FanimeCon 2012 Feedback

Started by M, May 27, 2012, 02:29:53 AM

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M

Hello everyone,
This is the thread to use for giving your FanimeCon 2012 feedback (programming, concourse food, hotels, etc.). Please abide by the following rules:

* Please remember to respect each other and their opinions. We're all fans of the same things and all have opinions that may differ.
* Please provide as much information as possible so that we can fully understand what you are referring to (i.e. "Event X in Room Y was really bad because it was hard for me to hear what was being played" vs "Event X is bad").
* Always feel free to PM me with issues if you would like to keep it more private.

We always read our feedback posts and ensure that our staffers understand them.
FanimeCon Head of Marketing & Director of Communications (2008-Current)
(Former Fan Services Director, Registration Staff, & Volunteer)
Have questions (about almost anything)? Message me!

TheGhostyBear

The waiting time for those who were getting passes onsite instead of getting them online (Procrastination is a horrible thing, something which i plan not to do next year) was horrid. My group and I waited roughly 4 hours and 15 minutes just to register. Overall though the convention was awesome. Looking forward to next year!

Rhornez

Positive:
-pocket schedule was back
-more diverse cosplay
-more metal heads lol


Negative:
-waited 8 hours on Thursday for my badge and turns out they lost it......
-Really humid and hot in the dealers hall, 5 minutes in and i was already drenched in sweat
-growing number of people
(personal point) More couples made me lose some confidence in talking to girls
-a lot more kids than usual
-not a lot of interesting stuff made me leave Sunday which is rare for me to do
-rude people in sailor moon room and gurren lagann movie
Is there any unused rooms that fanime con can occupy to add more events or panels/video rooms?

Been going to Fanime Since 2008

kaizoku

Speed dating event was very poorly run and unorganized.

People that were accepted and registered ahead of time were not accepted or allowed in because the people in charge were letting walk-ins take the spots.

In my case I was not let in because my name was not on the list, yet I received an email saying I got in and I want to thank the event staff for wasting my time.  ;)
http://imgur.com/lBQ3n


kaizoku

Quote from: kaizoku on May 27, 2012, 06:32:19 PM
Speed dating event was very poorly run and unorganized.

People that were accepted and registered ahead of time were not accepted or allowed in because the people in charge were letting walk-ins take the spots.

In my case I was not let in because my name was not on the list, yet I received an email saying I got in and I want to thank the event staff for wasting my time.  ;)
http://imgur.com/lBQ3n

Edit: And yes, we were there on time.


CJ

Lots of positives to note, so I'll save time by bringing up concerns.

1) In the main book for Fanime 2012 it lists "flats" as an acceptable shoe wear for women at the Black and White Ball, and that shoes with heels more than 4 inches would be unacceptable. However, while in line, a Rover told my girlfriend that she would not be allowed to enter because her shoes (which were flats) did not have heels and thus would scuff up the dance floor.

Don't know whether this was fault on part of the Rover, whomever wrote the booklet, or even the ballroom owners. The point is that conflicting information was given, and we were denied entrance (or rather my girlfriend was and I didn't stand for it). It also doesn't help that whether or not a pair of shoes has heels or not is not the end-all reason whether or not shoes scuff good floors.

Speaking of Rovers, however...

2) Multiple times in the con, either myself or my girlfriend would require assistance, and would thus go to a Rover or another equally/further empowered worker. Not once were we given any assistance for two reasons. Either:
a) They would not understand at all what we were asking, making a simplistic, dismissive comment that overlooked our inquiry, or
b) They would point us in a direction to go and talk to another higher authority figure without telling us who/where exactly the person was.

Specifically on the latter, after being pointed three times by three different Rovers to look for three different people in three different places, my girlfriend demanded the fourth Rover to specifically lead her to the person or give her proper instructions on who/where to find (them) and not to point her in a vague direction, at which point he led her to the Game Ops in the 3rd Exhibit Hall, who also attempted to point her to someone else before she again demanded to be helped properly. In the end, the problem that sparked the chain was solved by other helpful con-members before she returned.

Also, for simplicity:
Quote from: Rhornez on May 27, 2012, 04:53:02 PM
Positive:
-pocket schedule was back

Negative:
-Really humid and hot in the dealers hall
Agreed.

