I want to know honest beliefs on the issues from the staff.

[Sayoria]

I have been thinking more and more about this issue. It happened to a lesser extent in 2015. Obviously, things blew out of proportion this year. We have the Hynes until 2025. Moving would be ridiculous even if there was no contract until 2025 since the BCEC is owned by the MCCA as well, and that there really is nowhere else to host it in Boston suitable enough for lodging, the capacity and food options.

Now, I have read that one of the staffers in the feedback thread said he was going to look into keeping the Dalton street doors open. The fact a lot of people are still going to be not recommended, but forced outside to go there in the cold or whatever weather we have leaves me concerned that this would be a backup plan. WHAT IF there was a thunderstorm? Snow storm? Major windgusts and low temperatures?

Like it has been said many times before, we know it isn't AB, and we know AB wants what is best for us. We know that AB is restricted to the Hynes staff, the Pru staff, and the Sheraton staff.... but with these three restricting things on all ends, do you honestly think there is any chance to work things out? The capacity of the con has definitely grown over the years, and it's clear as day everything is becoming overcrowded for sure, but there's only so much that can be done to please this many people.

What are the odds that an attendance cap will be lowered?
Do you seriously believe that this can be fixed, given how 2015 foreshadowed this, and 2016 may be foreshadowing even worse results?

It's great we have a feedback thread, but I'd love to hear what con staff has to say about it themselves. I'm not a pessimist nor am I an optimist, but as it is going on two years now, I'm seeing it almost impossible that this con will be able to manage anything anymore under these restrictions, enforcements, and numbers. The Hynes only has so many openings. What does staff have to say about the issues? I want to hear more, since this way, we as attendees can learn a bit more.

[Max465]

The fact a lot of people are still going to be not recommended, but forced outside to go there in the cold or whatever weather we have leaves me concerned that this would be a backup plan. WHAT IF there was a thunderstorm? Snow storm? Major windgusts and low temperatures?

This part concerns me actually. I've seen a lot of people get outwardly frustrated at security for pushing them outside. I fear it could get physical if the whether is worse. This year we only really had minor sprinkling that was on and off. But if it was a full on thunderstorm I could see certain cosplayers actually refusing to go outside which would cause major problems in the trust between congoers and security. It's already pretty thin as it is.

[Faceman]

We have to believe that we can work out these issues. Working out whatever issues we have with the Hynes, Prudential, and Sheraton is in everyone's best interest. The better the show environment is, the more people will come - but more importantly, the more people will come back each year. At the same time, we also have to ensure that the show's environment is safe so people will come back.

Our plan is to try to expand into the surrounding hotels and use their function space to increase our overall capacity and our programming options. We did it this year by putting some programming into the Hilton. But that means we have to make it easy for people to flow amongst the Hynes, Sheraton, Hilton, and any future facilities.

It's a balancing act between the security requirements we have and allowing attendees to easily come and go amongst venues. Any balancing act will have a few stumbles as you're starting off, and I think we saw some of those stumbles this year.

But it is my honest and sincere belief that we will be able to work things out. Work it out with our venues, with the city, and with the state. All of us want to do what we feel is best for everyone. With that as our common ground, we can build up from there and continue with the successful event you've come to expect.

As for lowering the attendance cap, I think that's an alternative solution to the issues we've been encountering. It's not a bad alternative, per se, but it does bring it's own challenges. Lowering the cap means we are reducing our total possible attendees, which is our primary source of revenue. We need the revenue to continue paying the bills for this event: facilities, contractors, utilities, supplies, insurance, etc. (All AB Staff are unpaid volunteers.) By lowering the cap, as the costs rise over time (which they always do), we would have to continually increase the attendance costs to that same lower number of attendees. Over time, the increased costs may actually drive people away to the point where we're under our cap. That would result in a revenue short fall and possibly jeopardize the financial feasibility of this event.

If anything, we'd want to find a way to increase the attendance cap. As I mentioned before, that would be through finding additional venues around the Hynes that we could expand into. If venue X can fit 2,500 people in it, that's 2,500 more we can accommodate overall.

We have looked at the BCEC before, but that building is designed in a different way than the Hynes is. As it stands, the Hynes has more to offer us that fits our current programming structure than the BCEC does. Yes, it does have a higher capacity limit, but it would result in a fundamentally different type of event.

[MSprintz]

I do like the additional of surrounding facilities, including Kings Lounge ( which apparently includes a bowling alley, maybe perhaps AB could include a cosplay bowling event next year ). The area around the Hynes and Prudential facilities offers immense possibilities that actually remain untapped and I'm thankful to see AB Staff working to fully tap into all of them.

