Easy solution for more con space perhaps?
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This question is really for Kage, but any staffer in charge of the Treasury could probably help as well. I am to understand that if we want a bigger and closer Dealer Den to get to, that we need to have more attendees. But is more attendees the answer? I, for one, and I may get lynched for saying this but I think that the price of admission to Athrocon for being the biggest convention in the US is pretty cheap. Just for a full weekend pass is only $50. Now, of course, nobody really wants to pay more money if they don't have to, but how much more effort would it be for 2,500+ attendees to cough up an extra $10 on each level of admission provided they will get something for their money. At $10 a head, that comes out to $25,000!! How much more does it cost for occupancy of the bigger convention room that is a much closer walk? I don't see the financials posted from this year or last on wikifur, so I don't know just how much the convention center costs compared to the previous convention occupancy to really give any ballpark figures for a constructive suggestion. The dealers den seems to sell out without a problem so space must be at a premium with late comers being turned away. I understand that saying "just charge a little more" is akin to congress introducting taxes for new programs and that the money cost just keeps building and building. I also am aware that not every furry seems to have a whole lot of money and the cost is already a bit of a burden, but come on folks, this is YOUR convention. Don't you want the best experience it can be. For most, furry defines who you are. This is more than just a hobby. For those reading this ask yourself, how much did you spend on your Wii or other gaming system just this month. How much on luxury items or going out to eat? I pay for the supersponsorship, not because of added benefits, but because I want to support an event that gives me a means in which to appreciate my life choice. Well, I'll cut it off here and I appreciate all feedback, not just from con staff, but by everyone to see if my opinion is not the minority. |
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Location: Maryland
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I for one do not mind the little extra walk we currently have to the dealers den. This extra bit of walking helps keep my lean fit size, after all surfers and boogie boarders hold allot of calories.
Sharky
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permalinkI, too, am a super sponsor when I attend. It's not necessarily as easy as just raising the price by $10.
First, as you say, not everybody has the money to cough up. There are statistical formulae that can be applied that estimate how many attendees you will lose if you increase prices. (Luckily, I don't know them.) As Dr. Conway said at the Super Sponsor lunch, the Super Sponsors paid for the Convention Center by themselves. So, yes, getting more money would be a "good thing" for the con.
It still might not get us the closer hall. Why? Convention Centers are rented out years in advance. One of the reasons Anthrocon has switched from the weekend closest to the Fourth of July to some weekend in that general area is probably because these were the only weekends Dr. Conway could get. SF Worldcons are announced three years in advance because their Con Committees must know that far in advance to be sure of getting their Convention Centers.
I'm only guessing, but I think the Anthrocon Committee would rather get the con scheduled dependably for the weekend closest to July Fourth first, rather than try to increase space. None of the facilities in the Convention Center (the main hall, at least) seemed 'cramped' to me, and it appeared that there might even be room to expand the Dealers Room, Art Show and Artist's Alley in the existing space.
YYMV, of course, and the opinion of any member of the Con Committee overrides mine entirely.
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True, but IIRC none of the other halls were in use during AC06/07... Does the CC ever host more than one con at once?
Ron
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permalinkLocation: Ardmore, PA
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There's no reason why they can't. They have plenty of capacity.
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permalinkLocation: Groton, MA, USA
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Let's face it. A good amount of the fandom is overweight. The longer walk helps in the end.
People call me a saint because I sin for the right reasons.
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permalinkLocation: Ardmore, PA
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I would like to remind you that many of our attendees are high school and college age. Raising the price of admission would hurt those people the most.
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Actually, we're fine for space in the Convention Center for now. As we get more people, though, that will change. After 2008 we will re-examine (a) our growth trend, and (b) how cramped Hall C is getting. If we find that we need to spread out more, we will turn our attention to Hall B, which is bigger (and closer). The nice part is that if we have that many people showing up, we should have enough revenue to be able to secure Hall B without raising our registration rates.
The formula is A*sqrtB/OMG(WTF*2008)=O.O
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From what I've been reading and the past statistics and such, we are getting more attendee's and artists and the like since the move to PA. So it seems incredibly likely.