Despite the setbacks, our con experience was still very fun, and I hope to do it again next year.

gellenole

Pros:
Lots of Costumes
Dealer's hall was full of diverse things, lots of art books, lots of people who respect unsold items and don't damage intentionally

Cons:
Some places were humid, but dealers room was not AS humid as it was a few years back
a lot of people in such a small room (probably look for another location with a wider open area
Not enough food vendors, and prices were atrocious (6 dollars for a hotdog.......)
speed dating wasn't really organized well, we shouldn't limit the slots available just for walkins.  I registered on day 2 and didn't get a slot, I was wondering how that could have been.

mdarkpoet

Fanime 2012 Feedback:

Badges:
What the nugget? Waited 6+ hours to get my badge on Thursday, left to grab food for the people I was with only to find out that they refused to give our GROUP LEADER the rest of our badges without our ID's. So the next day we went with our ID's only to find our laminated badges would be given to us on Monday instead. Spent the entire con with a paper badge and went back Monday morning only to find out AGAIN they now have to mail us our laminate badges. What is the damn point? Last year we had the same issue. Waited for 5 hours last year only to find out Swap Meet members got their badges separate. Sorry but the badge system needs to be more organized next Fanime.

Swap Meet:
Loved the swap meet this year, a lot of great people selling a lot of fantastic stuff. My only complaint is that on Thursday when we were selling the rovers were being VERY rude about pushing our items back behind the tape. We were pushed back so far into the people selling behind us who were equally upset. To the rovers, PLEASE be less rude next time.

Game Room:
WARNING the candy crane machine steals your money! Me and a few other people won at the machine but instead of the candy being rewarded the drop bin closes and you're not allowed to get your prizes. This machine should be banned from next Fanime. I watched a BUNCH of people win and not be awarded their prize!!!

Dealer's Hall:
Fantastic selection with better prices than last year. I met a LOT of kind dealers who didn't mind having chats, I forget what one dealer's name was but we talked about my Revy costume for a while. You were so nice, thank you so much ^_^

Artist Alley:
WOW, so many talented artists this year. I found myself returning over and over to the hall to check back because there was just so much wonderful art to see. Best artist alley I've ever been to!

Gong Show:
I love you all so much you have no idea. Love, your awkward Poland cosplayer who works at KFC.


Misc:
Ramune glass on the floor = not fun. I cosplayed a Ryo Ohki with bunny feet and ended up with glass in my foot. PLEASE be considerate to the animal and fur suit cosplayers and be cautious with your glass bottles.
People with rude comments to make : Please wait until you're out of earshot to make those comments, Fanime should be a fun place for everyone and people with bad attitudes and bad comments ruin the experience.

Hotel:
I will make a separate review in another thread. It'll be long.

WuvMilo

I enjoyed Fanime! It was my first time there and I'll have to say I had a lot of fun. I especially loved the arcade. Playing ninja was hilarious haha! I'm not sure about any of the cons except for the fact that it was really humid. Might be due to so many people being in one place or in the same room and such. Despite that, it was fun! Met lots of new people and played many games, found many things to buy, got many clothing, etc. :3

camivette

Pros:
Sailor Moon! There was a panel and a marathon this year, which I really enjoyed.
Events seemed organized(things actually started when and where the booklet said they would).
I thought the temperature was pretty good in all the rooms.
I thought there were great artists in the Artist Alley and more selection in the Dealer's Hall this year!

Cons:
Registration.
If you do pre-reg, you shouldn't have to wait 6 hours in line. I agree that they should mail badges out.
The electricity outage can't be predicted and I think most of the staff did a great job trying to be helpful and keep morale up. However, I was about 5 people away from getting my badge when the lights went out and it took 30 minutes before the staff were given the go ahead to accept our email off of our smartphones. Before that, we were told to come back tomorrow, which is ridiculous for having waited so long already. Once they were given this direction, things went much more smoothly and I think it's cool that they stayed open so late.

I still felt bad every day when I saw the huge line of people unable to enjoy the events because they were still in line for registration. Maybe you should start registration earlier in the day, and maybe it would be faster to have separate lines for the alphabet?

