Another Con?

[sassy_lassy]

I was wondering... How did you guys go about renting out the hotel and rooms and such?  Me and a group of people are thinking about creating are own (in process)  but we aren't quite sure how to get the hotel... Do you just talk to the people or....... what would you Kumori Con staff suggest us planning out?

[SailorNaboo]

We were just a bunch of Eugene area people, most of whom attended or were Staff/Volunteers for Sakura con for years.

We decided that we needed a con in Oregon and "just did it."  We asked friends from Sakura Con for help.   Unfortunatly, the person who helped the most has now gone into the Navy (Isaac), but many of them were willing to give us information.

The best advice I can give you:

1.  Have some members that have been staff members of another convention before actually trying to start something from scratch and start planning your event a year in advance.

2. (most important).  Attend C cubed.  It's a convention for people who put on conventions and it's held every year.  This year it will be in Seattle in June.  (It seems to rotate between Portland and Seattle each year).

I would highly suggest having people with that kind of experience because there are a lot of legal issues that come into play and you really need to be prepared for them.  Also, the hotel community communicates.  Let's say some group put on another Anime Con (not saying your group, but another random group) and this group pretty much tore the place up and had parties in the event rooms with underaged drinking...(blah, blah, blah...lots of bad stuff...).  Word of this will get around to all of the hotels in the area and it will make it harder for other conventions associated with Anime to be able to book conventions (or they will require 5x the insurance as other kinds of events or any number of things that will make it very costly for the next people that come around).

Right now, as the first Portland Anime convention, Anime now has a good reputation (sigh of relief!).  The hotel saw many of us as some sort of quirky people, but they also saw that we didn't distroy the place and we were well behaved.  It's in everyone that loves Anime, Science Fiction, Gaming or any other thing like that's best interest to make sure us 'nerds' keep giving them a good impression.   One of the fastest ways to ruin it for everyone would be to host an event without tons of research, planning and some experience.

[sassy_lassy]

Hmm..... *wonders if she and friends can have patience to wait a year or more to get one together*  We were thinking to have it around July 2005... but yah... none of us really fit the catagories you gave XD

It would be held up in Washington... not Seattle... but more close to Canada...

It also wouldn't be a convention for 'adults'  It will be a convention for anime fans 21 or so and younger... and anime families... ((So far we are calling it Chibi Con ^_^ *shifty eyes* ...)) It'll be a small one.....

We're trying to figure out all the hotel ideas...

If we could find a hotel to locate it, would you give any ideas of any sort of website or handbook or so to get information on the law and such.  I'm all ready to research... ^_^'

*tis representing her group*

[rarnom]

2. (most important).  Attend C cubed.  It's a convention for people who put on conventions and it's held every year.  This year it will be in Seattle in June.  (It seems to rotate between Portland and Seattle each year).

Is there a website for 'C cubed'?  I also have some big ideas for a smaller sized con in Salem a few years down the road....


*EDIT*  I think I found one:

http://swoc.org/ccubed/

[EvilMonkey]

Yup, that'd be the website, it might be sponsored by a different group this year, so that website might change.  One thing that would be best is to have someone who has experience with hotel contracts to do the hotel negotiations for you.  It's possible to convince someone from an outside group to volunteer their time to help make sure your contract turns out alright.  
Some things to remember:
Hotels will offer convention space at a lower price if you can fill rooms for sleeping, but if you get them to lower the price, and don't fill those rooms, then it'll cost you a lot more, and that can really break you.
There are a lot of things that you need to budget for that you might not always remember, if you need a list, we can get one to you.  
I personally wouldn't mind volunteering some of my experience to other prospective conventions as a way of showing support for the community.
A good mailing list to join would be the ACML, or the Anime Con Mailing List, it's basically a group of convention organizers specifically revolving around anime.  They can pretty much answer any question you have, as they have LOADS of experience.  If you want to subscribe to that, send an e-mail with the subject 'subscribe' to animecons-request@majordomo.baka.org

[SailorNaboo]

That sounds like a great idea for a con, but it might be hard to fill enough rooms at a hotel to get a good rate on the convention space.  In order to rent out a lot of rooms, you need people who are going to come from too far to drive home at night, or people that want to stay over all night because of how late they are staying (or for adults, because they shouldn't be driving after room parties).  With a family con, parents of the younger kids who live in the area are most likely going to want to go home at night, and there might not be enough 18-20 year olds who want rooms.

Because of that, I'd suggest look at alternative locations for conventions.  Since you are looking at July, perhaps a school (like a local college) has space that can be rented.  In Eugene, our fairgrounds also has convention space.   Try your local Chamber of Commerce.  They might have information on spaces to hold events (and also which hotels have convention space and meeting rooms--just in case).

I'd really suggest having some of you volunteer for Sakura Con if any of you can attend this year.  Even though there isn't much time between April and July, having some of your staff seeing things from behind the scenes would be useful.

[Irnogs]

Hmm.. having used to work at a Hotel I could talk to a few people about one in Salem. Eh, the hotel I used to work at claimed the largest conference area in Salem (I think that might change w/the completed construction of that convention center), and their rooms are pretty cheap (I remember being able to get them for $53/night), and it's four star. It's also very close to the freeway exit hehe. *checks clock* hmm.. I gotta go to my physics class, but I'll be on later or you can talk to me about it Saturday

[rarnom]

Hmm.. having used to work at a Hotel I could talk to a few people about one in Salem. Eh, the hotel I used to work at claimed the largest conference area in Salem (I think that might change w/the completed construction of that convention center), and their rooms are pretty cheap (I remember being able to get them for $53/night), and it's four star. It's also very close to the freeway exit hehe. *checks clock* hmm.. I gotta go to my physics class, but I'll be on later or you can talk to me about it Saturday

cool, yah I'd love to throw some ideas around on Saturday.  I am pretty pumped about that LAN party, should be a blast.    

[Waffles]

hmmm join me long hair ninja's of na

[superjaz]

mabe a new section like really bad beginers, like i'd like to try but i know i can't sing even against beginers group i bomb
(hey sailor i missed seeing your workshop i saw it in the listings and was ooo gtg to that then i couldn't find it, then i remeberd that some were canceled...

[Waffles]

if you make a con make it 24/7 man you know no time where the con is closed

[Kankuro Of Sand]

cascaida con!!