Anime Boston 2013 Recommendations/Feedback

DocWatson · Post by **DocWatson** » Fri May 24, 2013 10:47 pm

Pardon me—since this thread is already here, and I don’t intend to stay for the con feedback panel on Sunday, I thought I’d use this.

I forget if they were there for previous cons, but I appreciate having the water dispensers in the convention center hallways. I didn’t visit it last year, but I also appreciate having Artists’ Alley in a full-sized exhibition hall—finally, no more (over)crowding!

As for panels, the “Ride of the Valkyries: A Guide to the Mecha of Macross” panel was very well done.

Last, I do wish that AB had something like Arisia’s (paper) pocket program (PDF), with all of the information in one place and in a handy size.

Aurabolt · Post by **Aurabolt** » Sat May 25, 2013 11:58 am

Posting this here since the other thread is for AB2012.

A couple of reminders for my fellow attendees:

* Be as specific as possible. Just saying "X Panel was terrible!" or "I loved Y Guest of Honor!" doesn't really give AB Staff feasable information with which to make next year more enjoyable.

* If you had a problem with a specific staff member or volunteer, PM/email the appropriate point person the info is listed on the website but I'm sure AB Staff can be more specific than I am on the who.

* When providing constructive criticism, it WILL be reviewed and/or shared with AB Leadership the subject matter pertains to. For example stuff related to panels and panelists will be deferred to Lou Aruda, sutff related to security will be deferred to Lord Shemus, etc.

* AB values your input. If you bring a serious matter to their attention you WILL be taken seriously.

I will be attending the Feedback Session tomorrow as I always do so I will hold off on my extensive feedback, etc. until after the Con is over.

Executionervt009 · Post by **Executionervt009** » Sun May 26, 2013 5:49 pm

For my part, most everything I saw went great.

Security screening was a breeze, most everything was well marked as far as panels and events (although the sheraton was a little hard to navigate since their signs are small, but that's not AB's fault).

Also there was plenty of content (IMO), I often found myself torn between events.

The only thing I really saw is that some of the staff could have used a few more minutes studying the schedule and map but most of them were helpful. Also, at the formal (which was great btw), a more ample supply of water would have been great, as whenever the cart came refilled it was a swarm of people and there were often lengthy waits to get some.

Those small things aside, I had an awesome time, my first AB and certainly not the last!

Post by **midnightsiren182** » Sun May 26, 2013 6:34 pm

Hey there, thanks for getting this started! We're definitely going to keep an eye on this and thanks to everyone who gave feedback at the Feedback panel today. As Aurabolt said, we welcome constructive criticism and will do our best to direct you to appropriate channels if there is anything that needs to be a private discussion between you and the appropriate staff member concerning an issue. We do take your feedback seriously!

HelloGoodbye · Post by **HelloGoodbye** » Sun May 26, 2013 6:45 pm

So, this was my first ever convention, so I don't really have anything to compare this year to, but all I can say was that I had the BEST time

! It was so much fun! I could only go on Sunday, but there still was lots to see and do. I felt like everything ran really smoothly from what I could see. The Dealer's Room was really cool, and so was Artist's Alley. I went to a couple panels, and cosplay chess, too. Cosplay Chess was just amazing! Everything was so well done, and the costumes were great. I was also impressed with how calm and orderly everyone was when someone fainted and the emts had to come. Honestly, I was worried people would start to freak out, but everyone handled themselves really well, and the staff did an amazing job keeping everyone calm. Also, there were plenty of staff members and volunteers to help out, which was nice. Everyone was so nice and friendly, staff and congoers! The atmosphere was excellent! My only suggestion would be to maybe have some more autograph sessions on Sunday with the voice actors. I know that a lot of that really depends on the voice actor's schedules, though, but it would have been fun to have been able to get an autograph. Overall, though, I really had no complaints, and my first convention was tons of fun and very special. Even my Dad, who has never really seen any anime had a great time since everyone was so nice and there was so much to do. I will certainly be back next year, hopefully for more than one day! Thank you so much to both the staff, and the other convention goers, for making my first AB so awesome! See you all next year!

waynoinsano · Post by **waynoinsano** » Sun May 26, 2013 8:31 pm

Everything ran smoothly except the swap meet room was too small.

Aurabolt · Post by **Aurabolt** » Sun May 26, 2013 8:46 pm

waynoinsano wrote:Everything ran smoothly except the swap meet room was too small.

I brought that up at the Feedback Session today actually xD

Short version of the answer given: It's a work in progress.

Ugly Bob · Post by **Ugly Bob** » Sun May 26, 2013 9:05 pm

Everything went smoothly this weekend, which was especially impressive considering the added security and bag checks.

I want to thank everyone who came to any of my 7 panels and a special thanks to AB for once again having confidence in the topic and me as a presenter.

I do intend to submit Zelda, Kingdom Hearts, and all of them again, but intend to request those two specifics for 2 hour blocks and larger rooms (I hope this is allowed) due to the large amount of people that were unable to get in to either one, even with standing room only.

I know logistics can be tricky, but I think it is a possibility, especially if considered well in advance.

Lastly, I really enjoyed the Terrorism in Anime panel on Saturday night/Sunday morning. It was a great and intimate discussion about serious issues with some humor thrown in for good measure, and I hope it will return next year!