I understand that throwing beach balls could damage property so I wasn't surprised that a staff member confiscated it. I was actually relieved because I no longer needed to look behind me to make sure I didn't get smacked in the head. It bothered me though, when this female staff member took the ball and extended her middle finger and flipped off everyone waiting in line as she walked by. I know that there are a lot of young people volunteering to be staff, so they don't have the level of professionalism you would expect from a paid employee, but there are kids at this event and I thought it was really inappropriate.
In the name of the moon, I'll punish you!

newtype

Fanime should probably consider sending out badges in advance or let people pick them up early.  Totally missed the point of pre-registering, other than a slight discount.  Other than that Fanime was pretty fun and it was the first time I have ever cosplayed (as Yukio) and getting hugged by random strangers was a first for me.

RinKazami

Cons: Registration. Yes I know that the power outage wasn't the fault of Fanime, however that hour delay at 4pm was awful. Hopefully next year there will be back plans in case things go wrong.

Pros:
Pocket Schedules. This made planning my Fanime experience much easier :D
Staff - They were very helpful with all questions and problems, especially when I lost my reflector.

themalletofjustice

My feedback is for the one day I attended: Sunday.

Negative:
1. Registration- Took too long. For me it took about 2 hours which is small compared to a lot of other people, but I really feel registration wait time should not exceed 1 hour.
2. table of flyers by Stage Zero- It's kind of an eyesore at the end of the day with all the flyers on the floor. Seems like a lot of it gets wasted in the end too.

Positive:
1. The rovers that were there when I was line in the morning were doing a good job.
2. I really liked the pocket schedules. The artwork on those and on the program was great and went with the theme really well.
3. Artist Alley- I don't know how it was behind the scenes, but as an attendee I loved how huge it was this year. There was such a great variety of artwork, styles, and handmade items.

Other:
- Clockwork Alchemy was pretty cool. I wish it had been in walking distance though. However, I liked the atmosphere over there and maybe if it were right next to Fanime it would've been overcrowded.
-Dealer's Hall- Needs more variety. I don't think there was anyone selling video games there. It was nice to see a few people selling old school stuff, but aside from that it seemed like the same stuff from all the mainstream anime, but obviously that's what they need to sell. lol. ^.^

ravaznlov

Pros:

  • Lots and Lots of people who cosplayed beautifully and creatively this year!
  • Artist Alley had a variety of amazing artists; I kept coming back to their booths, being indecisive about whether or not I should buy their artwork (I did at the end :D)
  • I love how every year there would be at least one item that is a must-buy! This year was Necomimi's cat ears! Sadly, I did not have enough money to even buy that, but I'm definitely gonna buy it next year if Fanime 2013 has them again!
Cons:

  • Several of my friends and I couldn't wait to get our badges, so we all decided to come on Day Zero (Thursday) to get them. However, we did not expect to get our badges around 10:30PM and come home at 11:00PM. Most of us (high schoolers) had school the day after (good thing I brought in my homework). My cousins bought early reg badges and were disappointed to hear that they had to receive their badges on Friday (got it on Thursday anyway). We were very determined (a bit tired & cranky) to stay in line until we had those lanyards around our necks; our parents were not too pleased about us staying out late, but they understood that waiting in line for 6-8 hours is pointless when you had to leave with no badge.
  • Music Fest on Saturday was pretty good, but I was sad to realize that it ended at around 8PM. I love the artists that came this year (Igaguri Chiba and Mai Aizawa)! However, I wish it was like Music Fest 2011, where all the seats were practically filled and everyone was energetic. Hopefully next year there will be more music artists coming in ^-^ & more audience eager to see the singers, whether or not they heard of them. (The vocaloid video after Igaguri's performance was a little disappointing, but we understand about the cost and preparation of getting the actual 3-D vocaloid characters into the stage >.<)

Overall, out of my three years of attending FanimeCon, I believe this year's was a bit unorganized and disorderly in terms of the registration and events... I didn't really enjoy it compared to 2011 and 2010. However, there were still happy and energetic people who kept everyone in an excited mood :) All of my friends and I still enjoyed attending the convention, and we are definitely attending to next year's Fanime!

YaoiCat

Hi Fanime staff!