This is my second year coming and I'm definitely going again in 2017 for a third year.

[reaper527]

Our plan is to try to expand into the surrounding hotels and use their function space to increase our overall capacity and our programming options. We did it this year by putting some programming into the Hilton. But that means we have to make it easy for people to flow amongst the Hynes, Sheraton, Hilton, and any future facilities.

if i can make a suggestion on this, adding more venues might make it worth considering how rooms are labeled on the schedule if this is possible. i know for some of the rooms in the sheraton this year, i saw them on the schedule, immediately thought "where is this room?" and then scrolled through the sheraton floors on the map assuming that's probably where it was. (specifically the 5th floor stuff, such as public garden, the fens, and riverway)

more buildings means there will be more maps to search through, and it won't be obvious where a room is if it isn't a location people have been going to for years (never mind the confusion it would cause for anyone coming for the first time in 2017). labeling stuff in guidebook with a building name in parenthesis after the location might be helpful if this is possible. i haven't made a guidebook schedule, so i have no idea what their character limits are restrictions are.

something like

302 (hynes)
hall d (hynes)
grand ballroom (sheraton)
random name here (hilton)

might help a lot as more venues are involved.

aside from labeling, the big thing to keep in mind is that the security problem desperately needs to resolved, otherwise the extra venues will make people even more upset. a huge problem this year was that a lot of people made it into the hynes, and then felt that they couldn't go see anything going on at the sheraton because it involved going through the line again. people definitely skipped panels (and even meals) due to this. making it so more stuff involves coming and going from the hynes without fixing the security lines is going to exacerbate that problem and make more people redundantly go through the line multiple times throughout the day.

it's not a summer con, and since the dates are booked for the next decade it seems like it's going to be a summer con anytime soon. this means people are going to be less willing to do outdoors lines for entrances. i haven't seen the floor plans for the building, but are there any other potential interior doors that could be opened up in the backs of rooms or hallways? if there are more spots that could be used as entrances, perhaps some of the hotels could be given their own "this entrance is only for people staying in that hotel" type of perk? that would help prevent what happened where the artist alley entrance got so crowded that it became an issue since it limits the number of people coming through. additionally, getting the people who are staying in hotels into their own separate "priority" line is pulling people out of what would be the "general" lines, which should keep those shorter.

[Nemra]

ok guys, we're starting to get into feedback territory. I know you all posted in the feedback thread already but lets keep the suggestions and feedback there before we start dividing discussion on the same issues to two or more different place.

[Aurabolt]

Why not just merge branching threads with the mega thread?

[midnightsiren182]

There will be some statements forthcoming on our end about both the registration issue on Friday and the increase security/lines. Those will be our thoughts on the matter, but Chris also posted here very nicely to start things off.

Please be patient as we get them up, we're also still recovering from the weekend.

Thanks!

[Sayoria]

Why not just merge branching threads with the mega thread?

Well, I intended the thread to get the staff themselves to give their own input on the matter moreso than getting it jumbled into it with the attendees. Why not hear their ideas, just like they hear ours? My goal of this topic is not having them take our ideas, but tell us their ideas on what they would think might work, so we have an idea what solutions might be underway for next year. It's similar, but not entirely where I am going.

[Nemra]

Why not just merge branching threads with the mega thread?

Well, I intended the thread to get the staff themselves to give their own input on the matter moreso than getting it jumbled into it with the attendees. Why not hear their ideas, just like they hear ours? My goal of this topic is not having them take our ideas, but tell us their ideas on what they would think might work, so we have an idea what solutions might be underway for next year. It's similar, but not entirely where I am going.

this. one is about attendees giving feedback, while the other is asking for staff feedback.

As Lauren said, We will certainly be talking about the pain points internally and then externally to provide what we will work on and possible solutions to those issues but we need to gather ourselves mentally and physically after this weekend first.

[kiarrens]

THE FOLLOWING STATEMENTS ARE MY OWN AND IN NO WAY REFLECT THOSE OF ANIME BOSTON AS A WHOLE.

In all honesty, I am pretty upset. I've been reading the comments here and on the FB group, and it pains me to see so many people so upset. I love this con. AB03 was my very first con and I have been here every year since. I wouldn't put as much work into it every year (hundreds of hours, all volunteer) if I didn't love it dearly; and to see something that is mostly out of our control hurt peoples' perception of the con and give them a bad experience makes me want to flip tables.

