Anime Boston

Over the past years at Anime Boston, our staff has seen that the plastic bags given out at registration are often discarded immediately, either outside the Registration doors or directly inside the Hynes entrance way.

In an effort to reduce waste at Anime Boston, we will be looking towards reducing physical paper use and will not be handing out plastic Registration bags this year. Like years past, reusable bags will be offered by our Merchandise team at our Merchandise Booth inside the Dealers' Room.

All relevant hand outs will be inside your Program Guide, including our event schedules, offers from our sponsors and a few extra surprises!

Additionally, to help with our Green effort, Anime Boston has partnered with The Conventionist to develop an iPhone/Android app for your smart phone or device! Keep your eyes peeled for more information about our new mobile application.

This makes me somewhat sad. I never discarded my bag until I went home. It was quite useful to me over the weekend.

But I'm all for Anime Boston going green and reducing waste!

We actually still use the bag from last year in my house. It's to actually bring empty plastic bottles back to get recycled!

[quote=danim]This makes me somewhat sad. I never discarded my bag until I went home. It was quite useful to me over the weekend.

But I'm all for Anime Boston going green and reducing waste![/quote]

Personally, I always hated lugging around any sorts of con bags such as AB's (this was back before I was staff or at cons where I'm not staff). I always have a backpack with me at a con to carry all that junk instead.

I carry a decent amount of tech with me to the con, so on the android app (hopefully for scheduling). Any way we can just opt out of all the other junk that tends to get thrown away as well?

[quote=danim]This makes me somewhat sad. I never discarded my bag until I went home. It was quite useful to me over the weekend.

But I'm all for Anime Boston going green and reducing waste![/quote]

I hear you there. Nothing like the joy of bringing back your bag of goodies Thursday. ...

Can I ask how much the bags will be and if the staff will consider selling them at badge pickup?

I still have mine from last year. I think I might bring it and use it to haul home goodies.

I have every plastic bag from every AB since 2006. Yes, that makes me an unhealthy packrat. However, AB schedule on the conventionist app makes me a happy panda, especially since I have a better chance of getting a signal in the Hynes then the BCEC.

I'm with Yukito, I'd like the new bags to be available closer to pickup, too. I make use of them every year, and I actually still have both of mine from past years.

The Merch team will be available within the registration area on Thursday night, and Friday and Saturday morning. If demand is strong, we will continue trying to man the table as long as possible, but especially until the Dealer's Room opens on Friday at noon, you will have the opportunity to buy merch from us.

The bags are adjustable shoulder strap bags, open on top, with pockets for pens, water bottles, and a wide outside pocket that's perfect for holding your con book and any handouts you chose to take. They will be five dollars.

In addition to the bags, we will have a limited supply of our other merch in the Reg area. Due to logistic issues, we won't have everything, so please stop by our main booth in the Dealer's Room as well!

They also will have a very awesome AB design on them. ^__~

Definitely looking forward to the Android app! That will mean one less item to carry in my tote bag.

Awes that's a shame they wont have the bags since I always used mine....but I can understand the waste that probably come from them. I might have to look into those merch bags.

I did go download the conventionist app and looked at a different con on there...if that's how the AB app would be like then I'm excited!!! It breaks the schedule down really well and let's u plan the events you want to go to. I really hope the app is done in time because it will be such a benefit to everyone that can use it!!!! ^_^

Do the bags cost anything?

I was just about to ask if you were going to have the schedule available on Conventionist. It has made scheduling my time at previous conventions super easy!

[quote=Krys-chan]Do the bags cost anything? [/quote]

$5, as Kerry stated a few posts above.

We do have a simpler, grocery tote style bag from previous years that will be $3, for those who like a simpler, cheaper option.

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[quote=Faceman][quote=Krys-chan]Do the bags cost anything? [/quote]

$5, as Kerry stated a few posts above.[/quote]

Ah thank you~ I guess I just couldn't see it. One of those moments lol.

This is FANTASTIC to hear!