RapaxGuardian · Post by **RapaxGuardian** » Sun May 26, 2013 9:34 pm

I would like to say, given the build-up to it and how worried a LOT of people (myself included) were regarding the bag checks, it went surprisingly well.
Every time I entered with a bag, I smiled, had my bag ready, and said, "Hi, how are you?" to whichever officer I got. 9 times out of then, the officer would nod and say "Hi, fine, and you?" and I'd be done before I could even say I was well!

The bag line was INSANE Saturday afternoon, and the line system was rocky on Friday, but it worked itself out by Friday evening, and again on Saturday afternoon.
I would like to congratulate AB, MCAA, and the Boston police for being quick, effective, and (in my experience, and I have not heard anything to the contrary... yet) polite!

Aurabolt · Post by **Aurabolt** » Sun May 26, 2013 11:32 pm

Ugly Bob wrote: I want to thank everyone who came to any of my 7 panels and a special thanks to AB for once again having confidence in the topic and me as a presenter.

I do intend to submit Zelda, Kingdom Hearts, and all of them again, but intend to request those two specifics for 2 hour blocks and larger rooms (I hope this is allowed) due to the large amount of people that were unable to get in to either one, even with standing room only.

I know logistics can be tricky, but I think it is a possibility, especially if considered well in advance.

Not to change the subject but: You did SEVEN Panels?! That's amazing! I did three this year and by the time I finished my last one today I was feeling some burnt out and my voice was shot to hell.

Given the success of my panels there is the expectation that they'll all be back next year, which I don't mind. At the rate things are going AB might have to make it a 4-day con starting on Thursday afternoon xD

I'm also in the "Need two hours for panels" boat as well with one of my panels. I got 90 minutes (up from 60 minutes last year) and it sitll wasn't enough! If I do go for broke and apply to do FOUR panels next year...well, who knows.

Fynl · Post by **Fynl** » Sun May 26, 2013 11:54 pm

Not sure if anyone else had this experience during the Yousei Teikoku concert, but it was pretty awful. Not the band itself, but from where I was sitting (first row, second section) it was all garbled noise. I believe most of us from the second section onwards couldn't really hear anything. I was one of the few that actually stayed to the end, but many people left. If this could be improved somehow (I understand that it might be impossible), that would be great.

Some line markers would be nice as well, at least for the events that are near columns. For the ninja plushie event, the line ended up going in two directions and a lot of people that showed up early couldn't get in.

Also, the plushie workshops should be in a bigger room!

TheNerdyFeminist · Post by **TheNerdyFeminist** » Mon May 27, 2013 12:28 am

I agree that bag checks went really well. A friend of mine said they "ruined" the con this year but it was only a minor inconvenience. only thing that hurt the line situation was that people weren't good at moving out of the way after bag check, so I'd see an available officer and I wouldn't be able to get to them because someone was taking their sweet 'ol time.

The 21+ lounge was nice, although if you're going to require tickets for an event you gotta make that clear in the information book. I was able to get it easily enough once I was told to get one, but having to cross that street in the rain and back again wasn't fun.

I ran two panels this year, "Feminist Perspectives: Ouran High School Host Club," and Gender & Anime Culture. Second one went really well, got a great turnout and the time slot was perfect. I do apologize to those who didn't get to speak, I really tried to get to everyone and I did make an effort to call on lots of different people so the discussion was diverse, but naturally some people weren't called on. Again, I apologize, and I did not intentionally ignore anyone due to their gender or age, but I do respectfully apologize to my betters who were not able to share their experiences and wisdom with the group. I'm a stupid kid and I have much to learn.

And I would like to thank Lou for accepting both my panels. I really enjoy running panels and I hope I'm able to present again next year. I'll try harder to make sure no one feels ignored.

jefftendo · Post by **jefftendo** » Mon May 27, 2013 3:28 am

Hello, I would like to say thank you very much for Anime Boston 2013. we had a wonderful time, i would like to say a few of my complaints to help the convention move forwards.

1) on Friday and Saturday, the schedule was managed so that three of your guests of honor were either having autographs or Q&As all running at the exact same time, and were not spread out through out the day, making it so you had to choose only one guest interaction per day.

2) people would clot the arteries of the hallways by standing around either taking photos in the middle of traffic or milling about chatting with each other, i recommend asking staffers to disperse these clots by asking people to proceed to sides of main halls or to their destinations instead of letting them making travel impossible.

3)for those staying in the Sheraton, there was a very miserable experience with con-goers occupying elevators for fun and blocking other hotel guests, i and another group of con goers witnessed the same group of people crowding an elevator and riding it up and down in the evening for the purposes of blocking other people from using it for transportation. as well as elevators being disabled by unknown measures. I ran into people who had been waiting a half hour to get up to their rooms. i'd suggest having security monitor these elevators in the future. also when the elevators would work, con goers found it good to fun to scream while the elevator doors opened on the quiet block.

Cheers to Anime Boston, Thank you again for a terrific weekend.

Sakura-chan · Post by **Sakura-chan** » Mon May 27, 2013 5:09 am

1.) Bag checks. They went extremely smoothly with a minor line on Saturday afternoon. It was a bit of a pain, but it moved quickly and I was in line for no longer than ten minutes. I think it was to be expected since Saturday is the big day and there were far more people going in and out of the convention center than on Friday. I'm glad that I saw other attendees being polite to the MCAA officers - I am not in that line of work, but just having people be polite to me always brightens my day and keeps me in a good mood. Way to go, con people!

