Anime Boston

Hey everyone,

Since this is becoming the most common thing we're being asked in recent year or so, I thought it'd be easier to just address this in one handy spot and sticky it here, and that question is: Why doesn't Anime Boston move to BCEC?

And there's a couple reasons!

1. BCEC is a great venue for expo and trade show based events like PAX East, as it's basically one big exhibit hall, but the flip side is that's what makes it currently not conducive for Anime Boston. Our event has exhibit hall based events like Dealer's Room and Artist Alley, but it also has many, many panels of all various sizes, video rooms, concerts, etc. that require those rooms. This is why the Hynes is currently a better fit as convention centers go than the BCEC. And BCEC is also subject to the same security measure as Hynes since both are MCCA buildings.

2. We are contracted with the Hynes for the next 10+ years. Because Boston is a popular city to host conference events, and Hynes is a popular venue, contracting that far out has become the new norm for events of our size and scale to secure our space so we have a home for AB.

3. It, at the end of the day, currently doesn't make sense to pick up and move to a new city. We are Anime Boston, and we like Boston. We like Back Bay, and we ultimately think you guys do too. Thanks to its proximity to Logan Airport, the Logan Express shuttle, the trains, the T, and the many great places to eat, the amount of hotels, and being near a lot of cool things to see, it's been a great home for us despite the recent challenges and changes in security.


That's the not-so short of it right now.

Having said all this, what, if anything, would influence Anime Boston to leave the Hynes (and/or the city) entirely?

How far will the board of directors allow themselves, and by extension the convention attendees, to be pushed by ever-tightening city and facility regulations before it becomes too much?

I love Anime Boston. It's the only convention I go to despite the fact that my own home city also hosts an annual con (Tekkoshocon), because Anime Boston is where I can see my friends from school. I'm not ready to give up on it quite yet, but I can't help but feel that a change of venue might be in order in the near future so as to keep AB the convention we all love.

I actually made a post in one of the Anime Boston Social Groups on Facebook discussing this potential and mentioned how a move to BCEC would likely end up with a ton of backlash due to increased registration prices, little food offerings in the immediate area, and lacking transportation options in the area. I am very glad to see that AB is committed to the Hynes, as I would likely refuse to attend the convention if it was held in the BCEC or another area of the city.

It is unfortunate the demand for such an event in the New England area will likely be outstripped by the capacity to meet it, as I believe the convention was extremely close to hitting the cap this year. As an attendee since 2009 who has noticed the increased lines over time, I am confident that AB can successfully address the entry issues that were brought up and continue to hold a fantastic event.

I think the Hynes is still the right choice, as the BCEC just doesn't cut it. But large convention centers like that simply aren't high in number, and I think an attendence cap can be gotten around if we continue to work with the Hynes staff. If there was a way to get that Dalton entrance open more often...and certainly get people out to the Bolyston entrance more. Renting the Hynes for more Days, would be my own personal vote. Friday itself is a regular work day as we manage to get a lot of attendence then. What's one more!? (Besides alot more costs)

If we rented for more days we'd have to raise badges or make some budget cuts to afford it, most likely.

More days are unlikely to happen - not only because it might be difficult for us to find enough staff to work on the additional days, but because availability of the convention center would be problematic. Tuesday through Thursday are the main days for the business conventions that are the bread and butter of convention centers, and they need Monday as a move-in day so they can be ready to go on Tuesday morning. We already use a lot of Thursday to move into the Hynes as it is, making that day unavailable for other purposes, and if we extended AB to Monday it would make it difficult for them to book events that begin on Tuesday.

Something that was talks only on Tuesday and didn't open the exhibit hall until Wednesday or late Tuesday might still be possible. That's not an uncommon pattern; for example, the Cloud Expo that I went to in Santa Clara last fall was like that, the exhibit hall first opened at 6pm on Tuesday for a reception and then for normal operation the next day. That was a conference about cloud computing, in case you were wondering, not weather or new age philosophy.

on top of the scheduling/logistical problems with getting the extra day that has already been explained by siren/shirley, would it even buy us anything in terms of addressing existing issues?

most people are going to go every day, which means that it's just going to be another day of the con as usual, not 4 days of lower daily attendance (which in turn also means the extra day isn't going to have an impact on the lines or crowding issues). also, i'm not sure how many quality panels get rejected currently, but i'm assuming there isn't a full day worth of content, which then leads to the possibility of sub-par panels getting approved just so there is something to fill the building with for the extra day.

in an ideal world, ab could just join up with other major cons in the area and build their own building with their own rules. unfortunately, that isn't a realistic possibility due to the astronomical costs that would be involved. we'd be talking billions, when ab's operating budget is in the millions (and not high in the millions).

maybe some day if the bcec expansion ever happens it will become a venue more in line with what ab needs, but since that expansion has been on hold for a year now, that would be more of a long term hope than any kind of near term solution.

If this could be a Global Thread, that would be great.

There are still too many folks who think AB at BCEC makes sense.

I could only understand AB moving to the BCEC if the expansion of it (more meeting rooms and hotel space built on top) that the MCCA has been talking about happens. Until such time, it would not be at all a good idea.

We literally have contracts through the next 10 years. Not happening.

Hey just had an in general question. If i already have my badge do i need
to be there at the registration time or can i just walk in whenever im
ready. thanks

You can enter whenever you like once you get your badge. You can also exit and re-enter whenever you like during show hours.