Feedback thread? Feedback thread! 2022

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Eri Kagami
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Re: Feedback thread? Feedback thread! 2022

Post by Eri Kagami »

Just got home earlier this morning. We're glad we stayed an extra day at the Sheraton to avoid the Sunday check out rush and have Monday to explore just Boston things.

First of all, Anime Boston is my favorite anime convention. I've been going to these for the past 20 years. While I tend to frequent more pop culture events in my neck of the woods, anime cons is my people.

I can forgive a lot of things this year because of 2020 reasons. While I would have loved to have seen more decorations that tie into the food theme, but there's certain cuts that I can accept so that AB can keep going. Yes, this includes some interesting choices in the dealers hall, but most of my energy was spent with anime and anime-adjacent companies.

The Good
+ Cosplay events are why I go to Anime Boston. Cosplay Lip Sync Battle was fun. I always enjoy masquerade and cosplay chess.
+ Programming! I really enjoyed the panels I went to. I enjoy a mix of academic (yay Haru, Study of Anime, and Dungeonmaster Jim!) and silly (Bad Anime Bad, Doug Wilder, etc).
+ Open atrium! Loved just catching a breather here or just unwinding after the con.
+ AMV contest! We had a strong mix of anime music videos. I'm always hyped for this.
+ Glad I discovered Pressed. I'm still sad that food court is no more, but I'm happy with the value that I get at Pressed
+ This is small, but meaningful to me. I really appreciated the "Welcome home" fans that staff had. I really did feel home. (I also appreciated the mask reminders on said fans, I actually did suggest this to a local con! smart idea!)

The Bad
+ Kinda miss having the Sheraton entrance for general attendees, or at least have it as an accessibility entrance.
+ Mental whiplash with the dealers hall on the second floor and artist alley on the first. I like more room in the artist alley, but I have preference of the old layout.
+ Crowding on the second level Sheraton programming rooms made my partner go into a panic attack. There were panels they wanted to check out at the Sheraton Constitution ballrooms, but the crowding of people wasn't worth his mental health
+ Eh...maid cafe food...? I know convention center food isn't the best, but that hot dog weiner was in the water too long. (otherwise, I did appreciate the maids and their cabaret act!)

And of course, the older I get, the more I'm probably gonna stick with 1 cosplay per day. Anime Boston had so much to offer, even in this unstable world, I still had a good time. Looking forward to coming back home next year...but first, gonna get some Cheesecake Factory after work...
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Re: Feedback thread? Feedback thread! 2022

Post by Victablook »

pros:
- the lines, or lack thereof for security! oh my gosh, i was worried about making to events on time even with the pass that i had, but every time we arrived at the main prudential entrance, we were just able to walk right through unless we were waved over for a bag check. definitely took away a lot of the stress i had.
- the cosplay repair room. the staff there was super helpful and very understanding, and we managed to save a cosplay emergency thanks to the stuff that was there and the suggestions staff gave.
- the cosplay games! each coordinator brought their a-game and put together such entertaining events that were so fun to not only be in, but watch. i could feel the audience in each game having a blast, and i'm so glad for it.

the cons:
- it was hot. really hot. even in certain rooms that were known to be super cold in the past. i don't know if it was an issue with the hynes not turning their AC system on yet, but i definitely should have brought a hand fan because my friends and i kept sweating.
- the quiet rooms. one or more of them were moved around DURING the con without notice. so when i got overstimulated from all the noise one day and desperately needed a quiet room that i knew initially existed in a specific location, it was no longer there and i couldn't be verbal/have the confidence to ask a staff member where the nearest one could be. i was lucky that the benches in the area were quiet enough to relax in at the time.
- the dealer's room was severely lacking. several big businesses had huge booths that made it empty looking, but even the smaller businesses didn't have much variety. a good amount of the smaller vendors were mostly selling the same plushes and other merch of the same two or three series i had no interest in, which was disappointing. i feel like more variety in the dealer's room definitely would have helped ease the traffic happening in artist's alley, which offered a much better selection of things.
- the artist's alley layout could have been improved. for some reason, the outer square of the hall was always incredibly crowded, while the inner rows were difficult to navigate around in general.
- on the maps for the hynes in the guidebook app, it would be appreciated to indicate which floor a specific hall is located in. i was confused for a few minutes as to where a certain area was until i figured it out on my own.
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Re: Feedback thread? Feedback thread! 2022

Post by QueenBear »

pros:
- it was SO nice to just be able to walk in the front entrance and be on my way. even the entrance from the pru went smoothly, big fan of the new detectors & bag check.

- the staff was very patient and helpful! there was an incident with me and my friends regarding our masquerade tickets; my friends were given balcony seats when they asked for floor seats, and we had been in line for maybe an hour. due to quick thinking, everything was fixed, and we got very good seats!

- definitely appreciate the main-hall doors to the artist alley being closed. used to create a LOT of congestion, and while the main hall is still crowded (especially on saturday,) it was much more bearable

- the video dedicated to roadie was incredibly sweet, and the situation was handled very well. definitely cried, i'm gonna miss him.

- the idol showcase was so good. i can't wait to attend it again next year!!

- voting for amvs via a qr ballot worked a lot better than using a golf pencil on cardstock in the dark. i also like having audience input on best in show!

cons:
- air conditioning. i know it was fairly muggy this weekend, and it may very well be a hynes issue rather than a convention issue. but everyone i talked to was SWEATING. even in the artist alley where it was a bit cooler. i was wearing a fairly heavy cosplay, and my makeup was melting within minutes. it just kind of sucks that you can't wear a cosplay you worked really hard on for more than 10 minutes because the air conditioning isn't working properly.
in previous years i remember there being fans in high-traffic areas when the weather was predicted to be particularly warm, and more water coolers around.

- the variety in rhythm games this year was a little more limited. i was hoping to see groovecoaster and maimai again, and taiko no tatsujin was always fun too. though this is probably due to tokyo attack closing down.

- please have someone in the artist alley/dealers room to encourage people to take photos off to the side, and discourage them from just like... standing there and talking. the amount of people that were just socializing in the middle of the aisle in big groups was too much. šŸ˜­

- echoing what everyone else has said about the quiet rooms
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Re: Feedback thread? Feedback thread! 2022

Post by SM1 »

Good stuff:
Getting into the HCC is no longer a C.F. with respect to bag check + metal detectors. (This was true at PAX East as well - MCCA moved away from the hyper sensitive magnetometers that would get set off by anything and everything.) Now you are able to quickly get in and out. Huge improvement over previous years. May well have saved HOURS, plural, over the course of the event.

Lots of good events + panels. I wish I got to see more of them but simply ran out of gas by like 7pm each day. (Getting old is brutal but beats the alternative.)

Artist Alley and Dealers Room did not feel like fire hazards for once. You could move around without thinking, "I'm going to get trampled to death by someone in a Naruto costume. This is how my life will end."