2.) The Spirit Ball That. Was. AWESOME! I understand that its location, and the shuttles were a last minute addition because of the inability to hold it in the Sheraton, but the Castle really worked for the formal dance this year. A lot more people attended than the last time I attended AB's formal (back in 2009), but this was just the perfect size. The dance floor was almost completely full at some points, which was great to see, since I remember a whole lot of sitting going on at the last one I was at. As one of the many girls in a floor-length gown, I really appreciated the shuttles. Having to walk all that way in heels, trying to hold up my skirt, with the wind and rain blowing in my face..I probably wouldn't have bothered! I really hope you guys will consider having it again there next year.

I do have two complaints though. First, about the music - A lot of it was unrecognizable to me and everyone else I sat with (I asked around quite a few times what a song was, and always got "I have no idea." I would appreciate more anime and video game remixes appropriate for the event. Second was probably nothing you guys could do anything about, but I couldn't hear a word of what the girl was saying over the mic (and we were only one or two tables away from the dance floor.) I think there was too much echo or something? Not sure.

3.) I am definitely staying in the Sheraton next year, because walking two blocks in cosplay at night by myself was kinda scary.

TheNerdyFeminist · Post by **TheNerdyFeminist** » Mon May 27, 2013 11:58 am

Oh, one other thing, the registration lines seemed a little confusing this year, because they weren't where they usually were. My friends and I went to get our badges on Thursday and we never would have guessed the line would be along the sidewalk outside, so we didn't know until a little before 4 when we went to the registration room and someone directed us outside the hotel. Then on Friday morning I saw a lot of people walking around trying to find the line, again it was in a different place and there weren't any signs or anything directing people there.

We're not mind-readers, guys!

Morpher · Post by **Morpher** » Mon May 27, 2013 1:35 pm

The bag checks weren't as bad as I envisioned they would be; no massive lines accumulated from the bag check; they were quick and kept people moving along.
--
I felt what was a HUGE improvement was the Artist Alley. I was so happy to see it moved into a bigger space. I would dread going into the artist alley before cause of how little room there was to move around in and when you stop to look at the merchandise you'd end up unintentionally blocking the entire walk way. Now there is tons of space I am able to freely move around in without bumping into others and be able to look at the art there with out causing a traffic jam.

I have no real complaints. Everything went very smoothly this year.

Mythicalfair · Post by **Mythicalfair** » Mon May 27, 2013 1:51 pm

I guess I will provide some feedback from the point of view as a vendor:

1. Thank you for keeping the dealer room cool. Loading in and out is a hot, sweaty affair and some conventions get very hot. Whether it was intentional or not, thank you.

2. While annoying, the extra security was understandable and ran well. The only confusion was an announcement that said vendor badges would not need to stop for bag check which turned out to be incorrect. Overall not a big deal.

3. Not one single incident of broken or stolen merchandise. We've had incidents at other conventions but this weekend went incredibly smoothly. Shoppers were patient, courteous and honest. One gentleman even came back to our table because he forgot to pay for something. The wide alleys in the dealer room made it easier for cosplayers to walk around the booths without knocking stuff over. Just one of the most positive experiences we've had in nearly 20 years of vending at conventions.

4. The biggest negative, the elevators in the Sheraton. We are a family business and my mother is 70 years old with bad knees. There were times she had to wait 30-45 minutes for an elevator with nowhere to sit. It just seems that a hotel attached to a convention center would do better with elevator control and maintenance. Obviously not AB's fault in any way, but did detract from the convention experience.

5. I agree with someone else's comments about people clustering in bad spots to take or pose for pictures or just to talk. Perhaps some designated, low traffic areas specifically for picture taking?

6. Dealer load out, obviously going to be chaotic no matter what, but I did see vendors bringing their stuff down to a specific dock location and then had their vehicles sent to a completely different dock. We lucked out but it was something I noticed.

Overall had a great time and looking forward to coming back next year. Also thanks to anyone that bought something or said something nice about our merchandise.

Ed
Mythicalfair.com

Telos · Post by **Telos** » Mon May 27, 2013 2:24 pm

TheNerdyFeminist wrote:The 21+ lounge was nice, although if you're going to require tickets for an event you gotta make that clear in the information book. I was able to get it easily enough once I was told to get one, but having to cross that street in the rain and back again wasn't fun.

Hey there, I think I remember you, there were four of us waiting in the Hilton for the jazz lounge to open (I was sitting next to the Ouran High School cosplayer). It was a surprise to all of us when we were told we needed tickets. That detail wasn't provided in the con program or Guidebook or online, or even when I asked the info desk for directions to the event.

chaobunny · Post by **chaobunny** » Mon May 27, 2013 2:30 pm

This is a minor complaint, but during the AMV awards the audio and video sync was off for several of the videos. It was probably a simple mistake by tech but even my friend who had not gone to the contest could tell. I don't know if this has happened in the past (it hasn't as far as I remember) but the people who win get their 5 minutes of fame, and I think they would prefer for their video to be timed correctly. =)

LegendaryBroli · Post by **LegendaryBroli** » Mon May 27, 2013 2:58 pm

I think the staff should have known the layout better or at least more of them had guidebook because a couple of times, some of the staff would send me to wrong places for a program

YouTube · Post by **basharoftheages** » Mon May 27, 2013 3:00 pm

chaobunny wrote:This is a minor complaint, but during the AMV awards the audio and video sync was off for several of the videos. It was probably a simple mistake by tech but even my friend who had not gone to the contest could tell. I don't know if this has happened in the past (it hasn't as far as I remember) but the people who win get their 5 minutes of fame, and I think they would prefer for their video to be timed correctly. =)

Yea, this was pretty bad. Looks like the whole "run 2 systems at the same time" idea causes more problems AGAIN than it solves. The same problems happened last year in addition to the horrible decode issues. If there was only a way to let people who know what they're doing actually do it instead of hindering them every step of the way...