Here was my experience with security this year. I spent a good portion of Friday running down to escort my participants past security so they could actually make their judging times, and my staff did the same all day Saturday while I was running rehearsals. My cell phone was literally ringing off the hook with calls and texts from cosplayers who were panicking over not getting to their rehearsals in time. So believe me when I say that you guys were not the only ones inconvenienced by this. One of my staffers (bless his poor aching feet) ran back and forth between the Sheraton and Masq HQ SIXTEEN times between the hours of 11am and 3pm. Am I angry about that? You better believe it.

THIS SAID... I do appreciate the security. The world we live in is a dangerous one, and I would rather deal with an inconvenience than see anyone get hurt. But I sincerely hope that our exec staff will be able to work with the security to make things run smoother for all of you guys. How they do that is above my "pay grade," so to speak, but I have faith that a solution will be found. Anime Boston has overcome hurdles in the past, and it will overcome this one, too.

[Sakura-chan]

Just popping in to quickly thank the staffers for reading and posting here - It makes us regular attendees feel appreciated. I have been to a few conventions where it seems like the staff are these mysterious beings you see once in a while at the con and then never hear from them again once its over.

I look forward to hearing about the reg. issues on Friday, that was my only big gripe about this year (besides the security stuff which I kind of expected and know little can be done about, anyway.)

[Skyebox]

I obviously can't speak for anyone but myself, but I always make it a point to read all of the attendee feedback and all of the staff feedback as well.

Some of you might have seen me hovering around the Registration line handing out little slips of paper to try to get a feel for the wait times at various days and times. Last year was the first year that we designed a low-tech yet surprisingly effective way to track wait times, and I believe that the maximum time I received was 48 minutes for on-site registration (once the line started moving, so not counting the time people waited for the doors to open...). With all of the issues we were trying to iron out, I did not have as much time to collect data this year, but I collected enough to get an overall picture of what happened.

When I look at the slips of paper I collected this past weekend, especially on Friday morning, it honestly makes me want to cry (no matter how out-of-our-control the issues were). I want everyone to love this convention as much as I do. As much as I like to casually joke that waiting in line is a time-honored part of the convention experience, no one likes waiting in line for hours.

Now that we have numbers, we can see how well we're doing in comparison to previous years. Based on the wait times in 2015, the wait times for on-site registrations and even for pre-registered members were not anywhere near where I wanted them to be. To me, going from 48 minutes to nearly 3 hours is unacceptable. However, because we have this data we also have concrete numbers to demonstrate how the technical problems negatively impacted the experience of the most important people - you, our attendees. And we can use that information to do everything in our power to prevent this from happening again.

[THX1139]

I want to jumo in for a sec. Thanks for collecting data on the wait time. Having data is always a good thing.

[foreverfinn]

I think it's really great to hear from staff and volunteers, also, and it's nice to know we all share the same concerns! Thank you guys for sharing, I have faith things will be resolved in the future!

[pulsedemon]

We're definitely working on it. Like I wouldn't be lying in the least to say this isn't something we've been spending a lot of time on. A lot. Some might say "too much".

If everyone were in on every conversation in planning this show (and I would pity you if you were) I don't think it would be hard to say I'm really unhappy with the way things went this past year, regarding the security screenings. It might be possible to say I could be among the most unhappy. It may also be possible to say I might be the very most unhappy. I don't mean to say this as any kind of brag - I should seek more therapy for the tendency to stress about a great many things.

What's ultimately not helpful is for any of us to publicly (as public as this forum may be considered) throw anybody/everybody under the bus with real specificity.

We've got a couple of plans to try to increase capacity for this kind of thing. The straight-up facts are that we'll still need to route some amount of foot traffic to other doors outside of the building because there just isn't that much space available to handle this all at the entrance to the building from the Prudential mall. The obvious place where we're trying to increase capacity the most is at that entrance, but again there's only so much space to work with.

As for 'resolved', that's a sliding scale. Any of our plans will improve things. I'm pretty confident in saying that. It would be hard to be worse. Well, no, I guess it would be easy to be worse, but I like to think we're not monsters and I know we want to make it better. We have to work with the facility to implement any of the plans, so it's not like a switch we can throw and make instant changes. Will that mean 'resolved' to someone? Maybe. Will it mean 'resolved' to us? I guess that's hard to say. I'm still pretty optimistic we can improve things, at least.

