Author Topic: Convention centers or Hotels? (Read 5691 times)

Haruhi_Suzumiya · « **on:** March 30, 2007, 01:01:21 am »

Which is more comfortable for you when you go to an anime convention?

TomtheFanboy · « **Reply #1 on:** March 30, 2007, 06:03:44 am »

Well, I like the convenience of a hotel but some things just need a full blown convention center. Nowadays though most big hotels in a city with a nice convention center have dedicated shuttles to span the blocks between the hotel and the con. Some, like the Indianapolis convention center that I visited fro the Star Wars Celebration 2, have major hotels connected to them so you don't even have to go outside!

Seriously, Indy rocks. the other end of the center connected to a mall so we didn't even have to leave the buildings for food.

In Portland though, they haven't built us the convention center hotel, but last I heard they were going to build a big hotel that actually connected to the center, so hopefully by the time Kumoricon is that huge you'll be able to stay in the hotel that's right there!

Writer · « **Reply #2 on:** March 30, 2007, 10:24:55 am »

Hotel. this may sound kind of cruel, but I like scaring the regular people that are staying there. <3

...

Please discard my vote, I suppose.

TomtheFanboy · « **Reply #3 on:** March 30, 2007, 11:52:55 am »

Quote from: "Writer"

Hotel. this may sound kind of cruel, but I like scaring the regular people that are staying there. <3

<_< Not that you'd risk giving Kumoricon a bad name. >_>

Haruhi_Suzumiya · « **Reply #4 on:** March 30, 2007, 12:23:40 pm »

Quote from: "TomtheFanboy"

Well, I like the convenience of a hotel but some things just need a full blown convention center. Nowadays though most big hotels in a city with a nice convention center have dedicated shuttles to span the blocks between the hotel and the con. Some, like the Indianapolis convention center that I visited fro the Star Wars Celebration 2, have major hotels connected to them so you don't even have to go outside!

Seriously, Indy rocks. the other end of the center connected to a mall so we didn't even have to leave the buildings for food.

In Portland though, they haven't built us the convention center hotel, but last I heard they were going to build a big hotel that actually connected to the center, so hopefully by the time Kumoricon is that huge you'll be able to stay in the hotel that's right there!

oh, i was dragged to a comic convention with my dad when i was 8 it was extremely uncomfortable but it was just one giant room , what are convention centers like? Is there more then one room???

Haruhi_Suzumiya · « **Reply #5 on:** March 30, 2007, 12:24:06 pm »

Quote from: "Writer"

Hotel. this may sound kind of cruel, but I like scaring the regular people that are staying there. <3

...

Please discard my vote, I suppose.

that is fun but it does give kumoricon a bad name XD

TomtheFanboy · « **Reply #6 on:** March 30, 2007, 12:42:22 pm »

Quote from: "Haruhi_Suzumiya"

oh, i was dragged to a comic convention with my dad when i was 8 it was extremely uncomfortable but it was just one giant room , what are convention centers like? Is there more then one room???

That was probably the expo center. See, those are designed for boat shows and car shows and industrial construction equipment conventions. A convention center is designed more for a couple thousand middle aged business men to show up and watch up a bunch of lectures and take part in focus groups. Two very different things.

I think I went to that same comic book convention back when I was 8!

Haruhi_Suzumiya · « **Reply #7 on:** March 30, 2007, 02:40:45 pm »

Quote from: "TomtheFanboy"

Quote from: "Haruhi_Suzumiya"
oh, i was dragged to a comic convention with my dad when i was 8 it was extremely uncomfortable but it was just one giant room , what are convention centers like? Is there more then one room???

That was probably the expo center. See, those are designed for boat shows and car shows and industrial construction equipment conventions. A convention center is designed more for a couple thousand middle aged business men to show up and watch up a bunch of lectures and take part in focus groups. Two very different things.

I think I went to that same comic book convention back when I was 8!

omg XD

it was a weird convention not that I remember much of it, but my dad was a vendor of sorts

JeffT · « **Reply #8 on:** March 30, 2007, 11:02:14 pm »

Quote from: "TomtheFanboy"

A convention center is designed more for a couple thousand middle aged business men to show up and watch up a bunch of lectures and take part in focus groups. Two very different things.

I call these conferences.

EDIT: fixed improper quoting

Writer · « **Reply #9 on:** March 31, 2007, 10:03:24 am »

Quote from: "Haruhi_Suzumiya"

Quote from: "Writer"
Hotel. this may sound kind of cruel, but I like scaring the regular people that are staying there. <3

...

Please discard my vote, I suppose.
that is fun but it does give kumoricon a bad name XD

*sigh* I suppose I could do that on my own time.

Anyhoo, I think that a hotel would be a better idea 'cause of the multiplicity of rooms. We can sort it so that all the viewing rooms are in one section and not spread out (Which is probably done anyway) and if we're stuck in one big rooms then no one would be able to hear what was going on. Panels in their own rooms make things a lot easier on both the presenter and the presentee. Hotels do have extra rooms for out of town people coming in, and the plaid pantry across the street sure gets a lot of busyness. Really for me the biggest problem in convention centers is the noise level.

RemSaverem · « **Reply #10 on:** March 31, 2007, 07:51:42 pm »

i did not vote for either, because i have really enjoyed anime evolution,which was at a college campus.

even though it was in canada, a 12 + hr drive away, vs. portland, a 2 hr drive away, it cost me less to attend anime evolution, with free parking and a cheap dorm room and free meals *hand delivered to us in our programming room by staff every day* , than it did to attend kumoricon.

next year we are doing a room at otafest as well, which is also a campus-based con.

Writer · « **Reply #11 on:** March 31, 2007, 07:53:47 pm »

It would be AWeSOME if we could get Reed to host us. I love Reed college. 'tis but a fantasy though.

