Educating the Public?

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Starrykosmik
Getting the hang of this...
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Joined: Fri Mar 03, 2017 8:57 am

Educating the Public?

Post by Starrykosmik »

One of the biggest struggles with having AB at the hynes is con goers are directly in contact with the public. This is of course unavoidable, but I do think it can cause some discomfort for both con goers and mall guests. One example being - as a cosplayer, it can be very frustrating to be eating and have someone take my photo unexpectedly. More then on one occasion I have been getting food in the mall's public areas and have had this happen. I have also noticed that general public behavior towards con goers has gotten way worse over the years and unfortunately unlike inside the con, there is rarely easy access to help. I know it can't always be helped because the public doesn't know con etiquette, but I was wondering if the mall it self might be willing to work with the con to help educate the public on whats going on and how behave in response to it. I think this would be both to the con goers and the public's benefit.
I don't know the best way to go about it, but something such as posting info fliers around the mall that explain what the con is and what the costumes are for / how to treat con goers would be nice. The fliers could be posted around a week or two before the con so people would be aware of the event ahead of time, and could be taken down at the end of the con. I know not everyone would read the fliers but it would be a good start to forming a better relationship with the city. I think this would also be helpful to mall security since often mall guests will stop in the middle of walk ways to take photos or videos.
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theonlylostsoul
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Re: Educating the Public?

Post by theonlylostsoul »

Hello!

Thank you for taking the time to share your concerns, experiences and ideas with us!

It's true, we have a unique dynamic with the Hynes Convention Center attached to the Prudential Mall. And I completely understand your concerns. When it's your down time and your focus is on food (thank you for eating!), the last thing you want is to have someone take photographs of you. Or as you try to navigate from one place to another through the mall, I've seen the stares happen, and I've been on the receiving end of the stares when I attended in cosplay. It's discomforting to say the least.

It would be wonderful if there was a way to educate the general populous. The Prudential Center is heavy on digital signage, which is quite costly. It's also hard to say if we'd reach the people who will be at the mall the weekend of our convention. It is Easter weekend, and there are many people who come in from out of town that end up at the mall.

If at any point you feel unsafe, please don't hesitate to reach out to Prudential Mall Security. Or if you see an Anime Boston staff member, please let one of us know!
Kirsten (Kiri) Smith
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Anime Boston
SM1
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Re: Educating the Public?

Post by SM1 »

Perhaps sticking a "Costume != Consent" sign outside?
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