Bad stuff:
God, the Sheraton sucks. If you stay in hotels on a semi regular basis you understand the massive and plentiful shortfalls. I haven't stayed at the Westin/BCEC so can't really say if there's a better option. I just wish Sheraton would be more in line with the price/quality curve, 'cause they ain't on it.

Unforgiveable stuff:
Holy smokes, badge pickup was a disaster. It took over 1 hour 30 minutes on *Thursday* when that's the only thing "running" and it's basically just us locals who happen to live close enough to Boston to pick up, along with a smattering of people who paid for Thursday night hotel reservations.
When I went by the Sheraton 2nd floor escalators on Saturday the badge pickup line never dissipated... and I was there fairly late into Saturday afternoon. Orange shirt Security staff were having to redirect foot traffic. I get the desire to have in person pickup only as this prevents nearly all scalping. It's not worth it. If next year I end up having to get a badge on the secondary market and pay +$20 USD that's more than worth the multiple hours of my personal time. PAX East can mail badges and doesn't have major issues with scalping. Long past time to join the big leagues here.
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Re: Feedback thread? Feedback thread! 2022

Post by fenderbender541 »

Thank you so much for all the hard work that the staff and volunteers did to put on a great event. It's been a while so it feels great to be back! I was in a group of 3 with weekend passes and these are our comments from throughout the weekend.

What we liked:
-Autographs were moved to the Hynes! This is much better than at the Sheraton where the multiple rooms caused lots of confusion.
-The guest list was excellent this year. They were great to interact with when we were able to.
-Gunpla!!!!! We liked seeing more gunpla in the dealers room and the gundam room was a neat addition.
-The panels we went to were all good or better; no bland panels during our weekend.
-Getting into the Hynes was much faster this year which is fantastic. I never waited more than a few minutes to get in even during the peak hours.
-Water was readily available in all the panel rooms which is greatly appreciated.

What we didn't like/could be improved:
-It was hot in the Hynes which made cosplay uncomfortable. Just wearing a wig became uncomfortable due to the heat.
-Seats were really close together in the panel rooms. We were rubbing shoulder-to-shoulder with other guests which was not smart in a Covid conscious environment.
-The walkways in the Artist/Dealer Room would get clogged by attendants viewing merchandise and traffic would stop. Could the aisles be made wider or tape off a walking lane to keep traffic moving?
-Autograph lines were too wide which made it hard for the autograph teams to figure out who is next in line. Sunday, the staff put tape on the floor to make a zig-zag pattern that made traffic more organized which was greatly appreciated, but could be better. We were lined up in 3 lines so it would be feasible to have the line go down, back to the front, then head back to the front of the line where the attendant would exit the line to the guest's volunteer guide.
- We thought the gunpla room would have been a room where we could see completed gunpla like a competition or a show so we were a bit let down when we learned it was a build space. Other cons have gunpla shows and they are awesome. This could be a way to expand the gunpla portion of the con.
-The security often didn't wear masks which was odd as they were telling us to wear our masks. It also seemed they skipped several bag checks to increase speed and checks seemed random rather than intentional.
-More Japanese guests of honor would be cool, but may not be feasible.
-More "fun" panels rather than educational or informative ones. While the panels we attended were all good, we did not attend as many as we would have liked as they did not interest us.
-The shortcut to the Hynes on the 3rd floor being closed off was a bummer especially since the dealer's room is now there.
-T-mobile and Hi-Dive took up way too much room in the dealer's room for what they offered attendants. Crunchyroll was a close 3rd, but they had photo opportunities so they did provide something that attendants could appreciate.

The wrong:
-The Max Mittelman Saturday autograph debacle. This should never have happened at a con going on 20 conventions. As you should know, attendants with the free autograph tickets were denied autographs because (as we were told) more than the roughly 100 tickets were given out. To make things worse, this was his last autograph session on the schedule. The website states that the tickets guarantee an autograph and in the ticket line, volunteers repeated this stating that the tickets were the only way to guarantee an autograph. We showed up about 30 minutes before the session began as instructed and were told the line was cut off. We went back to our room and a member of our group was holding back tears because they were lied to about getting the autograph they wanted. We went back later as the volunteer mentioned that the things may change, but we were still turned away. We were offered a lunchbox as an apology as if that was a suitable or appropriate replacement. Thankfully, Max was willing to do more autographs Sunday, but it was a paid session and the tickets were not accepted meaning we either had to fork over $40 + tax or leave with no autograph and guest meeting. This was the worst experience I have had at any convention and is unacceptable. The convention should have held themselves accountable and paid for the autographs of any attendant that they wronged on Saturday.
-Griffin Burns Sunday autograph session. Guidebook stated that Griffin Burns had free autograph sessions on Friday and Sunday. As such, we scheduled our autographs around this info and decided to get Griffin's autograph on Sunday since other guests were only Friday and Saturday. So Sunday morning we are in the autograph ticket room and the autograph team announces who is available for signings and they do not say Griffin which lead someone to ask if was doing a signing that day which we were told there was not going to be free autographs that day. About 40% of the attendants got up and left feeling cheated. Someone audibly said "This is bullsh*t" before leaving the room and that really summarizes the autograph issues this year. So once again, we either had to fork over $40 or miss out on an autograph and guest meeting. We didn't even get an apology for this. The staff just stated that they messed up and oh well.

As much as we love this convention, we left feeling cheated. There was so much we liked and the things that could be improved are mostly nitpicks, but the major issues should never have happened and were the worst experiences we've had at a convention. I believe these will be resolved for next year, but the damage has been done and I myself will be much more skeptical at any claim Anime Boston makes/ Trust is easy to break and difficult to rebuild. Please do better.
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Re: Feedback thread? Feedback thread! 2022

Post by Penti »

SM1 wrote: ā†‘Tue May 31, 2022 11:13 pm Unforgiveable stuff:
Holy smokes, badge pickup was a disaster. It took over 1 hour 30 minutes on *Thursday* when that's the only thing "running" and it's basically just us locals who happen to live close enough to Boston to pick up, along with a smattering of people who paid for Thursday night hotel reservations.
When I went by the Sheraton 2nd floor escalators on Saturday the badge pickup line never dissipated... and I was there fairly late into Saturday afternoon. Orange shirt Security staff were having to redirect foot traffic. I get the desire to have in person pickup only as this prevents nearly all scalping. It's not worth it. If next year I end up having to get a badge on the secondary market and pay +$20 USD that's more than worth the multiple hours of my personal time. PAX East can mail badges and doesn't have major issues with scalping. Long past time to join the big leagues here.
Very much agreed. I was there Thursday, and the flow of the line made absolutely no sense; as they just had everyone zigzaging around the Sheraton from line to line to line before finally arriving in the registration room, combined with how backed up it was.
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Re: Feedback thread? Feedback thread! 2022

Post by Nemra »

Hi Everyone,

Thank you all for taking the time to submit your feedback! We are still recovering from the con weekend so we haven't had a chance to address some of the comments made but be assured we will get there!

