[TheRabbi]

Galuade, on 02 May 2012 - 02:47 PM, said:

Well, after attending for a few years, I've finally decided to sign up to give some suggestions! Here goes nothing...


1. Lines
Problem: The line organization could use some work. Not once during my time at Acen did I ever notice the IRT staff enforcing the "30 minute" wait rule. At most they would announce "Hey you guys can't wait here". Nice effort, but almost nobody listened and the large mobs continued to wait in the general area for the line to form.

Solution: Since the IRT can't really enforce the "no waiting before 30 minutes" rule, there needs to be another system. One that uses the mob mentality rather than actively fights against it. For example, you could post the floor-plans/maps of the various hotels inside the guidebook. On these maps would be color coded lines with predetermined paths for each of the rooms. Therefore, instead of the lines forming randomly and the IRT having no idea how to organize the group, people wanting to wait for a panel and IRT in charge of maintaining the lines will advanced information on where to go. This solution combines the organizational needs of the IRT and staff while simultaneously allowing the eager con-goers to line up early to their hearts content

Our issues with starting lines are a continual uphill battle. Personally from what I saw this year, I think we're doing better at starting and clearing lines. This coming year the discouraging of lines forming will play a larger part in all our ops' training, and we will have a better idea of what we need to work on with our (new in 2012!) line control team.

I like your creative solution to forming lines, though not everyone looks at the guidebook. But IRT doesn't actually do line control for panels not in the Grand Ballroom or Rosemont Ballroom. That crowd control is the responsibility of Panel Programming. We intend on working with them to help with this, but we simply don't have enough staff to do line control for each of their panels. In my opinion, better signage will help, as will better training.

You can consider your suggestions officially noted by IRT. ^_^

[Agatha]

Sarahlicious, on 01 May 2012 - 09:48 AM, said:

Move the dances/concerts into a different room from the masquerade or do not schedule the main events so close together to allow for more wiggle room and breakdown/setup time.

If feasible, this so much! Allowing more time as a buffer between events could be very helpful in eliminating scheduling problems - and if everything runs exactly on time, well, then the people involved have extra time to breathe. Then again, it could be that there is so much demand for main programming space that this isn't possible, in which case it might be better to look into other rooms for those things, though I don't know if there are any other suitable spaces....

[Molly Mae]

I also think that the 30 minute rule should be done away with. It rewards those who break the rules and punishes those who abide by it. I have been to one panel in the past three years that I've wanted to be in, and I only made it because I was conveniently idling near where a line would form in the event that people broke the 30 minute rule (they did...about 2 hours before the panel began).

The 30 minute rule needs to be revoked or amended. I can offer amendments upon request.

I think a lot of the enforcement needs to be done by attendees, though. People think they can get away with things because "everyone else is." If I had a nickel for every time someone's reply to an IRT member was "...but I just saw that group doing it!" People are mouthy to IRT because it's an authority that they don't respect because they don't have to see them for the rest of the year (or think that IRT members won't remember them). Give IRT members a camera and have them take pictures of people to put on a wall of shame. That'd get their attention pretty quick.

This post has been edited by Molly Mae: 02 May 2012 - 03:24 PM

[Sapphy]

Regarding lines:

The last few times I was at Otakon, they didn't use actual metal/rope corrals for lines outside of Registration, but instead they taped lines down onto the carpet with black electrical tape. The lines themselves were against the wall and had breaks (and arrows pointing to the proper flow direction) at any entrances or exits that needed to be open. This combined with a few staff down the lines to keep things in order and direct newcomers towards the end of the line (the end staffmember had a "line begins here" sign) actually made things go pretty smoothly. Because everyone was also off to the side, people were able to line up quite a bit beforehand without making the area clogged. They did this for the dealer's room in the mornings prior to opening and then also for autograph lines.

Now, from what I've seen, the Baltimore Convention Center had a bit more open space for them to do this, but perhaps it's something ACen could implement?

[☆ MV]

Galuade, on 02 May 2012 - 02:47 PM, said:

Solution: Since the IRT can't really enforce the "no waiting before 30 minutes" rule, there needs to be another system. One that uses the mob mentality rather than actively fights against it. For example, you could post the floor-plans/maps of the various hotels inside the guidebook. On these maps would be color coded lines with predetermined paths for each of the rooms. Therefore, instead of the lines forming randomly and the IRT having no idea how to organize the group, people wanting to wait for a panel and IRT in charge of maintaining the lines will advanced information on where to go. This solution combines the organizational needs of the IRT and staff while simultaneously allowing the eager con-goers to line up early to their hearts content

I really like the sound of this! If there was any way possible for it to be at least somewhat incorporated into line control next year, I'm all for it!

