/cgl/ - Cosplay & EGL

SDCC and Anime Expo literally cannot grow until the venue gets bigger, same thing with NYCC and Otakon's venue.

FanimeCon can afford to grow a little bit more, but that's it. What can WE do? Go to the smaller conventions.

It's nice to go to a big con like that once in a while but it still can never give me the happiness of experiencing a smaller con.
Plus there's more normies at big cons so fuck normies.

>>8461234
Wasn't AX 2016 going to be relocated because of construction or something planned for LACV?

>>8461260
they resigned contract til 2019
who knows when the new LACC redesign will happen or how long it'll take

if you look at the renders and flybys it is a shitload of work and it's going to take forever

>>8461244
Yeah, that is one of the things that bothered me about Anime Expo this year, too many normies, casual fans, and closet cosplayers.

Now, I am not one to say "muh secret club," but when my mom and dad want to go to the convention with me because they saw it on the TV, I think it has gone very mainstream.

What other cons are at critical mass relative to their venue?

Anime Boston
AnimeNEXT (luckily they move next year)

I think more cons should just cap attendees

>>8461167
ALA passed the max amount of people that should've been at a hotel con, I'm honestly glad it's moving because the venue just couldn't hold everyone.

It was bizarre seeing the number of normie parents with kids (including young kids) at AX this year. Like just normal families who didn't seem interested in anime at all?

>>8461277
>who knows when the new LACC redesign will happen or how long it'll take

They want it done by 2020, so that should give you a clue.

Acen's venue is small as fuck and this year there was no parking left anywhere once that prom showed up. It's so overcrowded that if you don't get in line early for even less popular panels they fill up half the time.
Acen just sucks now so it's no real loss. I'm not planning on going back anymore.

>>8461285
Well AX is the biggest con stateside so makes sense it's pretty popular even with normies.

I prefer smaller cons like ALA anyway over AX. I've made a bunch of lasting friendships from small cons but don't remember jack shit from AX, SDCC, Fanime. For the big cons I always self-medicate like a mother fucker and am wasted out of my mind 90% of the time.

>>8461315
AnimeBoston implimented an attendence cap this year. It was the Prudential center that made it awful for guests.

>>8461331
Yeah the families with children were so odd to see. Like this was some sort of amusement park but the kids looked disinterested and tired as fuck.

>>8461332
want is a whole different thing from reality though. you won't be able to really tell til construction actually begins and at least halfway through whether they are on track.

Any other number crunchers like me that look at Floor plans, Capaciy charts and square footage of convention centers and hotels that cons are held it? I absolutely love doing that to the point where I should be on some sort of planning staff.

Anyway, does anyone see a good correlation of square footage and number of rooms to attendance? Is there a good ratio? I think 10,000sqft per 1000 people is a bare minimum while 15,000sqft per 1000 is more comfortable. Of course this depends on its distribution, floor plans and schedule.

>>8461338
>Prom
There is, for some reason, always a prom and a business convention at the same time. I think there should just be new management and an extension to the Hilton. My first Acen, I recall the gaming room as well as a lot of other stuff being in it (Or was it the Embassy? I can't remember). If they stretched the con out across the hotels connected via sky bridge I think it could work.

I enjoy Acen, but I admit it's frustrating dodging people's armor or props in the dealer's hall or even the normal halls. I think it would also work in the favor of size to have one side of the con center for Artist Alley and the other room for official stuff like crunchyroll. I think the only real downside would be lines since just getting into the hall can wrap around the building outside.

>>8461618
I'm pretty sure it was in the Hilton. I know they used to do room blocks with them and what is now the Loews hotel but this past year they didn't have any at either, not sure what that is about.

That convention center has more rooms, and I think ACen could really benefit from moving into some of them if they're available (or if they can afford it which also might be an issue).

>>8461618
It's a pain in the ass that due to the number of people the convention center exit to the Expoteria restaurant is an exit only. To get back into the convention center after visiting the Hyatt or just going to a shoot in the garden is either a 15 minute hike around the sky bridge or a 10 minute walk completely around the building on that skinny sidewalk, sometimes longer if people stop to take pics and block the whole path. Mentioning people with armor reminded me of this because you get forced into the busy street when bulky cosplayers need to pass.
There's too many people for traffic to be directed like that but I don't think there's any other solution.

>>8461167
>be a /toy/ soldier at heart
>want to go to SDCC because of them sweet, sweet exclusives
>can never go because it became super popular among the filthy casual normies etc. etc. stupid insult etc.
>SDCC always sells out at the speed of fuckin' light
>have to buy all the cool exclusives secondhand for a gorillion dollars

>>8461714
If it makes you feel any better the people reselling are not really normies so you'd still have to battle them for spots in line.

>>8461342
Agreed. It's extremely hard to connect with and spend time with people at big cons like that. I expend so much of my energy navigating myself and others around and just trying to not get bowled over and end up spending most of the con at hotel parties because the actual con center is exhausting and too hard to hang out with people at.