In the meantime, I have also updated the original forum post with a link to the feedback form. If you could all take the time to fill it out, it would be incredibly helpful to us!

Here is the link to the feedback form as well.
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Re: Feedback thread? Feedback thread! 2022

Post by BlueLaguna88 »

Pros:
-The reservation system for the Maid Cafe was a great way of doing it.
-The maids were friendly and fun as always
-The atmosphere was great

Cons:
-The food was terrible. Nothing at all like a Cafe. It was just subpar convention food. Dry cheeseburgers, hot dogs and pretzels that I could've gotten outside the cafe
-The only sweets they had was boba tea and donuts. I would pay more to have actual Cafe sweets like in an actual Cafe.
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Re: Feedback thread? Feedback thread! 2022

Post by ArtestCosplayGirl200 »

This year was amazing, but with a few minor errors that could improve better.

Pros: security was better this year, Iā€™m glad they had that because it made things faster. Bag check was good. Also the wifi was so much going smoother this year. Always before it never worked in the hynes. Glad the photoshoots are in a panel room still. I did get lost on about the dealers room and artest ally. But Iā€™m glad the changes was good and it made it easier and less crowded on the first floor. artist ally was amazing and had great venders. I like that the photo op thing was free, before you had to pay and it was hard to get photos there. Iā€™m glad the idol show case was its own thing because then I got to see more skits play out this year then the one year they had many idol skits and they won majority of the awards. Itā€™s nice to see different varieties of skits. I did enjoy the announcements happening for a few things. So maybe announce more then just guest stuff. Maybe say like the big main events as well so people know. Iā€™m super happy that there was a room just for table top and for the guest. It saves room and it gives a place for them to go instead of the dealers room. Iā€™m glad things ended at a good time on Sunday. The panels were interesting this year. I did love the panels this year. So different kinds of panels would be good next year. I love that they expanded on the panel rooms for things, it was more room and it did give more people a chance to be able to go to it and not worry of capping. I am super pleased of the enforced mask and vaccines because it made me feel a lot safer and happy this was enforced. Especially if they caught someone with a mask down that was not eating and drinking. I would love for that to return again. Staff was super well informed this year then pervious years and was super nice. It felt like they knew what they were doing and was enjoying the con too. Badge line went a lot smoother then ever before. I felt I got my badge out within a few mins. I did like that I was able to check Into the cosplay games on Thursday. It made it a lot easier and faster. The cosplay game staff was amazing and wonderful this year. I felt welcomed and loved by them. It did feel like staff in general 100% cares this year. I did like that staff went around this year with the camera recording this year for closing ceremonies. It felt it was a nice touch and fun. I do miss staff walking around with a camera and taking photos of cosplayers in the halls. I love that they brought back day badges, it was amazing to have that again. However maybe offer two day badges again and still have single day badges. It did feel like a convention again that offers day badges. It did help a lot of those who only wanted to go for a day or two.

Cons to improve on:
Maybe try to get the con to happen in may or June because it felt nice that we got to sit outside and had photos taken. It made everyone not be crowded inside.
Dealers was disappointing, I didnā€™t spend time much there.
Maybe a section that had props or a scenery set up for photos. I saw the shield hero and the ramen set up. So maybe stuff like that in a second or around the con would be super fun to do. There was more open space for things, so having it through out the con or in a room would be super cool to have.
Can masquerade not be so late, it was weird it was a bit late this year. However maybe for walk ons to not be out in the open. Skits always get to sit behind a curtain, why not the same for walk ons so that they donā€™t ruin the surprise.
It would be great to have a map up of where the rooms are in the Haynes. I did had a hard time finding a few rooms because the paper map was not much help. Also maybe go paperless for that or have it in the book and not on a paper. It would be nice to have some panels be featured on the tvs to show whatā€™s happening atm. I kept forgetting to use my phone and the paper, it was also hard to find places.
Maybe have stuff early in the day and not later in the day. Please keep in mind of have the heat or blast the AC on depend on the season. It was too hot in places and outside was humid. So it made it harder to stay in cosplay and also someone passed out after chess. Maybe more things for kids, Iā€™m glad there was the chibi zone (they improved a lot better for kids). Maybe have something play in the back ground. I did enjoy the coloring panel. So maybe a few panels more towards kids. Iā€™ve been seeing more kids go this year then ever before. The autograph ticket was a mess this year. I still couldnā€™t find it and I found the concert and masqaurade ticket easier then autograph. So maybe have them all in the same place.
Something happen this year that has brought my attend for concern that someone on staff, whoever was ether in dealers or artist ally need to get there head out of being entitled because there was a vender that went this year and kicked them out without even them giving an explanation. They were busy setting up and they didnā€™t get a chance to show they had a badge or ID proof to vend there. They were rude to them and told them to leave. So please have them or ab apologize for that and maybe next time have them be more aware of who bends and give them a chance to explain themselves.
Maybe more food option and more food stalls like the pervious years. Maybe have a section room just for food only. How about a place for people to sit down and rest. Sometimes people kept sitting down in the hallways. Iā€™m glad there was benches off the side instead of the middle of the room please keep that. But maybe a room just dedicated to lounging. That could give great advertising to yogi bean bags.


I did wanted to take note that something was missing from ab this year. I didnā€™t know it was their 20th year. So maybe something they could have done more towards making it their 20th year and kind of wish they made a huge deal because they been around for 20 years. So maybe something when itā€™s their anniversary would have been great. Instead of food theme, could have been like it was their 20th year theme. Also I wanted to say I loved the museum. Keep that going every year and maybe advertise it more.
Masqaurade was amazing and had more to show this year. So it feels great not seeing a ton of dancing. But however there was a lot of singing this year and it would be great if they didnā€™t have a ton of singing next year. I know there will be a ton of idols theme, but hoping that we donā€™t get a ton of that for showing next year.
Last edited by ArtestCosplayGirl200 on Thu Jun 02, 2022 8:54 am, edited 2 times in total.

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Re: Feedback thread? Feedback thread! 2022

Post by ArtestCosplayGirl200 »

infr0gnito wrote: ā†‘Mon May 30, 2022 11:48 am The good:
- The access to gender neutral restrooms. It was very classy to have four of them this year, and they were easily marked and easy to find.
- The two photoshoot locations in Hall B. They were very spacious, and the concrete floor kept everyone nice and cold.
- Requiring full vaccination and masks. Absolutely wonderful way to make sure everyone stays safe.

