ASTL 2010 Feedback: Critiques

[hyuugakoneko]

Nobody is perfect. Stuff happens. It's impossible for everything to go according to plan. While the staff try our best to put on a good event, we know that pleasing everyone is nearly impossible. Still, it couldn't hurt to try! We want to hear your opinions on what could be improved at Anime St. Louis. Let us know what you'd like to see polished and refined. The more specific you are, and the more suggestions you give, the more we'll be able to take away from your feedback. Also, suggestions are much more useful to the staff than straight complaints.

Note: Proper grammar and polite, logical reasoning go a long way in helping your opinion be heard. Trolling, flaming, and arguing will result in deleted posts. Also, there is a large distinction between opinion and fact, please remember it.

And before you ask/complain: The con staff really have no way in choosing who/what Anime StL is booked against at our venue. We apologize for any confusion caused by being booked again the dance competition.

[mechaguru]

Between the tornado and the prosti-tot dancers, their isn't to much that one can say you didn't handle well. There was no glaring examples of "oh the Staff really f'd up on this" that I can think of.

Personal accountability on the part of the congoers themselves and what they should or shouldn't do is about the only real critique/complaint I can think off. And that goes for ANY con that happens anywhere.

[tat]

I don't have much critique either. I think you guys handled a lot of chaotic stuff well Your head of security did a great job, he went above and beyond for the con goers. I remember hearing him telling the artists in Artist Alley after the tornado that if anything was noticably missing that he would take care of it for them.

And the tornado situation was handled smoothly. I was expecting chaos. XD

The only big gripes I actually have are not towards the staff but towards some people running panels. I don't know who started it but some people were running 10-15 minutes over their panel time and thus were impeding the panel that was supposed to start after them.

And because the persons' panel having 10 minutes taken away from them by the other people, they felt they had the right to ALSO go over their time. Screwing things up more.

This was very rude to not only the people hosting panels but their attendees. Some people who were waiting in the hall for the panel they wanted to go to actually left.

This happened to 4 panels that I know of. Some panels were talked of being canceled or being moved because of Sleeping Samurai going over as well.

I understand we had the tornado, that can explain the Sleeping Samurai event at least.

Basically this is more a critique to people running panels that went over: Be aware of what time it is and think about the other people who will need to use the room.

[FireFox Kyo]

It was great this year, beyond the con being shared with teh masquerade and the tornado, this was the best one yet in my opinion.

I really dont have any problems with how it ran, i volunteered and i helped at the best of my abilities (well not really lol).

[SapphireChaos]

Apr 26, 2010 11:12:05 GMT -5 mechaguru said:

Between the tornado and the prosti-tot dancers, their isn't to much that one can say you didn't handle well. There was no glaring examples of "oh the Staff really f'd up on this" that I can think of.

I love that word "prosti-tots" XDD
But yeah everything was great.
Just two things...
1.) one thing was that when I was picking up my badge, it was kinda messy. The person getting my badge looked kinda confused about what they were doing.
2.) I agree with the panel thing. Anyone who was running a panel please watch your time. I was standing in the hallway for 10 minutes waiting for the panel I wanted to go to because the people ahead of them took too much time.

But I'm really glad you guys handled the tornado so well I also was glad to hear the rule about yelling "I lost the game!". That gets really old, really fast -__-;;

[Sappheirous]

Alright, overall I kind of had expected more based on previous years. I'm going to attempt to keep the pros and cons about even but truthfully I was let down by organization (I'm not referring to the tornado or layout). My skit group had a great skit planned out but there was no projector or area to project upon even though in the skit entry form it stated two forms in which a CD could be submitted and one of which was a video format. Unlike some, I had no problems with the dance competition and I completely realize and accept that was out of the staff members hands. Moreover, I felt that the state in which the convention was in didn't hold true to title of the con: "Anime St. Louis." I realize its a bigger convention center and ect. however I just wish that the actually convention had been in Missouri. On a plus note the dealers room was great as well as the people at the convention. The guests were great and I enjoyed chatting with them for a bit much like others have stated. I'm hoping next year will be more like 2009's ASTL but overall I applaud the staff members for their ability to come back each year with a new and bigger convention idea.