This post has been edited by ☆ MV: 02 May 2012 - 03:53 PM

[chompzie]

I am 99% sure what I'm about to say has already been suggested, but I'll say it again just in case.

Main programming scheduling issues:

- You probably already do this, since it's kinda common sense, but give the main acts 2-3 hours set up/tear down time so that we don't run into delays like we did this year. Everything was pushed back. I'm not sure why, probably a domino effect starting with the first act.
- Don't put super popular main acts in the same programming rooms. Big concert? Don't put it right before another huge act in the same ballroom unless you can allow a 2-3 hour buffer for teardown/set-up/delays/technical issues.

Soap Bubble issues:
- Charge a cover/issue tickets. Some people buy a badge for Anime Central just to attend the Soap Bubble. This is a big problem. Adding another $10-$20 to the cost of their badge just to attend might deter that somewhat. Would help pay for any damage caused by Soap Bubble attendees, but runs the risk of people choosing to go to Hardcore Synergy instead. Perhaps issue tickets ahead of time for the raves and only issue so many? Make it an option when pre-ordering badges, and if it doesn't sell out by then make it an option when buying badge at reg throughout the weekend until tickets sell out. This removes the issue of people standing in huge lines to get tickets to the Soap Bubble/Hardcore Synergy.
- Start IDing for the Soap Bubble. Make it an 18+ affair. It's very clearly not appropriate for anyone under 18.

[Grimby]

chompzie, on 02 May 2012 - 03:55 PM, said:

Soap Bubble issues:
- Charge a cover/issue tickets. Some people buy a badge for Anime Central just to attend the Soap Bubble. This is a big problem. Adding another $10-$20 to the cost of their badge just to attend might deter that somewhat. Would help pay for any damage caused by Soap Bubble attendees, but runs the risk of people choosing to go to Hardcore Synergy instead. Perhaps issue tickets ahead of time for the raves and only issue so many? Make it an option when pre-ordering badges, and if it doesn't sell out by then make it an option when buying badge at reg throughout the weekend until tickets sell out. This removes the issue of people standing in huge lines to get tickets to the Soap Bubble/Hardcore Synergy.
- Start IDing for the Soap Bubble. Make it an 18+ affair. It's very clearly not appropriate for anyone under 18.

I already posted this in another thread, but I think it's more appropriate here, and worth stating again:

I actually think an age limit could be a good idea. 18+, or even 17+? Last year I was absolutely disgusted by a conversation I was having while in line. I was talking to a girl who looked like any other raver I've seen (bikini top, skirt too short to cover her bottom, etc) and she told me she had to *sneak* her rave outfit in her suitcase, because her parents had told her multiple times she wasn't allowed to go, and she certainly wasn't allowed to wear what she was wearing. When I asked her how old she was, she replied with "Old enough to know how to get a guy in this" Considering how young she looked, how young her friends looked, and the fact that she was clearly still living with her parents, I don't think she was much older than 14-16.

I don't think that's something I'll ever forget. It just astounded me that someone so young could be so comfortable being... so... well, to put it bluntly *sl-tty*.

I honestly think that the raves--while they can be fun--have turned into something much more adult-oriented. I'm not saying that the raves are bad, I'm just saying they are by no means family friendly.

Now, I'm not blaming ACen for this behavior because how a person acts comes down to THEM, not anyone on ACen staff. But I do think there are a few things they could do to at least discourage this behavior.
I don't mean to sound like a prude, but I really think if the raves aren't 18+, they seriously need to enforce the dress code. Simple, but I think that may help on the creepers hitting on jailbait that I've seen in years past. Sure, it's going to happen anyway but young girls wearing little more than a thong and bra probably don't help matters.
Maybe putting an age limit on the rave would help. I know they check IDs for the 18+ panels, why not the raves, too? Or maybe have an age range indicated on the badges (under 13, 14-17, 18-20, 21+) to make it easier? This may also discourage older guys hitting on young girls they think are older than they are.

