Got any ideas to make an excellent anime event/convention? Is there anything you want to add/remove in the past events?

Megamall's Megatrade Hall is a good place to hold a medium-sized event. The place is in the heart of Metro Manila, accessible, and well-known to everyone so the chances of not finding it is virtually nill.

I really liked the huge stage that was set up for last year's C3con. It gave the cosplayers much more freedom, and the result was an awesome display of talent in portraying the characters they have cosplayed through acrobatics, mini-skits, group catwalks, and the likes.

What I'd like to see in the future is the elimination of cash prizes in cosplay challenges and a tangible proof of recognition (like a plaque, trophy, or an original anime item autographed by the author) be placed instead.

Yeah, I agree that Megatrade hall is a nice place for a medium sized convention. And last year's C3 con has the best stage set up I've seen in all the cons I attended in so far. I kinda miss seeing lots of booths in conventions though. The first anime con I went to (although not as a cosplayer) was AQ2k1. I had fun because we got to go to the dubbing booth and there were lots of nice stuffs there. The plaque/trophy thingy is a great idea, but I think it's also good to have a cash prize with it. Although it's probably not enough to compensate for all the expenses the winner took in making his/her costume, it's still something I guess. ^^;;

If you will take time to hear me out.

There are several keys to make an excellent anime convention. Some of which, i think is currently in works.

1. A good, professional events manager. A team of good reliable people who knows how the serve the
anime community. They know what they want and how to give it. It goes without saying that they should
also be anime fans themselves, or at least knowledgeable in what they're dealing with (pag pronounce
ng ru-ro-OOU-ni kenshin :angry: ). Professional meaning they can deal well with sponsors and promise
good marketing and exposure. Professional meaning they take care of the audience and could maintain
their interest. Professional meaning they understand that cosplayers are quite integral to the success of
their convention and they should be able to cater to anything that they might need.

2. Good venue and good setup of the venue. I agree with you that c3 has a really nice setup for their
stage. they even had ample seating for the audience. Maganda yung stage na cosplayer-friendly,
meaning space to move around whatever stunt(s)/gimmick(s) you might want to do in addition to your
catwalk. and hopefully no wires to trip on, no irregular stairsteps that would be a possible cause of
trips and sprains (and embarrassment :o ) Aside from the stage, space for cosplayers. Space where to
leave stuff/bags, and space where to dress up.

Honestly, medyo nakakasawa na ang megatrade hall pero it is right in the heart of the metro. I have
already the opportunity to attend/participate/volunteer in conventions with venues other than mega
mall and setting up is quite a challenge. But its not impossible. Yun nga lang, you have to deal with a
fixed stage (such as a former theather, well, at least minus the hassle of building one) and you can only
manipulate several factors as much. At least in megatrade, you start with empty space so you pretty
much have a hand in setting up everything to your advantage.

There are some places i really think are good convention sites but i think they will be for large-sized
events. an example would be the world trade center in roxas. VERY spacious. There are other sites but
the money it would take to rent out the place would be.... ;_; taihen takai. Tulad na lang ng greenbelt
party ni tim yap. that was among greenery, heart of makati/night spot/in crowd/etc etc.... makes me wish
a convention could be held at the "courtyard"of alabang town center...greenery and open air :P plus
the place is very conducive to photo shoots B) Altho problem with those venues is an uncooperative
weather.

3. As for the prizes, i think for the meantime cash prizes are fair compensation for cosplayers who've spent
their savings (or hard earnings...or utangs...or allowances) in order to bring to life a costume/character
in their closest, and to the most excact detail. believe it or not, money is a motivator for people to
showcase their cosplay ideas. as anime fans, siyempre hanap rin natin anime goodies...not
company/sponsor giveaways (altho okay naman kung namimigay sila ng printer....cellphone kaya?)

4. I think what the latest anime quest did, having various categories, e.g. best male, best female, best
group...is a good idea. gives chance for more cosplayers to be recognized. i actually wish they would
incorporate other awards...siguro like newbie award...well, aside from crowd favorite --;

5. regarding awards, i do hope they give FAIR and APPROPRIATE criteria. i know audience impact is a
factor, but if it constitutes a heavy portion for the basis of judging, why would you need judges in
the first place? and hopefully they assign judges who are familiar with the anime, and who are fair.