Rox3l · Post by **Rox3l** » Mon May 27, 2013 3:46 pm

Ugly Bob wrote:Everything went smoothly this weekend, which was especially impressive considering the added security and bag checks.

I want to thank everyone who came to any of my 7 panels and a special thanks to AB for once again having confidence in the topic and me as a presenter.

I do intend to submit Zelda, Kingdom Hearts, and all of them again, but intend to request those two specifics for 2 hour blocks and larger rooms (I hope this is allowed) due to the large amount of people that were unable to get in to either one, even with standing room only.

I know logistics can be tricky, but I think it is a possibility, especially if considered well in advance.

Lastly, I really enjoyed the Terrorism in Anime panel on Saturday night/Sunday morning. It was a great and intimate discussion about serious issues with some humor thrown in for good measure, and I hope it will return next year!

Okay, I am not saying anything bad about you or your panels because I didn't go to any of them so I have nothing to say either way. I just want to say that the amount of slots that your were given was unfair. I know people that were desperately trying to get a panel slot that did not because panel info never went up and it seems the only people that knew it was open were people that had previously hosted panels at AB.

This is not fair in my personal opinion.

Fetch · Post by **Fetch** » Mon May 27, 2013 4:06 pm

As someone who's been to every AB in the Hynes, I have a suggestion that seems to be needed more and more each year.

If security sees the line for a panel, especially one of the gameshows, is getting long more than an hour before the panel, they should do a quick count of the line to see if the line will actually fit in the room. If it won't, they should have an Orange Shirt hold a sign that says ROOM FULL at the point where the line equals the number of seats. That way, people will know to go find something else at AB to enjoy and not waste an hour or more standing in line.

On similar note: for the Masquerade line, be sure that all the Security volunteers know which ticket color is Floor and which is Balcony, so they can direct people to the proper line. Also, instruct them to ask if they even have a Masq ticket. If they don't, then why waste their time by having them stand in line and likely not be allowed in?

LadyFae · Post by **LadyFae** » Mon May 27, 2013 4:45 pm

TheNerdyFeminist wrote: The 21+ lounge was nice, although if you're going to require tickets for an event you gotta make that clear in the information book. I was able to get it easily enough once I was told to get one, but having to cross that street in the rain and back again wasn't fun.

Hey there,

Just wanted to clear up what happened there, as I ran the 21+ lounge (with A LOT of excellent help) and was the one who made the last minute judgement call to set up that system.

The decision to set the line up for the Hilton lounge in the Sheraton (thus requiring a ticket system to prove you'd been in line) was a last minute one due to the heavy rain and concerns about people having to line up in the street to get in. We did try to push the news out the moment it was decided on all convention screens and social media, and we are very sorry if the news did not get to you...I can understand why it might have been a bit annoying

The solution wasn't perfect by a long stretch! But our hope was that it was better than the alternatives of letting people stand outside in the rain all wet and miserable waiting or just turning them away at the door entirely with no recourse after they'd gotten all wet getting there!

Hope you at least enjoyed yourself once you got inside

Rebecca

xenoglossy · Post by **xenoglossy** » Mon May 27, 2013 4:47 pm

This was my first Anime Boston (as well as my sister's), and for the most part it was a good experience for us. There were, however, a few hiccups that I would be pleased to see addressed next year.

First, as I believe someone already mentioned, the location of registration was very poorly signposted and we had a great deal of difficulty finding it; even after coming in through the front door of the Sheraton, it wasn't obvious. The directions we got from a staff member at the front door of the Hynes were also not helpful. Having some clear "registration this way" signs, in the lobby of the Sheraton at the least, would be nice.

Second, if there is a change in a scheduled panel or screening (i.e. it's been cancelled/moved/replaced/postponed), I'd appreciate having some kind of sign outside the room that the event was supposed to take place in which would let people know what had happened.

And finally, I agree with the poster above me that it would be a good idea to keep track of how many people are in a given line vs. how many people can actually fit in the room. Better line organization in general would probably be good; when two popular events were going on in nearby rooms at the same time (or similar times), it got a little confusing.

On the positive side, I really liked how the panel games were run so that the majority of the audience was able to participate in some capacity. It was much more fun than other cons I've been to where things like trivia games are mainly just "sit here and watch five randomly selected audience members compete". It's probably more difficult to organize the games involving larger groups of people, but it all seemed to go smoothly and I had a great time.

Calorie · Post by **Calorie** » Mon May 27, 2013 5:18 pm

I am a returning attendee. Somewhat happy with how things ran.

- Could use more volunteers patrolling the hallways. Some folks are sitting in the middle of the hallway playing cards (Boylston Street side) down the hall from the info booth... hard to walk when they're there. Plus, I do agree some people DO really need to not stop at the top of the escalators to take photos of cosplayers. Pile of people colliding with one another trying to avoid the photographers (not the cosplayers).

- The Sword Art Online premiere Q&A Panel on Sat, 05/25/2013 at 5:00 PM in Hynes-Panel A had a lot of folks lined up for them. I heard the panel was full... then it wasn't full. A whole lot of confusion! AND There were two lines merging ... each going the opposite direction... so we had SAO line merging into another line in another panel. Plus, we were constantly stopped in panel entrances...where when rooms cleared... we are blocking other attendees from exiting. There were volunteers there... they didn't stop lines from moving forward and blocking entrances. Just FYI.