The idea to charge for tickets to the rave also sounds like it could be a good idea (they already did something like that for the Ball). Not to deter people per se, but to help keep the average con-goers badge price a little bit cheaper. Plus, the cover charge would help pay for clean up and any incidents that may occur.

[fotaku07]

Only two suggestions come to mind at the moment. First is how about some rental lockers in the hyatt lobbies if the Hyatt would allow it. I know in past years theres been suggestions of a bag check but i think rental lockers might be a good solution and avoid some of the legal issues of a bag check.

Second.. this is probably not aimed towards MAPS but for the local eateries. It would be awesome if there was a shuttle that ran every 15 minutes or so that took people down the road to mcdonalds and giordonos. It'd be even awesomer if they named it the McAcen bus and the driver was cosplaying as Ronald McDonald. :-)

[Siren Noel]

This thread is awesome. Offering solutions to gripes.

My main concern is behavior. I've mentioned it several times, but feel that it is not going to be handled. The behavior especially at this years con was horrid. I am disgusted and offended. People were jumping and walking in the streets, on the stone garden walls (which now have damage to them. There were pieces of the stone walls smashed all over the sidewalk.), people were intoxicated beyond reason, people screaming and partying in the public areas of the hyatt and surrounding hotels, and there was a lot of molestation going on towards younger kids... During the rave, in line for the rave, outside of the rave. Soap Bubble is an ISSUE. Sorry to say, a turd that needs wiping.

Solution: Agreeing with those posts before me; add an extra price to the Soap Bubble ticket. It may slow down those who attend ACen THAT DAY ONLY just to party hard at Soap Bubble and molest everyone. Also, making the Soap Bubble an age restricted/ID enforced area. Sorry to the younger folks, but they do not need to rave in bikinis with drunkards. for 7. freaking. hours. I was furious that the soap bubble also held more priority than Masquerade and Masquerade was shut down early. I know it was running late, plus the fire alarm, but I would have finished it rather than ending it just to set up for a rave that already goes on for hours. My respects though to the staff for keeping cool when times got crazy. Kudos!


I believe the Soap Bubble causes the majority of gripes that I and many others have about ACen and trust me, we DO wanna dance. but lets keep the rave out of the gutter and back on the map. Good music that isn't about smackin' dat butt. And keep everyone safe.

Behavior of attendees lately is pathetic and makes me ASHAMED to be a part of ACen. Please please PLEASE. Before working on lines, registration, etc etc....work on the attendees behavior. That is key. Perhaps a re-written manual? More law enforcement (Im usually against it, but people were so awful this year...)

[Dark Spellmaster]

Regarding tickets for lines, I do think that tickets can get lost and you'd get into fighting more frequently given that people will say they had one and they lost it, etc. Stamping hands would work for the lines, this way you could have people less worried about the time. If people try to line up, they can't since they have the stamps and thus have to come back 30 mins before hand.

Raves: I agree that there needs to be something done about the behavior and association with the raves. What could be done is maybe turn it into a situation where, Soapbubble goes one year, then the next hardcore. Or maybe Hardcore every year and Soap every other year. Something that's a reward for good behavior.

Speaking of...regarding the behavior of others. Lets start by making it so that if you damage walls, you're paying for it. Period. Teens can not be out of the hotel after a certain time, Anyone found drunk must retrun to their rooms. Trash cans set up a certain distance apart so that people have places to throw trash.

[jigishere]

Is it necessary to have both Hardcore Synergy Friday night and the Soap Bubble Saturday night taking they are both raves? Could there just be one rave for the weekend since there is the Crystal Ball?

Registration: Fortunately I ordered a three day badge and had it sent to me. I realize that single day badges didn't have a similar luxury. Could this be changed for those who know they can only attend one day and do not have to wait in a registration line for hours?

Last suggestion I can think of that I haven't seen is not having a photoshoot location in the Lower Dome (or the one by the Video Programming rooms) due to distraction from the program viewing. I know this was used for mostly late night photoshoots so is there another place that could be used inside?
Thanks!

OH! Last thing! Is there anyway to centralize the panels more? I felt like having panels in the Hyatt and then having to walk all the way to the Doubletree for panels was unnecessary. Which brings up a question I had, why wasn't the entire convention center used for Anime Central alone? Is the con always spread about half of the convention center then amongst the Hyatt, Doubletree and the Hilton?! This made the map very confusing

This post has been edited by jigishere: 03 May 2012 - 11:35 AM

[Dark Spellmaster]

I think one reason they spread it out is the cost of renting the whole center. At least that's the impression I'm given. Also where would you put some of the panels since there isn't room in the center for panels outside of three rooms in the back.