>>8461285
>On TV

I saw it for a moment on national news as a part of segment about how security was being stepped up over 4th of July weekend.

Those are some okay Inferno Cop cosplayers

I'm done with going to AX because I can't really handle crowds anymore and I'm planning to go to fanime next year for the first time, is it anything like AX? Is it more like a bigger ALA?

>>8461854
Not to sound judgmental, but how? I love giant crowds because it gives me more options to point someone out and approach them and possibly have a new friend. If I run into someone or a group of the unsavory kind, I can just excuse myself and go elsewhere.

Also, if I over hear someone talking about said unsavory people, I find myself conversing about it with them about it.

>>8461873
Smaller venue, not as densely packed, and can have just as boneheaded staffers working it. But it's a true 24 hour con, has lots of good places to eat, and the congoers tend to be more chill.

>All three cons have shown massive spikes in dissatisfied attendees yet the numbers grow larger each and every time.
>Why the hell is this happening
Yeah, because for the past half-decade or so, 'geek' is now 'cool'

>what the heck should these cons do as its getting harder to attend and book a room each year?
Cons can't do anything without cutting people out, so they don't. honestly i'm at a loss. i've been going to anime cons for 12 years (the smaller ones are still decent but mid/late-twenties i'm just too old for the average anime con crowd) and comic cons for about 9-10 years. this shit isn't gonna go away in the forseeable future as long as MCU movies and big bang theory remain popular.

even if, like me, you hate the idea of "geek culture" and you'd rather welcome in new blood than mutter "fucking casuals/normies", there is an undisputable dilution of the culture when people are unwilling to immerse themselves and rather come out to gawk at the cosplaying weirdos, as if the freakshow circus is in town

>>8461877
There are two types of people in this world: introverts and extroverts. Extroverts gain energy from crowds. They enjoy being the center of attention, like meeting new people, and dislike being alone. I'm going to take a wild guess here and say you're an extrovert.

Introverts are very different. Crowds drain introvert's energy. Being stuck in a large crowd is a physically trying experience. It's nerve wracking and stressful. Introverts enjoy intimate conversation with close friends, quiet activities, and time to themselves. A big, crowded con like AX can be too much for them to handle.

I'm sure you have friends like this IRL, maybe this will help you understand them a little bit better.

>>8461894
Age is just a number anon!

>>8461315
Most of the big cons are at legal max capacity for their venue, but some (like Gencon) don't have a demand that vastly exceeds supply like SDCC does, so badges are easier to get. (Hotels for Gencon, on the other hand...) SDCC is probably the most in demand, but PAX Prime and I think Dragon Con sell out in minutes, too. PAX outgrew the relatively small Seattle Convention Center years ago but they won't leave Seattle.

Fanime honestly isn't that bad. The lines for DH were a little annoying this year, but inside it wasn't crowded as fuck or anything. Fanime, like someone else said, could still grow and should go. Its one of the best conventions around.

>Fanime
>overcrowded
If anything it was pretty boring to me. Dealers hall was tiny.
I didnt cosplay this year so I didn't do shit.
Panels were also boring.

>>8461975
You are right about the crowds and the panels. It's was smaller this year, some panels needed work and stay on topics. I did enjoy it. Got a room on the marriott and boy what a fun weekends.

>>8461998
I went to AX for the first time this year and I will not be returning. It is terribly run compared to Fanime. The volunteers actually know where things are at Fanime. The rooms are clearly labeled despite some panels being moved to the Fairmont. Their masquerade is free. The music is free. They are 24 hours. Their game room is fucking amazing compared to AX's game room. They don't charge for dances.

Fanime actually cares about their fans whereas AX and other conventions seriously don't. I get more of a warm, friendly feel from Fanime than I have at any other convention. It has its problems like other conventions, but Fanime actually gives a shit about you having a good experience.

>>8461877
I guess I worded it poorly. Don't get me wrong, I adore large conventions. Lots of parties, lots of energy, lots of chances to see people you already know. But at the same time like. If I find that I just want to get away and hang out with a small group, it's harder to do so? As the other anon said, I'm both an introvert and extrovert. I'm a hardcore party girl but also sometimes like laid back cons.

I really like Fanime because, in my opinion, it has all the numbers of a big con but the space and freedom of a small one.

>>8462006
Fanime is one of my absolute favorite conventions of all time. Love the way it's run, the location, the weather, the events, the size, the people who tend to frequent it, all of it.

>>8462014
Fanime actually is pretty huge. Especially since the expansion. I never once felt like I was trapped in the halls unlike AX. It helps that the rovers actually bother to help guide traffic and move people along if they are standing and blocking it.

>>8462020

Fanime has the worst staff, even worse than AX staff

>>8461934
>I'm going to take a wild guess here and say you're an extrovert.
Pfft. Nah. I just can open up at cons because I'm surrounded by NEETs and people who wont all give me blank stares when talking about weeb stuff or making ahegao faces for pictures. I'm honestly a huge moeblob outside of cons and the girl everyone says "Oh she's just shy~" about.

