Staff just wasted Two Hours of my Time

[darkbattousai]

Concerned_Citizen,

Dates of the convention: This has been mentioned before, but I can reiterate it. The dates of the convention are influenced by a wide variety of factors, but the most important being the dates the convention center are actually available. Easter has three large events going on and due to religious considerations, we feel that it would not be a good time to hold Kawaii Kon. Golden Week is actually incredibly inconvenient for Japanese guests due to the mentality surrounding the holiday; most guests (and especially their agencies) hate doing any type of appearance during the week. I do not see us scheduling Kawaii Kon during Golden Week if at all possible. We will continue to monitor attendance and people's suggestions, but for right now, coinciding the kon with spring break is ideal.

Technical Issues: you are making an assumption that we do not already work with the staffers responsible for setup ahead of time. Unfortunately, we run on a comparatively small base of volunteers for as large of a setup/convention as Kawaii Kon, and we are already working on a new setup plan to alleviate the problems for next year. We do hire a few companies to help with the more complicated issues such as running our 100 amp power drop in main events, but the heart of the show is our staff.

Budgets: It is always amusing to see people comment about how much money the show brings in and how the show should spend its money. We feel that money is best spent into making the show better, so we invest our money into the venue, equipment, and guests. We have an amazing staff who go well above and beyond the call of duty to make this possible and allow for money to not be wasted on impersonal professional contractors. Our staff as a whole has always had the mentality of us putting in extra work in order to save money for adding in better events.

Schedule: I apologize for the last minute shuffling around of events, but again we had to make a decision. We chose to have a full schedule with something going on at all times rather than having large 2 hour gaps of no programming. Overall, I think a little bit of chaos is better than having "dead air," but you are free to think that having less programming is the ideal solution.

1. I am sorry that you are not able to understand our thought process, but you will have to wait and see. An obvious solution that you seem to have missed about adding events to Friday is simply adding an extra room to make this possible. I addressed your thoughts on preparation earlier, but you are inferring an "inside" view of a situation when you clearly do not know all the details.

2. We are always working on making things better, and our events/security are already working on new and innovative ways to efficiently manage autographs. The main thing that needs to be kept in mind is that Guests are human beings and have their own thoughts/desires. Some guests are willing to strictly follow our schedule, but other guests decide to throw us curve balls that we need to dynamically adapt to as best as possible.

3. I mentioned the financial argument earlier, but I think you are making assumptions about something when you do not even seem to know the basic pricing structure of the venue.

4. We were not in a position in years past to coincide with break, and we are taking into account everyone's concerns. Our goal is to provide the best experience to the most possible people, so we will continue to monitor the situation and adjust.

7. We are re-evaluating possible layouts for next year, and we will take this into consideration. We actually have seven different layouts that we are pricing out and looking at currently, and again we will attempt to maximize every dollar spent to make the best possible show.

9. Our events department is taking this seriously, and they will be very clear about the rules and procedures. As long as rules are promulgated and made clear to all involved, I do not think anyone can claim that it is unfair for people being disqualified for not following the rules. If you have questions once the new rules are posted, please ask, and we will make sure it is clarified in a manner that you understand.

I am surprised that someone who has volunteered for so many events has such a narrow minded observation of the show. It again sounds like you have someone giving you incorrect "inside" information or you feel that your experience has given you the ability to understand all shows. I am going out on a limb here, but I assume that you have never volunteered at an anime show held in Hawaii that has over 6000 attendees. Speaking as someone who has volunteered and run shows ranging from technical conferences at google to anime conventions on the mainland that have well over twenty thousand attendees, I can say that Kawaii Kon's structure has improved greatly from the past and that applying the same standard to each show will lead to an uneducated and slanted view.

I really do appreciate all of your feedback in this thread, but I think it is apparent that you have some fairly strong underlying issues and biases regarding the show. If you would like to email me directly about your concerns with the show, please send me a pm or email info@kawaii-kon.org. Overall though, I think you have been greatly misinformed and have made assumptions that have clouded your view of the show, but you do seem to have some level of intelligence and if you are able to overcome your issues, you would be an asset as a volunteer to make Kawaii Kon even better next year.


Everyone else,

Your comments and suggestions are incredibly helpful, and we literally discuss every single post and are making notes/working on implementation or addressing your concerns for future years.

Thanks,
Faisal

[buma]

Item 1. actually, there were 3 events scheduled for the Thursday before the Kon: Cosplay showcase, Cosplay Theater, and prelim for Karaoke. Due to the demands of actually setting up the convention in a single day, we will no longer hold these types of preliminary events on Thursday and will be accommodated in some other fashion (integrated back into the schedule of the Kon, for example), or by some other means.

If we had an entire week before the convention to do set-up, of course we could have the rooms set up properly for any pre-events and all last minute surprise could be handled much easier. However, we have a single day to set up all the rooms for Kawaii Kon. And, with as big and complex a show as Kawaii Kon is turning out to be, we need the entire day.

And too, as setup is on a Thursday, many of our volunteers aren't necessarily available due to work, school, or real life. Combine this with deliveries of items, equipment issues, last minute changes, or just murphy's law, I would say that we have done extremely well over the years - but we always strive to be better.

To your comment about leaving gaps in our schedule due to last-minute cancellations - it would be like having 'dead air' on TV or radio due to not having a program ready or unavailable for whatever reason. No company would pay to have 'dead air' over their stations, and neither would would we, if we can help it. If we can find a better time slot for a panelist, or if a guest agrees to do an additional panel, why would we not want to fill that 'dead air' with some sort of programming?

Item 2. As stated, autograph sessions are a dynamic situation and we have to adjust with the flow of the ever-changing variables of guests, fans, time, location, and other events.