The bad:
- The lack of water! There used to be a water cooler within sight no matter where you walked (save for near the concert and exhibition halls as to prevent traffic blockage). The only places I could find water this year were the parentā€™s lounge and quiet room.
- Speaking of, the quiet room was an absolute joke. It was located in the busiest hall with the most foot traffic, and the door wasnā€™t allowed to be shut. My partner and I are neurodivergent, and when either of us were feeling overwhelmed, we tried the quiet room. It was never monitored by staff, so people came in with their screaming children, or had full-on loud conversations in there. You NEED a staff member to sit in this room and keep the volume down.
- Changing the names of the photoshoot locations two days before the con was extremely unprofessional. I have no idea why that decision was made. I had printed little cards the location information of the photoshoots I was hosting (drawn up by me and paid for with my own money), and then all my cards were rendered useless because the location names were changed. At least if you guys gave a two week notice to changing the names, I couldā€™ve reprinted them.
- Artistā€™s Alley was awful. There needs to be rules by the door that you canā€™t stop to take pictures in the Artistā€™s Alley and Dealerā€™s Room, and they need to be heavily enforced. There needs to be indicators are to where traffic can and cannot move, as to let everyone move around the room smoothly. There might even need to be a limit as to how many people can enter the room. I witnessed people get pushed down and trampled this year. I donā€™t think it should take an actual death for something to change. (Note: I say Artistā€™s Alley was bad because the Dealerā€™s Room was actually fine. It was very spacious and cold, but had so many vendors not cancel, Iā€™m sure it wouldā€™ve been the same)
- Pre-reg. Pre-reg is always bad. I highly recommend what another user suggested in this forum: to allow people to get their badges mailed to them.
- The full name on the badges. I understand why theyā€™re thereā€” in case someone loses their badge and needs to pick it up in lost and found. But there has to be a better way than putting someoneā€™s full name on display to thousands of strangers. Iā€™ve had people track me down on Facebook. Iā€™ve had people figure out my cell phone number and call me. Iā€™m sure there are worse things that can happen when the wrong person gets ahold of the first and last name of a cosplayer they find really pretty. On top of this, anyone who is transgender but hasnā€™t had their name legally changed has to see their deadname on their badge the whole convention. If the concern is people picking up lost badges, I would suggest a barcode that when scanned pulls up their badge information, or a string of numbers/letters that is unique to each person, so as long as they have the email containing this string, they can show it to staff and get their badge back.

All in all, this convention was a huge let-down for me. I spent $100 on my badge alone for a weekend of sweltering heat with barely any access to water and a lack of accommodation for neurodiversity. I believe my money will be better well-spent at conventions that actually care about their guests. Iā€™ve been going to Anime Boston every year since 2013, and I can safely say my experience this year has pushed me to never come back.

It would be good to have it on the back of the badge next year. Like the emergency number and full name. That way people wonā€™t know your info from the badges. Just have the badge name on the front. Iā€™ve been to cons that had that.

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Re: Feedback thread? Feedback thread! 2022

Post by ArtestCosplayGirl200 »

I wanted to make note that I did like that everything made me feel like it wasnā€™t so enclose together so things was pretty spaced out. But however I agree with someone that hi dive, t-mobile, and Crunchyroll took up too much space. But maybe have it organized a bit better and place them in sections that is more suitable to have that kind of space. Also having t-mobile there felt so odd. Maybe more variety venders would be nice. I do have to agree that maybe itā€™s time for artist ally and dealers to have not have cosplayers stop ask for photos of other cosplayers. It feels that it will cause a fire hazard in the future or get someone hurt or even be in the way of someone trying to make money. I didnā€™t like that a few vender were kind of not paying attention who was at the booth, I felt super ignored by a few venders when I was trying to buy something from them. I get that there was more people, but every time I tried to get their attention, they went to someone else when I was actually next to buy something. So I didnā€™t buy from them because it felt a waist standing there for 40 mins trying to buy something.

I wanted to mention this, I thought they said anyone under five was not allowed to come to the con because they were not vaccinated. Also some kids did end up going and was not enforced with the mask policy like everyone else. In general staff was great but reading all the feed back, I do agree with a lot of how the staff was this year. Also why was security not wearing mask? Like they should wear them like everyone else. I also saw coat check too a few times doing that.

The quiet room I have to agree should be on another floor and have staff there at all times to enforce the quiet room.

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Re: Feedback thread? Feedback thread! 2022

Post by Sayoria »

ArtestCosplayGirl200 wrote: ā†‘Thu Jun 02, 2022 8:24 am Also having t-mobile there felt so odd.
I thought so too. I was thinking to myself "Oh boy, exactly what I came to the con for. To buy a new phone!"

Maybe next year, we can have TD Bank to assist in opening bank accounts, or get Toyota in there to sell some cars.
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Re: Feedback thread? Feedback thread! 2022

Post by tundrabunny »

Really awesome con this year! Very hyped to come back again and I fully agree with all the pros people have mentioned.

As for one negative (and I have NO idea if this is within Anime Boston's realm of control directly), but the maid cafƩ was a little lacking. The maids were super sweet and did a great performance, so full credit to them! However, any time they weren't performing, the room was oddly awkwardly silent. Could have made use out of some quiet background music or something. Also the food was beyond terrible. I know there's only so many options when it comes to food you can have ready on demand, but pre-packaged hamburgers and hot dogs wasn't really selling the maid cafƩ vibe. Not to mention, they were really REALLY bad. Enough to make me feel sick, and I'm not a very picky person. The only sweet or even vaguely japanese-related thing you could get there was boba tea, and it was 8 dollars for a super small room-temperature cup of it.

However, I really enjoyed the reservation system! It was super quick and easy so I appreciate that part of it! Just some things to consider.
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Re: Feedback thread? Feedback thread! 2022

Post by ferretwrangler »

Sayoria wrote: ā†‘Thu Jun 02, 2022 1:14 pm
ArtestCosplayGirl200 wrote: ā†‘Thu Jun 02, 2022 8:24 am Also having t-mobile there felt so odd.
I thought so too. I was thinking to myself "Oh boy, exactly what I came to the con for. To buy a new phone!"

Maybe next year, we can have TD Bank to assist in opening bank accounts, or get Toyota in there to sell some cars.
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Re: Feedback thread? Feedback thread! 2022

Post by ferretwrangler »

We had a blast this past weekend overall. I, for one, am glad weā€™re going back to April next year.