Regarding the Crystal Ball:

1. Have it catered. When someone buys the ticket have it where they have three choices of meal, beef, poltry/fish, or vegitarian.

2. Hire a wedding DJ who can play slow and fast songs.

3. Use one of the grand ballrooms for more dancing space.

[linlindesu]

jigishere, on 03 May 2012 - 11:32 AM, said:

Is it necessary to have both Hardcore Synergy Friday night and the Soap Bubble Saturday night taking they are both raves? Could there just be one rave for the weekend since there is the Crystal Ball?

Registration: Fortunately I ordered a three day badge and had it sent to me. I realize that single day badges didn't have a similar luxury. Could this be changed for those who know they can only attend one day and do not have to wait in a registration line for hours?

Last suggestion I can think of that I haven't seen is not having a photoshoot location in the Lower Dome (or the one by the Video Programming rooms) due to distraction from the program viewing. I know this was used for mostly late night photoshoots so is there another place that could be used inside?
Thanks!

OH! Last thing! Is there anyway to centralize the panels more? I felt like having panels in the Hyatt and then having to walk all the way to the Doubletree for panels was unnecessary. Which brings up a question I had, why wasn't the entire convention center used for Anime Central alone? Is the con always spread about half of the convention center then amongst the Hyatt, Doubletree and the Hilton?! This made the map very confusing

I'll just copy and paste this in EVERY thread :/

ok. Rage Time.
Seriously. EVERY YEAR .
Ok, even though I've already stated that the dances are two very different things, there is no reason to just have one.
You'll still have partierers . The Dome anyone? Yea, was probably just a room party. But there's responsible people at parties and responsible ones at the dances.

Ok, someone challenge me, tell me what one dance at Acen will do?
Because you can go on about how suddenly everyone at the con will love animuz so much and no one will ever swear again in a 5 mile radius or whatever witchcraft.
And getting rid of the dances? It might get rid of some of the party crowd but guess where the ones that stick around will go?
Room Parties.
And I have no issue with drinkers, but some people are idiots, alcohol or not.

Now if we were to kill a dance I would want the bubble gone in a heart beat. Though, that would mean the Friday dance which I adore would then have to deal with an influx of fat 12 year olds wearing bikini tops and tulle skirts.

No, it wouldn't do much.
what would help?
Move the hardcore back to a smaller ballroom and bring Anime Hell back to the Grand Ballroom.
The Hardcore was only half full this year and shouldn't be in that large of a space.

And to all the Lolita that have been saying blame the dances, Lolita has EVERYTHING to do with anime.
Nope. Stop making a fool of yourself.
Most of the songs at the hardcore are from anime series.
A lot of the DJs do songs for Beatmania.
The Bubble had Amaya last year. That man is 100% Anime Central material. From K-pop, to Madoka. to K-on, To Morning Musume.

[rondo]

I don't know if its been mentioned, but how about lining up similar panels together to reduce uptime/downtime during setups.

What I do know is that this creates crazy scenarios such as the possibility of a full-on rave night, like a Friday Night Rave-a-Thon. May not be possible, may fly in the face registration numbers, but it is an idea dangit.

[Sai077]

I'll third (or fourth or whatever) the decision to either have one rave, make them age restricted, or get rid of them. All the do is promote reckless behavior, drug use, and getting drunk. I had gone to the rave one year, had a good time, but now it's just nonsense. 14 year olds should not be partying with 22 year olds, there is no reason to have two raves, and we need to get some drug dogs for both of them (or have police stationed inside).

The raves have just become absolute trash. And I'm sad to say I won't be attending next year unless something is done.

This post has been edited by Sai077: 03 May 2012 - 01:15 PM

[Karmada]

Been watching the various threads, and finally felt confident enough to post in the Suggestions for Next Year Thread:

I was in the Artist's Alley, and I had a fabulous time, but dealing with everything else in the convention is still difficult for me. I don't feel very confident in advertising this convention much anymore.

*crosses fingers* I apologize if anything comes off harshly, I'm just really worried about the con, and I'm losing confidence quickly.