As >>8462014 said. Introvert and extrovert.

>>8461894
Discontinuing Day passes is a good way to cull normies, Dragoncon needs to do it ASAP.

>>8462070
Well, most people don't really fit into a single category. Everyone is a little introvert and a little extrovert, they just vary in the ratios.

I wanna see how funny your ahegao face looks

>>8461348
>>8461894

This is probably my least favorite trend popping up around cons. Anime conventions aren't one of those banal things that parents can drag their horrible little children to for a weekend. Conventions are pretty niche events and people really need to stop putting them in the same league as theme parks and concerts and shit. I've gone to PAX Prime for the last few years and quite frankly the growing number of people dragging children around the convention center is fucking terrifying.

As for con size, I feel like Sakuracon is somewhere in a happy medium for me. It's not necessarily small, but it really doesn't feel like it's grown too big for its venue.

>>8461342
>don't remember jack shit from AX, SDCC, Fanime. >For the big cons I always self-medicate like a mother fucker
>am wasted out of my mind 90% of the time.

Gee anon, I wonder why you aren't making any friends at these bigger cons.

>>8462006
Agreed, Fanime is my favorite con. At AX I feel like cattle, getting milked at every turn.

>>8462253
Personally I'm happy to see AnimeNext's move to Atlantic City is weeding out all the families and whiny poorfags, at least for a few years.

How do you keep kids out of a con without explicit age restrictions?

i think this is going to be the normal state of things with social media bringing more attention to these things than there was previously

everyone can look at tons of pics/stories now and feel inspired to go, when before it was confined to the muh sekrit clubs

I think the only thing we can do is just start going to smaller cons... fans will hopefully start to realize they can get a good experience without the bullshit of the larger cons and the numbers would hopefully even out over time

>>8462292
So last year my con group and I sprang for PAX Prime instead of our dinky local con. Buying passes was an absolute nightmare, and securing four day passes for 8 people was nothing short of herculean. It's a pretty fucking big barrier to entry since it requires a pretty significant degree of planning just to get into the con in the first place. The issue is that this only really works if the con has enough clout to meet their attendance cap no matter what.

Other than that, I can't really think of anything that would still keep the convention accessible. Kids and normies are gonna follow wherever we go because cons are getting cool.

>>8462326
a pre-registration test that you must score at least decently on in order to actually buy a ticket.

YOU MUST PROVE YOUR NERDNESS

Nan desu kan, was over-crowded , for awhile

Luckily, they moved, at the start of this year, so we will see in September

NYCC is a fucking fire hazard, it outgrew the Javits a few years ago but there's literally no other expo center in NYC that could handle it

>>8462333
Easily defeated by Google.

>>8462412
Then at least you're dedicated and possibly spiteful enough to do research to get into a con that has that type of prerequisite to earn a ticket. I can deal with that type of spite and/or dedication.

The questions on the test should be obscure shit that guarantees you're going to be trawling through fandom posts and watch at least an episode of something before answering it correctly.

>>8462420
>dedication
>just typing a few words into a search engine

>>8462457
you have to have the dedication to be assed to search
maybe you even make it timed

>>8462457
>Smartassed green texting
>Not even bothering to read the last sentence of my reply
>Acting like this is something that would actually happen in real life

Bye, Felicia

>>8462467
just typing a few words is simple shit, even if you make it timed you just try it again but thats where your dedication comes in
>>8462471
you still alienate the fan base that doesn't even watch said show or read said comic. you don't have to be so angry

>>8461400
i found a bunch of the concepts,
its going to take a while. i think fanime's remodel took 4 years? and that was one building.
look at some of these

>>8462506
http://la.curbed.com/archives/2015/05/la_convention_center_design_competition_renderings.php

Fancy.

>>8462513
Very fancy.

>>8461315

Colossalcon, Katsucon

>>8462841
Really? I think Katsu has room to grow

>>8461315
Arisia
Steampunk World Faire

>>8461234
If the Meadowlands can get their shit together and approve the proposed convention center and hotels NYCC and ANext could move there by 2020ish. Hopefully they go with the larger option 1m plus square feet

>>8462955
I can't see NYCC moving the the Meadowlands, though. They'd sacrifice a good portion of their NYC and LI attendees. They'd need to seriously improve the public transit to there, and even then, it'll never be as convenient as Manhattan.

>>8462963
NJ Transit operates trains to Meadowlands directly from Newark Penn, Newark International and Penn Station for big events in addition to the Meadowlands rail line that stops at Seacaucus junction and Hoboken.

>>8462994
I know, but that can't be compared to being walking distance from Penn Station and the Port Authority Terminal. And Grand Central right across town.

For folks who don't live in that part of New Jersey, it'll be a much nastier commute.