- The Guidebook should have information regarding main events (such as Masquerade) requiring tickets. They didn't have any info on them on the guidebook itself. Panels had information on them. Some folks in line and waited a long time just to find out when we moved closer to the entrance, they need a ticket. The volunteers announced you need to have badge and ticket ready but when asked they didn't know where to get the ticket. Only staff knew. But we got in without ticket, I felt bad for those who left and didn't wait around.

- I love the QR codes for the Youkai hunt. Unable to find the last two.

- For the main concert: Yosei Teikoku. There wasn't a End of Line sign? Had to ask around...where the line actually ended. Maybe it showed up after we found the line...we were somewhat near the front.

- The bag checks weren't that bad. It moved by fast thanks to the MCAA folks.

- THANK YOU for making Artist Alley so ROOMIE! I LOVE it. FRESH AIR EVERYWHERE!

YouTube · Post by **basharoftheages** » Mon May 27, 2013 5:26 pm

Rox3l wrote: I know people that were desperately trying to get a panel slot that did not because panel info never went up and it seems the only people that knew it was open were people that had previously hosted panels at AB.

This is not fair in my personal opinion.

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=15851 - posted, as you can read in the corner, on October 30th of last year. Info was up for 3 months.

Mirotic · Post by **Mirotic** » Mon May 27, 2013 5:44 pm

Overall, it was a really fun year this year at Anime Boston.
Things in the Artist Alley and Dealers Room were very smooth and actually seemed a lot more organized than in years past.
All of the staff I met were friendly and easily approachable, so great job guys!

I really only have two suggestions:
1. Saturday afternoon (around 2ish) the lobby/entrance to the Hynes was complete chaos. It wasn't too bad once you found the end of the line to get inside, but otherwise, it seemed to be a major hazard for both con-goers and the poor shoppers trying to pass through. I think line organization could make the con experience more enjoyable.

2. I believe this has already been mentioned, but the people stopping mid hallway or taking up the entire hallway to take pictures caused some awkward clogs.

Thats about it. Awesome year guys!

icecreamrules · Post by **icecreamrules** » Mon May 27, 2013 5:49 pm

I really enjoyed the Fanboy/Fangirl panel. We brought a bunch of 14yr olds, most their 1st con, and this was a very informative panel done in an entertaining way to help them understand more and have confidence in speaking up. Well done!!

Vyconis · Post by **Vyconis** » Mon May 27, 2013 5:51 pm

For me, the biggest thing that could have used some improvements was the queue/line system for rooms. Like the Cosplay Family Feud, the end of that line smashed with the Sailor Moon line going the opposite direction. Would it be too expensive to have Stanchions setup outside the rooms?

gintoki653 · Post by **gintoki653** » Mon May 27, 2013 5:53 pm

I like the convention this year a bit more than last year's even though we're missing the informal dance and some others. But I really have a problem with the autograph lines. They said not to take pictures WITH the guests and they tend to do it in front of me still and I think that is just wrong to take up somebody else's time in the back. Also, the crowded situation that is, I love taking pictures and all of the cosplayers but I feel that we should not do it in the middle of a hall because people tries to get by and it is a bit annoying to get around the picture takers and not getting in their way of taking pictures. I suggest that they should do picture taking by a wall and not in the middle of the hall.

revsoulx3 · Post by **revsoulx3** » Mon May 27, 2013 5:56 pm

The only problem I had was with the Sheraton. I arrived on Thursday night and even though I had literally booked my room the day it became available on the AB site, they told me they had no double bed rooms left. They ended up giving us a handicapped room where the bathroom door wouldn't even shut. It was a bit cramped. I've never had this problem before, I guess they overbooked on conventions this past weekend. I hope they don't do that again next year because it was a mess.

evnsue96 · Post by **evnsue96** » Mon May 27, 2013 6:05 pm

The only feedback/suggestion I have is --

despite my exhaustion today, keep artist alley open longer on Sunday. 3pm just seems to early.

Post by **midnightsiren182** » Mon May 27, 2013 6:08 pm

The reason it closes early is we need to start breaking down and loading out the show. It takes us around 5 hours or so to do this, which is why a lot of things end at 3-4.

evnsue96 · Post by **evnsue96** » Mon May 27, 2013 6:22 pm

Oh as an artist in artist alley, while the bigger room was ok, I felt the aisles were too wide. It was very difficult to make eye contact with folks to get their attention to come to our table. We're not passive exhibitors who wait for people to walk up. We don't drag people over but we do at least say hello to people who walk by. I just think the blocks could be closer together .

kouweechi · Post by **kouweechi** » Mon May 27, 2013 6:24 pm

CONS:

1) The SAO panel at 5 on Saturday. I came over to it early to sit against the wall because my feet hurt a lot due to my shoes, and figured that would be the next panel I'd be at. A staff member came over with a megafone screaming how everyone had to leave and couldn't line up until 4:15. So I got up, and sat way near the exit of the hall to rest, not at all near the room. Got screamed at again to 'not be in line' and leave. So I got up and walked around a bit, despite the pain. Came back at 4:15, and saw people that had been sitting there previously STILL sitting there. Then got yelled at again, saying that we couldn't line up until 4:30, which was aggravating that the time was changed. Got up and left again, came back at 4:30 (same people STILL sitting there..) and got screamed at some more that we couldn't line up until ' they said so!' and then more security came up yelling at everyone. It was all veryyyy confusing.