Pros:
- pre-registration line moved pretty quickly on Friday morning. Weā€™re normally Thursday arrival folks, so I was a little nervous doing Friday arrival. Was pleasantly surprised. In and out in less than 30 minutes.
- Security line was a breeze. The new detectors are great.
- Dealers room layout was nice. Lots of room in the aisles to easily walk by without too much crowding.
- Photo stations were a really nice touch this year.
- Lots of great vintage finds in the dealers room this year. I was pleasantly surprised.
Cons:
- Holy hell it got HOT in there this year. Thank goodness I had shorts as part of my cosplay Friday. But Saturday was pure misery. I was only able to last half the day in my cosplay before I couldnā€™t take the sweat anymore.
- Not enough water stations.
- Game room felt a bit cramped this year. Maybe a larger room with more space in between the games? It was hard to hear with the consoles pretty much on top of each other.
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Re: Feedback thread? Feedback thread! 2022

Post by infr0gnito »

ArtestCosplayGirl200 wrote: ā†‘Thu Jun 02, 2022 8:09 am It would be good to have it on the back of the badge next year. Like the emergency number and full name. That way people wonā€™t know your info from the badges. Just have the badge name on the front. Iā€™ve been to cons that had that.
HARD AGREE ON THIS! That is such a good way to do it, especially including an emergency contact number on the back as well! That way if someone goes unconscious, instead of fishing around their person for information, they can literally just flip the badge over. Itā€™s increased safety measures all around the board ^^
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Re: Feedback thread? Feedback thread! 2022

Post by pulsedemon »

Master of NERV wrote: ā†‘Mon May 30, 2022 3:40 pmDealer's Room: as others have said, the dealer's room seemed thin this year. But it makes me wonder whether it was simple inflation that kept more distant vendors away, fearful of not being able to recoup their transportation costs. To Staff!--if there is any truth to this theory, a brief statement to the effect would be most appreciated.
I can cover a few of the things I'd seen mentioned in the thread! First, the halls weren't specifically 'spaced out' more than usual.
CD_crop.png
CD_crop.png (107.73 KiB) Viewed 7334 times
That's a crop from the full floor plan where I left the measurements in. I've squeezed the aisles a bit over time since most of them have been 20' wide in the past. I think hall D felt more 'open' because some of the larger booths weren't covering every square foot with tables or 'stuff'.

Second, as I'd seen postulated elsewhere in the thread, we definitely ran into situations where a lot of people we had booked into space in the past appear to be out of business. No response to multiple messages, no web presence anymore.

Third, also as I'd seen mentioned in this thread, there were a lot of other significant events going on around the country. I spoke to people that had plans to go to shows that are closer to home for them. I spoke to people that had trouble finding help to staff booths. I spoke to some that had to back out at the last minute because they got sick. One person mentioned Bullmoose specifically and they got pinched by a bunch of things all at once. They had a bunch of employees out sick and they were also moving a store so anyone that was available to work that wasn't already working at another store was helping their inventory and moving efforts.

Hope this helps give a clearer understanding about how everything came together!
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Re: Feedback thread? Feedback thread! 2022

Post by Penti »

Something I forgot to mention in my original post, that is more a suggestion for potential future con merch. While browsing the museum, a friend and I both really liked seeing the the old T-shirts and posters, and think it'd be cool if maybe they could reissue some of them; either at next con or perhaps saving them for another anniversary year. At the very least, I'd love to see a reprint of the AB 2004 poster that's based on the T map; that one was a personal favorite.
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Re: Feedback thread? Feedback thread! 2022

Post by Kalyoth »

Penti wrote: ā†‘Thu Jun 02, 2022 7:13 pm Something I forgot to mention in my original post, that is more a suggestion for potential future con merch. While browsing the museum, a friend and I both really liked seeing the the old T-shirts and posters, and think it'd be cool if maybe they could reissue some of them; either at next con or perhaps saving them for another anniversary year. At the very least, I'd love to see a reprint of the AB 2004 poster that's based on the T map; that one was a personal favorite.
Me & a few others have asked in the past why there is not an official AB Merch shop via those businesses that produce upon demand all the merch stuff they do now a days. It would not involve AB hosting inventory or managing shipping options & they would continuously have a potential revenue stream with a rotating availability so its not just the same items available all year long. Never did receive a response. Would be perfect to promote all the memories for those who missed out or seek to reclaim the nostalgia.

Especially with the museum now about - loads of potential to draw upon from 20 years of memories - can even do new items not previously done.
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Re: Feedback thread? Feedback thread! 2022

Post by trashlordizunia »

Wow, after three years almost it was great to be back. A few things, though:

With everything going on, I understand how pre reg was a mess on Thursday, but I think there needed a little more direction on where to go when me and the other people I went with went to pick our badges up. Instructions on where to go werenā€™t very clear. It took us almost an hour to get them, which never ever happened in previous years.

Another, I went to the HAMV contest at midnight on Saturday. There needs to be more than one screen in that room as it was absolutely packed in there. I am not tall, so almost everyone that sat in front of me completely blocked my view of the screen and I couldnā€™t enjoy that event to the full extent because of it. Do what the regular AMV contest does and put screens on sides of the room so everyone can see.

But thatā€™s it! Everything else was fine for the most part. Canā€™t wait for next year!
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Re: Feedback thread? Feedback thread! 2022

Post by ryoko9887 »

Hi there, I had an amazing time, with the exception of Saturday, Myself and my companion (with disability access stickers) where the first people sitting by the outside of the auditorium for the masquerade show, we sat there for 2 hrs, along with 2 more disability access attendees, who showed up shortly after we did. When it was time to go in, we where brought in and told that we had our own section in the middle of the auditorium and that we don't get the option to sit upfront,(we did in 2019), I then started to explain that it made us feel like we don't deserve to sit up front at all, I told them I felt like they are excluding us because we have disability access and made us feel like we where not worthy of sitting up front and someone else said they had vision problems and finally, the staff just said, go ahead, but like in a way that they didn't want to hear us. It just left such a horrible feeling for us who went up front(3rd row), it's also the reason why they probably kept announcing that to please listen to staff and sit where they tell you. My companion almost started crying because how it was making us feel. If you are going to section us off to the middle of the room, maybe let us know and I will definitely just not show my access sticker again but still show up 2 hrs before the show and sit with the rest of the people who do get the choice to sit up front. I thank God that the Masquerade was an amazing show and we forgot about it, till we got to our rooms and then felt sad again. Overall the con was great and we can't wait to be back next year because we absolutely love this con.
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Re: Feedback thread? Feedback thread! 2022

Post by ErinErin »

It was my first time back at Anime Boston since 2014 and my first time as a panelist at AB. Overall I had a good time.

Good:
-Fast security checks
-No lines
-Every staff member I interacted with was friendly and helpful

Not so Good:
-No vaccine checking when I picked up my badge Thursday evening or Friday evening when I accompanied a friend to get hers. The staff members at pre-reg were more concerned with keeping us moving than checking our vaccine cards.
-Access to Sheraton during peak registration line times. I stayed in the Sheraton South tower and it was hard to get off the elevator area and access the panel rooms on the 3rd floor when the reg line was snaking through the hallways and blocking doorways.
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Re: Feedback thread? Feedback thread! 2022

Post by ferretwrangler »

ArtestCosplayGirl200 wrote: ā†‘Thu Jun 02, 2022 8:24 am I wanted to mention this, I thought they said anyone under five was not allowed to come to the con because they were not vaccinated. Also some kids did end up going and was not enforced with the mask policy like everyone else.
Attendees under 5 were definitely allowed to come. To my understanding anyone 2 years or older was supposed to be wearing a mask.
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Re: Feedback thread? Feedback thread! 2022

Post by Chad »

On the positive side, the masquerade was pretty good and I appreciated fans being good about wearing their masks and con staff carrying fans that said wear your mask on one side - hotel staff out of your control. Waiting impatiently to see masquerade pictures on the website, listings of who won. You ARE going to do that, right?