>>8461167

>what the heck should these cons do

the cons will do nothing unless they are forced to by city/state regulations regarding max occupancies, crowd control, etc. the more people the con can legally pack into the venue, the more money they make. plus, it's not like they have any motivation to "keep the fans happy" by doing an attendance cap because there are enough bandwagon normies who will just pay whatever it takes to get in and won't complain about it. this is what happened to SDCC, PAX, Otakon, you-name-it.
>mfw

>>8462357
this so much. getting anywhere is a nightmare and they pack you into the lines like livestock about to be slaughtered.

>tfw no one stepped up and reported all the illegal drug activities during AX

You all gay or something?

>>8463011
Id rather have a bit harder time getting to a spacious venue than an easy time getting to the Javits sardine can

>>8463033
Worst is when it's a local con that rather than caps attendees it moves to a bigger center much farther away (and close to other cons)

>>8461854
>>8461342
See I'm the opposite. Small local cons I have a hard time making friends because every is so cliquish and stick to their groups. Big cons I find it way easier to meet up with new people and due to their location you can do off con hangouts at the local eatery places.

Still, super super industry focuses cons that take place in giant halls (like Big WoW or JX in the US) I find the most difficult to make friends with as people just eye the display and events and don't really bother striking conversations with randoms and cosplayers.

I think the way to do it would be to have an "outside" and "inside" the con. Inside is badged/pay, outside is not. AX had a fair amount of open real estate outdoors (lawn by the buses or outside south hall) while being crammed inside. Move some shit out there!

Normies already treat cons like going to a fair or carnival, if you move some of the promo stuff outdoors and keep some cosplay gatherings there... Average Joes can show up, take some cosplayer photos, eat some food truck stuff, and get marketed to by Crunchyroll and Sentai Filmworks. And not clog up the halls!

Indoors sticks to the more "businessey" side of smaller shops and promo groups, artist alley, scheduled pro/semi-pro photographers, and of course panels.

>>8463167
The best idea I saw was for Dragoncon. Put the Exhibit Hall, Artist Alley and Autographs in one building, allow one day passes there but weekend passes required everywhere else.

>>8463174
That's actually a really clever idea. Because yeah, instead of just whining about the normies, the plan should be to give them access to what they want (and charge for it) and put the stuff they don't care about as much separate.

>>8463167
>Normies already treat cons like going to a fair or carnival

I keep seeing similar critiques popping up. Care to elaborate what it means?

>>8462292
Actually charging for a full badge would be a start. I think what incentivizes a lot of parents to go with their spawn are the "oh if a kid is x years old they get in free" or "kids only pay [insert very reduced rate here]". No wonder normies think its a theme park, it's priced the same way lol

>>8462517
Swanky as shit, can't wait to see homestucks and kids in meme t-shirts running around in there.

>>8461167
solution = stop going

>>8463267
Sure!

First lemme be clear it's not an insult, I'm from San Diego and SDCC means our downtown floods with local curious normies. They're spending money, they're excited to see you and want your picture... It's fun. AX is starting to show a similar trend.

The difference though is normies don't consider themselves "part of the show." They're like an audience without theater seats, here to see something entertaining but not participate. They won't call themselves big nerds, they're not interested in sitting through an hour panel, they might have their fingers crossed to meet a celebrity, but basically they don't have a todo list. The con is often an excuse to get drunk, or to entertain the kids for a weekend. Which again, is not bad! Just different.

Con attendees, however, are in a more "businessy" mindset. Even if that business is fun. There's stuff they intend to buy, costumes they want photographed and shown off, panels and workshops, or art and merch they've made they need to sell. Everyone is at minimum a very serious hobbyist, or there to grow a career or as an artist. This fits in more with what conventions in "boring" industries are doing: people going to SoftwareCon or ArchitectureCon are there to network, grow their career, or they're paid to promote.

I think the cons have the ability to be a business AND a party, we just need to balance it.

>>8463267
In short, people will treat the con like a costume show, the con goers are the main attraction, and they think because you're in costume, you're obligated to do as they say.

>ooh that's a great costume!
(note: not cosplay)

>>8463377
Good point anon, the mindset really does make a difference. If an attendee thinks they are part of the show, they do panels, buy stuff, geek out when they see a cosplayer doing their favorite character. A person who is just a spectator goes around, takes the occasional photo, and then leaves the convention once the exhibit hall closes.

It is the big difference between wondercon where everything just dies after exhibit hall closes, compared to say AX and FanimeCon where the fun starts once the exhibit hall closes.

I don't drink, but I can congregate in a hotel room with friend and play smash while telling con war stories is awesome. I could imagine the casual attendees doesn't think that way.

>>8462506
Since you've seen the renders and the fly through you've seen how big it is. It's going to take a while. The want to close off streets and connect the LACC with the two closest hotels which aren't really that close so the while thing is going to be huge. Way more ambitious than fanime. Fanime they added one section and a few walls. The LACC expansion is... Damn. even the area where shuttle buses drop people at is getting a makeover

>>8463400
Thanks! And yeah I think it's important to keep the normies mindset in mind, because that can turn it from a "we have to deal with you guys" to a marketing opportunity, both for big companies and us little cosplayers and artists.