Item 3. Could we hire a company to do setup? Yes, we actually do for the more complex setups. However, each dollar spent on setup is a dollar that can't be spent on other areas of the convention. Contrary to your statement, Kawaii Kon chooses to spend money where needed: investing in the show and it's growth, obtaining new guests, and developing Kawaii Kon into a bigger and better show each year wisely.

Item 4. Again, coinciding with Golden Week would put us in a far worse situation. As an example - look at airfares: Normal ticket prices from Hawaii to Japan are approximately $1000, however during Golden Week, that price could easily triple. So, would you rather have Kawaii Kon a month later and coincide with Golden Week and have only 1 Japanese guests, or a month earlier and have 3 Japanese guests? Which is better for the Kon-going community?

To address your concerns about the hierarchy - their is no 'shakiness' about Kawaii Kon's structure. We have some of the best volunteers any convention could ask for, bar none. And with a majority of our directors being local, we have built a very strong base with all our volunteers. I do not know where you may be getting your information from, but it is entirely in error.

About your experience with other conventions, both bigger and smaller than Kawaii Kon - are any of them as complex as Kawaii Kon is? Yes, some may be longer in duration, and some may be bigger physically, but are any as complex? Do any of them have as many rooms as we do? As many different types of programming? As many different types of events? As many different types of guests? As many different types of activities? Although we may be smaller than the events you volunteer for, I'm guessing that we are much more complex in the array of items that are brought forth to the kon-going public.

Item 7. It is never a good idea to mix different types of events into the same type of room if at all possible. Yes, it can be done, but at sacrifices I'd think that we are not willing to make as it would make the Kon-going experience far, far worse for attendees, and not want to come back.

Item 9. As stated, we are looking to altering and clarifying the rules so that it specifically states that all potential entrants for any contest such as Cosplay Showcase, Theater, Karaoke, or the like, will be required to come at the start of any pre-judging / preliminary event. This will allow for the most efficient use of the time allotted for the event and give everyone a fair chance.

We try our best to answer any concerns put forth on the forums as it is the most direct way of communicating with the general kon-going public and will continue to do so. Thanks

[overseer06]

Oh, and the person that suggested or thought up of fast passes deserves some praise. I'm not sure if it was something utilized in previous years (I don't think I actually paid attention at the time), but that was a nice bonus for people willing to pay a little extra.

Especially beneficial for the packed events like the Cosplay Showcase and Theater. Wouldn't be surprised if it's used for concerts too.

Were there any incidences where people were caught trying to sneak in with different passes this year? I feel that it hasn't really gone away. I thought I saw someone with a two-day pass (noticed it was green) attended events on all three days.

[nemurijay]

Oh, and the person that suggested or thought up of fast passes deserves some praise. I'm not sure if it was something utilized in previous years (I don't think I actually paid attention at the time), but that was a nice bonus for people willing to pay a little extra.

Especially beneficial for the packed events like the Cosplay Showcase and Theater. Wouldn't be surprised if it's used for concerts too.

Thanks im glad you liked it . I thought of the idea and this past year was the trial run. As you saw we only had 3 events (one each day, Akino, Eyeshine, and Cosplay Theater) that had the fastpass. We will add more fastpass events for next years show as it was sold out for all 3 events. Any other comments regarding the fast pass will be greatly appreciated

[WolfGirl]

Hello. My suggestions for Kawaii Kon 2013 is to judge art quality for Artist Alley before allowing them to sell the art. There was a lot of booths this year that had art that I think I can get for free from my sister who cannot really draw. It is no offense to artists, but I just want to allow other people that do have potential to have a booth instead of the ones that look like a lesser quality one. The quality and the pricing was a little costly from my perspective, but that is just my opinion.

I don't think that is very fair at all, and actually kind of rude. Do you, yourself, draw? It doesn't sound like you do, so I'm assuming you have NO idea the work artists put into their pieces. So, to be an artist who has passion for their work, even if its not a professional level, and then be told 'no' because they are not good enough.....That is kinda of crappy. Not everyone can draw at a professional level, and Kawaii Kon gives "lower level" artist the opportunity to not only sell their work, but promote it. There is no way someone can judge anothers art and have it deemed "good enough" to be in the artist alley. If the "better" artists want a table, well, they should probably get one as soon as possible. Everyone deserves a chance to be in artist alley. As far as prices being too high for you, well, prints are kinda expensive to make, so even if the artist want to break even its "pricy". However, the artist would still like to make a profit. Many of the artist in the room are there because that is how they make a living. It doesn't hurt to barter either. Let me tell you from experience, it is INCREDIBLY hurtful, to be denied because your work "isn't good enough". It doesn't matter how flowery you make it sound, it just sucks. I think that if Kawaii Kon would implement what your suggesting, not only would it cast a negative light on the kon, it wouldn't leave many artist in the room, including me. And that isn't because people aren't good enough, but I'm pretty sure no one would want to be apart of something like that.

[overseer06]

About the Butishake comments, I also agree that I didn't really care for it as much this year. There were too many weird dance songs that I did not recognize.

That's a matter of opinion. I've been to all the Butishakes and I actually recognized more songs in this past one than the previous three years. And about people leaving this year: the Butishake was at the same time as Eyeshine's first concert here. Even I left for a bit to check in over there and listen to them.

And yes, I agree with WolfGirl. That really was an insensitive comment by desudesu57. Besides, the convention should not be responsible for quality control of fanart . . . that's just stupid. That's like complaining about AMV submissions in this year's VAST because they "weren't good enough." Besides, I actually recognized a lot of work from DeviantArt and I think they've been coming here for the past several years. I even had a friend who shared a table: he was surprisingly the only one in Artist Alley that had League of Legends cards.