I want to start out by saying that I love Fanime! I have gone every year for the past 5 years, but every year the group of friends who are willing to go with me gets smaller and smaller.  This year, only 3 of my friends attended with me, and I feel that the issues with Fanime were worse than ever this year and my 3 friends have already said that they don't plan to return with me next year.  I want to let you know why they won't be coming back, so that perhaps you can work on the big issues and make Fanime even better than it is now.

The first big issue this year was the registration line.  We can only make it to the con for one day, so we are unable to pre-register.  It would be very nice if people could pre-reg for single day passes, and would make the registration line move much more efficiently.  Also, this year we spent nearly 4 hours waiting in the registration line, which is twice as long as we've ever had to wait.  It was awful,  we stressed to make it to the con bright and early (arrived around 9:30 I believe), but we still missed panels that we wanted to see and had significantly less time than usual so we were unable to take full advantage of everything we wanted to at the convention.  I understand that there were some complications with registration, but it's really expensive to get into the con just for one day, and we feel like we were ripped off because we still paid full price to get in but had less time and missed so much.  We felt that we should have gotten a discount for the entry fee, or that things like the artist alley and dealers hall should have been kept open later to compensate for the line being so awful.

Another big issue with Fanime is the scheduling.  My group of friends and I are always bummed out because we'll pick a day to arrive at Fanime and once we get there, we find out that none of the panels we want to see or events that we want to do are available on that day.  It would be great if we could have the schedule up in advance like many other conventions do, so that we could better choose which day to attend, and schedule our time better.  The program that we receive is also lacking in that it describes amazing panels, screenings, etc., but never mentions the time and place.  It's really frustrating to look through the program and get excited over several panels then find out they are on different days or have already taken place. 

The third big issue, and one of the most frustrating, is the awful organization.  Whenever my friends and I went to get in line for a panel, it was total chaos and 4 out of 5 times, none of the staff could give us clear direction on where we needed to be for a certain panel, or where the line ended.  Also, the lines for all panels were so crowded together that it was confusing as to which line was which.

I really love attending Fanime, but if these issues continue to worsen, I'm afraid that not only will I have a less enjoyable time at Fanime, but I'll have no one to attend with.  Although my friends and I still had fun, these issues made the convention immensely frustrating for the attendees (I imagine frustrating for the staff as well), but I'd love to see some of these problems improved and worked on.

Thanks for reading!

Lauren Schwartz (a concerned Fanime lover)

epyonzer0

Pros:  This was my first time at Fanime and it was as orgasmically awesome as I expected it to be.

Cons:

-The pocket schedule was great, but I think either it or the big book that comes in the bag needs to a little more explicitly state when and where the dance(s), MusicFest, the Masquerade, and things of that nature will happen.  
-The consolidated listing of cosplay gatherings was a great help as well, but I wish it had included a legend for all of the location acronyms for first-time Fanime visitors (such as myself).  Also on this note, the one time I asked the cosplay info desk for said legend that it was supposed to have, no one knew what it was.  Admittedly this was probably because everyone who knew was dealing with the protestors and other things.

This is all I can think of for now.

Amoirsp

#16
Actually no point in making that long of a post.

1) Artist alley was great.
2) I was extremely disappointed with eGaming's inconsistent policy implementation leading to dumb things.

The rest of the pros and cons are mentioned in one way or another and were more or less caused by unforeseen circumstances and disorganized information.

Swap Meet unbadged was cool, but let us know sooner. I felt like prior to Fanime there wasn't really any announcements of anything.

I'm just going to say eGaming was so cancerous I'm very much discouraged from returning to Fanime ever again, you can thank them for that. Long lines sucked but that's ok you were understaffed it seemed so messes happened. See you around.

Freeden

Fanime was fun once again this year, but even though I've only gone three years, this was the worst year so far. Obviously there were registration issues. I think everyone is aware of this, and I anticipate that next year there will be solutions implemented.

My main disappointment was with guests. Guests aren't the only reason I go to cons, but they are a huge part of my experience. Obviously the guests are a subjective thing and not everyone will know them/like them/care. However, MusicFest is something I've always looked forward to, and this year was a let down. Between posting guests late, the short guest list, and MusicFest guests that were, imo, a step down from last years powerhouse show of Yuya and FLOW, it was just disappointing. Again, it's subjective, but as I've stated in another thread before the con, with the number of people who now go to Fanime, I expected a higher level of con, and I just didn't see that.