Suggestions for things to do with behavior/the dances:

1.) Dance Age Limit

I agree with this fully. If you're not going to have a cover charge, at least make the event 18+, or maybe 21+. The crowd has gotten way too far out of hand, and it's time for it to be wrangled. It's serious enough that it needs to be taken care of. And if the crowd whines about the limits, then it's time to say "It's because of bad behavior of others that we can't have nice things." It's high time some responsibility was taken, and if the attendees can't be trusted to watch their own actions, let's come down hard on them for a year - so far they've been able to run amok with little/no consequences.

2.) AND / OR Charge for the Soap Bubble

I'm chiming in with a "Yes this too!" in regards to other people's posts. If it's really that big of an extravaganza, it may be prudent to start charging extra. This may help keep down the crazy crowd who comes just to buy the single day ticket to JUST go to the dance. I don't like to pick on the dancers (nor do I want to penalize them), but it's the crowds the Soap Bubble draws that seem to cause the most problems (not all of them though). It at least help pay for damages, I suppose.

3.) Crack down on room parties / Bad or Illegal Behavior

I'm okay with people having others over in their rooms, but to start playing loud reverbrating music and having drunken people all over the hotels doesn't work well for those attendees who want a relaxing quiet evening OR the relations with the hotels (not all of us enjoy wild loud parties). I'm fairly certain it's this terrible behavior that has caused all the hotels to treat us all like 5-year olds, and yell at us, and make us sign names for the people in the room (or other various restrictions/requirements I've seen on the boards).

Get extra police help. Kick people out for illegal behavior. Do what you have to in order to prevent ACEN from imploding or becoming a drug/drinking haven for underage attendees. Right now, I don't go out after 8 pm on Saturday because it just feels dangerous to me. And I've felt that way for a good 4-5 years now.

Suggestions for other things:

4.) Compensation/Discount for Artist Badges

I know our alley is very competitive (filled up in 12 minutes this year). And back in the day, the table prices were abused for cheap entrance. But I don't think they are now.

I guess my suggestion is to give us at least a discount? Please?
(Especially since often we can't buy badges until AA reg opens, and by then tickets are up to $55 a piece, this year we received confirmations literally days after the tier switched to a slightly more expensive price, which I know isn't AA Reg fault and is coincidence, it still felt harsh though.)

I don't get why a panelist who will do X amount of hours of panels will get either half off or a fully refunded badges, but artists must pay a full weekend badge plus table fees and the like. We also don't get any discounts or included badges for tablemates. Panelists on their off hours can rove the con. Artists are (and should be) at their tables from 10 am - 7 pm at least. We don't really get to see the con, so paying for a full badge seems silly to me.

5.) Registration

I think one of the IT people mentioned that you were working on getting new software/hardware/something. Please. I know that you guys process a lot of people, but it still takes an extraordinary amount of time to get through. I could see waiting an hour for reg processing. Maybe 1.5 to 2 at most, but 3+ consistently? Something isn't working out how it should be and probably needs to be adjusted. I don't usually have to worry about tickets being in the AA, but I don't feel confident suggesting that friends come and get a badge on site.

6.) Schedule Accurately Posted (not on smartphones)

I'm not sure what happened, but there was a lot of things jostled around this year. The schedule to view on the forums was outdated, and had been changed a lot from then. I don't know why all these events get moved around at the last minute, but it certainly has been causing strife. Try to set the schedule and keep it there (as best you can)... otherwise printing those amazing programs will be a huge waste of money as they'll be entirely inaccurate by the time the con starts.

Also, please do not rely entirely on smartphones for updates. Not everybody has one and it's unfair to them if stuff gets changed and there's no way of finding out. I used to be one of those people without a smartphone, it was very frustrating.

7.) Get Extra Contact info for Panelists / Hold them to High Standards

Please get extra telephone numbers, contact names, what have you for all the panelists. Too often this year (and years past) I've gone to the one panel I broke away from my table to see, only to find out the panelist never showed, and nobody had any idea where they are. Let there be consequences for panelists who vanish with no decent reasoning. (See badge discount discussion above)

Also, hold them to their times. Don't let them run over. Get a timer if you have to.

---------------------------------------------

I think that's all I can think of. Once again, I'm not trying to be mean, I just wanted to post some suggestions I had. Thank you staff (especially the Artist's Alley) I had a fabulous time at my booth this year! I'm strongly contemplating vending again, I'm just very afraid of the atmosphere that ACEN is growing into.