Kage hun, that formula is terrifying O.O
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permalinkLocation: Philadelphia area, PA
I have to agree with my compatriots here--i respect what you're saying, but raising the price does not sit well with me.
Speaking purely personally, the registration fee is not the problem (thank goodness!). The challenge is covering the expenses of a hotel stay for four nights, plus food. In that system, $10 is just one more little strain on a budget that already feels tight sometimes. I know i can do it, but given the choice between walking a greater distance to the dealers' rm/art show/artists' alley and paying an extra $10, i'll take the walk any day of the week and twice on sunday.
Just for reference, also, as per your comparisons--i don't own a gaming system, and i only pay to eat out when i'm running to a committee meeting or other evening event, and i prefer to donate to AC with my time rather than my money--it's easier on my budget and far more fun for me. Just sayin'. *grin*
I might also point out that booking challenges has been the reason why AC has been so close to the 4th of july, not the reason why it's so far from it. The most recent poll (2006, was it?) found that most furries preferred that AC be outside of 4th of july week, though they were evenly split about whether before or after was best. I think it's because so many have retail jobs that won't let them out on that holiday.
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permalinkoooh.. That would be so nice if AC was not on a holiday. I do concur with the assumption that it is hard to get the days off, even with vacation time available and 8 months in advance notice.
As for the $10. It was only a theoretical suggestion. I was just trying to point out that AC is the biggest convention in the country if not the world, yet is roughly the same price as a small convention. The reason I even brought it up was because Kage had mentioned in the closing ceremonies that if we could just get some more Supersponsors in attendance that we could move in to the bigger and closer hall. You figure that attendees have an entire year to prepay for the convention, you could probably find $10 in change in the sofa
. Maybe to get more Supersponsors, a little bit of promotion for it would help. I think that many attendees don't realize that by paying the extra for the supersponsorship, you aren't just tossing money into the wind, but you getting a good value for your dollar. I think it should be promoted that you are getting bonuses that you would probably want to purchase anyway. Most people buy the annual t-shirt ($20 value), free con suite ($potentially unlimited value), Free lavish dinner with the Guests of Honor as well as many of the already well known furries in the fandom that you can sit down with and get to know ($??), more artwork in the registration ($??), front row seating at the major group events, and lets mention the most obvious value--con registration ($50). I know that many people who are in a time of hardship or tight budget can't afford the extra $125, but you have a full year to make your con plans and budget out the money. I'm glad this conversation has remained civil thus far. So to reiterate, I think promoting the SSship by placing some value to go along with it, might encourage those who are "on the fence" to see that what they are getting is really a great deal and will make their con going experience all that much better as well as walking away with some exclusive extra goodies.
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permalinkLocation: Philadelphia area, PA
I agree; i think most of us do, really.
What i've seen us doing in the past, to anyone and everyone we can, is talking up two options for getting the most out of your AC experience (albeit in different ways). One is supersponsorship. The other is volunteering.
Every time a newcomer comes asking about how to get acquainted with more people or just what we recommend in general, we've been pushing those two options; that's partly because it's good for AC to have more supersponsors (i think of it as the "are you sure i can't owe you some more money" plan) and more volunteers (the "i don't know what to do with all this free time" plan). It's also because those who participate in this way really do reap some lovely rewards for it, in addition to the personal buzz that comes from being extra helpful. AC has always done a very good job of letting its supersponsors and volunteers know how valued and appreciated they are.
I'm really glad that we do this promotion work, and it never hurts to do a bit more. If it ever seems like i push harder for volunteers, it's just because i know that path better and can speak more personally to how cool it is.
Really, it's only when we speak of raising the general admission price that i start to worry; while many can afford the extra money, there are some who can't particularly with room and board expenses. I want to make sure we're doing all we can to make AC accessible to those folks, as well as the more financially comfortable ones. *grin*
Yay supersponsors! Yay sponsors! Whoohoo!
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permalinkLocation: Somewhere over the rainbow in a land far far away
I didn't mind all the walking gave me a good workout. Though I wouldn't mind paying 10$ more myself.
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