[rondo]

Millions_Knives, on 08 September 2011 - 12:28 PM, said:

hmm well it seems we are back on the problems of acen
and we were on such a positive note

now whats all this line in the sand stuff
last time i checked anime cons were not dance clubs
and they were not a bunch of panels
this kind of division isnt constructive or realistic
acen is the some of its parts
good and bad

so there they are ~points up~

what do you all intend to do about it
if you care enough to complain and argue
do you care enough to do something about it?

idk
it seems odd for ppl to complain about their community
but dont participate in making it better

Perceived problems are infinitely more conversational/interesting (for better or worse) than just focusing on "we do this right, yay we".

Thankfully having an open conversation such as this allows for some perspective for those who are willing accept what is being said from all sides.

Without conversation, how does one expect to improve on the product/service they already provide? That is unless people think everything is great as it is; let's keep on truckin'.

In this case, you have opinions from the perspective of people who lean more towards the purist side of a con who clearly presents themselves as "The Midwest Anime and Manga Convention" and people think they should stick to the core of the con. Then on another side, you have the stance that dances have been a fixture since the early days and it's not going anywhere so get used to it or just go away.

Conversations and discussions such as this can lead to people to actually try to do more. However, let's not label a thread like this is simply doing nothing. For some people, this about the best they can do to contribute. Hopefully people who can and are able to do more can pick up and run with it, so to speak.

[STVO]

Millions_Knives, on 08 September 2011 - 12:28 PM, said:

hmm well it seems we are back on the problems of acen
and we were on such a positive note

now whats all this line in the sand stuff
last time i checked anime cons were not dance clubs
and they were not a bunch of panels
this kind of division isnt constructive or realistic
acen is the some of its parts
good and bad

so there they are ~points up~

what do you all intend to do about it
if you care enough to complain and argue
do you care enough to do something about it?

idk
it seems odd for ppl to complain about their community
but dont participate in making it better

Well you have a point but I can say I have joined the forums and have e-mailed staff members ideas on what they could do with registration (outsource or communicate with other conventions on their successful methods.) I have also suggested panels and other ideas for a better con experience. Some have been "considered" some have been shot down. Yes I can join the staff and help out during the convention to try and help improve it, but honestly, I'd rather enjoy my time at a convention which I do. There are plenty of meet-ups, panels, programs, etc. I want to do and while I'm sure there is something rewarding being on the staff (free room and badge, I hear) I just think that working their the whole time unless I'm doing something like DJing (which I have no knowledge of) or organizing the video game room wouldn't be as fun as just going to the con and doing stuff freely. That's why I think it's good that the staff here actually do seem like they care enough to at least listen and acknowledge ideas, even if they don't accept them in the end.

Unless you're going to say something like "Make ACen Everyday" or "Get Every Popular Voice Actor for the event", then I think you have the right to sound off whether people agree or not. Just be considerate of others.

[The Fujoshi]

@STVO: I think that's the reason why a lot of people don't want to staff. They want to enjoy the convention 100% or at least most of the time, (including myself, which is why I can't figure out what position would be good for me in my situation,) and don't want to give up the whole experience.

Yet they (not you,) complain about why is the registration line so long, why is people doing this and that, the soap bubble, etc.

I don't have any ideas off hand. Maybe we could inform people more about the rules and regulations of Acen? I do know some people just don't know about certain things, and not everyone goes to the forums. Maybe that would help some naysayers.

[tfcreate]

Quite the opposite. Many suggestions have been made in several "how can we limit damage/make the con better/how can I not be killed by objects thrown from balcony," threads.
All were rejected, ignored or shouted down soundly.
I get a "shut up and give us money" vibe, so I'll just leave it alone....

[STVO]

The only one that irks me is how defensive they are with registration. No offense to any staff, but this convention has been around for 15 years and people will have to wait as long as 6 hours in line because they don't have a set system. I know there's lots of people but again, C2E2 has been around for only two years and they got it down fast and while I wasn't at Anime World, everyone who attended told me how speedy they were and they're a new convention too. No, I can't change it, no, I don't know what it is like to registration, but seeing from other conventions I don't think it's entirely impossible for a convention that has been around for so long to get registration right when so many other conventions do it.

Honestly though, I can imagine why most people don't want to join the registration section of staff because:

1. You're not paid for it.
2. It's likely the most complained about portion of the convention with consumers. Lots of trash is likely to be talked about.
3. Not having a set system is probably a headache to not only the attendees but the staff too.

I don't know how much it costs to hire a staff team that knows and understands the system (like Wizard World and others have) but I guarantee you it would be well worth the money to fix that aspect of the convention. Also, if you pre-register, I think it should be set that you don't have to wait a ridiculous amount of time in line or don't wait at all. Also, some people have had problems with not receiving the badge despite paying the money to have it mailed to them. That's a no-no in my opinion.

[Voltaire30]

To be honest, I don't understand your post tfcreate. I would like to see the posts you are talking about, via email, when staff members have shouted you down about ideas or suggestions so we can try to make sure something like that doesn't happen again. We here at Anime Central are fans of the same things everyone else is fans of. We are from all walks of life, just like everyone else, and we enjoy making ACen possible. That being said, we also have to operate within a set of guidelines and rules. Just because a suggestion / idea isn't implemented right away, or isn't implemented at all doesn't mean it wasn't listened to, or that it isn't in the works. There are always a lot more issues to consider before anything of significance can be put into place, that others might not see right away. We might not be able to make it happen, we might not be able to make it happen right away, but we do listen I guarantee it.