2) I agree with room number limits and lines. There were multiple panels I went to, even when i got there early by 30mins, were packed full and couldn't allow anyone else in. If there had been some sort of staff member counting, and stopping anyone else from getting in line at the max point, that would be super helpful. Because you waste sometimes an hr waiting in line for a panel you won't even be able to be in, meanwhile, if you knew it was full, you could have looked at the list to try and find something else in time.

3) The dealers room opened really late on Friday (noon!) while on saturday/sunday it opened at 10am. Closed kind of early too?

4) maybe it was just my costume, but I was very hot in many areas, and kept hoping there would be AC of a sort? the gaming room was bliss, but everywhere else was kind of hot

PROS:

+ artist alley was so much more comfortable in a bigger room!!!!
+ Security was a little difficult at times, but mostly ran smoothly and it was great and added sense of security.
+ water in most areas was super appreciated to the tired cosplayer.

buttless-butler · Post by **buttless-butler** » Mon May 27, 2013 6:29 pm

Everything was really great! c= Except! one thing that happened.
I had my badge in my pocket once, and I walked through the security without being stopped.
I only realized this when I got to the first escalator near the front entrance of Hynes Convention Center.
*shrugs*

captphil · Post by **captphil** » Mon May 27, 2013 6:31 pm

Enjoyed Anime Boston 2013 very much! Thank you for all the hard work!

Because the con was held on a three day holiday weekend I had to work the Friday of the convention and barely made it to registration on Friday night (around 8:45pm). I know you all work long hours but would love to reg process to just stay open a little bit longer on fridays? I was worried about missing badging and I did want to see some of the con on friday night. We drove from New York so had we hit traffic we were worried we'd miss registration and have to write off any time at the con on Friday.

Some guests had autograph sessions only on Friday, I would have loved the opportunity to get an autograph on Saturday or Sunday. Is there any way guests (Especially the Japanese directors) could sign more than one day? Or maybe on a Saturday or Sunday?

Really loved the Soul of Anime panel. Please have that guest back again, he was awesome! Also enjoyed the voice actors panels just because those guests are so upbeat and fun. Their approach to conventions makes it a pretty fun conto be at!

Loved the bigger room for artist alley, felt there was enough room to move around and really see the art without bumping into people.

I love taking pictures of the Cosplayers and always tried to be aware of the hall traffic around me and suggest costumers and photographers be more proactive for the posing around the escalators and main thruways for con traffic. That being said, the fans in costume make this convention!

I was great to be carded for an 18+ panel. (I am 51 years old) Really, its been a LONG time!

The local train info desk staffers went ABOVE AND BEYOND helping me get my kids out to Framingham on Saturday night. I wanted to stay for the concert and the kids needed dinner and a break (My sister lives in Northboro) so getting them on the train at the right time and then looking up the Framingham Station address for me (My sister was incapable of doing this!) was great!

I feel bad that we live in a world where our bags have to be searched before going into a convention but the guards doing the bag checks were professional, polite and fast. It didn't impact the convention at all for me.

Every staffer I spoke to over the weekend was polite helpful and patient. You guys have some of the nicest staff around!

Hope you all rest up for next year, looking forward to it already!

Phil

Post by **Tuberat** » Mon May 27, 2013 6:34 pm

thank you lauren for the answer.

Yes, the alley closes to attendees at 3 (which i believe has been the same time the last few years) because it takes some artists a few hours to break down . And in the meantime, the loading dock break down for other parts of the con goes through that room, meaning that we need to move those tables out of the way and open all the airwalls, etc, etc.

p.s. FOR ARTISTS particularly, but all welcome, there is an Artists Alley feedback thread officially open in the Artists Forum....
THank you.

captphil · Post by **captphil** » Mon May 27, 2013 6:37 pm

One other thing, I did avoid panels and events I felt would be this years "hot" item so didn't even try to get into the Sword Art Online stuff and I stayed most of the time in the Hynes Convention Center. The only time I went to the Sheraton was to register on Friday night so my previous comments are based only on the convention activities in the Hynes

moocat13 · Post by **moocat13** » Mon May 27, 2013 6:41 pm

My only real comment is that the "Afterdark Dating Game" should stick to being an 18+ event. There was a lot of confusion waiting around in line because everywhere but the actual booklet listed it as an 18+ event, while the staff and volunteers attempting to organize the line said that they weren't checking IDs. I also felt that a both the hosts and the participants were holding back because they knew there were younger audience members, and the whole event was not as enjoyable as it had been in years past.

Also, to everyone saying that photos need to happen against the walls, it's extremely hard and awkward to get over to the walls in the first place, as there's never any open space (everyone is sitting there) and you have to wade through the whole crowd. We are all aware that photos in the middle of the hall aren't ideal, but there's not a whole lot that can be done. My group and I tried to stay out of the way, but when one person with a camera turns into 10, you sort of lose control of the situation. I know I'm not alone in attempting to move things out of the way of the masses, it just gets congested with everyone trying to do the same thing at once. It's a lot better on the upper floors, the only real issue is the main hall right outside the dealer's room.

misakitsuki · Post by **misakitsuki** » Mon May 27, 2013 6:48 pm

Fetch wrote:As someone who's been to every AB in the Hynes, I have a suggestion that seems to be needed more and more each year.