Regarding Artist Alley, I was more peeved that people did not respect the artist's work: one booth in particular (I can't remember her name, but it was the nice lady near the bottom right-hand corner that had really nice prints and badges. She made a sign asking people not to take pictures. Sure enough, people did it anyways. She left about half an hour before Artist Alley closed on Saturday, but left her display up. Every time I passed by that area, I can always see one guy taking pictures. That ticked me off.

[Chugoku-jinko]

Hello. My suggestions for Kawaii Kon 2013 is to judge art quality for Artist Alley before allowing them to sell the art. There was a lot of booths this year that had art that I think I can get for free from my sister who cannot really draw. It is no offense to artists, but I just want to allow other people that do have potential to have a booth instead of the ones that look like a lesser quality one. The quality and the pricing was a little costly from my perspective, but that is just my opinion.

I completely agree to what Wolfgirl said. Kawaii Kon has no right to deed what is good enough to sell and what is not. The only thing Kawaii Kon can tell you what not to sell is official products. Such as DVDs from Funimation, Manga from Tokyopop or VIZ and whatnot. If you're selling official products like that, then you're going to be placed in the dealers room.

-----------------------------------------------

my suggestion for Kon I completely understand the problems in creating dates for the show such as guest availability, pricing for guest accommodation and the convention reservation, and attendee's availbility. I was wondering why not have Kawaii kon in late june or early july. By then kids and even college is over by then. The only problems I can see with this date from my point of view as a convention goer is cost of convention reservation and guest accommodations, guest availbility, conflict with other conventions and simply scheduling the convention itself.

[Sakuramboo]

my suggestion for Kon I completely understand the problems in creating dates for the show such as guest availability, pricing for guest accommodation and the convention reservation, and attendee's availbility. I was wondering why not have Kawaii kon in late june or early july. By then kids and even college is over by then. The only problems I can see with this date from my point of view as a convention goer is cost of convention reservation and guest accommodations, guest availbility, conflict with other conventions and simply scheduling the convention itself.

Anime Expo in Los Angeles is always around or near 4th of July, its kind of the big "Industry Show" which mean many it limits our guest availablity and vendors. If we schedule it before many folks will not come due to anticipation of AX, after the show many will be too tired or may not have enough stock to justify the trip. Not to mention AX is the big Industry show, which some of us attend to make connections and do business that effects Kawaii-kon directly.
Another thing to think about (and this is just a minor thing that accured to me), how many people will be on Vacation at that time? Not everyone can stay on the island or can just attend, no matter what weekend we pick during the summer there is always going to be a handful of folks that can't make it due to family commitments or other plans. No date is "perfect", but we do listen, the dates we pick are done for very good reasons.

[overseer06]

This may be slightly off-topic, but is there a way to permanently ban a user from the forums? There seems to be a huge influx of bot users trying to promote sites that are most likely filled with viruses. I suggest something must be done quickly before it gets any worse.

And I also suggest that someone should tell MediaBlaster (or the DVD distributor with the hentai in the Dealer's Room) to at least hide the DVDs with the more risque covers. I think they actually had paper bags, so buyers wouldn't risk showing what they bought to the rest of the convention as they carried it around, but it's still all laid out on the table for all to see. Perhaps a sign that says "We have Hentai" on the booth, where people can peruse through their selection of DVDs they keep in a box after showing ID. Perhaps I'm overblowing the issue, but I do remember that this did come up in another topic in the forums.

[joshua]

We use the same methods Google uses to prevent spam bots... sadly no method is perfect. If you notice a spammer don't hesitate to flag it or email info@kawaii-kon.org in order to alert us to the spam post/user.

[ichigomochi]

I know this is a little far out there, but can I suggest possibly a shuttle to Ala Moana Hotel and the convention center for night time events during con? I'm just bringing this up because the area isn't really well lit and it's sort of dangerous especially if a female con goer is by herself and has to go back to the hotel late at night and none of her room mates are around.

[Chugoku-jinko]

I know this is a little far out there, but can I suggest possibly a shuttle to Ala Moana Hotel and the convention center for night time events during con? I'm just bringing this up because the area isn't really well lit and it's sort of dangerous especially if a female con goer is by herself and has to go back to the hotel late at night and none of her room mates are around.

I understand your concern about the dangers of the road and being ganged up on during late at night while being by yourself walk to and from kon and the ala hotel. But it doesn't even take 5 minutes to walk between ala moana hotel and the convention center. It's a complete waste of money for kawaii kon to hire a driver and also to pay for gas. If you're really that concerned about walking alone late at night, use the buddy system.

----------------------------------------
On a side note, people need to stop putting personal problems on kawaii kon.

[The Astromech]

since its kinda in the same "two hours of my time" frame, why was the line for registration from this past Kon longer than previous kons? and when i got up to the cashier, there were only 3-4 people (2 were cashiers handling money, the other two were writing badges) in front ringing people up and the pre-register cashier weren't even helping to bring down the line?

this was on that Friday. I know it was spring break and all and many folks didn't pre-reg because they weren't sure if they were gonna go or not... but i would figure there would be atleast ten people running it, 5 teams of two. also i figure the pre-reg cashier helping the non register line so the line moves faster....

...but that's my gripe. oh and the pre-register line was long too and the wait was kinda long, but not as long as the non register line.

...i guess i gotta pre-register next time and hope i get my weekend off next year.

[Autobot-Cy]

I have a suggestion for a video game competition. I'm not sure if it's been done before, but how about a "Just Dance" Wii competition? It could be either "Just Dance" 1, 2, or 3, random songs, or the more popular ones, are chosen and it can go two at a time in a bracket elimination style.

