i have never been to an actual con as a congoer. i've attended only 3 cons: both kumoricons, and this sakuracon; and at each, i've been staff. i couldn't really compare last fall's kcon and this scon experience, because with kcon i had a full year to prepare and knew i was part of a team, and knew at least half of the other staff. however, i can compare my experiences with the first kcon and this scon, because, for the first kcon, i only became involved as a fanfic panelist and fanfic contest judge about a month before the con, and for scon, i only became invited officially about a month before the con, and actually only adopted some of the tasks after finding no one else doing them, during the actual con!
so from that perspective: i loved all 3 cons, and am dedicated to remaining staff in both k and s. however, it was *much* easier to jump into kcon than into scon. even though i knew almost no one on staff; even though i knew almost nothing about and less about cons (just a lot about beta reading and fanfiction).......kcon was, quite simply, fan-friendly, staff-friendly, accessible, and dedicatedly welcoming. at scon, by contrast, it seemed like there were rather tight in-groups among staff, and not always was it possible to find out what i might need to find out to run the events i was empowered to run, nor even know if i were going to be treated as staff when i requested the information. i don't fault anyone for this; i was the newbie, who was only given permission to do things at the last minute; it was logical that only those who already knew me from online or from my work at kcon would start from a position of trying to help me. a couple other particular staff or volunteers turned out to be great in their intention to help, albeit not necessarily able to do so. it seemed like the con was quite simply so big, that it was hard for anyone to know where to go to get all the right answers and assistance. it also seemed like the con was so used to running at that huge a level, that some of the smaller events were almost entirely treated as afterthoughts.
none of this is really that surprising for a con that's been around that long and has become that huge. it was, however, not as thoroughly a sense of a welcoming atmosphere as the (admittedly under 1/10th the size!) kcon #1 was. however, for a con that was just pulling itself together by the seat of its pants (and with sc as one rolemodel both of things to do, and of things to avoid doing), i think it functioned incredibly smoothly both years....most importantly, in keeping the emphasis on fancreations and fanfriendliness, as well as (for the most part) harmony among staff.
of course i couldn't help but be hooked on kcon for life, after someone on staff i hadn't met (sailor naboo), upon hearing that my car had lost its steering mechanism and had transmission trouble on the way to the con, undertook to find someone to be sure i made it home safe, and then that person not only gave me a ride, but took me out to dinner. here was a huge, personal crisis, not really con related, and someone from staff took time out to be sure it all went dreamily well for me. contrast that with scon, which was so huge and so hectic, that a con-specific problem (getting a microphone for the event i was brought up to run), which i had started trying to address online and by phone prior to the con, was not resolved until after the start of the event, despite my having tried through talking to way over a dozen staff and volunteers over several hours on friday night and saturday day and night of the con.
for all these reasons, while i very truly love and admire sakuracon and am dedicated to remaining involved as staff for the artists' den (if given that privilege by whomever becomes the programming director there), i also very truly pray that kumoricon remains, at least in consciousness and orientation if not in number, a smaller and more cohesive con, and more overtly accessible for staff and volunteers as well as congoers, and with a clearer roster and problem-solving matrix.
thanks
rem.