[Master of NERV]

I think it's really great to hear from staff and volunteers, also, and it's nice to know we all share the same concerns! Thank you guys for sharing, I have faith things will be resolved in the future!

That's why, despite everything, I pre-reged for '17 at '16! After 14 ABs, the very least I can do is give NEAS the chance to make things better.

See you all next year!

[Old_School_Anime_Lover02]

can i be the selfish one and say not fix things and keep it the way they are and see how many people don't come back? because really it's starting to get way to populated for it's own good and it's going to one day act like New York Comic Con.... or Otakon....

I'm happy with knowing the little secrets for where we are, and not having to deal with newbies is nice, I'm not saying we should be a "closed" convention but there does need to be a time and place where we start capping it off earlier and earlier before the actual cap off date to make it easier for others to get around in...

that also means we limit the "no reservations" limits as well as in being able to get an all weekend pass up front... (i'm not sure if that's actually the said problem or not) but what ever it is, it has to do with the sheer number of people attending that's the actual said issue...

[midnightsiren182]

Hey everyone, we'll have more info for you once all the plans are finalized for 2017, so thanks for your patience. We have been working pretty hard (special shout out to our Ops Director Kristen!) with the MCCA and our facilities partners in planning for AB 2017 and trying to tackle some of the issues from the past year as best as we can to tackle the pain points we experienced this past year. With any new process introduced comes some challenges, but we've always strived to do what we can to improve and tackle said challenges to be best of our ability.

We have a lot of great stuff planned for 2017, and I hope you guys are there to see it.

[Aurabolt]

As for lowering the attendance cap, I think that's an alternative solution to the issues we've been encountering. It's not a bad alternative, per se, but it does bring it's own challenges. Lowering the cap means we are reducing our total possible attendees, which is our primary source of revenue. We need the revenue to continue paying the bills for this event: facilities, contractors, utilities, supplies, insurance, etc. (All AB Staff are unpaid volunteers.) By lowering the cap, as the costs rise over time (which they always do), we would have to continually increase the attendance costs to that same lower number of attendees. Over time, the increased costs may actually drive people away to the point where we're under our cap. That would result in a revenue short fall and possibly jeopardize the financial feasibility of this event.

We have looked at the BCEC before, but that building is designed in a different way than the Hynes is. As it stands, the Hynes has more to offer us that fits our current programming structure than the BCEC does. Yes, it does have a higher capacity limit, but it would result in a fundamentally different type of event.

...I feel it's extremely important to highlight the bolded parts of Faceman's text as there have been calls for years by some attendees in the past to move AB to the BCEC.

In short: The Hynes is the best location in Boston for Anime Boston. If it was my decision, I would keep the venue there indefinitely. You could always take it out of Boston but then you'd have to change the name of the convention. Then in itself would have its own set of problems. Just keeping it at the Hynes is very cost-effective in the long run.

That said, I'm not dismissing the widely reported line-related problems that always happen each year on the first two days of the con. I myself have witnessed them first hand. I still think Boston Police should take point at the security checkpoints. They're far more efficient and probably would be open to the idea even if just in an advisory role.

I went to the Boston Marathon's Finish Line this year and last year, both events happening after AB. Those who've seen me around the Hynes know I walk around with a heavy backpack. I got through security in 10 seconds and was given a tag for my bag so I could skip the bag search if I left and came back. They also waved through anyone who didn't have a backpack.

At AB, they'd be far more concerned with keeping the lines at the doors moving and figuring out if a prop is safe or not later. Prop checks should be happening before the cosplayer reachest the door. Those cleared get a sticker or something so security knows they were cleared by someone.

[stargazera5]

Hey everyone, we'll have more info for you once all the plans are finalized for 2017, so thanks for your patience. We have been working pretty hard (special shout out to our Ops Director Kristen!) with the MCCA and our facilities partners in planning for AB 2017 and trying to tackle some of the issues from the past year as best as we can to tackle the pain points we experienced this past year. With any new process introduced comes some challenges, but we've always strived to do what we can to improve and tackle said challenges to be best of our ability.

We have a lot of great stuff planned for 2017, and I hope you guys are there to see it.

Thank you for the update, but I urge you to move your explanations up. As I posted a few days ago in the Great Feedback Post, people are making plans for attending anime cons next year now. I'd hate to miss ABos for the first time (literally as I've been to all 14 and the Providence con), but I won't be back unless security pulls back in a major way. And the window to decide if I go to Abos or another con next year is probably within the next month as I would have to make travel plans to go to another con.