RemSaverem · « **Reply #12 on:** March 31, 2007, 08:22:26 pm »

That would rock.

Personally i am all in favor of whatever makes cons the most affordable for the widest range of people. that is speaking as someone who is broke more than it is speaking as someone who plans an area of programming, but i am certain there are many folks who genuinely want to go to cons and can't because of all the adjunct costs (transport, food, lodging) involved, who could go if it were on a campus.

there were disadvantages, however. the walk from our panel room to our dorm was rather long, and there were few options for food other than what was provided to us as staff. and we were not able to alter the layout of the tables and chairs in the room, as it was a classroom. however, the rooms also had advantages. each person had his/her own writing/art desk (valuable for creation station), and each room had its own built in a/v equipment including projector and screen. oh, and for creation station purposes, being able to post our art show entries directly on the walls was very helpful.

Runa · « **Reply #13 on:** April 02, 2007, 09:18:05 am »

I prefer the smaller, cozier conventions that you see at hotels. Once they get to a convention center, the personableness goes away and you start getting industry lectures rather than the "by fans for fans" factor. I'd rather see KumoriCon broken into 2 or 3 conventions held at various times of the year (3 kumoris per year...yey!!) rather than go into the convention center. It'll lose its personality.

So, Eugene crowd, go for making another convention to be held 6 months after KumoriCon so that we have 2 Oregon anime conventions per year just like we have over 5 science fiction conventions available in the area per year, we might as well do the same for anime. If the fan base is that big, the more conventions we do the better.

Also, that way a person can rotate among all the conventions and have different experiences each year.

Kimiski · « **Reply #14 on:** April 03, 2007, 08:47:24 pm »

Hotels all the way

Im actually DREADING the day when Kumoricon gets so big we cant stay in hotels anymore.

Its just, idk. Hotels are homey and nice. Places to sit down, nice surroundings for Cosplays shoots, U get tired u can go to ur room for a bit then run back down to an event.

Convention centers, everything is so bare. Its just wide open space with stuff randomly put in there, is what it feels like to me.

pieisexactlythree · « **Reply #15 on:** April 05, 2007, 12:21:19 pm »

Quote from: "Writer"

Hotel. this may sound kind of cruel, but I like scaring the regular people that are staying there. <3

Sadly, what you may take for fear is more likely distain and pity. :(

TomtheFanboy · « **Reply #16 on:** April 05, 2007, 03:18:04 pm »

Lets not turn this into another Weird Pride Parade, guys.

I have heard rumors (I'm legally obligated to call them that) that we will actually be ina space at a HOTEL next year that is equal to or less than the currentspace when it comes to square footage.

Part of me thinks "Well that will be nice and cozy and sort of keep the fan-bred feeling."

Yet the noiser part of me says "NO! We must fill the largest space in Portland, catch up with, and outshine Sakuracon in everyway! Screw you big sister! Ha ha ha ha!"

:oops:
Sorry, the noisy part has issues.

Raccon-Faced_Keruri · « **Reply #17 on:** April 05, 2007, 04:57:42 pm »

I enjoy the continued idea of hotels, but there will come a time, probably sooner than we think, that we're just going to be too big to cram into a hotel and still expect the hotel staff to remain sane afterward.

Kimiski has a very good point. There were several times when being able to just go up to your hotel room and chill or take a power nap was very convenient, and I would dislike having to go from a convention center and drive to a hotel to drop something off or pick something up, and drive back. Maybe I'm lazy, but whatever. >.<

I like hotels.

kyonichi · « **Reply #18 on:** April 11, 2007, 09:33:06 pm »

My first con was this year's Sakuracon, but I'm coming to Kumoricon this fall, so I guess I'll be able to see which I prefer after that.

Kimiski · « **Reply #19 on:** May 05, 2007, 09:06:50 pm »

ya know, I was at the Oregon Convention center in Portland during an Art class feild trip, the really nice one by Burgar Ville and the other Red Lion hotel, and it was amazing.

Instead of bare, stony and crappy with one huge room like the other center in portland somehere, where they have the chirstmas bizzare every year, this was one was nice and roomy with carpet, many rooms for differnt activites and felt JUST like walking through the halls and lobbies of a hotel. All my friends and I were talking about all the cool places for cosplay pictures and poked our heads in the main room and said "Just think this is where the dance would be" and saying "oh man, cant you just see this place full of cosplayers walking around!"

I think when Kcon gets big enough we should head for there!

Theres Dennys, Burgar Ville, Starbucks and other eating places all around, as well as a bunch of hotels that are right across the street and more that would be like a 5 min walk from the con. So cool~~ And theres actually little places to eat inside the cneter.

Runa · « **Reply #20 on:** May 07, 2007, 08:17:16 am »

Ya know, huge conventions like "WorldCon" avoid convention centers by simply taking over every hotel in town.... so we could set up Kumoricon to happen in 2 or 3 neighboring hotels in Portland if we needed to expand... who says we have to be in ONLY one hotel?

guspasho · « **Reply #21 on:** May 07, 2007, 04:24:56 pm »

Comic book conventions, for example, are treated like expos, but after attending an anime "con" I would prefer they just called them "comic book expos".

I don't believe that as Kumoricon gets bigger it will inevitably become an industry-oriented expo. Sakuracon certainly has become big and feels big because it takes up a convention center, but I don't think it's become industry-oriented as opposed to fan-based.

Nobody wants Kcon to become industry-oriented like that, that's for sure. But the question of whether to grow or not remains. I like the idea of several fan-based anime cons, but I don't know whether our staff would be able to manage it - just one is a lot of work! It seems like the only option therefore for Kumoricon to keep growing.

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Author Topic: Convention centers or Hotels? (Read 5691 times)