Do we want it so that cosplayers can hang out where the normies can see em IF they want to, and then go into the "proper" con to get their geek on without being stopped for photos constantly? Would it be better if some or all of artist alley was normie-accessible, because would more people mean more sales? AX just did a musical event with Porter Robinson, who has a big normie following. Would it be a thing to do music events that are open to the public but badge holders get preference on ticket sales?

I have no idea on any of this, but normies got eyeballs and money and someone should jump on it.

>>8463399
>>ooh that's a great costume!
>(note: not cosplay)

I've had this happen to me at least twice. It's weird because you feel rude by refusing, but on the other hand you are clearly not wearing a costume.

>>8463587
I like the idea of the dealer's hall being open just because it would give me less of a reason to buy a badge. Only downside I think would be kids and people with a lack of respect trying to steal or touching the merch like inspecting goods at a Walmart.

>>8463167
This is a pretty good solution. Alternatively, limit the "inner con" so that only people with full-weekend passes can get in. The con still makes day-pass sales on the normies who just want to look at the costumes and the sponsors get a good marketing opportunity, but the dealers and artists don't have to waste time and energy on people who never intended to buy anything from the start and congoers will have room to breathe.

>>8463587
>bunny girl Yoda
>bunny girl Akbar

wtf. why.

>>8463603
Problem is, the con wants and needs you to buy a badge.

Maybe the way to split it would be to charge exhibitors more to be on the public side and less to be in the badge side. Like Gudetama/Sanrio would probably want the bigger crowd and spend money on a big booth anyway, where Sallys little hole-in-the-wall prints and buttons shop should be on the side where people are gonna care about her characters.

>>8463011
Not the mention the 7 line extension opening up across the street from Javits on 34th

>>8463400
>>8463399
>>8463377
Yeah, I think the observer-to-participant ratio is growing extremely skewed towards the former. Participants are the ones who ask questions in panels, geek out over signings or obscure guests, cosplay, etc.

The observers are the ones who watch from a distance, maybe attend a big name panel (never an industry panel though), buy a small piece of merch, and take candid pics of the freaksho- I mean cosplayers.

>>8461618
>>8461646
acen is just a piece of shit, though

>>8461854
I'm with you on this.
I like the smaller cons because by the end on the con, you know everyone and you got see the entire con.
Where with big cons, you can't stop and talk to people because there's a flow of traffic, and you've only covered 1/4th of the con by the time it's done

>>8461423
You sound like a straight up nerd. I like you.

>>8463053

Go away /pol/, and take your confederate flags with you

>>8463766
Where do the cosplayers who dont go to panels (unless they're modeling in them) and just wander the halls and schedule photoshoots fall under?

>>8463823
cosplayers are almost always participants.

>>8463823
Idk, I wanna come up with something nicer other than "attention whores" but basically they're there to get noticed. Which personally I've got no beef with.

If the "split con" idea ever happened I'd wanna entice that type of cosplayer to go hang out on the normie side for part of the time so the normies get their photos and the cosplayers their attention.

>>8463794
Yup, the rule of thumb is that at a small con, my friends list gets bigger. In a mega convention, my fanpage gets much larger.

I rather have more people on my friends list.

>>8463377
One the one hand, that girl is really sexy. On the other hand, she's wearing the terrible new Squirrel Girl costume.

>>8463609
Bunny girl yoda is awful, I'll give you that.

Bunny girl Akbar is hilarious, even without the possibility of 'trap' jokes.

>>8462841
>Colossalcon

Yup. Jumped several thousand people in attendance this year compared to last year. The convention center itself wasn't too bad and I'm glad they sped up the expansion to accommodate the con, but the hotel just does not have enough rooms.

The hot tub bar from about noon to the late evening was full of people standing practically ass to ass, it was ridiculous.

>>8463097
That's exactly what Otakon is doing with it's move to DC.

>>8463053

This might be the nostalgia fagging talking but was AX not as crowded around say past 2005? I vaguely remember AX being small enough to share space with another convention.

>>8462253
At AX I saw so many fucking families with strollers. With babies. Just fucking meandering around staring and taking up space and I was lowkey seething. And I don't mean like oh me and my boyfriend and baby. It was like me and my mom and my grandma and a 4 kids, one in a stroller and the rest toddlers running around.

>>8464484
Strollers in the Artist Alley actually made me wanna rip my wig off and choke a bitch. Seriously, that shit is so crowded and you're gonna shove your huge, snail-pace baby fortress down it anyway? fuck.

>>8461234
Otakon is moving to Washington DC, so they will have much much more space since DC is the biggest convention center on the East Coast. AX is limited by size since LACC is the second biggest on the west coast unless they want to move to San Diego and even SDCC tops out at what, 120K?>

The reason cons are usually big and crowded is because they have the best to offer at the time in the region. Even relatively "small" cons like Ohayocon or Youmacon can show symptoms of overcrowding. A friend of mine has DJ'd for a few cons and has told me stories of seeing people get turned down at the door due to raves hitting capacity. Colossalcon also feels damn crowded because of how quickly things like parking and hotel rooms fill up.

