to get a confirmation on our gatherings slots as well receiving for the day, times, locations?
I feel as if this isn't enough time for cosplayers who would like to attend the gatherings to know if they would want to attend or not since it's only about 10 days before the con. Some cosplayers plan ahead of time so they'll need to know the exact day and such as soon as possible in order to see if they are able to make it. I've had others who came asking about my gathering and they were wondering about the same thing.

If I remember correctly, the May 14th date was for 2017 and was a last minute catch-all contingency for hosts that were unable to have their requested gathering times / locations fulfilled.  It was so an alternate time / location could get worked out before the gatherings list went to print for convention materials, basically the last stop before the final list was set in stone - or cardboard.  Again, that's what I recall from last year - I'm not convention staff or anything.  The gathering list came out well in advance of that date, it was just the last date for changes.

exactly, the 14th was a catch all. I will adjust that date as soon as I have certainty on items. normally I will try to give you a certain spot within reasonable turnaround of the submission sent in.

If any questions arise, do not be afraid to post here on it, and I will answer it as promptly as I can.

Any news or updates for the official form and when it'll be open to submit our gatherings from the app?

well, I do get to see the person who is working on said form on the 10th, so you could say an announcement of an announcement is the tenth of this month.

Hey! Any updates on the idea of having cosplay gathering organizers getting their time volunteering to count towards hours for badge reimbursement? I know I've brought up the idea before just wondering if anything has become of it...

As of this year, I've already taken a step back from volunteering for certain gatherings just because I was literally in charge of too many (5 gatherings = 5+ or more hours of volunteering that weekend) If at least two hours per gathering can go towards a badge reimbursement, I would be so happy. It would make my volunteering for things worth it and it would encourage other volunteers to not only host more gatherings but also volunteer in other needed departments...

it sounds great, and the question got deflected when I asked last. I will ask again at the next meeting, since panels have a similar system.

Where it asks for what place you want to hold your gathering, I am keeping the code spots the same if you remember them Vets, otherwise, this post here will be continuously updated as with pictures to the code name for the place.

G1 = Gatherings Table = 1st floor Convention Center Lobby Area at the foot of the stairs
G2 = Tiered Platform (1st floor lobby by East stairs)
G3 = Downstairs Tiered Platform (on the lower floor, the wooden steps close to video)
G4 = Marriott Side
G5 = "The Art Spot" (front of the convention center under large art piece)
G6 = "Fallout Zone" outside alcove in front of Convention Center
G7 =  "The SLAB" (outside the Hilton Hotel Bar)
G8 a-c = Tree Area (tree area @ foot of stairs by "The Slab")
G9 =   Off Site (Check Gatherings Table on 1st floor to find out off site location info)

General update, sorry for the vagueness, but needed until the grounding is solid.

- 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.

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.

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.

You are on the list friend. Sunday afternoon.

Is G4 still available as a gathering spot? I'm not seeing it on the form.

No, The Hub (Gatherings G4) is not available this year.

Correct, Hub is now being used for Registration. Kinda sad, and I will be editing my mistakes.

I fixed the link problem!

Don't get me wrong, I think this could be cool, but I am being told by the Higher Ups to not run this gathering. They think this could be a PR nightmare if given to the wrong hands. I won't be able to put it on any lists, but I will keep this unlisted due to requests from people on high.

Update on the first gatherings list, as well as a link to the form. can be found here: https://apps.fanime.com/2017/gatheringapp/