Competitors can draw numbers and they're placed accordingly into a bracket, two people compete against each other based on a song they both agree to, or a random one chosen by whoever runs the competition. The winner of that dance off, chosen by their ending score, moves on to the next round.

I think it would be super fun to do, and it could give us Kon-goers an opportunity to meet new people and get our groove on. LOL! What do you guys think? Any imput?

[Mitsuki]

I have a suggestion for a video game competition. I'm not sure if it's been done before, but how about a "Just Dance" Wii competition? It could be either "Just Dance" 1, 2, or 3, random songs, or the more popular ones, are chosen and it can go two at a time in a bracket elimination style.

Competitors can draw numbers and they're placed accordingly into a bracket, two people compete against each other based on a song they both agree to, or a random one chosen by whoever runs the competition. The winner of that dance off, chosen by their ending score, moves on to the next round.

I think it would be super fun to do, and it could give us Kon-goers an opportunity to meet new people and get our groove on. LOL! What do you guys think? Any imput?

Haha, while I'm no good at "Just Dance", it sounds entertaining. =)

After all, I'm entertained just watching people play in normal clothes since some of the dance moves are so silly. I can just imagine how much more entertaining it would be to see cosplayers at Kon playing it. xD

My friends are huge "Just Dance" fans so I can imagine them having interest in this event. Or I think it'd even be cool to have "Just Dance" available to play in the game room. It doesn't necessarily have to be a competition. ^^

[Autobot-Cy]

Haha, while I'm no good at "Just Dance", it sounds entertaining. =)

After all, I'm entertained just watching people play in normal clothes since some of the dance moves are so silly. I can just imagine how much more entertaining it would be to see cosplayers at Kon playing it. xD

My friends are huge "Just Dance" fans so I can imagine them having interest in this event. Or I think it'd even be cool to have "Just Dance" available to play in the game room. It doesn't necessarily have to be a competition. ^^

That could be an option too! I just thought a competition would be an awesome thing to do, something EVERYONE can do, not just a few people. Things like Call of Duty, or a Guitar Hero competition, not everyone can do something like that, or people tend to take it way too seriously. Even pokemon competitions, not everyone can do it because a lot of people play casually.

How can anyone see holding a wii remote and flailing around as anything but great fun? XD

[Kenix]

Haha, while I'm no good at "Just Dance", it sounds entertaining. =)

After all, I'm entertained just watching people play in normal clothes since some of the dance moves are so silly. I can just imagine how much more entertaining it would be to see cosplayers at Kon playing it. xD

My friends are huge "Just Dance" fans so I can imagine them having interest in this event. Or I think it'd even be cool to have "Just Dance" available to play in the game room. It doesn't necessarily have to be a competition. ^^

That could be an option too! I just thought a competition would be an awesome thing to do, something EVERYONE can do, not just a few people. Things like Call of Duty, or a Guitar Hero competition, not everyone can do something like that, or people tend to take it way too seriously. Even pokemon competitions, not everyone can do it because a lot of people play casually.

How can anyone see holding a wii remote and flailing around as anything but great fun? XD

where would you have this competition?

[Autobot-Cy]

where would you have this competition?

It could be in the gaming room, or even in the main event room. Remember the year they had the Guitar Hero finalists on stage? Maybe they could have the preliminaries in the gaming room, then the final four perhaps in the main event room.

[Kenix]

where would you have this competition?

It could be in the gaming room, or even in the main event room. Remember the year they had the Guitar Hero finalists on stage? Maybe they could have the preliminaries in the gaming room, then the final four perhaps in the main event room.

that rock band system belonged to one of the assistant game directors. not sure putting it in the gaming room will go well though you might end up making those playing card, board and roleplaying games mighty upset

[Autobot-Cy]

that rock band system belonged to one of the assistant game directors. not sure putting it in the gaming room will go well though you might end up making those playing card, board and roleplaying games mighty upset

I didn't mean that roleplay gaming room, I meant the video gaming room.

[Danstarmatic]

A friend has suggested this before for our club, but I feel that I should place it here for everyone to see.

We were suggesting that there be some sort of PA system that can remind people of the events that are about to happen. This would be very great for people like me who stick around in the video game room and other rooms a lot and forget about upcoming panels and major events and such. However, I fear that it may conflict with other events as well. We wouldn't want it to conflict with the Artist Alley PA system or interrupt events. But it would very much appreciated to give this some thought.

I also have to agree with this because I sometimes forgot about events and missed them. The only real events I heard about via PA was Video games and paid events such as the Mad Tea Party (which I would love to see again next year).

The tables in the Table Top/Card Room were not exactly spaced out very well. I, along with others, had to squish ourselves between multiple sets of chairs just to get results in. Also, I've heard many complaints about using the white tables because the amount of space is extremely limited. Maybe next time we could just use the long rectangular tables and possibly space them out in a better way (possibly 1 table width between tables?).

Also, I was EXTREMELY disappointed that Eleven Staples' last concert started 10-15 minutes late, resulting in them having to cut songs from their very last concert. I'm pretty sure that others who missed the Hard Rock concert (and even those who didn't) were disappointed also.

Lastly, I would love to see the Fastpass system back next year, but hopefully for more events and at a slightly lower price, since there would be more events to buy them for.

[hoshi-p]

Also, I was EXTREMELY disappointed that Eleven Staples' last concert started 10-15 minutes late, resulting in them having to cut songs from their very last concert. I'm pretty sure that others who missed the Hard Rock concert (and even those who didn't) were disappointed also.

Hi! Sorry for the delayed reply.

We apologize about the late start time, but fortunately this year we were able to play all of our planned setlist. I did mention that we had to cut a song the previous year due to time restraints, so that may be where the confusion is from. I'm sorry about that!

Thank you very much for your support. Knowing that people enjoyed hearing us play was what made it all worth it!