I would also like to see what gave you the impression of a "shut up and give us money" vibe, via email, as I believe that kind of mentality isn't something conducive to anyone's experience. I know for a fact that within the Exhibit Space Department, and many many others, give each and every idea and suggestion a fair shot before any thing is decided. This includes attendee's, staff, vendors, and artists. Take for example the vendor pages on our website, everyone can see up to date information on who is a confirmed vendor, and how full the hall is getting. Take for example the lively Artist community in the forums and at the convention. I would like to go into more details on what we have in the works for the 15th year, but then I wouldn't have anything to tell you later. Don't get me wrong, sometimes people can get a bit short with their responses, especially if the suggestion is something that a lot of people have suggested, but maybe that person was having a bad day or any other number of reasons. I am not excusing their response, I am only saying that their could be issues that effected their response.

Either way, I hope that I was able to connect with some of your concerns, and I am sure they aren't solely your concerns either, and maybe helped with them as well. I would like everyone to feel free to send me an email anytime, we as Anime Central Staff are here for everyone. Why else would we want to help run an event that we don't get paid for

As a more general post to the lively participants of this thread...
Each and everyone one of your concerns, ideas, and suggestions are taken into consideration. Just because someone's concerns don't match everyone else's doesn't make them wrong. Everyone has a voice in the convention, wither people are loud or quiet, good with people or good via typing, staffers or attendees, or etc... Everyone might not agree on what has changed, and everyone may not agree that anything has changed at all, but regardless it shows that the convention is something important to a lot of people. That being said, I am not going to try and tell people how this topic should continue, or if it should even continue at all, because that isn't who I am, and that is not how I like to operate. I would like to say that we value each and every one of you. I know many of our departments would feel honored to have any of you on staff, because it is that kind of commitment and integrity that improve not only the event, but also the people around you.
If I may though, I would like to encourage everyone to check out the different parts of the convention, both at the con and here on the forums. You might just find something you didn't know you were looking for.

[Voltaire30]

STVO, on 08 September 2011 - 11:58 PM, said:

The only one that irks me is how defensive they are with registration. No offense to any staff, but this convention has been around for 15 years and people will have to wait as long as 6 hours in line because they don't have a set system. I know there's lots of people but again, C2E2 has been around for only two years and they got it down fast and while I wasn't at Anime World, everyone who attended told me how speedy they were and they're a new convention too. No, I can't change it, no, I don't know what it is like to registration, but seeing from other conventions I don't think it's entirely impossible for a convention that has been around for so long to get registration right when so many other conventions do it.

Honestly though, I can imagine why most people don't want to join the registration section of staff because:

1. You're not paid for it.
2. It's likely the most complained about portion of the convention with consumers. Lots of trash is likely to be talked about.
3. Not having a set system is probably a headache to not only the attendees but the staff too.

I don't know how much it costs to hire a staff team that knows and understands the system (like Wizard World and others have) but I guarantee you it would be well worth the money to fix that aspect of the convention. Also, if you pre-register, I think it should be set that you don't have to wait a ridiculous amount of time in line or don't wait at all. Also, some people have had problems with not receiving the badge despite paying the money to have it mailed to them. That's a no-no in my opinion.

We hear you loud and clear. There is room to improve.
There were reasons why the line was a bit longer last year, and we can go over them again and again, but it boils down to the fact that the lines were a bit longer.
We are looking into a way to decrease those wait times, and we are looking into all different methods of doing so, both large and small. If I may suggest checking out the registration section of the forums, or even sending an email to ever so she can help address some of those particular ideas and issues. I have known her for some time now, as well as bloo, and I believe that she would have a more detailed insight to help address some of your concerns.

[SpicyNinjaCat]

rondo, on 08 September 2011 - 01:07 PM, said:

However, let's not label a thread like this is simply doing nothing. For some people, this about the best they can do to contribute.

I'd have to agree with this. Saying you're not doing anything is just as good as saying you're not doing enough. The whole argument just goes in pointless circles.

I personally think the main reason is that the con isn't what it used to be is because the people themselves probably didn't change their mindset to expect things would be different next year. Why would a convention do things for the worse if it was great before? That wouldn't make sense. I've been to many different cons every year and I always notice something different each time. Things probably changed for the better for the next person but maybe not just personally to you.

Otherwise there would be some sort of interest or reason for you to keep going every year, even if it doesn't seem to be as great as before.

[Sir Gibby]

There is a lot of drinking, drugs, and inappropriate shenanigans going on up at ACen, and I agree with the people on this thread who have said not to let those idiots ruin the convention for the rest of us. The world is filled with morons; I should know, I work retail.

That being said though, ACen does need to chill out. I'm not going to go so far as to say the convention needs to "crack down" on the wild people doing these things, because IRT and ACen staff are not police; POLICE are police, that's their job. But something needs to be done, because if the convention keeps growing at the rate it is, and the people keep getting rowdy and breaking things, then the Hyatt is going to take one look at ACen and say "get your s**t and OUT!", and then no one will have a convention to go to because of the small handful of trash that ruined it for 2000+ anime fans.

That's just my two cents.

[Krystal]

I think at least one of the dances should be 18-up, preferably the rave considering the implications with them.