How do you guys feel about Cons?

[EikoandMog]

Yeah, I got that impression from you when we first met up at Supanova, JackSlack. I don't mind them but I haven't really been enough to get a solid impression of them.

I'd still love to go to PAX some day though.

[Digital Dolphin]

My suggestion is to start with smaller conventions, maybe local ones in your area. They are less overwhelming, and usually more fun.

Large cons take a while to get used to. There's a big difference between being at an event with 3000 similarly interested people, and being at an event with 30,000 similarly interested people.

[The Jester]

I'd go to a local con, but there are none. The huge ones... well, let's just say; the longer I'm in a huge group of people I don't know, the less happy I get. Add to that general milling around and personal body odours and... yeah. I'm beginning to think cons may not be for me.

But that leaves me torn; I'd still like to go to PAX. It's like some kind of geek pilgrimage.

[LogicSword]

Agree with you there, I'd love to go to PAX. Works out at about a grand though, me and my friend worked out

[Metcarfre]

I'd say it was worth the $60 I paid. If for no other reason than you can get a year's worth of t-shirts free with admission if you care to.

[Matt]

You know, it's funny. I seem to have the opposite problem. I find big cons like PAX to be way more accessible and enjoyable than small ones.

Large scale conventions are run professionally, well organised, have lots to do, and are easy to make sense of.

Small cons are... Not.

-m

[JayBlanc]

There are a handful of small cons that are run by the same people as the big cons, and are just as professional. But they tend to be niche cons, like Discworld Con and so on...

[Lord Hosk]

You know, it's funny. I seem to have the opposite problem. I find big cons like PAX to be way more accessible and enjoyable than small ones.

Large scale conventions are run professionally, well organised, have lots to do, and are easy to make sense of.

Small cons are... Not.

-m

That is right along with what I was trying to express. Also large cons take over convention centers, whole blocks of cities. Its kinda weird to go to a con and have to "be quiet by 10 PM because the business travelers and families in the hotel need to sleep." Although that led to a interesting happening once, a guy coming home from work in a suit decided to enter the costume contest as dr who.

[gcninja]

My first con was a new one so it was their first year and only about 330 people showed up. I liked it and didn't think I'd enjoy a larger one. However Saboten con was really good. i think the only issue was room. The hallways were crowded for the amount of people. the first one was on a college campus in a building so the hall ways were really wide and tall.

[Digital Dolphin]

You know, it's funny. I seem to have the opposite problem. I find big cons like PAX to be way more accessible and enjoyable than small ones.

Large scale conventions are run professionally, well organised, have lots to do, and are easy to make sense of.

Small cons are... Not.

-m

Yeah but you're comparing to TsukinoCon and GottaCon... Also to Anime Evolution. And as much as I LOVE Anime Evolution, it had a lot of issues too.

Plenty of small conventions run well The problem is that there are also lot's of small conventions that are run my clubs that periodically have massive staff turnover, and suffer for it greatly.

[Dibria]

We could always pester AyaCon to get some of the runners over here as guests... To prevent Matt Mercer's creeping domination of the con...

Ah, so I *wasn't* the only person to wonder how I ended up at MercerCon instead of Aya. To be fair, he's a funny guy and all but he had what? 4 of his own panels? Guested in about that many more and was in the opening and closing ceremonies as well as the closing show? Little excessive.

When they asked for recommendations for people to ask to come as guests I was going to submit LRR until I realised they had had Lord Mercer come alone and his 'There Will Be Brawl' panel consisted of a skype conversation with the rest of his crew - whom weren't invited. If they won't invite his own crew to MercerCon I doubt we could get them to invite LRR no matter how awesome they are or hard we begged.

[Lemegeton]

growing up in Ireland was hard because cons just did not exist until recently. I went to a video game con this year and an anime con last year and i loved them. hoping to get to a lot more next year

[TheRocket]

I have a love/hate with cons. I love geek culture, I loathe anime. I feel like dick punching when a bunch of kids in bad wigs and shitty costumes run by me screaming japanese exclaimations in high pitched tones. There is nothing about the anime culture that appeals to me and watching it in real life is like nails to a chalkboard with Nickelback playing full blast. I absolutely dig the costumes that people have obviously taken seriously and spent time on, even if I don't recognize where it's from. I love love love meeting new artists and checking out new comics and the like. I dig the merch for sale and booth hopping.

I think big and small cons have their pros and cons, but I prefer bigger ones.

BECAUSE IT WAS THERE THAT LLOYD KAUFFMAN GAVE ME HIS PHONE NUMBER. Just saying. <3<3<3