This goes into my overall experience. I understand this is a fan con run by fans, but it also feels like a fan con, both in the good and bad way. I still don't get the feeling that Fanime has embraced it's newfound size, and the problems certainly show. I did say the guests were my main disappointment, but this is somewhat coupled with that. I like Fanime. I've enjoyed it, even this year. I had a lot of fun and can't wait for next year. But I really want to see Fanime step up to the level of other major cons. Everyone who works there does a good job trying to keep things running and create a fantastic event, but parts feel disorganized and, again, it doesn't feel like Fanime has quite gotten to that level of con that it now is.

To sum it up, my feedback is that I like the personal, small con feel, but want to see a big con presentation. Smooth registration and badge pick up, a lot more organization, and bigger guests. Cause if a big name like FLOW can come two years in a row, then I have faith Fanime can get someone else equally as big.

Mantaray3000

Fanime was okay

The problems:
Lines
Guests
Video Screenings

Lines: I am not going to blame fanime for what happened on Day 0 because of the server crash and blackout but for goodness sake develop a backup plan to registrate people manually should that ever happen again!! And also get more volunteers and registration booths to make the lines go faster!!

Guests: Again for the third time in three years I have to point out the problems with guests. I was talking to a group of people in the dealer's hall and we were all pondering why a con like Sac-Anime can get guests such Jennifer Hale, Tara Strong etc but not Fanime!? What's the point of having a guest suggestion thread on the forum when almost nobody we request ever gets invited to fanime!? Some say fanime doesn't care or doesn't even try and I refuse to believe that. I think Freeden here said it best; guests aren't the only reason I go to cons, but they are a huge part of my experience and with the increasing number of people who now go to Fanime, I expected a higher level of the con, and I just didn't see that. My sentiments exactly!



Video screening room: Some of the staff didn't even know how to use a dvd player which I find frustrating.

cutiebunny

I attend the convention from Friday - Sunday, so I can only speak for these days.

Pros


  • Schedule - Loved the pocket schedule.  Thanks for bringing it back from 2010.

  • Autograph Room - Great new location.  There's lots of room to spread out.

  • Guests of Honor - Enjoyed Asamiya and Yokota (as always).  Though I've attended Fanime since Yokota's first appearance in 2010, I'd love for him to come back next year.  Same with Asamiya.

  • Mamoru Yokota's 18+ panel - One of the best panels I've ever attended.  Good times were enjoyed by all.  If Yokota's ok with it, please make it longer next year.  Us pervs can go for hours (and, it seems, so could Yokota).

  • Yokota's Panel - I caught the last 15 minutes of it, but enjoyed it.

  • Artist Alley - Lots of talented artists around.  I really liked the breaks in each row of tables.  It made it much easier to move around the hall.  I can't remember if this set-up was used last year but I recommend doing it again next year.

  • Autograph Rooms - New locations, while a distance from the convention, were nice and big.  It was great having multiple lines in one room, and probably made it easier on both guests and staff.

  • Video Rooms - Sat through a couple episodes of Martian Successor Nadesico and Mikan Enikki while waiting for the perv panel.  Dark, quiet and entertaining.  Thought the volume was set a bit too high during the ME-athon.


Neutral


  • Autograph Priority Tickets - While I realize that it's great to give tickets to those that were cut off from the line, I also feel that it's unfair for those that are willing to camp out for an autograph or a sketch.  If you're dedicated enough to get to the autograph session eight hours before it starts, that merits priority.  Rewarding people who joined the line the day before 10 minutes before the autograph session closed by allowing them to jump in front of those who patiently waited hours for the guest left a bad taste in my mouth.  Simply put, if those who got cut off wanted an autograph bad enough, they would have joined the line hours before the autograph session started.  I know that it's hard to sit in a line and wait for hours while there's so many nifty things going on at Fanime, but it's a sacrifice that many people are willing to make.