The Abos staff generally deserves major kudos for the quality of the con you put on, but this security issue has been festering since it spiked up post marathon-bombing. Enough is enough.

[Fetch]

As for lowering the attendance cap, I think that's an alternative solution to the issues we've been encountering. It's not a bad alternative, per se, but it does bring it's own challenges. Lowering the cap means we are reducing our total possible attendees, which is our primary source of revenue. We need the revenue to continue paying the bills for this event: facilities, contractors, utilities, supplies, insurance, etc. (All AB Staff are unpaid volunteers.) By lowering the cap, as the costs rise over time (which they always do), we would have to continually increase the attendance costs to that same lower number of attendees. Over time, the increased costs may actually drive people away to the point where we're under our cap. That would result in a revenue short fall and possibly jeopardize the financial feasibility of this event.

We have looked at the BCEC before, but that building is designed in a different way than the Hynes is. As it stands, the Hynes has more to offer us that fits our current programming structure than the BCEC does. Yes, it does have a higher capacity limit, but it would result in a fundamentally different type of event.

...I feel it's extremely important to highlight the bolded parts of Faceman's text as there have been calls for years by some attendees in the past to move AB to the BCEC.

In short: The Hynes is the best location in Boston for Anime Boston. If it was my decision, I would keep the venue there indefinitely. You could always take it out of Boston but then you'd have to change the name of the convention. Then in itself would have its own set of problems. Just keeping it at the Hynes is very cost-effective in the long run.

That said, I'm not dismissing the widely reported line-related problems that always happen each year on the first two days of the con. I myself have witnessed them first hand. I still think Boston Police should take point at the security checkpoints. They're far more efficient and probably would be open to the idea even if just in an advisory role.

I went to the Boston Marathon's Finish Line this year and last year, both events happening after AB. Those who've seen me around the Hynes know I walk around with a heavy backpack. I got through security in 10 seconds and was given a tag for my bag so I could skip the bag search if I left and came back. They also waved through anyone who didn't have a backpack.

At AB, they'd be far more concerned with keeping the lines at the doors moving and figuring out if a prop is safe or not later. Prop checks should be happening before the cosplayer reachest the door. Those cleared get a sticker or something so security knows they were cleared by someone.

I agree. Have actual police do the door checks. Maybe they will realize having the security not checking until people are nearly at the heart of the main hallway of the Hynes is a security FAIL. It was right at both doors in 2015, so why not in 2016? I myself feel security for the entrances would be better handled by an officer at each door and two officers walking up each line looking for anything suspicious. Drop the majority of the Security Theater which does basically nothing but waste time and make all of us a big target.

[Kalyoth]

Funny thing about security - we all want x or y. But, we also need to accept that most of it comes from the city/state level & is likely not subject to significant change unless that public policy stance changes. The staff of AB works miracles every year for us & we continue to have an event to attend.

Communication - that wonderful exchange of ideas & opinions - please keep us informed! If possible, perhaps do a mass mailing to all registered attendee's mail / e-mail addresses a month prior with what's currently in place? Maybe even include it with the finalized pre-registration e-mails sent out? For those who continue to walk-in & register, only signage/notices & the hope it is read can truly be done.

I hate to suggest this as time is always precious - but there could also be a sacrifice of a few seconds per attendee at registration by handing out with the badge/program information a newly created security protocol handout? Maybe even call it "A-Chan & B-Kun's Retro Rulz"? Even have a special emphasis on the information booth with an active mission change of getting it into the hands of attendees vs. a passive approach? Have it include just the security issues such as prop check, bag check, entrances/exits, diagrams, etc.?

Keep doing all you do for us - we greatly appreciate all of it!

[midnightsiren182]

So Kayloth brings up something I was about to communicate once I had more coffee; at the end of the day we as Anime Boston do not 100% control the Security measures or have 100% say, we work with our facilities partners at the Hynes/MCCA as at the end of the day it is a state-owned building that we rent for our event. We work to give input and some plans on our end, but ultimately it's always working with them and not us dictating TO them. It is a partnership where we have to respect we are in their building and that means working with the measures coming down at city/state level, and to their end they work with us to make sure our event adheres to the safety measures desired but that also as we work together we finds ways to minimize any impact they have on the event. When the bag checks were first introduced there were some issues, but we worked with the MCCA to minimize those issues and the result was much quicker times getting through at peak hours. We are working to do the same this year to tackle the issues and plan for solutions, so we definitely hear you all and we're doing everything we can.

Also, thanks for the idea on the protocol sheet! We can certainly consider it.