If security sees the line for a panel, especially one of the gameshows, is getting long more than an hour before the panel, they should do a quick count of the line to see if the line will actually fit in the room. If it won't, they should have an Orange Shirt hold a sign that says ROOM FULL at the point where the line equals the number of seats. That way, people will know to go find something else at AB to enjoy and not waste an hour or more standing in line.

On similar note: for the Masquerade line, be sure that all the Security volunteers know which ticket color is Floor and which is Balcony, so they can direct people to the proper line. Also, instruct them to ask if they even have a Masq ticket. If they don't, then why waste their time by having them stand in line and likely not be allowed in?

I wholeheartedly agree. It was very frustrating standing in line for an hour for a panel only to be told you can't get in. Wtf guys? Esp. the gameshow panels since they seemed to be quite popular this year.

I've gone to AB for five years now and this problem seems to be getting worse rather than better.

Other than that, amazing as always guys!

li_izumi · Post by **li_izumi** » Mon May 27, 2013 6:53 pm

I know that for some panels, such as the Saturday Dating Game, as people were leaving, security was letting in people to fill those emptied seats. So if you can't get in immediately, there's still a chance of getting in a bit later in the program.

Laserpie · Post by **Laserpie** » Mon May 27, 2013 6:53 pm

I found the con to be relatively enjoyable, however at the Bad anime bad panel I believe the host could have been a little choicier with some of his words. And I don't mean the swearing. the problem was when he made the comment about the style of the legend of zelda game by saying something along the lines of "Taking a scrappy doo, putting bees in their helmet and having them draw people" this is incredibly rude to a subgroup of your congoers, some of which are my friends and I honestly found it a little offputting that he said it. While I enjoyed the panel I don't know if I'll want to see it next year.

dicaeopolis · Post by **dicaeopolis** » Mon May 27, 2013 6:55 pm

Pros:
-Liked the panels and other exhibits a lot (especially Anime Miserables and the winners of the AMV contest).
-Very cool cosplays!
-Bag checks were a breeze.
-Great selection of dealers and artists, catered to all imaginable audience.
-Great set up of the dealer's and artists' rooms. Appreciated the wide aisles; helped avoid traffic jams.

Cons (no pun intended):
-Food. Not only was the line into the cafeteria long and the selections there limited to those of a normal fast-food restaurant, but most Americans can only buy pocky and other Japanese foods at cons, and so no dealers selling food was very annoying. And the only places to eat besides the caf were outside of bag check. Very annoying.
-Lines. Very important issues that some other people have brought up too. In some cases, there would end up being two lines into an event, and often bickering broke out at the merging point. And I got stuck waiting in a line of hundreds for a workshop before learning that they weren't letting a second group in (namely, the plushie ninja workshop- got stuck in a 200-person line, even though it was during the Masquerade!).
-Navigation. Very hard to find registration when I arrived. Panels were also difficult to find; I think it'd help if there were signs outside each room showing which panels were in it and at which time, and also more directional signposts (e.g. HYNES THIS WAY, ROOMS 102-115 THIS WAY, etc.). Even when I did have time to move to the side and take out the map, it was very confusingly drawn and fuzzy.
-Main booklet. It could've been set up much better; it took me half of Saturday to figure out that the schedule was printed in the newspaper insert. Elaborating on the panels and main events is all well and good, but the logistics that people would need to know quickly should've come first, THEN the descriptions.
-Tickets. Didn't know that we needed these for the Masquerade; it looks like the 21+ lounge had that same issue.
-Large cosplay photoshoots. Not an official thing, but they are increasingly common occurrences that can't be ignored or dealt with on an individual basis by security. Setting up an official location with timeslots would be a really, really great development; perhaps allowing one timeslot per day per fandom would work best. Most of the shoots are set up via facebook groups, so it wouldn't at all be difficult to collaborate with the fandom leaders themselves on timeslots.
-Homestuck. I know that people do get annoyed by Homestuck at AB because it's not Japanese. But really, there were Transformers and Avengers and Adventure Time and My Little Pony and OFF cosplayers healthily represented there, and merchandise for Avengers, Minecraft, Star Wars, Star Trek, Firefly, etc. being sold, and nobody complained a bit. On the other hand, the hostility towards Homestucks was nearly tangible - travelling in a group was an absolute necessity; the one time I was alone (sitting down against the wall and resting my eyes when my friends had all gone into the bathroom), someone walked by, mumbled "/homestuck/", and tossed a travel umbrella at me. (They disappeared into the crowd before I could see who it was, but it left a pretty bad bump.) Also, my first photoshoot (at 4:13) was broken up by security, even though it was organized and calm and we'd moved outside to avoid causing trouble with the group of 250 cosplayers, and the second (a group of about 30), at 9:30, was moved by security to a very sketchy and hard-to-find room on the top floor of the Hynes, whereas I know for sure that a group of around 40 Doctor Who cosplayers having a photoshoot in a relatively public area at a busy time got no trouble whatsoever. Most of the con was very fun and happy, but both congoers and staff seemed a lot less welcoming because I was in Homestuck cosplay.

Sorry to have so many beefs - it really was a great convention overall, I'm just looking to make it even better for future years

Post by **silversora** » Mon May 27, 2013 7:01 pm

I do apologize for the reg line confusion. We were in the same room as last year(s). On Thursday, we had everyone enter through the Back Bay A door. On Friday-Sunday, we have the entrance at Back Bay C (Which is different from what we have done previous years). We will usually cue the line from the Constitution ballroom and feed that to Back Bay A. Due to the room availability, we decided to cue the room from the Grand Ballroom instead to Back Bay Ballroom C. The entrance to the grand was in the back stairwell by the bar/bathrooms, it was a lot of change and we did not plan the best for sign placement.