It's really about location and the way foot traffic is managed (if at all). Big cons like Katsucon have high numbers and grow a lot but due to the space they get, it doesn't feel so big. I think if I were a con starting to feel crowded I'd try my best to configure spaces and attempt to somehow direct/encourage foot traffic in an optimal way. Obviously easier said than done, but enforcing some rules like "No pictures in the Dealer's Room" and effectively managing lines can go a long way imo.

>>8464506
It's not the stroller that is fucking bothersome in my mind... just imagine the baby grabbing at peoples displays.. good god I hate bad parents.

>>8464544
Let's be honest, bringing a baby to a convention is a bad idea. If you're dishing out to go to a con in the first place, hire a sitter ffs. I'm not even trying to be all edgy and "I HATE BABIES UGHHH" (even though I don't care for children). It's just really illogical to bring a baby to a convention. It's loud, there's tons of fuckery going on, there's nothing FOR a child that age at a con, like just seriously ridiculous. I know it'd be ridiculous to BAN babies from cons but it always is baffling to me when I see people bring their babies to cons.

>>8463053

I wanna try ALA and comickaze. How are they?

Okay, lets get a list down. What Anime and Comic conventions have attendance caps?

-Anime Expo
-Otakon
-San Diego Comic Con
-New York Comic Con

Any more?

>>8463399
Tf you think they're gonna know the technical name is cosplay? Shove it.

>>8463797
T-Thanks, I really want to start my own con one day, I have a lot of ideas but I don't want to saturate the market even more... Also I enjoy attending conventions too much to try to be an actual staffer to get the experience, maybe I'll start at a tiny convention.

>>8464451
That's true. My friend went to AX around 6 years ago and she didn't remember it being nearly as crowded as it is now.

>>8464818
It's doubled in size in six years

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anime_Expo

>>8464822
>That exponential jump in 2013 and 2014
Jesus christ.

What are the biggest non-normie cons?

>>8464755
Nauticon caps at 900 and is 21+. I'd really like to see 18/21+ cons spring up, actually an 18+ con is one of my ideas >>8464809 Ideally in the late winter/early spring (in South Florida, Puerto Rico or Bahamas)

>>8464843
The Anime Conventions with 20,000 attendees.

They only get bigger once they hit normie status.

>>8464809
>Trying to start a con without staffing

Good luck in not falling apart and collapsing in one year. Half the reasons why conventions fail is because joe shmoe thinks that they have the experience to start an anime con and keep it solvent.

Staff experience is very important.

>>8464755
Wait, AX has a cap?

>>8462471
Take a pop over to the help thread and look at how many of those requests could have been answered with a simple Google search.
>remembering that search engines exist is implausibly impossible for some people

>>8464869
I know it is, that's why I said I would start by getting on staff at a small convention then work my way up

>>8462006
That is how AX "used" to be in the 90's and early 2000's, when it was still ran by the people who left to go make Fanime.

>>8463097
>Wondercon when it moved from SF to Anaheim
>supposedly only for the duration of the Moscone Center's renovations
>renovations finished in 2012 (2013?)
>eternally bitter

>>8463804
>thinking drugs are in any way cool or good for you long term.

Not all of us nerds are gutter trash, anon.

>>8464923
You can blame Moscone and SanFran for that. They think they're "too good" for comic conventions now, and are trying to attract the tech crowd more. The price for renting the center are now sky high, and out of Wondercon's range.

>>8463399
Cosplay is still a fucking costume. Get your weeb semantics out of here.

>>8464939
Plus the hotels and housing have and always will be shit in SF. I don't care as I live in the east bay and it's an easy commute, but accommodations in SF will price out a lot of people.

Speaking of overcrowding, Anime Expo's 2015 attendance numbers are out.

http://www.popcults.com/anime-expo-2015-breaks-attendance-records/

90,500 unique attendance
260,700 turnstile attendance

>>8467174
Honestly, that was less than I was expecting. I would've put the attendee numbers at 100k+

>>8467174
Jesus christ, make it stop

>>8467199
When you added the large groups of people ghosting Anime Expo it could very well be very close to 100,000 attendees.

>>8467174
What are we to do to stop it?

>>8467174
How hard is it to do anything there?

>>8469813
There were multiple times I was nearly crushed to death. Not even joking.

>>8469813
trying to go to popular panels is a bitch but other than that, never had any problems at all.

theres more than enough room to walk the exhibit halls. only times where it gets super crowded is if youre there right before they open up.

I like running a healthy mix of big cons, midsized cons, and small cons. They all have their pros and cons.

Big cons are wonderful for seeing shit, you might not see everything or most things but the panels and events you do go to you'll love. The cosplay game is on point as well. Usually the dealers' room is a great way to get lost for hours. But the crowds make it annoying to get around, you miss out on things you want to do because the line is capped, and a lot of people just down there taking up space.