[SaiyanRocker]

Here's my list of suggestiong and questions for next year's con.

Gaming Tournaments
I think, instead of basing them on the hot, new games, why not go old school?
Mario Kart 64
Starfox 64
Super Smash Bros.
Pokemon Puzzle League
The original Mortal Kombat
The original Street Fighter
Other retro games of the sort.

Guest Autographs
What if, in one sitting, all the guests were lined up along a long table, and the attendees waited in line to walk along the table, getting all the signatures they wanted? Since such a thing could be so messy, it kinda works out, because not everyone wants ALL the autographs, so you can just skip to the guests you want.

Midnight Ball
Would those comedically-colorful tuxedos be allowed in? If I do go to that, I have an idea to cosplay, while not being ridiculous, and stepping over any rules. Also, would any of the formal wear from the Goblet of Fire movie be acceptable?

Otaku Speed-dating
I apologize right now for the following, should any of it come off as whiny. While waiting in line for the event, I noticed some guys, quite a few spots ahead me, who seemed out of place, being that they didn't look like otakus. They looked as if they didn't even need speed-dating, and probably registered only for that event. For a shy guy who was in a full costume, it was depressing to be just a few steps away from the door, before they said "No more guys." It's very helpful to have this thing pre-planned, and already set-up, for those of us who already have a hard time asking a girl out (or guys for the shy girls). Maybe if there was some kind of quick and easy way to weed out the fakers from real otakus, it could be an overall better experience, no matter how little time is given for each pairing. I know the idea of exclusion sounds way harsh, but those few guys just seemed as if they wouldn't have much to talk about.




Would you hate me for re-suggesting MST3K? X3

[Trail Blazer Hellion]

I would very much like to again see Eyeshine (Johnny Young Bosh's band) again. They are great people.

[darkdragon1142]

my segguestions for 2013 based on what i saw at other kons and this one:

ok so i have only been to a few cons myself so im no expert by any means. but heres a few ideas of what i saw at other cons and this one.

events:
otaku speed dating-
this event seemed almost thrown together last minute, the only thing that was slightly organized was the papers. but it was vaguely done.

ideas to help this coming year, hold it earlier on in the evening so that it doesnt conflict with the ball or buti shake to entice more people to do it(especially females). secondly space us atleast a seat apart and a row apart(or just for the event have the rows spaced from eachother too but deffinately hard to hear eachother at the event).
next i implore number badges and laminated name badges with a grease pencil. makes the name and number part easy as handing out things.
for the email part to make sure people dont have trouble reading handwriting maybe try bubble sheets or circle letter sheets? with the typical (hotmail, msn, aim,aol) email endings already there. and an other option for the lessers.
time, 1or2 minutes i cant remember but it wasnt really long enough. turn the event into a 2 hour event depending on participation and give us a few more minutes.
arrows on the floor, to tell people where to go would hurry the event along. i noticed one of the major issues was people didnt understand where to go.

buti-shake:
first off bigger room? less chairs? better music choices?(more geeky and anime choices), sell event items there (i.e. cat ears glow sticks swingers so on.) make it last longer? the anime next event i went to in NJ lasted almost all night till 4 am. from 2000.

dealers room:
the line wasnt such a horrible thing it wasnt usually too long but maybe a bigger room to hold it in? give the booths more room to use, noticed some were combursome and others had too much room.
the adult booths you might want to have on one sides, not something ive seen at others but not a bad idea.

misc:
more contests for cosplaying like themes maybe? the best thing about cons is cosplaying and showing it to others.
bigger eating area? there werent enough tables for eating.
maybe sell cameras there and batteries im sure that was an issue for some.
and selling more kawaii-kon paraphanilia would be cool. like a stuffed anime character or something.

im planning on going with a group this coming year but if theres anyway im able to help id like to. this was the smallest con ive been too and since im going to be here for a few years id like to help it become bigger.

[overseer06]

This comment is sort of my own thoughts about previous comments.

@SaiyanRocker
First off, gaming tournaments are really decided by the video game directors or the HVGN people. Admittedly, it's entirely up to the public interest whether or not certain games will be played. If not enough people seem interested, they probably wouldn't bother investing in bringing in old consoles (after all, the consoles actually belong to people in the group). They'd still probably have those games, but I don't think many people would be interested in participating. As evidenced by the massive amount of people watching the games on the 360s, PS3, and Wii.

I think the formal wear has to fit a theme, which I believe has been recently announced as based off those sci-fi/space/mecha anime.

Don't get me started about Otaku Speed-dating. Don't participate in it myself, but I saw the lines and I'd have to agree with your statement. Ninety-five percent certain that about ten percent of male attendees only came because of the video games and the speed-dating.

@Danstarmatic
Won't there be less tables available if it's set up that way? And it's not like we can move to a bigger room. Those are pretty much reserved for Artist Alley, the Dealer's Room, and Main Events. And how expensive were the fast passes? Five dollars? For events like Cosplay Showcase Cosplay Theater, Ask an Anime Character, etc. I'd say it's worth it to get good seats.

@Autobot-Cy
We already have a dance competition. Why would we need one based around a video game? I thought there already was a Just Dance area in the video game room. It was in the back corner, although it was with a Kinect. Not saying it isn't a competitive game, but I don't think a contest is necessary.

@darkdragon1142
I've actually had a number of issues with your issues. But the largest one was about the size of the convention (we're pretty darn small, considering that we live on an island). It's logistically impossible to make the rooms bigger without sacrificing something else. The Dealer's Room has actually been a step up from previous years. If they're going to get more rooms, who's going be the ones that really end up paying for it? They'll have to hike up admission fees. You also seem to confuse the people that run the convention and the people that run the convention center. Two different administrations. Issues like the eating areas is something that should be brought up with the convention center, not Kawaii Kon.

