/cgl/ - Cosplay & EGL

What makes a con successful or unsuccessful?
At what point should a con just give up?
What are the best and worst cons you've ever been to? Why were those the best or worst?

I would like to start a new con out of the ashes of a failed con in my city, but I'm not sure what I need to make the convention successful.

>>8723119
Ballpit is a reference to Dashcon, a Tumblr con (though not officially associated with Tumblr) which failed badly, it was on in 2014 the same weekend as ArcadeCon.

One of the events was a reading by the cast of Welcome to Nightvale, which was not included in the basic ticket. Anyway WtNV wouldn't perform unless they were paid upfront and walked when DC said they'd pay them after the event.

In lieu of refunding peoples money DC said 'you can have an extra hour in the ballpit'

Apparently someone peed in the ballpit and it had deflated sometime during the con

Here's the DC BP looking all sad and lonely

I guess at some point I signed up to be on an email list for a brand new con, Silicon Valley Comic Con. I got an email today that tickets are on sale. I was curious about it (there aren't many comic conventions in the Bar Area) so I looked around at their website. The con is in March 2016, they have no guests announced (aside from William Shatner) and ticket prices are $100 for 3 day passes, $50 for Saturday.

Am I crazy in thinking that this brand new con is charging way too much with virtually no information? Maybe I'm spoiled because Wondercon is my con of choice, and Saturday tickets are $30, and 3 day badges are $55. I understand cons are a pretty risky proposition financially, but there's no way I'm paying that much for a completely untested convention.

What have your experiences been with new cons? What's the most you would pay for a brand new con? What guests or panels or events would get you to come to the first year of a convention?

Happy anniversary.

>ball pit brings all the boys to the yard