[Sapphy]

Karmada, on 03 May 2012 - 02:58 PM, said:

1.) Dance Age Limit

Seconding this. I was actually pretty suprised that there wasn't an 18+ age limit restriction on the Soap Bubble. I don't think it would need to be 21+ unless ACen themselves were serving alcohol (which they are not), but because of the possible situations that could arise in the dance, 18+ is a good way to cover bases. The Soap Bubble also goes until extremely late, and doesn't Rosemont have a curfew? If anyone underage goes in prior to curfew, they could stay until the wee hours of the night without getting caught and sent back up to their hotel room.

Quote

3.) Crack down on room parties / Bad or Illegal Behavior

I posted about this in one of the other threads in this subforum, but I'll reiterate it here as well:

If there is not a specific hotel block reserved for room parties, there should be one. Other conventions have done this in the past where congoers who are planning room parties are put into a certain block of rooms. This way, the noisiest of rooms are all in the same place, and the people (congoers and other hotel guests!) who want to sleep can do so with their block of rooms being quieter. This allows hotel and convention staff to also easier enforce any "quiet time" rules the hotel may have on areas not in the room party block.

Underage drinking or drunkenness should be reported to the police, no questions asked. If any IRT witness any sort of harassment or other illegal behavior, police should be involved.

Quote

4.) Compensation/Discount for Artist Badges
I guess my suggestion is to give us at least a discount? Please?
(Especially since often we can't buy badges until AA reg opens, and by then tickets are up to $55 a piece, this year we received confirmations literally days after the tier switched to a slightly more expensive price, which I know isn't AA Reg fault and is coincidence, it still felt harsh though.)

I agree with this entirely. It could work like this:

No matter when Reg opens or when table confirmation happens, artists are guarenteed (upon paying for their table) one badge at the full first-tier pre-registration discount. Since studiomates are more likely to get away from their table and to avoid artists bringing "studio mates" who don't actually sit behind the table, perhaps any additional badges minus the one-per-table should be at the regular price for whatever tier is currently active for pre-reg.

The main artist who is behind their table from 8-7:30+ all weekend would definitely appreciate it!

[OmegaRS]

I liked the fact that there were a lot more signs this year outside the panel rooms. It really helped me to know what was going on instead of asking the most-of-the-time-unapproachable I.R.T. members. One of the bad parts was that my friend, who was at a con for his first time this year, had no idea what everyone was lining up for outside the ballroom on Saturday. When trying to read the sign outside (which I don't know if it had the Soap Bubble written on it or not) he was rudely stopped by an I.R.T. member who simply, but rudely, told him to go wait outside, without actually telling him what the line was for.

Because of these kinds of I.R.T. members, this convention is not first-timer friendly. I maybe found two genuinely nice I.R.T. members this year who enforced the rules in a calm but leader-like way and actually knew what they were doing. They were the lady who was organizing the line for Will-Call badge pick-up on Thursday and the lady who was helping keep the area outside Perks clear for the ambulance incident on Saturday night.

I also agree with whoever said that popular photoshoots should be split up into multiple groups. It's nearly impossible to get pictures when everyone is all huddled together. Valve's Saturday photoshoot did just that. They split up the TF2 cosplayers from the rest of the Valve cosplayers because of how many TF2 cosplayers their were. This needs to be done for all the popular shoots.

[Dark Spellmaster]

Agree on the extra charge for the dances, even if it's a limited amount it should cool off those who are just there for parties. Or do what they do downtown, if you don't look right for the dance, IE: Drunk, dressed in clothing that could illicit indecent exposer or have people groping you, or appear to be high, or are too young, you don't get in period.

Agree with the room parties. My friend insisted on finding one so she could get drunk, save to say her boyfriend and myself discouraged this.

Regarding the panelist. Earlier announcements as to if we've been approved or not. It would help us get ready a whole lot sooner and would keep us from causing delays or canceling because we weren't quite ready.

[Siren Noel]

I like what I am seeing with these suggestions and solutions.

I HOPE staff sees this and starts to enforce new ways at ACen.