[Crack Roxas]

I'm a dealer and I did not like the size ratio of the Artists Ally VS the Dealers room. Here's why:

1) We pay way more money for our space then they do and the spaces were basically the same size. It seems we could just get an Artist Ally booth and pay less money for about the same size space.

2) We have way more stuff and work longer to set up our space then they do. I got to the con at around 8:30 am to start setting up.

I DID however like that you had to go through the Artists Ally to get to the Dealers Room.

I am NOT trying to be mean. I am just being honest. Anime St. Louis was my first anime convention. I just want you guys to be the best. <3

[SapphireChaos]

Sappheirous: Yeah, I liked last years con better in terms of location and organization, but oh well I guess things change. this year was okay too.

[kgods]

Lack of anime magazines in the dealer's room hehe (a minor quibble) but I figured there would be Newtype, Megami, etc. but otherwise I pretty much enjoyed everything I did etc.

Stuff that's beyond control of those here:
1. Weather "ahem"
2. Me being a moron and missing the virgin con panel
3. The fact that I didn't meet up with most of the people I wanted to and therefore was mostly a lonewolf most of the con, boooooo!

[rhapchan]

I would like to suggest that next year there be more difference between adult and underage badges. At first glance they look really alike, and I don't like the implications of that... I want my little sister very clearly marked as underage -> away from bad stuff! So maybe they could be different colors or something.

I also think there needed to be more focus on the con etiquette that was in the book you guys gave out. There were a lot of people this year who were very pushy when it came to physical affection-- someone asked for a hug and groped my behind, and there were some other people who asked repeatedly for hugs/physical affection in a manner I thought inappropriate.

[Jono]

Apr 26, 2010 17:20:34 GMT -5 Sappheirous said:

Moreover, I felt that the state in which the convention was in didn't hold true to title of the con: "Anime St. Louis."

For what it's worth. I'm originally from the Metro East (O'Fallon, IL and then Edwardsville, IL), and if anyone ever asked me where I was from, I'd tell them St. Louis. After all, the first city someone thinks of if I say Illinois is Chicago... which is even farther away than Indianapolis is from Edwardsville. On top of that, if someone posts a map of the St. Louis area, it will inevitably include the Metro East because we're considered suburbs of the city just as St. Charles is. I realize it may have been a drive for some people, but Collinsville is still considered part of the St. Louis metropolitan area. In fact, if St. Louis gets a professional soccer team, the talk is that the stadium would be housed right by the Gateway Convention Center in Collinsville.

Glad you enjoyed the convention overall though!

[Crack Roxas]

Apr 26, 2010 23:45:14 GMT -5 rhapchan said:

I also think there needed to be more focus on the con etiquette that was in the book you guys gave out. There were a lot of people this year who were very pushy when it came to physical affection-- someone asked for a hug and groped my behind, and there were some other people who asked repeatedly for hugs/physical affection in a manner I thought inappropriate.

Same thing happened to me and I got him kicked out. The guy thought it was "ok" to do so. Sexual harassment is NOT ok. I don't care if it's an anime convention or not.

[Munchies]

I loved the fact that you guys were at the Gateway Center... I've been going to Archon there for years (though they're no longer in Collinsville because of the Doubletree >_>), so I was really excited to be going to another awesome con there, and I really hope you guys can get that place booked next year.

I didn't really have a whole lot to complain about regarding the staff or anything, mostly just other con-goers. A group of kids next to me during the tornado scare was yelling stuff like, "OMG A TORNADO WE'RE GONNA DIE LOLOLOLOL", while I was sitting there panicking. Got groped a couple of times, too, which is NOT COOL.

[Munchies]

Also, the guy who molested my sister at Archon a few years back was there, and I heard he'd been banned from the con. It definitely put me and my friends on edge the whole time.

[Crack Roxas]

Apr 27, 2010 12:09:30 GMT -5 Munchies said:

Also, the guy who molested my sister at Archon a few years back was there, and I heard he'd been banned from the con. It definitely put me and my friends on edge the whole time.

If that ever happens to you or anyone at a con again, do not hesitate to let staff know so they can take care of it and get that person kicked out. People like that do NOT need to be at a con.