Make a Guess

Lots!

I'd bet more than last year. Somewhere like (lots + 5)^2 might be a good estimate

I'll say about 5522, that should be about right I like double numbers, I know it sounds weird, but that is what I am.

At least 3,005 (the "5" is my mother, little sister, youngest stepsister, my stepdad, and I).

--

My name is pronounced like this: GOO-show-SEH-kiye.

Being a scientist, I could not resist making a graph.

From this chart it appears as though 2004 had an unusually high attendance, possibly due to Stan Sakai's first appearance there, since Stan, like, totally roxxorz the houssorz.

well i am new, and i am coming to the con, so yeah ad one more to thoes numbers.

3115

I have spoken.

My random number generators claim it's going to be 2926.
And as we all know, random number generators are right... *Kittynoy pushes a button* 72.06% of the time.
Noy

over 3000 ^^ usually conventions grow about 5-600 attendees a year.

I'm guessing close to 3,250. Folks seem to have had a great time last year, and we definitely have the room to expand now.

Karl Xydexx Jorgensen
Publications Director

We can use SCIENCE!!

Graphing the number of people vs. the year of operation (with the exception of 2004 which we shall treat as an outlying value), we can generate a line with the equation y=248.55x + 121.58 (R-squared=0.9943). So I predict that in 2008 (our 12th year) we will have 3104.2 attendees.

My guess is that next year we will have 2,913. Although there is tremendous interest in the con, two factors will be keeping some people from attending. In May, a trans-Atlantic flight is going to crash and a cause for it will not be announced until mid August. Concerns over flight safety will keep only a few people away, but mainly the problem is going to be furs trying to enter the United States itself! The crash raises national security concerns and causes major problems at Customs.

Also, just a week before the con begins the Bus Driver's Union will declare a sudden strike, leaving many without a way to get to the con. And many of those left behind are the room masters, resulting in lots of furs roaming the lobby at the hotel seeking crash space. This results in many furs clamoring for a "last-minute rooming" board in the lobby of the hotel. Although Kage initially rejects the idea, the other furs won't let the matter rest until Kage finally gives in, and shortens the message board on the third floor to accommodate one panel for the "LMR" board the following year. In its first year of use, it is actually quite a success. Many furs find crash space within the Westin, and room-masters with unreliable roomies have a second chance to recoup their loss.

This same con, due to the surprise that any of them had the balls to show up the first time, more 4-channers show up to protest. Again, Kage goes out there with a diplomatic smile on his face, however his warmth is not returned. The channers take it as a personal insult and some tempers flare. Although no-one is harmed, the police arrive to escort the channers out of the area.

With the US economy declining, less furs find the money to make it to AC09 (2,754). The attendance drops a bit, however the Westin fills more rooms than ever. Jamie integrates the "LMR" board into the hotel functions for the duration of the con, and has an attendee post hourly updates on the board as to room openings within the hotel. This helps fill space within the Westin that otherwise would have been vacant.

This year even more channers show up and cause a problem. Tired of seeing them, and definitely tired of hearing furs whine about them, the Gryphon 2 collects volunteers for a Furry Army of Doom and assaults the channers. In the ensuing geek-verses-geek battle, two channers end up with severe enough injuries to end up in the hospital. Absolutely pissed at 2's actions, Kage bans him from the con indefinitely.

By AC10 (1,977), the US economy has continued to tumble. Due to financial problems and fears over the supposed "family-friendly" atmosphere degrading due to 2's assault, a lot less furs are attending, and more channers show up to protest than ever before. Luckily for the con, the FBI is after myself at this point (however I anticipated this move and had fled to Tibet). In their quest to capture me, they go undercover and buy memberships then casually attend the convention while keeping an eye out. By the time the channers show up to protest, the FBI is having such a good time that they call in backup units to black-bag the channers whom are then never seen again.

This year, in order to energize memberships again, RoninOtter joins forces with Dex and together they put on an unbelievable techo-dance skit for the masquerade. This single-handedly doubles AC11's membership.

By AC11 (4,120), the US economy is slowly but surely getting better. With AC now a safer place with built-in undercover FBI protection, membership starts growing again. However, shortly after the con is over, Switzerland declares war on Europe and conquers it within 72 hours (military leaders in the field were warned, however they thought it was just a joke). Ironically, it was during that invasion that many people finally figured out what all those little tools on the knives were for.

The US economy at this point is in no position to fight a war, and most of US money is in Swiss bank accounts to begin with. The US adopts an official position of neutrality and backs away from the problems. However, Russia and China, who are not intimidated, pressure Switzerland to back down and return Europe to what it had been. Switzerland however does not back down.

A week thereafter, Russia and China both launch an offensive from the East to push the Swiss back. At the same time, Canada surprises the world by declaring war and sending forces to attack from the west. However, both offensives are fought to stalemates.

2 Gryphon at this point, really pissed off from missing Dex's skit at AC10 and missing two cons now, reforms his Furry Army of Doom. He stops by Kage's house to seek help from his friend. Kage volunteers his services as a master chemist armed with various forms of laughing and sleeping gasses. Now with a small army under his command, 2 splits his forces in two to attack from the North and the South.

Armed with only a pink Prismacolor pencil and a burlap sack full of pennies, 2 launches from Iceland and starts with taking back Britain. From there he then takes back the Netherlands, then heads towards Switzerland proper through Germany (who are all in awe of the irony in all this).

However, 2 has his right-hand woman attack from the south. She lands on Sicily first, then takes back Italy and attacks Switzerland from below. The French call her "The second Blitzkrieger". You and I know her as Grandma Kage. Armed with only a leather jacket and a Harley, she flies through the countryside uncontested.

During the assault on the Swiss HQ, Giza hacks into their networks and shuts down all of their communications while Jibba distracts four divisions of troops with world-class dancing. By the time the dust settles, the Swiss Army is defeated and Europe returned to normal. It is discovered that 4-chan was behind the Swiss' attempt to take over Europe. The entire war, from the Swiss offensive to 2's counterattack, was accomplished without a single casualty on either side. It would become known as the most humane war ever.

For their accomplishments during the war, everyone involved in the furry army receive the Medal of Honor. While being given his, 2 launches into an impromptu rant and comic routine that wins the hearts and minds of the public. This becomes the foundation for his campaign to become president, and he goes on to win the election in 2012. Kage forgives 2 for assaulting the channers and allows him back into the con. For the next 8 years with 2 as president, 2 himself founds a furry con that is held at Camp David.

For his role in bringing the entire event to a close humanely, Kage receives a case of Japan's best Sake. Giza gets a job in the Pentagon with good benefits, and Jibba gets a spot on TV to show the world how to groove. Grandma Kage gets featured as Harley's poster image.

Due to the immense press around the entire war, the furry fandom receives fantastic media coverage. However, also because of this, membership keeps doubling every year. The meaning behind the fandom and its uniqueness get lost in the crowds as everyone tries to be a part of what rapidly becomes mainstream.

Kage soon retires from con chair and founds a spinoff convention. Various staff members from AC also start their own cons in an attempt to get smaller cons going again, but each con soon gets crowded beyond practicality.

There was supposed to be a point in this somewhere but I think I lost it. Oh well. Remember, you heard it here first!

-There is no truth