Cons


  • Charity Auction - One of two reasons I attend Fanime.  I love original shikishi artwork, and love participating in this auction.  This year, the only shikishi up for grabs was the same sketch of Chuck that most of us received earlier by standing in the Koyama line.  Where were the masterpieces that were featured last year, and I'm not just talking about the shikishi that GAINAX donated last year (figured that that was a special event), but the sketches from the GoHs?

  • Yokota Auction - Same thing.  A lot of us were looking forward to another special Yokota Auction that we had last year in order to raise funds for the tsunami/earthquake relief.  There are still people suffering in Japan from this ordeal, so I can't imagine that there still isn't a need for funds in that region of the world.  I heard a disturbing story as to why there was no Yokota Auction this year.  I do not know if that's true, but, I'd like to hope that if Yokota returns for Fanime 2013 that we can hold the auction again and send the funds to Red Cross or another tsunami relief charity organization.

  • Autograph Sessions - Why so close together?  And why were many of them back to back with their panels?  Granted, the Saturday session you gave Yokota a two hour window, but the other sessions were back to back?  Also, and as I mentioned last year, why must the animation artwork guest panels and their autograph sessions be jam packed onto the weekends?  I would have loved to have attended Koyama and Asamiya's panel to show my support, but I spent all weekend in autograph lines.  I know you want to maximize the autograph sessions for the weekend warriors out there, but I hate not being able to show support for the artist by attending their panels and just showing up for the autograph sessions.

    Oh, and if the Fairmont Regency room is used again, could we please have some videos (ie. anime guest worked on, musical guest performances/music videos.....1970s anime?!!?!) shown on the projection screen in the autograph waiting room?  If you're going to spend all day in a large room waiting for guests, having some stuff that each person was involved in would be a great way to get attendees excited about each guest, remind attendees of what they worked on, and overall, keep attendees occupied and not thinking about how slow the line is moving.

    The water coolers in the room were nice, though.  Too bad it was such a pain to find an unlocked bathroom nearby.

  • Registration - Lined up at the pre-reg line at 11:45a on Friday.  Did not get my badge until 2:45p.  Might I suggest putting tape around the doors that need to be kept clear for fire safety reasons?  I was getting tired of hearing staffers remind the girls behind me to stand back from the doors every time we moved.  Maybe the tape will make things more obvious for attendees who waited in that snaked around line.  Maybe.  But I did appreciate being able to wait in the shade (or indoors) for most of the duration.  I agree with the suggestion that sending pre-registration members badges and lanyards would be nice.  I know I would have paid a USPS shipping fee just to have avoided that 3 hour line.

  • Main Entrance ClusterF - Fanime really needs to put aside a place where cosplayers can pose and take pictures.  I know before that it wasn't so much of an issue because there weren't a lot of attendees.  But with the 25K(?) attendees, the protesters and the construction on the convention center, getting inside and out of the convention center was difficult.  I'm sure that those that wanted to take pictures would also appreciate having an area placed aside for them to take pictures of cosplayers without having someone walk into their picture every couple of seconds.  Maybe a room with some nice backdrops somewhere in the hall or at a hotel?

  • Organization - I'll chime in on the lack of organization this year that others have previously mentioned.  On Friday I stopped by ConOps and was told that the autograph sessions would occur at the Fairmont in the Regency rooms.  What I was not told was that you had to line up in the adjacent room and would then proceed to the Regency room for the autograph.  There were no signs up anywhere early Saturday morning and we ended up breaking off into groups to direct attendees to the waiting room until the staff showed up.  

    Announcements were also very last minute this year, with your first Japanese guest not being announced until May.  I felt that something bigger might have been planned for the MusicFest but it fell through.  It would be nice to know what it was and why it did not happen, but, I'm sure that it's a topic you're going to remain mum on.

Overall

I have to admit that the bar was set pretty high by Fanime 2011, and I had hoped that you would exceed those expectations as you had the previous year.  In that respect, I feel let down.  I was really looking forward to the charity auction(s) and there was nothing.  So while I'm happy that I'll have funds for the other charity auctions at other conventions this year, I'm disappointed that I was unable to vie for any sketches.  Do I feel that I got my money's worth this year?  Yes.  Will I continue to support Fanime?  Yes.  But I can only hope that the things that were kinda rough this year will be a bit smoother next year.  And that Fanime 2013 will return with the same umph that 2011 had.