ChiByakko
03-16-2005, 09:44 PM
I had some ideas for this year's Anime Detour that didn't have time to come to fruition, and after the con, my friends and I had other ideas that could make a future con really neat too. I don't know whether or not I'll be at Detour next year, since a year is a long ways out, but I wanted to give the suggestions to someone and see if others like the ideas too. Maybe if I can't get involved and help these things happen, but others like the ideas, they'll step up and help make them happen.
I wasn't sure where to put these ideas, or who to give them to, so they're ending up here. I hope someone reads them here!
I suggested an Anime Garage sale before the con. It's kind of a smaller, short-duration dealer's room for people to sell/trade/buy old stuff. It can be set up a lot like an artist's alley, and could work well especially in hours when the dealer's room isn't open. The con I went to that had this charged $10 a table for people to use, and everyone made that much back in seconds. It also gave the con a little extra revenue for the next year.
Another idea my friends and I thought of after the con, came from seeing the fan's view guy set up for photos in the artist alley. There really aren't many places to take pictures without a crowd of people in the background. What if there was an area set up by the con, or a few tiny areas, with simple, painted backgrounds for photo-ops in reasonably lit places? It would cut down on photo trafic in hallways, since costume-wearers and photo takers, would likely prefer the lovely backdrop to dark, crowded rooms and halls. In addition, bunches of people could get involved in the con BEFORE it occurs by painting these backgrounds. Those volunteers, by getting involved early and meeting other volunteers, might be more likely to help out AT the con as well. I know I would have wanted to volunteer more if I knew others who were running/helping with the con.
Eventually, it would be neat to see detour be able to bring an out-of-country guest to the con. (expensive, difficult, I know. This maybe years and years down the line, but the con is growing quickly.) Just thought I'd toss out the almost unreachable wish of a con-goer... ^_^ *innocent smile*
Another idea, and this one may be met with some opposition: The con suite this year offered really nice food, but also smelled putrid. (I didn't think it was as bad as some others said it was, but it certainly didn't smell fresh and clean.) What if the con-suite offered only snacks, and non-messy/smelly foods, while there was also an anime-con cafe in a more open area. That cafe could offer nice, cheap food that could be considered real sustinance. The hotel a-la-carte thing at detour this year would be a good example of a basic layout, but maybe with some benches to sit at or something nearby. That could help the con gain some extra $ for funding the next year, and it would be convenient for con-goers to get real food at, instead of having to trek out across town for sustinance, or waiting for another pot of rice to be made in a crowded con-suite. It would be nice it the food were free, but giving the con financial boosts might not be bad for future con-going too.
Lastly, I might have missed it, but was there any Karaoke at this con? A Kareoke competition would be fun, if it wasn't done. If it was, and I missed it, then big-time advertising of it, because not everyone was aware it was there. It's hard dragging the little schedule booklet around everywhere, so I missed a few things, but I'd hate to have missed something really neat.
Okay, that's about all the ideas I had. Anyone else have ideas? Or thoughts on these?
I wasn't sure where to put these ideas, or who to give them to, so they're ending up here. I hope someone reads them here!
I suggested an Anime Garage sale before the con. It's kind of a smaller, short-duration dealer's room for people to sell/trade/buy old stuff. It can be set up a lot like an artist's alley, and could work well especially in hours when the dealer's room isn't open. The con I went to that had this charged $10 a table for people to use, and everyone made that much back in seconds. It also gave the con a little extra revenue for the next year.
Another idea my friends and I thought of after the con, came from seeing the fan's view guy set up for photos in the artist alley. There really aren't many places to take pictures without a crowd of people in the background. What if there was an area set up by the con, or a few tiny areas, with simple, painted backgrounds for photo-ops in reasonably lit places? It would cut down on photo trafic in hallways, since costume-wearers and photo takers, would likely prefer the lovely backdrop to dark, crowded rooms and halls. In addition, bunches of people could get involved in the con BEFORE it occurs by painting these backgrounds. Those volunteers, by getting involved early and meeting other volunteers, might be more likely to help out AT the con as well. I know I would have wanted to volunteer more if I knew others who were running/helping with the con.
Eventually, it would be neat to see detour be able to bring an out-of-country guest to the con. (expensive, difficult, I know. This maybe years and years down the line, but the con is growing quickly.) Just thought I'd toss out the almost unreachable wish of a con-goer... ^_^ *innocent smile*
Another idea, and this one may be met with some opposition: The con suite this year offered really nice food, but also smelled putrid. (I didn't think it was as bad as some others said it was, but it certainly didn't smell fresh and clean.) What if the con-suite offered only snacks, and non-messy/smelly foods, while there was also an anime-con cafe in a more open area. That cafe could offer nice, cheap food that could be considered real sustinance. The hotel a-la-carte thing at detour this year would be a good example of a basic layout, but maybe with some benches to sit at or something nearby. That could help the con gain some extra $ for funding the next year, and it would be convenient for con-goers to get real food at, instead of having to trek out across town for sustinance, or waiting for another pot of rice to be made in a crowded con-suite. It would be nice it the food were free, but giving the con financial boosts might not be bad for future con-going too.
Lastly, I might have missed it, but was there any Karaoke at this con? A Kareoke competition would be fun, if it wasn't done. If it was, and I missed it, then big-time advertising of it, because not everyone was aware it was there. It's hard dragging the little schedule booklet around everywhere, so I missed a few things, but I'd hate to have missed something really neat.
Okay, that's about all the ideas I had. Anyone else have ideas? Or thoughts on these?