Medium - the gaming room, DDR and rhythm games were fine, liked the old school games, but expected VR. Really, that and masquerade were the only two things I enjoyed at the con.

Lots of negatives, though. Too crowded, as others mentioned, especially in the "artists alley". What was attendance? Need a bigger venue for the number of people. Registration was set up very badly. I kept asking where the prereg line was, the volunteers didn't know, called the shift lead who lied to me and said it was on the left, in actual fact there was no prereg line, everyone was just put in a single line like a mess of sheep. There were no self-scan stations for those of us who printed out our prereg sheets, the volunteers working prereg did fine, but having to wait in a ridiculously huge line with everyone together was a really bad setup, with that number of attendees you need a lot more staff and registration should be broken into two rooms, one for prereg and another for at-con. The lamest artists alley I've ever been to, really mostly a secondary dealers room with people selling stuff, only a couple artists. The art show was a tiny little corner with one good painting that was already sold for $55. I love cons with a huge art show, lots of amateur artists and a handful of big name pro artists, I was expecting to see original manga art on the walls and really cool stuff, people getting excited about going to the auction. There was no art auction. I have friends who draw manga and have been published, there have to be lots of fans who draw, this could be great, instead a tiny little art show was completely overwhelmed by marketing of merchandise.

Karaoke was disappointing. I reserved a time slot at the maid cafe but heard how bad the show sounded while I was in the cafeteria and decided not to go. The seating wasn't assigned or timed for masquerade or hololive, again, the organizers did a bad job like with registration, so I was going to just skip hololive when I saw the line, instead waited in the video game room for everyone else to go in. Thank goodness I got balcony tickets, the line downstairs was stupid. The idol performances were pretty disappointing, as was the hololive thing. Panels weren't interesting. No consuite, no dance, no room parties. I thought the 21+ lounge was supposed to be like a normal consuite with free food and drinks, but only for one night, glad I decided not to go Friday because I heard people couldn't even get in. The con was overpriced, I don't think I got anywhere near value for my money compared to other cons.
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Re: Feedback thread? Feedback thread! 2022

Post by BreadCosplay »

Chad wrote: ā†‘Fri Jun 03, 2022 7:29 pm Karaoke was disappointing. I reserved a time slot at the maid cafe but heard how bad the show sounded while I was in the cafeteria and decided not to go. ... The idol performances were pretty disappointing ...
I'd say that the points you've raised here are more personal opinion and less convention feedback. I wasn't even participating in the Idol Showcase but saying the performances were "disappointing" grinds my gears. I thought the performances at the showcase were incredible and full of spirit and energy and love. Unless you had issues with technical aspects or organizational aspects of things like the Idol Showcase or Karaoke, I don't think you should be including them in your negatives for general convention feedback because it just comes across that you're critiquing specific performances.
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Re: Feedback thread? Feedback thread! 2022

Post by Goldfish221 »

Hello,

The Good-

The new security system was amazing it kept lines moving and there was really no wait to get into the Hynes. I hope this continues in to future years.

I only caught the end of the Idol show but I really enjoyed it, I really can't wait to see it on youtube to see the full show.

The okay -
I enjoyed artists ally this year, but I will say it got very hot in there, and it may be out of ABs control it could have been tech issues with the cooling system, but if possible maybe they can crank the AC at least on Friday when everyone is in Artist ally.

Dealers room was a bit lack luster but I fully understand why with the state of the world and people getting sick. It was still so much better than the PAX East show floor. I really hope in future years more industry companies will come. T Mobile was super random and didn't really push the anime image I thought they would. To who ever joked about TD being there next year, at least TD can play on the image of they want us to open bank accounts to save money to buy anime merch and travel to Japan :P haha

I don't know if AB has say in this but the Hi Dive and Cruchyroll industry panels were very lackluster and kind of boring. The best update I got in the HiDive industry panel was that Sentai was having a huge sale. xD Hi Dive literally showed a preview and just left it at "you all know what this is", and I had no idea what the heck the anime was about. Also I really missed the Aniplex industry panel that is usually at AB, but again I do wonder if they didn't come to AB due to covid or cut backs in the company. Also I still would love to see Aniplex get a spot in the dealers room (if possible). Give them that T Mobile spot :P

The Bad

I honestly didn't care about the mask rules for personal opinions but if AB implements rules that everyone has to wear masks at all times in the AB venue then it should be enforced.I was annoyed seeing people that had masks that are not CDC approved aka the ones with vents, neck gators, and face shields or just nor wearing the mask properly. If it's a rule then it needs to be enforced. I do understand lack of staff this year made it super hard for everyone and it left the attendees to kind of use the honor system, but if masks are a thing next year (which I really hope its not) then there needs to be more enforcement.

Random feed back

I really missed the Mai Mai machines in the video games room, I'm guessing the company that brings it couldn't come this year, but I really hope the Mai Mai comes back in 2023!
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Re: Feedback thread? Feedback thread! 2022

Post by Hielostar »

Ok, now that Iā€™ve had some time to settle, letā€™s chat about this con! For context, Iā€™ve been an attendee since 2006, and have worked as a dealerā€™s room vendor in 2019 and 2022!

The Good

Security was so much of a breeze there was only one point on Saturday that I thought I was going to have to utilize my security fast pass. Maybe a couple of signs to tell people to move forward and that you donā€™t need to be further checked by security unless flagged to move over to bag check? Several of us were a bit puzzled by the process on Friday but got used to it as the convention went on.

Dealerā€™s Room staff was awesome and super helpful when we had any questions about loading, getting product on the floor Saturday morning when we sold through some of what we brought at the start of con. Yā€™all are the real MVPs.

The response to the Gunpla Build Room just blew my mind in the best way! Hearing that there was a line at one point to get in as well as full classes just makes me smile. Iā€™ll pass on the further feedback about having some finished kits on display to the crew at Gundam Pros!

Shoutouts to the bag check staff with the Sheraton on Sunday - super nice and kept telling us how much they loved having us for the weekend.

Charity Auction was awesome! Glad people were dropping some good coin (myself included) for a good cause!

The Meh

Good grief where was the AC in the Hynes during the weekend? It felt quite toasty at times, and I was glad I had water handy.

Definitely felt like slimmer pickings in the Dealerā€™s Room than in previous years, but I understand the multitude of factors leading to that. Hopefully things will pick back up next year.

Artistā€™s Alley location was great but man it felt so crowded at times in the aisles that I know I didnā€™t get a good look at most of the art on display. Definitely need more reinforcement on attendees not clogging aisles by taking pictures or having large group huddles (this wasnā€™t as bad of a problem in the dealerā€™s room).

