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I think everyone in the group should have received an email separately with their reservation info.  That was the case for us.

So go to Sac-Anime.  They have like essentially nothing of interest music guest wise.  That dillution of fandom is essentially why I don't bother.  Everything is too watered down.  If I want comics, TV shows, or basically Western fandom stuff I'll just go to comic con or something.  If I want games I'll go to PAX or BGG.con or something.

Sakuracon currently seems to be THE place to go for Japanese guests and I'll definitely attend that again.

I believe con staff that matter don't really want Momoi again so it's generally a lost cause, but so far she seems to be in America once a year or so, so if you're willing to travel you can still see her.  But as long as Fanime continues bringing music guests of some relevance I'll probably still go.

[Music guests:]

Copying my list from the guest thread:

Music guests:
Kalafina
Aimer
Superfly
Kanon Wakeshima
BoA
Aoi Eir
Elisa
Suara
ClariS

Psst, you can already see Eir Aoi this summer at Jpop summit.

Also, I'm wondering if it isn't time to spin off Clockwork Alchemy to a separate organization/badge system/weekend...whether it's true or not, there's been the impression that CA is using up Fanime's resources. It's been a little disconcerting to see the CA portion of the website ready WAY before Fanime on the combined website. The AnimeCons people have disqualified Fanime from the most-attended cons list due to suspecting that Fanime shares attendance with CA. In any case, it does cut into the availability of hotels.

I've heard the opposite complaint. There are people who want combined Fanime/Clockwork Alchemy/BayCon registration.

Clockwork Alchemy has its own resources. Everyone, including the con chair, is unpaid. All those elaborate props are built by volunteers. After four years of CA, and some previous steampunk cons, we now have a lot of props. Many steampunks are makers, after all.  We have fun overdoing that. Our directional signs are antique lampposts. We have big clocks on tall posts. Our author's room has a (fake) fireplace and shelves of books.  The tea room has a large Tea Engine making boiling water.  I'm behind the Telegraph Office and its brass machinery. We don't get any funding from CA, just staff badges or volunteer hour credits. All this may give the impression that CA is draining Fanime's resources, but it's not. (I admit that we're trying to get the Fanime side to up their game on signs and ambiance.)

It's hard to tell about attendance. Some people registered for CA thinking that was needed for badge pickup at the Doubletree. It's not; anyone can pick up their badge at either location. Which con you register for just determines the badge artwork you get. So nobody really knows how many people went primarily to CA vs Fanime.

At CA, Friday was too empty but had full programming, Saturday was busy, and Sunday was busier. Some Fanime members complained that Fanime didn't have enough to do on Friday. Fanime members, please come over to CA on Friday. There's stuff to see and do. It's not overcrowded. We have tea. (And water. The Doubletree is really good about putting water dispensers all over the place. We had a least a dozen of them.)

Mixing Fanime and Clockwork Alchemy has its amusing moments.  CA had Congress of Vienna, a very good classical quintet (harp, violin, viola, flute, and lute) playing. They're all Sword Art Online cosplayers, with Asuna on the harp, mixing classical music with anime themes.

You all keep saying this, without addressing the fact that if you can't separate the attendee numbers, you can't allocate badge money properly, and thus there will *always* be a feeling that resource allocation is being leeched away from Fanime from those of us who have no desire to ever step into CA

Staff and whatever may be unpaid, but that's not the same as CA uses no money (renting rooms and whatnot also costs money, as well as any guests that get brought over)

μ's is gonna be ridiculously expensive and also a general logistics nightmare for staff because of so many of them.  Subunits are probably more viable.  It may also be easier and more efficient to do something like bringing fripSide over, as that means not only do you get fripSide for your musical guest, but you also get some of that LL interest via Nanjolno.  And Sat was cool when I met him as part of ALTIMA at Otakon last year.

Mimorin is also another good cheap candidate as she does solo works and is involved in a lot of anime titles in general.

Outside of the LL series, I'd really like to see Wake Up, Girls.  My understanding is they're pretty happy to go to cons that invite them over and I hear they were a blast at ACen previously.

(Consider this basically a request for fripSide, Mimorin, and WUG :P)

Basically anything music/performance related except for the "dances"

So musicfest/fanimaids/other stage zero/outdoor performances.

I think it's a problem with young people who just haven't been to enough concerts, especially Japanese ones, and part of that is also probably the cons' fault for not placing enough emphasis on music guests and also educating the attendees.

My group of con friends are generally older (probably 25-40s+) and they're also fairly introverted but nobody there has any issue with standing.  Hell, some of us even have old injuries and we will work through the pain if possible to keep jumping and standing during the concert.  But everyone in the group are veteran congoers who attend cons *specifically* for music guests, and a large number of them also make trips to Japan to attend lives there as well.