I usually recycle the bag once I get home or use it as a trash bag at my Artists Alley table throughout the weekend anyways aa well as bring my own reusable bags to cons to use as I tend to hit up the Trader Joe's across the street for my weekend con food supply and save a little bringing in my own bags to use! ^_^V

Definitely great to hear they're getting rid of the plastic bags and offering an environment friendly alternative! ^_^V KUDOS AB FOR GOING GREEN! <3 <3 <3

Lets not forget either;

Anime Boston falls on Earth Day, so going green is the perfect way to honor this day.

this is disappointing. last year i used my bag to carry everything (and by everything, i mean even my phone and stuff, since my costume didn't have pockets).

somehow "going green" always tends to be code for "get ready for some inconvenience"

[quote=reaper527]this is disappointing. last year i used my bag to carry everything (and by everything, i mean even my phone and stuff, since my costume didn't have pockets).

somehow "going green" always tends to be code for "get ready for some inconvenience" [/quote]
Nobody said you couldn't bring your own bag. We just won't be supplying them because so many get tossed that it's a waste.

I really like this idea though there goes a bag for garbage. Ah well there's always bags from Shaws. I'm glad you got rid of the bags though. They would just be left everywhere and discarded so it really was a waste.

i never use my AB bag at the con (previous years i carried a purse, this year i have incorparated storage into my costume) so im not bothered by you guys not giving them out this year. though i actually use last years to hold all my scrap fabric since its a nice big open bag.

will you have the t-shirts available at Thursday Pre-reg? id love having one less thing to lug around the con, especially since i wear a very popular size and therefore have to get mine right away before you guys sell out.

[quote=lyraparry11]will you have the t-shirts available at Thursday Pre-reg? id love having one less thing to lug around the con, especially since i wear a very popular size and therefore have to get mine right away before you guys sell out.[/quote]

Yes, we plan to bring some of each size to the merch area in reg. We'll do our best to keep them stocked throughout the afternoon and evening. 8)

Three cheers for using The Conventionist! I used this at PAX on my Droid and it was super-convenient. Bonus points for the fact that if you create a personal schedule, it lets you set notifications to remind you what you wanted to do. (Plus for PAX at least there was a create-your-own event type, so you could schedule lunch with a friend, photo shoots not on the con schedule, whatevs.)

I saw that the Hynes is tweeting about its own app, myHynes, and suggesting using it for AB. What's up with that?

And I applaud the decision to lose the plastic bags, too. In addition to the environmental issues, there's the fact that everybody carrying the same bag is a recipe for losing your stuff. All the more reason to either bring your own bag, or buy one of the re-usable AB bags and decorate it with something from Artists Alley so you'll remember which one is yours.

We will have perminant markers, sharpies and broader tipped ones available at the merch table. We've always recommended marking the bags/water bottles so that if they turn up in lost and found we can match them to their owners. 8)

[quote=Kiki]I saw that the Hynes is tweeting about its own app, myHynes, and suggesting using it for AB. What's up with that?[/quote]

The Hynes app isn't bad, but it's pretty much just a map of the center and surrounding areas. Useful for getting your bearings, looking for a place to park or get food, etc. It doesn't really have any schedules for the events being held there (at least last time I looked).

[quote=Dragonmaster Lou][quote=Kiki]I saw that the Hynes is tweeting about its own app, myHynes, and suggesting using it for AB. What's up with that?[/quote]

The Hynes app isn't bad, but it's pretty much just a map of the center and surrounding areas. Useful for getting your bearings, looking for a place to park or get food, etc. It doesn't really have any schedules for the events being held there (at least last time I looked).[/quote]

Ah, thanks. I won't feel bad about them not having an Android version, then.

[quote=SciFiGrl47][quote=lyraparry11]will you have the t-shirts available at Thursday Pre-reg? id love having one less thing to lug around the con, especially since i wear a very popular size and therefore have to get mine right away before you guys sell out.[/quote]

Yes, we plan to bring some of each size to the merch area in reg. We'll do our best to keep them stocked throughout the afternoon and evening. 8)[/quote]
thats great to hear, and i will definetly stop by on thursday.

and will the iphone app work on ipod touches too? is there free wifi available in the hynes to use this feature?

It should, though Wi-Fi can be spotty as you get hundreds of people trying to access it and it slows it down.

Ill be honest with you the app idea is really good. I myself am leeching off of my phone all the time and it'd be great not loosing the program guide for once then having to get another the next day ._.;

[quote=lyraparry11][quote=SciFiGrl47][quote=lyraparry11]will you have the t-shirts available at Thursday Pre-reg? id love having one less thing to lug around the con, especially since i wear a very popular size and therefore have to get mine right away before you guys sell out.[/quote]

Yes, we plan to bring some of each size to the merch area in reg. We'll do our best to keep them stocked throughout the afternoon and evening. 8)[/quote]
thats great to hear, and i will definetly stop by on thursday.

and will the iphone app work on ipod touches too? is there free wifi available in the hynes to use this feature?[/quote]

Iphone apps normally do work on ipods touches. Its basically the same app store. Internet at the Hynes... I dont remember if it was free or not. I dont think it was D:

The Hynes has free WiFi, but as someone else mentioned people will need to be patient with it. I'm sure it will get a little slow with so many people on it at once.