The law enforcements gotta deal with 23000 maniacs each year (honestly, one person acting out, makes ACen look solely responsible. and it slanders ACens rep.)
Lets get our sh*t together. Parents won't let their kids to this con if there are drunkards grinding in the hallways wailing "it's friday". and the staff of the hotels grow tired of ACen's existence each year, but say little because ACen brings in TONS of bacon for the hotels.

I almost recommend a year off of ACen to shut down and re-configure. if that cannot be done, then I hope they are in high gear right now to get this revamped. i give mad kudos to all staff who havent quit yet. Its tough. thats certain.

ID checks need to be STRICT.
Cover charges for Soap bubble CAN be done on registration perhaps. with the badge comes a sticker that stays on the badge which is in a protective plastic thing anyway.

there ARE ways to make all this happen! HOW do we make this known and handled? Else, ACen will crumble. its been on a downhill slope for years. the public cant stand acen attendees jumping in the streets and hotel halls and destroying the garden areas by standing on the walls near the cafeteria. I HOPE those people get tossed. But most likely not. I HATE to say it, but ACen. BE STRICT. grow a pair. I am scared for your future. :/

[Siren Noel]

and hate to be a party pooper, as I have had fun in room parties before....

any room parties I hear of that are out of control? You will have a visit by local authorities for disturbances. This is not a threat. It is a gurantee. Better hope you are all of age. Else, you'll also be re-located to downtown chicago.

Sorry. But get a grip.

there are other guests at the hotels.

I will continue to beat this dead horse.

[vortia]

I'll second the call for hand-stamping. Not only would it end line congestion, but it would allow con-staff to easily re-admit people if they had to leave for the bathroom, or in event of a fire alarm.

[TheRabbi]

I'm trying not to respond to each and every one of these because, while I am reading them and considering them - especially the ones that involve IRT - I can't really respond with anything but "I have read your post." I can't right now say which, if any, of these suggestions/gripes will get implemented or prioritized. Also, in some cases, it's not my place to give out information that I know that were the causes some of these gripes, and in some cases I'm not sure that those situations will be relevant next year. But I'd like to stress that this manager of IRT is reading this thread and taking every post seriously, so I hope that counts for something in your eyes.

Quote

1.) Dance Age Limit
2.) AND / OR Charge for the Soap Bubble

WHAT FOLLOWS IN GREEN IS MY OPINION AND NOT THAT OF ACEN OR IRT. I have no control over whether programming decides to have one dance or two, nor do I have any control over whether we charge for the event (though I doubt that will happen). But I am in favor of an age limit for at least once of the dances, and will bring it up this year. There are no guarantees it will happen.

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3.) Crack down on room parties / Bad or Illegal Behavior

Every noise complaint we received in the Hyatt (which is the only hotel IRT is in) we followed up on. If you didn't call in a noise complaint, next time you should. If you did call in a noise complaint and IRT didn't show up with the hotel, then that's the hotel's fault for not passing that along to us. We don't know if that ever happened, but if it did we will discuss it with the hotel as a break in communication that needs to be fixed for this coming year.

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Underage drinking or drunkenness should be reported to the police, no questions asked. If any IRT witness any sort of harassment or other illegal behavior, police should be involved.

This is our policy. Illegal activity gets reported to the police, and it is up to the police as to what to do with them after that.

OmegaRS, on 03 May 2012 - 03:59 PM, said:

When trying to read the sign outside (which I don't know if it had the Soap Bubble written on it or not) he was rudely stopped by an I.R.T. member who simply, but rudely, told him to go wait outside, without actually telling him what the line was for.

Because of these kinds of I.R.T. members, this convention is not first-timer friendly. I maybe found two genuinely nice I.R.T. members this year who enforced the rules in a calm but leader-like way and actually knew what they were doing. They were the lady who was organizing the line for Will-Call badge pick-up on Thursday and the lady who was helping keep the area outside Perks clear for the ambulance incident on Saturday night.

This distresses me, especially with the number of compliments IRT has been getting on the whole this year. Do you remember this op's callsign? It would have been in orange on his or her left shoulder.

As we say before the con every year, if you have a problem with an IRT op, the best thing to do is to get his or her callsign or name (off his or her badge). That way we can actually do something about that person in specific instead of talking to the team in general.

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I HOPE staff sees this and starts to enforce new ways at ACen.

I hope this convinces you that staff do read this thread.