Also, we're sort of contractually obligated to vacate the premises by one in the morning (which means they'd have to end it at midnight or a little later, than clean up). The convention center is near a residential neighborhood and surrounded by condos. I assume that one too many noise complaints could lead to trouble.

And selling event items at the Butishake? Wouldn't that create a line? A line that could end up being a worse obstruction than the chairs?

And when you said you've been to another convention in New Jersey (since around 2000), are you talking about AnimeNEXT? The "ninth largest anime convention in the United States?" We're just broke eight thousand attendees after seven years. According to the people in charge, they still haven't quite found replacements reliable enough to run the convention by themselves. That's why every year, almost all of our directors and professionals are flown in from the mainland. At least, that's what I vaguely remember from the Kawaii Kon Staff panel last year.

[darkdragon1142]

This comment is sort of my own thoughts about previous comments.

@SaiyanRocker
First off, gaming tournaments are really decided by the video game directors or the HVGN people. Admittedly, it's entirely up to the public interest whether or not certain games will be played. If not enough people seem interested, they probably wouldn't bother investing in bringing in old consoles (after all, the consoles actually belong to people in the group). They'd still probably have those games, but I don't think many people would be interested in participating. As evidenced by the massive amount of people watching the games on the 360s, PS3, and Wii.

I think the formal wear has to fit a theme, which I believe has been recently announced as based off those sci-fi/space/mecha anime.

Don't get me started about Otaku Speed-dating. Don't participate in it myself, but I saw the lines and I'd have to agree with your statement. Ninety-five percent certain that about ten percent of male attendees only came because of the video games and the speed-dating.

@Danstarmatic
Won't there be less tables available if it's set up that way? And it's not like we can move to a bigger room. Those are pretty much reserved for Artist Alley, the Dealer's Room, and Main Events. And how expensive were the fast passes? Five dollars? For events like Cosplay Showcase Cosplay Theater, Ask an Anime Character, etc. I'd say it's worth it to get good seats.

@Autobot-Cy
We already have a dance competition. Why would we need one based around a video game? I thought there already was a Just Dance area in the video game room. It was in the back corner, although it was with a Kinect. Not saying it isn't a competitive game, but I don't think a contest is necessary.

@darkdragon1142
I've actually had a number of issues with your issues. But the largest one was about the size of the convention (we're pretty darn small, considering that we live on an island). It's logistically impossible to make the rooms bigger without sacrificing something else. The Dealer's Room has actually been a step up from previous years. If they're going to get more rooms, who's going be the ones that really end up paying for it? They'll have to hike up admission fees. You also seem to confuse the people that run the convention and the people that run the convention center. Two different administrations. Issues like the eating areas is something that should be brought up with the convention center, not Kawaii Kon.

Also, we're sort of contractually obligated to vacate the premises by one in the morning (which means they'd have to end it at midnight or a little later, than clean up). The convention center is near a residential neighborhood and surrounded by condos. I assume that one too many noise complaints could lead to trouble.

And selling event items at the Butishake? Wouldn't that create a line? A line that could end up being a worse obstruction than the chairs?

And when you said you've been to another convention in New Jersey (since around 2000), are you talking about AnimeNEXT? The "ninth largest anime convention in the United States?" We're just broke eight thousand attendees after seven years. According to the people in charge, they still haven't quite found replacements reliable enough to run the convention by themselves. That's why every year, almost all of our directors and professionals are flown in from the mainland. At least, that's what I vaguely remember from the Kawaii Kon Staff panel last year.

im well aware of certain things this is a board for segguestions. dont have to flog me for just putting some things out there to think about. i know whos paying for it i payed alot of money to go to animenext. yes that is the one. also i didnt know if was that big but i did know it was a big convention. why not learn for some of the bigger ones?

didnt know it was close to residents and condos, or the contractual obligation. most convention centers arnt near those areas so not exactly my first thought.
and i noticed that most people working the convention were not regulars considering they pointed that out in some of the events. that they had to fly in some people.

selling items at the butishake and getting rid of the chairs would be better still. the line can hug the wall. the chairs take up a decent bit of space. and im not the only one that has made this segguestion.

just saying take what you can/want from this.

[buma]

darkdragon1142 - to respond to your comments:

speed dating - I will let my events directors handle the details, but thanks for your comments on this. It is still a relatively new event for us at Kawaii Kon, so please bear with us learning.

butishake - Unfortunately as the Convention Center shuts down at midnight, the butishake (along with the rest of the convention) shuts down with it. Music is largely determined by audience participation in the requests lines, but as it's a video dance, sometimes we are limited to just what can be played at the event itself. As the DJ for the butishake, I have always strive to include all types of music and requests made and will continue to do so to the best of my ability.

Not sure when you got there, but the butishake does have a small sales table for glowsticks - we usually sell out, so depending on when you got there, the table may have already closed up shop. Glow-swingers are more of a hazard than it's worth so we don't want to encourage them at the butishake.

As to the chairs, because we have to switch the room back to being the Special Events room afterwards, stacking of the chairs against the wall is really our best option.

Dealers Room - We are working on this for 2014, so stick with us and see what the dealers room becomes! As to the space utilization of the vendors, it's pretty much their call as they're just 'subleasing' the space from us, and what they do with it is their call for the most part. If they want to stuff it to the gills or just do a minimalist approach, as long as it meets our vendor rules, it's their dime on how it's used.

Cosplay events - we currently have 3 main cosplay-related events: Cosplay Showcase, Cosplay Theater, and Hallway Cosplay Contest. We also have dedicated photo-taking areas that are normally scheduled in the program guide as well. Are there other cosplaying events that you'd like to see at Kawaii Kon?