Actually since I'm on a rant, American con "dance" scenes are also pretty dismal IMO.  If a dance gets described at any point in time as a "rave" they've already failed.

Here is what anime music events at music clubs are like in Japan.
http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/61017139 - Club Mogra (very famous, if any of you watched the anime Saekano, the characters actually go here in one of the episodes!)
http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/60731753 - Sukimono

Even outside Japan, at Anime Festival Asia, they know what's up.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrBcn8w9uVM - AFA Indonesia '13
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SV7SE9TmCeo - AFA Singapore '14

They get it over at Mexico too:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjFxAsr1Kf0

Notice in all cases the very clear anime/vocaloid music with generally minimal amounts of remixing.

And then here's what happens in USA cons...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_WOTq5-s9y8 - Fanime
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gRkuXceQPY - Otakon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GgaokBV9B2Q - Anime Expo

That AX video is especially telling of why I have such a dim view of the con culture here.

There really is nothing in the cons here that really shows people this aspect of the culture.  And I only got into it myself by luck from seeing people who knew this aspect, and continuing to keep in touch with them over the years.

It should be pointed out that dances and concerts are two different things. A concert at a con usually invovles a guest a lot of people want to see, and therefore people will be a little be more active than when seeing a dj.

Such as when Momoi was here at fanime. When she jumps on stage in this vid, you can see things go energetic.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMrQ4aCRIAY

I just think posting that video of the dance at Fanime and saying that people here are slouches, is misleading.

None of the videos I posted are of concerts.  It's an issue with American cons, not just Fanime.

FYI the music guests announced themselves almost a week ago now https://twitter.com/info_backon/status/592366574985576448

Ok, so not guest relations, fine.

@Pitin:
You call it spillover housing, but even if Clockwork Alchemy wasn't there, surely Fanime could procure the same housing?  So unless Fanime couldn't get the same hotel rooms if Clockwork Alchemy wasn't around then it's still a net loss overall.

But from what you say, CA really doesn't get a lot of attendees, but the badge revenue still has to be shared somehow because of the dual access thing.  So again, how does this work?

Well, it's basically like saying it's ok for a semi-fancy restaurant to slowly turn into a McDonald's.  They makes oodles of money with lots of customers, but...

It's a general sentiment we're seeing with California cons which is why a lot of us are moving away from them unless they're local.

Yes, I think that's what I meant to type in the post.  Nothing there either.  I also tried ARG.  So much for transparency...

Yep, those things are probably more exciting to people who only go to maybe one major con a year.  But if we're attending 6+ cons, at least 3 of them major ones, it really holds no value.  And cosplays are probably even less interesting here simply because there are so many events here, from all the Japantown stuff to the (almost free) seasonal NorCal cosplay gatherings.

Full disclosure: I am staff and I head up the Cosplay Masquerade, however I am responding a private individual and not my role.

For tax purposes Fanime, like every other convention, fair or event is organized as a corporation, so its misleading to imply that this is the same as a for profit corporation like AX, ComicCon or Wizard.  What 'for fans by fans' means is that we volunteer our time and while some perks are rewarded generally we spend far more time and money then the benefit.  Personally I spent around $3000 last year of my own funds to host my event.

On the tax status in general, there has long been the accusation of groups using 501c6 status, however this seems unlikely because that status is used to promote business without favoritism.  You can search for the records here for yourself:

http://990finder.foundationcenter.org/990results.aspx?990_type=&fn=Animazement&st=&zp=&ei=&fy=&action=Find

On the Fanime staff/volunteers has addressed issues around the use of guests time and it is now part of the standard training that such behavior is not allowed.  Just as volunteers do not get to cut lines when not working for an event.

Personally, if you want Fanime to improve, come to the meetings and voice your concerns.  Join the convention team and make things happen.  We are very transparent and are always looking for passionate people to make it a better event.

Curiously, I can't seem to find the 990 forms for fanime under "fanime" "fanimecon" or "anime research group"

[only thing they share is relations set by the last head of con]

So, something needs to be said on the matter of clockwork. It is a seperate entity as of 2 years ago, only thing they share is relations set by the last head of con. Head of con is a 3 year position, so the idea of this con is that we want to be friends, not enemies kind of status. Clockwork isn't bad imo, I mean they got guests I have wanted to see in the past (Steam powered Giraffe was INSANE).

back to bahamut, I come for the cosplay, stay for the guests. but then again, its kinda my job in department.

Relations, as in guest relations?  That's actually damn huge then and exactly fits in with Clockwork Alchemy being to blame for Fanime guest announcements being so late.  Look at how early Clockwork Alchemy gets their guests.  Look at how late Fanime guests get their guests.