Not a whole heck of a lot to do in the evenings - maybe programming will ramp up again next year too.

Please maybe some better signage next time on where Sundayā€™s bag check is, especially as it changed compared with previous years? Those of us who are creatures of habit showed up to the second floor not knowing that bag check was a floor below us in the hotel lobby.

ā€”-

Overall I enjoyed my time again this year and look forward to next yearā€™s festivities!
/ƦnÉŖme bɔstÉŖn/ 2006-2022

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Re: Feedback thread? Feedback thread! 2022

Post by Hyuse »

I honestly had a wonderful time! One thing I really loved was the fact that it wasnā€™t Easter weekend. I know a lot of people like the Easter weekend time slot but honestly itā€™s always been a major drawback for me. Seeing that next year is slotted for Easter weekend has me debating if I can even go because of prior volunteering obligations at my church. I know I was never able to attend Easter sundays and I know from others that Sunday attendance was always light in past years. I think having it Memorial Day weekend was really great for people in a lot of ways and you could tell based on attendance! I also want to say that having that Monday holiday right after was very nice.

TLDR: Memorial Day weekend is a better time slot imo and I was glad I could attend all three days as opposed to previous years cuz of Easter.
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Re: Feedback thread? Feedback thread! 2022

Post by Ariandante »

Hyuse wrote: ā†‘Sat Jun 04, 2022 6:22 pm ...One thing I really loved was the fact that it wasnā€™t Easter weekend. I know a lot of people like the Easter weekend time slot but honestly itā€™s always been a major drawback for me. Seeing that next year is slotted for Easter weekend has me debating if I can even go because of prior volunteering obligations at my church. I know I was never able to attend Easter sundays and I know from others that Sunday attendance was always light in past years. I think having it Memorial Day weekend was really great for people in a lot of ways and you could tell based on attendance! I also want to say that having that Monday holiday right after was very nice.

TLDR: Memorial Day weekend is a better time slot imo and I was glad I could attend all three days as opposed to previous years cuz of Easter.
Oh wow, I completely relate on that. was raised hardcore catholic and there would have been mutiny at home if I tried to go to Anime Boston at any point over the triddium, let alone on Easter Sunday. Even as a lapsed catholic for 10+ years, I still have a lot of hangups about attending AB on the years it coincides with the triddium and Easter Sunday. BUT... as my incredible fiancee and soon to be wife, puts it - it's okay to let go of pieces of our pasts that aren't helpful. I let go of something unhelpful when I transitioned eight years ago.... not the same scope I get it, but how is letting go of hangups about a particular weekend from over a decade ago any different? :)
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2017
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2023 - Ameri Azazel (Marimashita Iruma-kun!), Lady Rengoku (Kimetsu no Yaiba)

------
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Re: Feedback thread? Feedback thread! 2022

Post by Sayoria »

Well, bad news for you fews. It's April 9th next year. Guess when Easter is? :?
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Re: Feedback thread? Feedback thread! 2022

Post by corsepaintedcoloratura »

Pros:
More gender neutral bathrooms than in past years

Afterhours content wasn't as off-putting (TW: mentions of bestiality, pedophilia, sexual violence) In past years, the AMV Hell panels, and others like it, have had some truly upsetting content. I understand that the purpose of these panels is so that we all kind of suffer together through some truly ridiculous content, but having less (or, just none) clips from shows that feature sexual assault of literal (animated) children and animals, or of women, using guns, was a welcome change. I'd love it if there was none of that, and we could all just laugh about, Idk, gainax boobs or something.

Security was so fast, and I really appreciated being able to have a bigger bag with me and not needing to use a separate line.

Artist Alley was great! I loved the variety of artists there, and the art on display.

I really appreciated the vaccine and mask requirements, and how strictly both were enforced. I wouldn't have attended otherwise.

Cons:

Hoo boy, it was toasty. I know that the air conditioning was on, but with the number of people there, it needed to be on higher. I would prefer it being too cold to it being too hot. When its too cold, folx can add layers, but when its too hot, there's not much to take off (if anything), not to mention... some people don't have the best personal hygiene, and I smelled some things I'll never be able to forget.

Some presenters, panelists, and staff members were better about pronouns than others. I was misgendered *so much* when I went to donate blood. I think its important to have some sort of training or readings required, to make everyone feel more welcome.

A lot of the panels that I wanted to go to were scheduled for the same times, and I had to make some challenging decisions. I understand that not everyone will get what they want, when they want, but this is a sentiment that I heard echoed by several people this year, which has not been true of other years.

There were several reserved seats on the balcony seating of the auditorium, but I saw absolutely no one that they were reserved for sitting there. They were the best seats around, too. Can there be a system for redistributing those seats if no one shows up to claim them?

Some entries in the AMV contest felt like they were placed in the wrong category, given the actual content of the AMVs.

Other:

I don't mind the lack of food inside the convention center itself, since its directly connected to the Prudential, which has *so many* options, and getting in and out of the con was so simple this year.

I *know* that this is a feedback thread for the 2022 con, but I am incredibly disappointed that next year's con will be taking place during Passover. It makes coordinating food and drink very challenging, for those that are traditionally observant when it comes to kosher for Passover food; not to mention, the convention is taking place over the first weekend of Passover, when people may be hosting seders that they're unable to hold during the week. I'm not sure that I'll be attending, because of this.
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Re: Feedback thread? Feedback thread! 2022

Post by jamesawolf@comcast.net »

corsepaintedcoloratura wrote: ā†‘Wed Jun 08, 2022 5:26 pm
I *know* that this is a feedback thread for the 2022 con, but I am incredibly disappointed that next year's con will be taking place during Passover. It makes coordinating food and drink very challenging, for those that are traditionally observant when it comes to kosher for Passover food; not to mention, the convention is taking place over the first weekend of Passover, when people may be hosting seders that they're unable to hold during the week. I'm not sure that I'll be attending, because of this.
I keep kosher for Passover and have attended AB during the holiday unless it conflicts with the Seders. I brown-bag it. Before the con starts hit your local kosher store and stock up on appropriate foods. If you live in the Boston area go to the Butcherie in Brookline.

That said kosher for Passover options would go a long way for many of us.
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Re: Feedback thread? Feedback thread! 2022

Post by TinySketches »

This is the first anime convention that Iā€™ve been to of this scale and I had an amazing time!

First of all, Thank you so much to the people who made this possible! It truly was a wonderful time and the criticisms I have wouldnā€™t keep me from attending again, just would make the experience better for me personally.