Eating areas - we have many areas around the convention center that can be used for eating, but as we also have to balance the space between eating and going from event to event, sometimes the two conflict. I've not had too much trouble finding a place to eat (when I eat, that is), so maybe you are just hitting that 'right' moment when everyone wants to eat / go from place to place / sit and rest at the same time...

KK branded items - We normally have our KK-branded t-shirts as well as our buttons, but there's nothing saying that we can't expand on this, either. What other items would you suggest?

thanks!

[Pandagirl31]

Any way to get in more food vendors? Or is it strictly what the convention center provides? I was appalled by the prices and limited selection available to attendees, sure you could leave and look for nearby places, but I thought it would be a nice idea to have different vendors, maybe even some of them do anime/character/KKon inspired dishes?

I was also thinking it might be nice to have some type of memorabilia of KKon. Each year they can commission a statuette of maybe a conglomerate of characters [set up voting for people who choose which character?] and it can proudly or humble state it's a KKon exclusive. Extra points if they can fit together! I would pay for that.... Anyone else?

[Xaeydn]

game room: LEAGUE TOURNY!!! xD lol

YOUNG JUSTICE SUTFFZ!!!

that is all (for now xD hahaha)

[kawaii]

I have been to many convention (MegaCon, DragonCon, Comic Con, and as of this latest one Kawaii Kon) and have been able to be part of most of these events for the last 6 years but what I noticed that made the most difference in the cons were the food, seating and sanitation. All of the Con I attend had issues with these 3 areas. I think the only one to get it right, and that was in the last year, was MegaCon. They were able to set up lunch tables for people to relax at with their friends, get food or take a breather for a bit before waiting in line or going off to a panel or game. The garbage was changed every 20mins and it remind perfect for everyday of the convention. Even the parents who usually complain about being dragged around were able to relax at the tables while the kids went from room to room and held on to their kids items they bought. But when I was at Kawaii Kon this year I noticed there wasn't a place just to rest and relax or even sit to eat. It was actually one of the factors for my group leaving early from the event. Also the choice for food was really not good at all. With so many farmers markets with Asian flavors around I don't see why we were stuck with some fruit and chips. So I suggest having a few food vendors also not just merchandise but people who sell sticky buns or melon buns, maybe even ramen if possible. People need to eat and at a Con they are willing to pay a few dollars more for the experience of something special. (^_^)

[Demon Sesshomaru]

Hello Everyone,

I am new to Kawaii Kon and this years convention will be my very first one!
So before it starts, I have a few suggestions for this years convention:

Guests: Vic Mcnogna, Richard Ian Cox, David Kaye, Moneca Stori, Sean Schemmel, Chris Sabat, Terri Hawkes, Caitlin Glass, Travis Willingham, and Christine Autin, Troy Baker, and Ed Blaylock.

[zetsuei]

~Xaeydn~

Here is the link to the Video games 2013 suggestion thread.
http://www.kawaii-kon.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=7456

This may be faster and easier than starting a new thread.


~Kawaii~

Here is the link to the Kawaii Kon 2013 suggestions thread.
http://www.kawaii-kon.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=7445&start=50

Buma's last post on that thread relates to your post about not enough places to eat.
As for the food, if you meant the food vendor that was near the front escalators, they are directly from the Hawaii Convention Center so we have no say in what they sell.

[odiemodie]

@Demon Sesshoumaru:

Welcome aboard! There is a Introduce yourself! thread you can go on to tell us more about yourself, including a Guest Suggestions 2013 as well. Though, I do see other Guest related requests posted on here, so I suppose as long a lengthy listing doesn't occurr, it's alright...

OK... thought I helped with that tip abit (since I'm one of the few who are most of the time actively on these forums during this slow, off season time), now I guess this maybe the best time for me to dab my suggestion(s) here... it is December, the year will be over before you know it, and in three short months, the countdown will start to KK 2013!

Events/ Stage set up: This is a simple request, unless what is given, is what you get in the set up procedures by HCC itself, I suggest that the Main Events Stage where the Cosplay Theater and AniMega Mix Dance Off competition held, be without the carpeted covering. It is nice, comfortable, and perhaps even a safety factor for anyone who might stumble on stage in their cosplay, they have something that will lessen the fall should that ever happens. But I suggest to do without because after each of the performing groups that did their dance routine, as I was backstage with them, the one main concern and complaint from the performing contestants in the Dance competition was the rug made it more of a challenge for them to execute their dance moves (ei: the shoulder rolls, head spins, twirls, "Windmills", etc) to the greater effect. To admit for myself as also a participant, I agreed with them... I couldn't "Moonwalk" effectively as I wanted to! I know the stage is made out in sections, and maybe not so evenly smooth when assembled, which what makes the carpet covering a perfect layout for it (and maybe it is required), but if can do sans, and having a smooth surface for the dancers to do their "thing" on, I can tell you from experience, the performances will have more "Pop" as well "Lock" appeal in them.

Mahalo, and Cosplay on!