Or if you just mean relations as in it's related to Fanimecon, I've seen that claim, and I'm suspicious of it because there are other explicitly shared resources like hotel rooms (the con's at a point where the lack of hotel rooms is now a significant constraint towards it growing any bigger) and badges (and obviously the money from the badges).  That just makes me want to see the Fanime guest budget before and after 2012 (or actually even total budget).  Because of the way the funds from badges are shared, it's ripe for financial gymnastics to make the numbers work out the way the people in charge want it, to put it lightly (because really, how are you guys divvying up the badge money?  With the way Fanime continues to grow in attendance if any of the numbers went down that's pretty much a red flag)

Alternatively, did staff quit, especially guest relations staff?  That's another biggie that can screw up a cons' guests.

Lets ask an honest question here

How many people actually come for the guests?

What guests? I basically only go to Fanime now because my friends perform there, and as I've said, I don't even need a badge for that.

But I *do* fly around the country specifically for guests.  It's the *only* reason I would spend that much money to travel to a non-local con.  Over the past year I've gone to Otakon, Otakon Vegas/Lantis Festival, Sakuracon, Anime Expo, Miku Expo (kinda), J-Pop Summit + Slim's, Idol Matsuri for Japanese guests.  Same with my group of older friends.  They don't come to Fanime anymore because it's not local to them and doesn't have guests they want to see (at least ever since Momoi stopped coming).

Reading some comments on Facebook posts, there seems to be a general sentiment that 2012 was the year everything started to fall apart in terms of guest announcements.  Turns out that's also the year that Clockwork Alchemy got started.  Perhaps it's time to cut this unrelated con out and focus on Fanime.

I'd be very curious what the guest budgets were prior to 2012 and afterwards.

If this is the direction Fanime is going then maybe it's time to expand from Fanime as the traditional spring con.  Sakuracon for the spring anime con and maybe Kublacon for the May time slot.

What's the point of suggesting guests if there's no indication they ever matter? Neither Chalk Twins nor WindOfTheStars show up in what people were requesting so it's not like they were picked because people wanted them.  Meanwhile, how many of the guests people suggested past for 2015 have been announced?

When the artists actually stop and directly ask the first 3 or 4 rows of the front center section repeatedly to stand up while EVERYONE ELSE directly behind and to their side are all standing up and they STILL refuse to stand, that's not "courtesy," it's consciously choosing to be rude to the guests.  This happened at Otakon just last year.

I think it's a problem with young people who just haven't been to enough concerts, especially Japanese ones, and part of that is also probably the cons' fault for not placing enough emphasis on music guests and also educating the attendees.

My group of con friends are generally older (probably 25-40s+) and they're also fairly introverted but nobody there has any issue with standing.  Hell, some of us even have old injuries and we will work through the pain if possible to keep jumping and standing during the concert.  But everyone in the group are veteran congoers who attend cons *specifically* for music guests, and a large number of them also make trips to Japan to attend lives there as well.

Actually since I'm on a rant, American con "dance" scenes are also pretty dismal IMO.  If a dance gets described at any point in time as a "rave" they've already failed.

Here is what anime music events at music clubs are like in Japan.
http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/61017139 - Club Mogra (very famous, if any of you watched the anime Saekano, the characters actually go here in one of the episodes!)
http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/60731753 - Sukimono

Even outside Japan, at Anime Festival Asia, they know what's up.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrBcn8w9uVM - AFA Indonesia '13
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SV7SE9TmCeo - AFA Singapore '14

They get it over at Mexico too:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjFxAsr1Kf0

Notice in all cases the very clear anime/vocaloid music with generally minimal amounts of remixing.

And then here's what happens in USA cons...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_WOTq5-s9y8 - Fanime
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gRkuXceQPY - Otakon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GgaokBV9B2Q - Anime Expo

That AX video is especially telling of why I have such a dim view of the con culture here.

There really is nothing in the cons here that really shows people this aspect of the culture.  And I only got into it myself by luck from seeing people who knew this aspect, and continuing to keep in touch with them over the years.

I enjoyed Lantis Vegas this year, my friends who go to AFA every year also find it pretty hype, J-Pop Summit also gets good music guests and I enjoyed Miku Expo last year as well.  PAX and BGG are also great if you like games.  Or just go to a proper Japanese live like Love Live/IM@S/animelo etc. which is how a lot of my extended group of con friends met each other and became lifelong friends.  Oh, funny how none of these are American anime cons. ;)

But I'm only half-joking. American anime con quality as a whole seems to be getting worse as high-quality Japanese guests gets replaced by cheap local dub and cosplay guests.  If those were my interests, I only need to go to one con a year since the same guests (*cough*vic*cough*) show up every damn place so there's really no value.  But if I really wanted to meet American actors I'd just go for Comic Con instead anyway instead of this wish-washy mish-mash anime cons here are slowly becoming (AX still takes the cake for this downward spiral).