Midsized cons really hinge on their programming, they can get big guests or premieres but if they don't have them it's a boring weekend. Dealers' room and artist's alley can be fun. Location goes a long way, hence why Anime Boston and Katsucon are both super fun.

Small cons are really about who you go with. A small, local con is a fun way to spend a day with your good friends. Traveling for a small con isn't worth it in my estimation, unless it's got some specific guest you absolutely need to see. 15 years ago this was more common, now we have a better grasp of the supply and demand and know we're not going to luck into getting Go Nagai at some tiny convention in Salt Lake City.

At the end of the day cons are made by the people. I think both extroverts and introverts do well at cons of all sizes, they just have to be put in their comfort zone. An extrovert at a con of 3,000 can be the star of the show, and an introvert at a con of 100,000 can make friends that last a lifetime. Cons are admittedly a convenient excuse to explore new cities as well. I'm hoping to go to Anime Central in line with a Chicago vacation soon for example.

>>8462253
Back in college I once was talking to one of my art professors about con overcrowding because he goes to NYCC as a panelist/to schmooze every year, and he seemed almost insulted that I found it annoying and baffling when people drag their little kids in strollers there. I go mainly to anime cons, and him to comic cons.

I think for comic cons, which tend to have an older crowd that's already got more kids than the younger anime con crowd, it's more of an accepted practice. But now the anime crowd too is growing up and dragging their kids along, and I wonder if soon we'll become that too.

>>8471466
Pretty soon we'll be the old fogies, and the kids will be fans of something else we never expected.

I wonder what will be next?

>>8471819
It's weird to think that the "prime" anime fans are all in their late 20's and older now. Those who grew up with it from a very young age and it's a very important part of their life.

I do think anime fans and gamers both coming of age with disposable income has a lot to do with cons exploding over the last decade.

>>8471466
I'm older and I've been attending SDCC for over a decade and I find strollers incredibly rude/obnoxious, and have ever since the beginning. If your child is in a stroller, they are too young to really enjoy this huge event, and the stroller just makes an already dire crowding situation even worse. Does your professor have kids? He might just be overly sensitive about it.

>>8464558
I like that at SDCC they have a child care area. Please, keep your screaming children out of the panel rooms. I wish it was required to use for children under 3 or so though. They probably have no idea what's going on/will not remember anything anyway, so why bring them in your double-wide stroller always seems to mow its way through crowded areas?

Sorry, I'm a bit bitter.

Imagine if sdcc was hosted in the las vegas convention center. 2.1 million sq ft of exibit space vs 625,000sqft.

Pluss sooooooo many hotel rooms.

>>8471819
Piewdie pie(sp?) or some other bullshit

Here's an idea that Otakon has done.

Raise your registration price higher than what demand warrants. By raising the price, you decrease demand and allow for less overcrowding. It appears Otakon will be less crowded this year because registration starts at $95.

>>8473686
It's working. I'm not going this year because of the price and how shitty last year was.

>>8473873
People are also realizing it's not that good of con anyway, it's just big and old

Day passes are the ultimate normie attractor, cons that get rid of them go a lot better

>>8473901
It's not so good that I'm going to pay $100 just so security can treat me like shit. I can get that for free in my hometown.

>>8464755
Rhode Island Comic Con had a surprise cap, and turned people (even preregs) away at the door so the fire marshal wouldn't shut them down.

>>8475803
Fire Marshall fuckery. Can't really blame a con for that, you never know when they'll try and shake a venue down.

>>8475870
Yeah you can, don't oversell your venue

>>8473677
I'm shocked neither AX or SDCC have made a move to Vegas yet. Would be hilarious if Otakon Vegas winds up working out and they get to be the big con in LV.

>>8476024
San Diego REALLY doesn't want the con to move and I am sure is doing everything it can to stop a move.

Plus I've never been to the LV Center but I know that SDCC benefits from nice weather and being in the downtown area.

What's the most sardine packed fire marshall's nightmare Convention you've been to /cgl/?

>>8473677
The Las Vegas Convention Center is fucking huge. Is2g they could host five conventions in there at the same time if they wanted to, and it wouldn't even seem overcrowded at all.

>>8478056
Though apparently not big enough for CES lol

>>8476024
Moving to Vegas is fucking retarded for anything in the summer. Why do people keep suggesting Vegas?

>>8478146
cause it's the only place where they can house as many people as they can and have enough hotels around that are willing to support it.

Say what you will, but moving AX or Comic-Con to Las Vegas would actually be a good thing for crowding and for people worried about finding hotels.

>>8477967
the last 2 or so years of NYCC and its only getting worse. I guess it'll take an actual fire or some shit like that for them to find a way to fix it. I'm gonna say that up until 2012 the craze wasn't that bad as it is now. My friend purchased a 3 day pass like a month before NYCC in 2012

>>8464929
If you're 100% okay with alcohol you're a fucking hypocrite.