[LadyValkyrja]

Ahh~ I have a major suggestion for the Moonlight Ball.
I went to it and this was the first time I've gone. It was fairly nice. I was really looking forward to the dancing aspect of it and I loved the beginning where there was the whole ballroom tutorial and what not so people could dance to things but, I couldn't dance to anything. Not that I didn't know anything, but that because only fast waltz was being played which is kinda hard to dance to since you need a lot of space to move, which didn't exactly exist with others wanting to dance. I asked if they could play any kind of Latin music since that's a little more danceable but I was told that they couldn't just change it and told me to post on the forum as a suggestion for next year. So..I'm doing that^^;;
I didn't really get too much of a feel for the whole magic show either. It felt like it was being dragged on. Although it was a nice touch, it would have been nice if it wasn't as long as it was.
But for some music, please try and include other types like salsa, Merengue, Bachata, slower waltz, rumba, swing, club swing, tango, I could list a lot of types really^^; What was mostly played this past year was fast waltz which isn't really easy to dance to or get into the feels of dancing with. Some of what I suggested is slower and would have worked better since the ballroom tutorial before the Moonlight Ball mostly focused on those types.
Thank you c:

[ichigoiruka18]

Some things mainly on the Moonlight Ball. I only attended in 2011 (I planned on attending in 2012 but something came up unexpectedly, so all I know about last years' one is based on hearsay from my friends that attended).

1. perhaps change the magician? My friends told me that they probably aren't going to 2013's one because 2012 was their first Moonlight Ball experience and they were disappointed because the magic show took up nearly all of the time and they weren't that impressed with the magic show to begin with...and they got annoyed that the "fangirls" I think they called them, were disrupting the performance thereby extending the time of the show. I understand that not everyone is confident with their dancing, but there's a reason why this event is called a "Ball" and not a "show". There's a guy named Yasu Ishida who's performed several times at UH Manoa events and the crowd loved him. His shows are short but enthralling and even though he performed two shows in a short span of time, he prepared two totally different shows/acts. He seems to utilize a narrative style rather than audience participation; all themed around showcasing Japan through his tricks and narratives.

2. have more songs that people can dance to. I spent a lot of time before the '11 Kon trying to learn ballroom dancing in anticipation of this dance but was disappointed to see that most of the songs were in 4/4 time and all I could do was awkwardly dance like I was back in high school. In addition, my boyfriend and I spent some time teaching our friends how to dance in preparation of the 2012 ball but again, they told me, there wasn't much opportunity to utilize this newly imparted knowledge. Salsa, cha-cha are easy styles to learn that can be found in many modern songs ( I know are these 2 are technically "latin" dances but if these styles are included in "Dancing with the Stars" I think it should count.). For the more "traditional ballroom" styles, a slow waltz (think "Chihiro no Waltz" tempo) and rumba are good starters. Cha-cha is very easy to incorporate as most modern pop songs (especially within the R&B/hip-hop genre) can be danced to this style. I understand that not a lot of anime/jpop/kpop songs follow these styles, but a surprising amount of American music are that style or can be mixed to it (again, see DWTS). And if all else fails, there are instrumentals specifically for each style of dance.

3. on that note about the songs and dancing, please have a designated circular "flow" of the dance floor or at least expand the space somehow. People were running/dancing into each other and my partner and I were concentrating more on not running into people than dancing.

4. Perhaps have instructors present the night of to teach basics of ballroom to attendees. For UH Manoa's winterball in 2011, we invited people from Hawaii Ballroom Dance Association (http://hbda-hawaii.org/) to come and teach our guests basic ballroom techniques/steps and the guests loved it. I even saw them using some of the techniques taught on the dance floor that night. It's also a good way of building the atmosphere and getting people on the floor so they're not awkwardly sitting at the tables, waiting for the first person to go on the floor.

5. and lastly (but most minor) the lighting. Perhaps have the lighting could be a little dimmer to create a better atmosphere. Something simple like having only half the lights on and/or using fake candles (they sell em at Party City for pretty cheap, but Party City doesn't take POs just fyi) go a long way. This also helps so that people don't feel as self conscious about dancing or socializing.

[Sai-chan101]

maybe this year we could have a bag check in
whatever money is earned can go toward kawaii con
and kawaii kon goers can drop of there stuff
the staff could put a luggage tag on the bag that has the owners phone number and name on it and a number on it
then staff could give the owner a receipt that has the number of that luggage tag on it
later on when the owners come to pick up their belongings, thats when the receipt comes into play

[Sai-chan101]

What if there was an app for kawaii kon
Before kawaii kon, the administrators can send updates about kawaii kon
And during kawaii kon u could send alerts to what's happening

[Kari]

maybe this year we could have a bag check in
whatever money is earned can go toward kawaii con
and kawaii kon goers can drop of there stuff
the staff could put a luggage tag on the bag that has the owners phone number and name on it and a number on it
then staff could give the owner a receipt that has the number of that luggage tag on it
later on when the owners come to pick up their belongings, thats when the receipt comes into play

We've had a bag check for the last two years in the Manga Library.

[Operation Shoestring]

How about getting a bigger room for artists alley next year so you can have more artists? I heard a number of artists complaining that they couldn't even get a shot at a spot in the alley this year.

The room for the pajama party was TINY. I know that the hotel probably wasn't willing to give you a bigger room, but it was sad that half the people in line were held outside.

[kekumanshoyu]

How about getting a bigger room for artists alley next year so you can have more artists? I heard a number of artists complaining that they couldn't even get a shot at a spot in the alley this year.

The room for the pajama party was TINY. I know that the hotel probably wasn't willing to give you a bigger room, but it was sad that half the people in line were held outside.

Please post here for suggestions

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=7737

As for bigger room for Artist Alley, at Closing Ceremonies, we announced that we will have the 1st floor of the convention center as well. There will be a possibility of the Artist Alley room expanding.

[hawaiijenny]

One thing that I am curious, for autograph signings, if there could be some sort of umbrella or something set up by the guests. One of my friends wanted to take a picture with Todd and Colleen and it took a few extra minutes to find a good angel. The sun was causing such a bad glare during parts of the day. So maybe have something to block out the sun when it is at its brightest.

[ClearlyPixelated]

I don't know if we could provide an umbrella for con-goers, but you are absolutely able to bring any photographic tools like umbrellas, reflectors, and the like with you when you take your picture.