This my feedback:

Amazing cosplays
Quantity of panels
Loved the fashion show- would suggest using a platform for increased visibility
Loved the masquerade- would suggest separating AMV awards from masquerade time. Also the seats in the balcony are really uncomfortable, Iā€™m 4ā€™11 and chair left bruises on my legs. - itā€™s a long show, would be good if food or drink were sold or if there was intermission for bathroom breaks

I loved that there were spaces for photographs

It did become very crowded at times making it difficult to navigate, I think if there were more signs and designated areas for photography that may help, maybe rope off some areas for lines into panels

It would have been nice to have a more traditional maid cafe experience as well, I havenā€™t been to one before and traditionally from what Iā€™ve been told, they are pretty different than what was there.
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Re: Feedback thread? Feedback thread! 2022

Post by Joehoff84 »

One of my problems is the video game room I wish there was a time limit for a person pre tv it was ridiculous if I want to play a game and same person was hogging the tv for over a hour
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sunflower_king
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Re: Feedback thread? Feedback thread! 2022

Post by sunflower_king »

I loved mostly everything about the con this year! But there is one thing I would love touched upon-

I would love it if the disability sticker people weren't isolated to sitting in the far back rows of the Masquerade, after waiting two hours in line for the show like everyone else. The fact that a sticker that helps us out, maybe while needing a seat while waiting in line and to avoid the rush of certain crowds, separates us. Considering the people behind us will be directed to sit in the front of the auditorium and fill the rest of the seats in. Also some of us have vision problems! Sitting closer helps out way more, as someone who has sat both in the back and front of the auditorium. I had this problem in 2018, not in 2019, and now back in 2022. Like what is the problem with me and my handler filling in two seats in a nearly empty third row? There is none. My need to require a seat while waiting in a two hour line for a show should not have to put me at the disadvantage of having the same seat as an attendee without the disability sticker. Also I need to make sure it is known that my handler and I this year were literally first in line before the line even formed, so there was no way it could be unfair to anyone else because we were literally the first ones there. It's not like we didn't do our fair share of waiting and just showed up with the sticker after the fact. Regardless of that, no one with a disability sticker should be required to sit isolated from the front of the show. We should have the opportunity to view the show at the distance we want or need. This kind of thing makes people feel small and unwanted. Staff made a big deal out of it and was getting angry all because we wanted to sit near the front. It's as simple of asking the people with the sticker if they would like to sit near the front of the auditorium or in the seats near the back. It's not that complicated. Please do better.
'05 '06 '07 '08 '09 '10 '13 '14 '15 '16 '17 '18 '19 '22 and soon '23
My 2023 AB Lineup:
Friday AM: TBD
Friday PM: TBD
Saturday AM:TBD
Saturday PM: TBD
Sunday: TBD
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Alyx
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Re: Feedback thread? Feedback thread! 2022

Post by Alyx »

I was super happy to attend this year! Overall my experience was great but there were some things I didn't like.

1. Food was very lacking.

I only remember seeing one food vendor in the Hynes building and the food wasn't great. I bought it once and never again, it was gross and I felt robbed. I really wish there were some more food stalls inside.

My friends and I ended up going to Wagamama, inside the mall. 10/10 well worth the price and wait.

2. Adult content and 21+ Lounge...

So apparently the 21+ Lounge in Kings was closed? We went over to check it out and it was closed. I really wasn't happy about that. I also wish there was more time slots for the adult content, kinda sucked that it was only on Friday night, super late.

3. Security was super quick but I also felt like it was a joke.

I'm not sure what new imaging they were using but I hardly ever saw anyone get stopped. My friends had backpacks and they were never checked so I don't know if they somehow determined that they were okay or just didn't care.

4. Holo-live

I think it would've been nice had the balcony people been allowed to participate in the questions and games. Also, I feel live people were super rude. Even after being asked to not take pictures or record, people did it anyway.

5. Maid Cafe

It was okay. The biggest issue was on Friday, 13:30, the POS had an issue and the poor cashier had to enter cards manually because they wouldn't take cash. That wasnt her fault however, I felt so bad. That kinda sucked as it did take away about half of our reservation time. The maids were awesome however. I honestly wouldn't do it again because it was pretty novel, just some expensive, cheap bobba tea and matcha donut holes, with some singing in the background. Meh. Consider that checked off my bucket list.

Overall I still loved it! I usually just go to hang with friends and walk around in cosplay or see other cosplays.
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Re: Feedback thread? Feedback thread! 2022

Post by TravisDrake »

MadaZer0 wrote: ā†‘Mon May 30, 2022 3:26 pm Before I start id like to say that I am completely understanding in that were in a post-covid world and I will give props for doing the best yall could with those constraints (Small dealers, lack of nightlife, etc).

The Bad

Nightlife was understandably pretty dead this year, then again AB has struggled with this even before covid was a thing ever since the cancellation of the dance and hentai showings were taken away. After reading this thread I'm glad I'm not alone in this. Even if Covid wasn't a thing, Night events would still be at their weakest. It'd be nice to have more 18/21+ events aside from the ecchi and hentai panels which are pretty popular to begin with. Or at least have night events that bring people together (Speed friending was an excellent tool for this but even that needs some work). As much as it sucks, I think its a good thing to struggle what to pick when 2 or 3 events are on at the same time. This year was what the Hentai AMVs and even then I didn't go cuz too many people.

Video game room and this retro crazyness needs to be toned down a bit and more game variety needs to be reintroduced. Yall took away the FPS tournaments and kept the Fighting tourneys up (tekken and smash). Dont touch DDR though.

The Good

I think the Game Show category has honestly only gotten better over the years and was my favorite activity to do. Sundays Anime Greed hosted by AB itself was really well done (Although I feel like the background music was a bit too loud making it hard to hear the host). Anime Greed was able to have many contestants on it (counting around 20-25 for the hour that I was there) which is really great obviously because it gives a LOT of people the chance to play unlike other gameshows at AB. Although I never got to play and ended up leaving when the final group was picked. I think the guy picking the contestants was a little bias considering of the 20 I saw go up only 2 or 3 were males. A little more diversity would be nice since I did see a good amount of guys trying to go up, me included.
Although i might be a bit petty here considering I never got picked to go up (Even newer people that came into the room 40 minutes in were being picked). At least Name that Anime Tune (which weirdly was a panel and not a gameshow) had the EXCELLENT idea to test any and everybody in the room before the main event, and the people with the highest scores got to play. Maybe something like that can be incorporated in future games
Other than that, Id be nice to have a bit more game shows (Hopefully favoring anime trivia).

Speed friending is again, an excellent addition to the con and was a massive hit. I know this because every time I tried to go in, it was full. I know a LOT of people that were loners just trying to meet new people to hang out. From what I heard of my friends that were at it, I was told it was a bit lackluster. Its its first year at the con so I know it can evolve into a top tier panel. Maybe Have some variations aside from questions. Maybe have tables with categories on them, games even. This is something that should be explored further.

Even having a Discord would help get people to meet since I noticed the AB Facebook groups were pretty active.
Yes, Yes, YES! This is it. I think a Discord would be a fantastic idea.
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