[PetitePikaPika]

I'm sure this has been said many times,but please remove the "no lining up until 30 min before an event". This simply doesn't work because people mob around the area causing more problems and confusion so they can wait to get in line. It just hurts people who actually obey the rules. I admit that I broke this for every event I went to because I saw lines/groups starting for events almost an hour and a half before it started. If i lined up at the 30 min point i wouldn't have been able to get in.
I suggest a separate area of the hotel for the lines of big events. It would be a big area and about one to two hours before the event a line would be started in this room with a sign. It would use the ropes to help manage the lines and could contain 4-8 larger events. A few mins before the event the line could be guided to the room of the event. This doesn't need to be used for small panels/events but i think guest events really need something. My system may not work because of the massive amount of people at ACen but i hope my feedback helps.

This post has been edited by PetitePikaPika: 14 October 2012 - 01:11 AM

[sakurathekeyblademaster]

PetitePikaPika, on 14 October 2012 - 01:10 AM, said:

I'm sure this has been said many times,but please remove the "no lining up until 30 min before an event". This simply doesn't work because people mob around the area causing more problems and confusion so they can wait to get in line. It just hurts people who actually obey the rules. I admit that I broke this for every event I went to because I saw lines/groups starting for events almost an hour and a half before it started. If i lined up at the 30 min point i wouldn't have been able to get in.
I suggest a separate area of the hotel for the lines of big events. It would be a big area and about one to two hours before the event a line would be started in this room with a sign. It would use the ropes to help manage the lines and could contain 4-8 larger events. A few mins before the event the line could be guided to the room of the event. This doesn't need to be used for small panels/events but i think guest events really need something. My system may not work because of the massive amount of people at ACen but i hope my feedback helps.

I have to totally agree with you. This years panels were just outragous. I did try to abide by the "30 Minute" rule but everytime I'd get there within 30 minutes before the panels were supposed to start, the lines would be very long. I missed a lot of panels cuz of that (Ask a Nation, Castlevania, FMA, ect.). There were times I had to leave some of the panels because there were too many heads and I couldn't see. I did however for the DMC panel get there an hour early so I wouldn't have to be all the way in the back and not really guarentee myself a decent enough seat. So I do have to agree that the 30 minute rule should be taken down because even if you get there in 30 minutes and 40 minutes before, the there are people just huddled around the doors just waiting to get inside. It would make a big difference if the rule changed. It's just a thought as well but that'd deffinitely help for next year.

[Dark Spellmaster]

sakurathekeyblademaster, on 17 October 2012 - 11:53 PM, said:

I have to totally agree with you. This years panels were just outragous. I did try to abide by the "30 Minute" rule but everytime I'd get there within 30 minutes before the panels were supposed to start, the lines would be very long. I missed a lot of panels cuz of that (Ask a Nation, Castlevania, FMA, ect.). There were times I had to leave some of the panels because there were too many heads and I couldn't see. I did however for the DMC panel get there an hour early so I wouldn't have to be all the way in the back and not really guarentee myself a decent enough seat. So I do have to agree that the 30 minute rule should be taken down because even if you get there in 30 minutes and 40 minutes before, the there are people just huddled around the doors just waiting to get inside. It would make a big difference if the rule changed. It's just a thought as well but that'd deffinitely help for next year.

Firstly as one of the panelest for the DMC panel I want to applogize for being late at the start. We have things set this year so we'll be on time. Although I do agree that there should be something done about the lines, there should be a way of enforcing the rule regaring the wait. Could there be like tickets or something at the door?

What I'm thinking of could work like this. Person A goes up to the guy at the door, says, "I want to go to X panel that's in this room." Person incharge of door then writes a ticket for the person going to the panel. Tickets could be very simple, Name of panel and number that they are to be let in the room. These tickets could be handed out an hour before the panel starts, no earlier, and you can't line up to it. You are in charge of your ticket, if you lose it, well then back of the line please.

Could something like that work?

[Genichiro]

Dark Spellmaster, on 20 October 2012 - 12:21 AM, said:

Firstly as one of the panelest for the DMC panel I want to applogize for being late at the start. We have things set this year so we'll be on time. Although I do agree that there should be something done about the lines, there should be a way of enforcing the rule regaring the wait. Could there be like tickets or something at the door?

What I'm thinking of could work like this. Person A goes up to the guy at the door, says, "I want to go to X panel that's in this room." Person incharge of door then writes a ticket for the person going to the panel. Tickets could be very simple, Name of panel and number that they are to be let in the room. These tickets could be handed out an hour before the panel starts, no earlier, and you can't line up to it. You are in charge of your ticket, if you lose it, well then back of the line please.

Could something like that work?

This sounds like an excellent idea, but I could see there being several problems, especially a ticket for one panel looks a lot like a ticket for another panel. Different colors could be used for different rooms to try to prevent that. I'm all for it if the staff can make it work without issue.

[rondo]

I believe the con has generally become anti-ticket. It has briefly been done before but it didn't last long beyond that experiment.

[Roark]

Dark Spellmaster, on 20 October 2012 - 12:21 AM, said:

Firstly as one of the panelest for the DMC panel I want to applogize for being late at the start. We have things set this year so we'll be on time. Although I do agree that there should be something done about the lines, there should be a way of enforcing the rule regaring the wait. Could there be like tickets or something at the door?

What I'm thinking of could work like this. Person A goes up to the guy at the door, says, "I want to go to X panel that's in this room." Person incharge of door then writes a ticket for the person going to the panel. Tickets could be very simple, Name of panel and number that they are to be let in the room. These tickets could be handed out an hour before the panel starts, no earlier, and you can't line up to it. You are in charge of your ticket, if you lose it, well then back of the line please.