[shinigamichan05]

Dark Spellmaster, on 03 May 2012 - 11:13 AM, said:

Regarding tickets for lines, I do think that tickets can get lost and you'd get into fighting more frequently given that people will say they had one and they lost it, etc. Stamping hands would work for the lines, this way you could have people less worried about the time. If people try to line up, they can't since they have the stamps and thus have to come back 30 mins before hand.

The issue I see with stamps is if you wash your hands it washes off. I say if you want something bad enough and keep track of your ACEN badge or some other ticket that is of value to you, then you can hold onto a ticket for a day say in a wallet or where you keep your money. If you lose it, much with a concert or anything you need to buy tickets to: You are either out of luck or can hope that there is still room

[❤Mokyu❤]

shinigamichan05, on 03 May 2012 - 08:39 PM, said:

The issue I see with stamps is if you wash your hands it washes off. I say if you want something bad enough and keep track of your ACEN badge or some other ticket that is of value to you, then you can hold onto a ticket for a day say in a wallet or where you keep your money. If you lose it, much with a concert or anything you need to buy tickets to: You are either out of luck or can hope that there is still room

With most ink, hand stamps take a fair amount of scrubbing to remove, at least in my experience. The darn things always seem to take a full day or two to wash off.

[Lina]

Since the rave is sooooooooooooooooooo important. Why doesn't ACen just spend the money to have it at the Rosemont Theater? It keeps all the crazy drunks away from the Hyatt.

[ConmomK]

I have been taking humans (my kids and their friends) to con for 11 years in a row. I love ACEN in theory. My kids are grown but we still go to ACEN as a "family trip".
For the record, I am 51 years old. I dragged my rear to ACEN the year I was diagnosed with cancer and I dragged my rear there the year after I got well. I am hard core.

My concerns:
1. scheduling. If the VGO concert was to start at 1:30, why am I in line for it at 2:30? Make a plan, build in "wiggle room" and take responsibility for getting things started and stopped on time.
2. The AMV mess-up. Look, I don't have time to lurk the forums. Wish I did. I reactivated my account just so I could help make 2013 better than 2012 was. I discovered on the forums (after con) that the AMVs were rolled into programming and almost did not happen. I really wish someone would have written a blurb in the guidebook addressing this. I came to con hankering after AMVs (yes, I love them) and after going to 3 different help desks, concluded they were not going to happen. Then my son saw the sign right by the doors and called me to let me know. I got to see maybe 10 mins of videos.
3. guidebooks and changes. Let the help desks know. I do not have a smart phone. Post it in one place I can go to for changes in panels and etc.
4. I hole up in my room Fri and Sat evenings, except for Anime Hell. I know there are many drunken people who make me uncomfortable so I avoid them. Drunk I do not mind, drunk and loudly stupid is uncomfortable. Yes, I see what appears to be underage drinking, but I am not about to make the call about someone's age. "Drunk in public areas" needs to be addressed.
5. I would consider a policy where parents have to stay with their kids. I did. ACEN is not family-friendly in the traditional sense.

Anyway, I have pre-registered for 2013 and have a couple panels planned for BJD and "convention-going and cosplaying for those over 40". I will probably volunteer to help make ACEN the best it can be.

[KnitChick]

Lina, on 04 May 2012 - 09:59 AM, said:

Since the rave is sooooooooooooooooooo important. Why doesn't ACen just spend the money to have it at the Rosemont Theater? It keeps all the crazy drunks away from the Hyatt.

I don't think the theatre is exactly set up for a dance, it's a theatre. I do think it might help to move the dances and that will be one of my suggestions.



I'll also add that yes - staff are reading this, even if we don't always comment. I'm planning to sit down before our post-con feedback session and write down the important points being brought up here. PLEASE keep the feedback coming! We want to make each year better, but we can't if we don't know what's broken. Plus, constructive suggestions always help - the more brains working on a problem, the more likely we will be to find a solution that is feasible!

[Bard-kun]

linlindesu, on 03 May 2012 - 11:56 AM, said:

No, it wouldn't do much.
what would help?
Move the hardcore back to a smaller ballroom and bring Anime Hell back to the Grand Ballroom.
The Hardcore was only half full this year and shouldn't be in that large of a space.

Hell to the YES. I was flabbergasted when Anime Hell wasn't in the Ballroom.

[kahad]

Please move Anime Hell/Midnight Madness back to the main ballroom.

And have more than one screen.