Forum - View topicAnime Expo Reports Record 80,000 Unique Attendees, Addresses Registration Issues
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Asrialys
 Posts: 1160 |
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Heh, surprised the open letter still says 36 hours of Day 0-1 badge-pickup after it's been noted by others that it's only 32...
Anyway, as a staffer, next year should be interesting... |
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Videogamep
 Posts: 564 Location: CA |
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I'm just glad they're going to do something about registration times. I had to wait over three hours to get in, even though I prepaid. Hopefully next year will be better.
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smokeyjoey8
 Posts: 89 |
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The problem wasn't so much the waiting in line for hours, it was the waiting in line for hours, packed like sardines, with no tents to protect us from the sun. That is probably the most dangerous thing they could have done to their attendees. I think it was Day 3 that I drove by that part of the convention center and saw that they finally had a few tents, though it was too late by then. And even then that doesn't fix the problems with other lines, like the line for Petree Hall.
I also hope they at least look into expanding the exhibit hall area. The way it is now is too small and too cramped. LACC offers way more space than is being used, and I think at their current rate of growth, they need to remove the divider walls and use that space. They have a lot of work to do to make sure these things are fixed and that their attendees are comfortable and safe. I honestly don't think they'll be able to accomplish it all by next July. |
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Videogamep
Posts: 564 Location: CA |
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They might if they plan far enough ahead like it looks like they're doing. |
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Emma Iveli
Posts: 679 Location: Hobo with internet |
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I have yet to go attend to any anime expo, however I do regularly attend Fanime (expect for last year, I went to Japan last summer instead), anyways after two disastrous years in a row for Fanime (in 2012 there was a power outage on day 0 and last year I heard they had bad Wi-Fi since they couldn't be in their usual place) they figured out a new system.
Said new system was so good there were no lines (for prereg at least, forgot about at-con)... I wonder if Anime Expo will use the same system next year... |
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Cutiebunny
 Posts: 1746 |
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As a long time attendee, I'm pretty much done with this con. Not that I expect anyone to care and I know there's more than enough people to take my spot, but, I'm just done with it. The "running of the otaku" to the autograph line fiasco on Day 1, the long lines (unless you're able to land a Premier Pass and even then there's still lines), etc. AX is slowly approaching Comic Con in terms of attendance. 80K people is just insane.
I go to cons to get autographs. If I can't get them or run the risk of being run over to get them, the con has lost all its appeal to me. I'll take my money somewhere else. |
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GATSU
Posts: 15292 |
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I'm not sure why they can't mail badges out in general the way they used to. They charge more for the entrance fee each year, the least they can do is allocate that cash towards envelopes and stamps-the cheapskates.
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kevinx59
 Posts: 959 Location: In sunny California |
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^I remember them saying that it was due to piracy concerns. People copying/photoshopping badges and stuff like that. A shame too, as I want pre mailed badges as well. Its kind of ridiculous that the on site registration lines are shorter than pre-reg. I had a fun time this year, but in the four years I've gone I had never seen lines like this years.
BTW what was the autograph line fiasco? I got autographs from Yamakan and Eiko Tanaka one after the other with no problems on day 1. |
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samuelp
Industry Insider
Posts: 2230 Location: San Antonio, USA |
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Couldn't they just send everyone a unique QR code in an email and have people print them out themselves and scan them on entry/exit?
Or am I missing something fundamental here that makes the simple answer unworkable? |
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publicenemy333
 Posts: 563 Location: Los Angeles, CA |
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The badges arent used to get into the convention center, they are used to flash at the Staff at the entrances to the Exhibit hall and panel rooms. If you wanted, you could just hang around the convention center without a badge, I've seen cosplayers just lurk around the lobby without a badge. Having to scan a barcode every time you entered and exited the exhibit hall or a panel room would only serve to slow things down When you pre-register, they do email you a barcode that you can scan so you can pick up your badge faster (in theory, unless things go wrong and delay the process like they did this year). |
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Polycell
 Posts: 4623 |
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In that case, rearranging things so you do have to scan into the convention makes sense - you can still have to flash the badge elsewhere, but you can reduce that down to where it's important to distinguish between levels. This also works to make sure minors are chaperoned as required - when a minor badges in, just hold them until the right adult gets them. You can still require them to grab their badges in the preregistration line if need be, but with all the adults already given theirs, they'll have to wait a lot less.
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Asrialys
Posts: 1160 |
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Those were up by Day 2. Yeah, still pretty late though. But hey, free water...
While being cramped in a room is only slightly better, AX wasn't able to use extra rooms for lines for the upstairs live programming since the fire marshal really got mad this time, sending almost all lines outside. Someone's always gotta call him in...
The Exhibit Hall was actually a bit wider with Autographs moved to Entertainment Hall. Of course, that just meant more booths, especially for the ones up front. However, attendance was incredibly large. Using Hall G may solve the issue, even if attendance remains about the same. Who knows... |
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DerekTheRed
 Posts: 3544 Location: ::Points to hand:: |
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How big are individual the panel rooms? I worked at a sports venue, and it's extremely fast to hit a barcode as somebody walks past you, I can't imagine it's even marginally slower than a staffer making eye contact with you and then glancing at your badge as you walk past. And even for the main exhibit hall floor, places like the Big House in Ann Arbor have a capacity of more than 100,000 and they are always at 100% capacity. They manage to get those people into the stadium in less than 32 hours somehow. |
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Kazemon15
 Posts: 400 |
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That wont really work because the badages also provide special access through sickers like premium and disabled. Disabled abd premium get first in lines. For disabled you have to show your papers in person and recieve a sticker. If its just a code anyone can just click disabled with no proof. |
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midori kou
Posts: 469 |
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Despite all the barcode scanners they have pre-reg, they did not have enough printers to manage the influx of attendees arriving. And from what I heard about day 0, they had no backup plans if the system fell apart. Very poor planning.
Autographs were terrible. If you didn't line up at the crack of dawn to get an autograph ticket, then you were out of luck. The added problem was that the staffers passed out ridiculous amount of tickets that the GoHs would never be to able fulfill in an hour. It wastes everyone's time. Just cap each session at 50 people and be done with it. Lines for panels and events were also a mess. Anyone who waited for the SAO2 premiere would know what I'm talking about. Three different lines, with different staffers unable to agree which one is the official line, let alone agree to what time people are allowed to line up. And then turning people away after all the 2-hour wait because they overestimated the allowed seating. How exhausting. I gave AX a chance this year, only to feel so disappointed by the overall experience. |
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