Could something like that work?

If only there was a convention out there that did ticketed events on a regular basis...

www.gencon.com

[DarkMimi]

Hey guys, been awhile since I posted but I usually get more active in general around winter and spring. I just came back from Youmacon and they had a pretty good solution to the masquerade line on Saturday.

DUCT TAPE

Seriously, ultra cheap and might keep us out of the cold air? It's May but also Chicago. Same could go for the rave. If no one wants to deal with the ropes and whatnot, people will line up early (as most often do for big events) and during that have everyone stand/sit single file. As people keep coming make sure there is a nice amount of space between folks and rip off pieces of duct tape to form a wrapping circle line. I wish I had gotten pictures of how it was done, but it worked and kept people from wrapping in a giant line at the RenCen at Youma and also kept order without causing too many issues in the line itself.

I must input, if we were to have the Charity Ball again, make it a $10 - $15 event at most instead of $25. I wanted t go, but hadn't found a date for it and would have not been as annoyed to pay less since I would've been alone. Plus from what I hear, maybe doing it cheap might draw people in from this past year's attempt at a formal dance that wasn't quite so formal as advertised.

[Piccolo Sky]

My only real suggestion is to perhaps be a bit more strict or early on the deadline for panel submissions as necessary. I'm not even sure if that's the real problem, but a frequent bit of confusion I run into at ACen is last minute panel changes that even the staff isn't aware of. ACen 2011 was particularly bad. I love the programming...it's just really hard to make sure I find it.

[Bloo09]

2011 had a different rule set and management structure for panels. We no longer allow at con (or near con) panel changes. We did have an issue this year with a number of panels canceling the day before con, or just not showing up. We will not be having those groups returning as panelists this year.

ACen's formal ball is not a Charity Ball, we will be announcing it's new price and larger location soon

[Dark Spellmaster]

Question in regard to the panels that were a no show, if the panelist had a reason for not showing up and can have sufficent evidence to show that they had a reason (Got flu like sick, car accident, family problem, personal issue, etc) could they then be reconsidered?

[kotomichi]

What would the panelist bring in that would be sufficient proof and how could ACen staff test the validity of such claims?

[Dark Spellmaster]

kotomichi, on 15 November 2012 - 01:41 PM, said:

What would the panelist bring in that would be sufficient proof and how could ACen staff test the validity of such claims?

Medical: Doctor or Hospital note in regards to this matter. When I was sick the day after the con I went to the doctor to be checked out and found out I needed a perscription for it.

Accident: Ticket or report of some sort to show that was going on.

Other: Documentation or some way to verify that this was going on, not sure about the personal, maybe a obit if the person had to go to a wake or funeral.

[Avion]

I'm not sure if anyone mentioned this at all, but the video game room back in 2011 was EPIC. Unfortunately the same couldn't be said for the following year, in fact I would go as far as to say it was very underwhelming. What I feel made the video game room so great back in 2011 was two things. One would be the variety of the types of games & the games themselves being played, ranging from 3rd person shooters to games like SSB. Secondly would be the ability to just pick up a controller and just start playing, on whatever console. Have their be too many people per console, you just switch out, non of this checking out controllers garbage.[/size][/size][/size][/size]

[Bloo09]

The panelists who did have excuses for skipping their panels came to us, and we handled it based on each of their unique situations. But in most cases a call, text, email, etc is still possible to notify us that the panelist cannot make it. We gave out a phone number starting last year which can also be texted. Unless there was an accident or similar situation preventing the person from using a phone or computer, notification is still possible. It would be the sole discretion of ACen Panel Programming management to allow that panelist to return.

[tyr_malystryxs]

Hey there been a ACen goer for many a years, i thought for musical fun i would possibly nominate a cosplayer who is also a musician named Fanservice Renji. He's a pretty good and likes to bring the fun for con's so if you think you could book him that would be cool just tossing that out there

[xSaria]

Could we tone down the focus ACen has on the SoapBubble/Hardcore Synergey? I know a lot of people I know dislike how much focus the rave has been getting, especially since last year where the Masquerade was snubbed because of it.

This post has been edited by xSaria: 01 January 2013 - 06:55 AM

[reptoJane]

frzndaqiri, on 07 May 2012 - 04:36 PM, said:

It does look insane even on paper - and I imagine it was done to most efficiently use the space available (as the person setting up the Exhibitors and Artists is the same person) because if you look at the map, and try laying it all one direction you lose a lot of tables - but I'll definitely make sure that the DH sees this so they can evaluate how to make it better for next year to navigate.

In reference to the navigation... This has been a big pet peeve of mine for years at ACen. 2012 was the FIRST TIME that there were some aisle markers in the Exhibit Hall. YEAH! But it needs to go further. I agree that the Artist's Alley is hard to navigate, especially when you are trying to locate a specific booth. Part of the confusion comes from the fact that there aren't any landmarks to reference. The Convention Center is so bland and repetitive that it's hard to orient yourself in it. Add to that the strange organization of the tables and the crowds of folks moving through the aisles, and you get a very disorienting experience.

The big SF and Gaming conventions have huge banners or signs over every aisle. For example: Aisle 1000, Aisle 2000 or Row A, Row B. Each booth is given a number that corresponds to the system. If Shirley's GothLoli Station is located at booth #1020, I at least know that I will have to walk over to Aisle 1000 to find it. Every booth can be identified on a map this way, and IRT can give specific information to guests instead of telling them "oh, it's over that away".