Here is where the issue was. We did not need the queuing space this weekend once we opened the doors as the line was able to stay in Back Bay Ballrooms. Some of you were directed to walk through the Grand Ballroom, while other people were able to enter from the hallway. We tried to move the signs to help with the confusions and letting all of the security people know the new procedures.

Thank you for the feedback and you will see some better changes to communication for next year!

drgnladysupreme · Post by **drgnladysupreme** » Mon May 27, 2013 7:03 pm

I think almost everything with Anime Boston went smoothly. Bag checks went smoothly, and the Hynes security were very agreeable and sensible! I only have two things in particular for recommendations;

1) It looks like a lot of 18+ events that also involve cosplay need a slightly bigger room than anticipated. Cosplay Court Case got rather full I think (I lined up early and didn't see, but it might've filled up?) and despite getting to the line early, Cosplay Shenanigans was not only full, but they had an extensive line for a long time. If there's nothing else using the rooms, perhaps consider Panels A and C, as well as 302/304 for such types of programming? It just seemed strange that there was a long line over half an hour into Cosplay Shenanigans because people wanted to get in that badly.

With this, I also agree that it might be better to get an estimate to see and mark around when enough people have lined up to fill the room.

2) Maybe reconsider how Security is hired, and look over who's currently in it? Some people are great, but others really give Security a bad rep. There was one woman at the Hynes entrance on Saturday, checking to make sure people had badges. I had mine clearly displayed on my hip (my throat had been bothering me lately, and I've had bad luck with the lanyards getting caught on something while around on my neck, and it's hard to always hand in and put the badge on when volunteering and wearing a wig.) I know the badge just had to be distinctly visible, but she kept stopping and almost went to grab me to put the badge around my neck (despite me trying to tell her that I couldn't.) I did stop before she moved closer (though I moved to get out of other people's way, which she might've taken as me trying to ignore her? I don't know.), and went to comply with her request before returning it to my hip to avoid personal problems. I can give a description, but I have a feeling someone would rather that messaged to them privately? Because no one else, including other security and staff members had a problem with where my badge was displayed.

Post by **midnightsiren182** » Mon May 27, 2013 7:06 pm

J, use our contact form and please contact the Security Manager to address it privately, but was it one of our staff (Orange or Red Shirt) or was it MCCA staff?

Contact form- http://www.animeboston.com/coninfo/contact

Keetani · Post by **Keetani** » Mon May 27, 2013 7:10 pm

This was my second time going to Anime Boston, but my first time ACTUALLY understanding how to experience it. I definitely enjoyed it a lot this year. The top panels that I enjoyed: Cosplay Deathmatch and Cosplay Chess. They were both amazing and entertaining. My biggest request about those two events, please bring back the host who was both Ash Ketchum and Seto Kaiba. He was absolutely amazing as a host and kept the crowd engaged. If he won't be available next year, please let him know that he did a fantastic job this year.

And also, a big thank you to all of the EMT's, staff, and volunteers who helped out with that incident in cosplay chess. I hope that the person is doing well. I definitely felt a great sense of security for just in case such emergencies, or goodness forbid worse, ever happen. Thank you again for responding so quickly and smoothly!

Also a highlight of my experience: K-Pop world. I went to it last year as well and I can definitely say that I like the improvements (larger room, longer time, more crowd interaction, etc). It was really enjoyable!

And placing Artist's Alley in a larger space was probably one of the best things you all could have done this year. Thank you for that as well!

Also, I really liked the getting to meet ORIGA and Raj Ramayya panel as well! Though I do agree with what another user said before me, about more time for autographs. I definitely understand that the artists have a packed schedule and I'm not asking for an entire day or anything, but if the times for autographs were a bit longer or different, I feel like that would have given me some more time to enjoy the panel more and personal meet the artists for a sign.

Other than that, everything was great! Even though we all waded through a sea of people to get through security, the checks went by pretty quickly and the officers were nice and respectful. Again, even though there were many of us trying to get through the same door/hallway/checkpoints, I just want to thank all of those who did their jobs in order to make sure that the con was a safe space.

Anime Boston 2013 was awesome!! And I definitely can't wait for next year!! ^^

~ Keetani

Jennacia · Post by **Jennacia** » Mon May 27, 2013 7:16 pm

Anime Boston, as my first con ever was amazing. I was a little worried about getting my badge on Saturday (because I had not pre-registered) but it did not take long at all! Everyone was extremely friendly and the staff did a great job at making sure the crowd kept moving.

When I left Hynes to try to get food I immediately regretted it though. As soon as we got out of Hynes, we got back into the line to get into Hynes because it was so long. The line moved quickly though, so it was not that bad. My experience in bag check varied.

The first time my bag got checked it was very thorough, everything was taken out and checked. The second time the person simply opened the bag, looked inside, and let me go through. So that is just a matter of having more consistent bag check standards.

The masquerade was awesome, though there were a lot of dance routines. I'm hoping next year we will have more funny skits, but I loved all the amazing stage fighting. Some of the music during the Hall Cosplay Parade was a little loud, but not unbearably so. Some of the music for the AMVs was not on time with the videos.

Overall, the con was absolutely amazing, and after watching so many videos from the past years on Youtube, it was extremely surreal! I am already planning my cosplay for next year and am planning to get a hotel next time so I can come all 3 days! Thank you so much!