>>8478228
Vegas is hot as fuck during summer and not very fun to deal with. Also has much less support areas in place around the convention center area. There's nothing like the Gaslamp in Vegas. The only good thing about Vegas is the size available for the exhibit hall and that's not even really the problem at SDCC. LVCC's meeting rooms/panel rooms are actually fairly small and not really combinable.

>>8478237
I don't know what they're going to do about it. Both the Aqueduct and Sunnyside Yards Convention Center ideas have been thrown around but I doubt either will happen as long as DeBlasio's around.

>>8464755
Blizcon and PAX

>>8473686
Sounds like a great strategy. If too many people are going to your con, inflate the prices and downgrade the quality.

That just sounds like you're dooming your con to die

>>8478358
>>8478228
Agreed.

You get the space in Vegas but you also risk taking a huge hit in numbers as not too many people fly out of state to go to cons.

>>8479449
For me in Norcal, flying to Vegas is the same or cheaper than flying to San Diego.

>>8479445
We'll see once DC comes

>>8476024
Otakon Vegas has been hovering around 2,200-ish attendees now for the past two years. Anime Vegas and AniMegaCon is dead, OV has a monopoly on vegas.

It IS the big convention in Vegas now, the problem is that it being too close to ALA also prevents a lot of SoCal people from going to Vegas.

Let's face it, Otakon Vegas needs California.

>>8463857
Well I wonder if this were to happen, we would see the split of "People who cosplay for "fame" or have fans, and those that genuinely enjoy the character and want to dress up as them/represent (not saying the other group doesn't like the characters they cosplay, it is just typically there is an underlining reason why you decided to put big boob cut-outs on your Nightwing cosplay).

I just realized something. Does AX use the Staples Center anymore? It was nice and roomy for some of the viewings.

>>8486079
costs too much for not enough use
amazed they used it for KISS/MCZ at all after the AKB48 debacle.

>>8486079
uh AX never used the staples center bro

>>8486108
Checked to make sure. My mistake, I was thinking of the Nokia Theater.

>>8486079
I've heard rumors from staffers that AX will be using the staples center soon but I'm pretty sure those are just baseless rumors. Using the JW for screenings was a good idea but if I stayed anywhere else I wouldn't be bothered to go out of my way to watch stuff I'd already seen

>>8485469
Sabakon is one of Vegas' large cons. Its been around for a few years and each year the attendance gets larger and they get more prominent VAs and things like that.

>>8477967
You've never experienced convention hell until you experience the outside sidewalk of SDCC on Sunday after the exhibit hall closes.

What a clusterfuck.

>>8461234
I honestly think that SDCC should move to Las Vegas after it's time with the SD convention center is up.

The Las Vegas and Sands convention centers both have HUGE space, in fact so huge that it's able to host CES and SEMA shows with no problem (both with over 100,000 attendees per year). And there's room to move around!

You also don't have to worry about hotel rooms running out (plenty of hotels both on the hotel strip and off the strip), and you don't have to worry so much about disturbing neighboring guests with your room parties. Just get a big enough suite (penthouse if you able to) and no one's gonna care as much.

As for the weather, just don't hold the events during the hottest months of the year and it will be fine.

>>8487758
Vegas has their own anime and comic cons, there is no need to steal the big ones from California.

>>8487382
try getting your car out of the convention center lot on either end of preview night or sunday
it's even worse

>>8487758
"hot" for Vegas is basically anywhere between March possibly going all the way to November

>>8461167
It's called going mainstream

Good advertising means people who don't actually give a shit will attend because it's now apparently socially acceptable and also niche and cool

>>8466449
Agreed. "Cosplay" = "Costume" + "Roleplay"

>>8463399
To be fair, not everyone in costume is a cosplayer. If they're not in character, then they're just dressing up, not cosplaying.

>>8472650
Oldafg here.....went to my first con at 13, in 1997. Once I discovered geek utopia, I have been regularly attending cons at a rate of 2-4 per year, in different areas. While it's true that having cash to blow and not paying bills allowed me to spend more in the dealers room and whatnot, you also have to remember that places like ebay and amazon were *just* getting off the ground, so there normally wasn't a place outside of mail-order catalogs for me to get my nerd merch.

Then, at some point (I think between 2009-2012), I suppose the mundanes (or "normies", as I see them called ere) figured out it was like a circus act. And the less-than-attractive women realized they could get geek attention by showing skin, wearing cat ears, and calling it a "cosplay". I don't know exactly when the tipping point happened, but it happened *hard*.

The sad thing is, I don't know what to do to remedy it, besides avoid the big cons (anything that ends in "Comic-Con", for example). I don't want to stop going to conventions, but I do need to find better ones to attend, I feel that *actually being* a fan isn't allowed anymore, like I'm being ostracized out of my own sub-culture.

>>8487827
But it's not humid except for the 6 days of rain a year.

>>8464755
don't forget Anime Boston. put one on this year

Boston Comic Con sort of had one last year? I remember there was something going on where people had to wait to be let in on Saturday because at one point there were so many people I think it was breaking fire codes so they had to let a certain amount of people leave before they could let a certain amount of people in.