[quote=Rappak]It should, though Wi-Fi can be spotty as you get hundreds of people trying to access it and it slows it down. [/quote]
The app doesn't need to re-download the schedule every time, so it's actually quite speedy even in places with bad (or no) connectivity.

[quote=PatrickD][quote=Rappak]It should, though Wi-Fi can be spotty as you get hundreds of people trying to access it and it slows it down. [/quote]
The app doesn't need to re-download the schedule every time, so it's actually quite speedy even in places with bad (or no) connectivity.[/quote]
Is it just a schedule? Or does it have links to programming book blurbs ala the web-based thing? I assume it updates when you post updates as well?

[quote=BasharOfTheAges][quote=PatrickD][quote=Rappak]It should, though Wi-Fi can be spotty as you get hundreds of people trying to access it and it slows it down. [/quote]
The app doesn't need to re-download the schedule every time, so it's actually quite speedy even in places with bad (or no) connectivity.[/quote]
Is it just a schedule? Or does it have links to programming book blurbs ala the web-based thing? I assume it updates when you post updates as well?[/quote]

I haven't seen it myself, but I do know for a fact it uses the description information of each event from the website.

And it will be updated when we update the website schedule too.

[quote=PatrickD][quote=Rappak]It should, though Wi-Fi can be spotty as you get hundreds of people trying to access it and it slows it down. [/quote]
The app doesn't need to re-download the schedule every time, so it's actually quite speedy even in places with bad (or no) connectivity.[/quote]

With the way the AB schedule is updated, I'm sure people will want to be able to re-download the schedule each day. As for the speedy part. Its great if you pre-downloaded it in advance, but if you find yourself having to download it on the fly with a bad connection its downright inoperable. Using the conventionist app at PAX East was a nightmare because I had bad/no connectivity on my phone.

[quote=Kiki][quote=Dragonmaster Lou][quote=Kiki]I saw that the Hynes is tweeting about its own app, myHynes, and suggesting using it for AB. What's up with that?[/quote]

The Hynes app isn't bad, but it's pretty much just a map of the center and surrounding areas. Useful for getting your bearings, looking for a place to park or get food, etc. It doesn't really have any schedules for the events being held there (at least last time I looked).[/quote]

Ah, thanks. I won't feel bad about them not having an Android version, then.[/quote]

Actually there is an Android version. Just downloaded it, looking at it right now.

Oh, Google was not a good friend to me when I was looking for that the other day.

But given that I live and work in Boston it sounds like myHynes wouldn't be much use to me. Unless it will tell me where a super-secret awesome breakfast place is that I could never learn about from the locals.

Like... Charlies? Yay for free brunch mimosas!

Hey here's a weird question...

So I'm making my prop and I'm planning on accomodating something of a hidden pocket for things like my programming guide and schedule, and I was wondering, with the lack of registration bags this year, will the programming guide still be the same size? Or if not, what are the new dimensions?

It will be the same size as previous years.

[quote=Eilonnwy]It will be the same size as previous years.[/quote]
Thank you! I apologize for how stupid that question sounded, it's just that my space is extremely limited and I needed to know what to prepare for.

It makes sense, and im glad that we're doing our part and so on and so forth!

We always used ours all weekend, and they were always a great size to carry our dealer room goods on the long trip home..,hell! My friends and i still use them to store our stuff now! So durable and functional, and with all our props more room to store is a good thing!

LOVE that AB is going green. Especially with the bags. (Considering that America alone tosses billions of plastic bags a year that cannot properly decay like other materials)

But I do have a quick question. Will a paper form of the AB schedule still be available for those who do not have phones capable of getting apps? (Im assuming yes, but I would just like to ask to make sure so I can plan accordingly)

Yes, Paper schedules will still be available. In addition, we'll have a box at the Merch table in Registration, so if you do not want your schedule, you can turn it in and we'll reduce waste.

Will we have a loud volunteer or three instructing people who don't want their schedules to turn them in? *lol* You know... for the non-forum-readers XD

A recycling bin might be useful, provided that people don't think it's the trash bin.