6. would somebody please explain to me what is the utter significance of prejudging? i know that is to
expedite (speed up) the judging process, so later in the catwalk hindi naghahabol ng tingin yung judge
kung masyadong mabilis maglakad ang cosplayer. But should they put the scores in stone before that?
i think it should be really nice if the prejudging would give the competitors "raw" scores tapos during the
catwalk the judges can view the cosplayers the second time around and if they do decide that what score
they gave the first time was right, then they should give that score. i guess their point would be if you
dress the part, okay na. but how about carrying the costume? how well you perform on the catwalk,
how well you bring the character to life not by just wearing the dress but "acting" the part should also
count, imho.


let me finish this unless i think up of something more.

im ending this on the note that anime cons ARE getting better and better. we have been promised before with a con that will end all other cons but it failed in its promise...quite miserably, for factors that could have been handled and also for factors beyond their control. now conventions are coming up with ideas that would "brand" them as a con with a difference. i know more ideas are on the way. lets wait and see what what will be in store for us. -__-

The entrance and food should be for free... --;

I agree with you peepz! Nice ideas you got there. Don't worry, Ill try my best to be influential to the higher-ups of the anime events. I am *somehow* connected to these events, and rest assured they will all be heard.

Additional ideas I have...

- A bigger platform for cosplayers

- Anime/Japanese versed or influenced emcees and organizers

- A MORE professional sound maintenance crew

- More organizations to attend the event. Organizations are eye candies and viable assests for the sponsors. More of these means a more probably outcome of the entrance to the event being free. And this also leads to the probability of free food, hehe ^^

- Bigger sponsors also mean bigger cash prizes and better freebies. Cash prizes are still the best compensation and reward for all the hard work and patience of cosplayers.

- Why don't they add a booth for videogames? I'd love to see at least a Sony or Microsoft booth for videogames, since they have establishments here in the Philippines as well. It's just a minority addition anyway...

I can't think of anything more...

1) free food

2) better freebies ;_;

3) bigger venue :D

4) guests (mangaka, directors, etc related to anime/manga/aniamation) :wub:


i'll think of sumthin else later

hmm. Feata was the best :D kahit hindi ako nag-cosplay. May free food pa.

hmm.
Anime/Japanese versed or influenced emcees and organizers! [We really need these.]
Cosplayer Judges! [Since..to say frankly, Questor's events are biased, they should get judges from other organizations.]


FAIR CRITERIA! #1 Thing na dapat baguhin! It's unfair kung Audience impact lang ang palaging tinitignan.

Well. Fair Criteria lang naman ang kailangan baguhin majorly para sakin. They should give fair judging to everyone else, not only to those they know of (I'm not pinpointing here, but I know some.)

*Shugo_Kunisaki dies.

QUOTE

The entrance and food should be for free...

i agree... tutal cosplayers contribute to their show...so wag na nila tayong pagkakitaan :)


best cons for me are feata and c3. prizes and management of event.

Hmm..the statement 'unfair judging' may seem to be a bit too strong. I think what our conventions need to emphasize in is the importance of introducing the cosplay judges to the audience and their background, etc. etc. to make the audience understand their credibility when it comes to judging the costumes. And also, it is very important that whenever the winner/s are declared, the judges would be given the chance to explain why they chose this cosplayer as a winner.

I myself experienced this during the C3 con, some people thought I should've made it to the finals and I didnt. It didnt make me feel bad nor bitter towards the judges and all though. Just knowing how some people appreciated my effort in cosplaying was good enough for me. And then, last AQ2K3, although I was one of the winners, I was thinking what the other cosplayers think about me winning..did I deserve it or not? Not that I am doubting the judges, but I also saw so many great costumes at the con. I was thinking about..what made me win or stand out among the rest?

With this experience, I realized that it is essential that the organizers/judges would give some effort to make the audience aware how and why the winners were picked. Who knows? They saw something about the costume that we didn't see and vice versa. Maybe while the winners are being announced, one of the judges will be on the microphone at the stage narrating why they picked this cosplayer.

Look at JM's feat as Saito. We all know that Saito's costume is not the flashy type. But then he emerged as a winner in an international convention. Cosplaying is not only how big or expensive someone's costume is. Aside from the effort, good projection is also very important. Some cosplayers can have both, some can't. And properly communicating how the winners were picked to the audience is essential to erase these negative thoughts whenever the winners are announced and more importantly, give the cosplayers an idea how to improve their cosplaying at the next convention.

There's my 2 cents ^^


PS- and yes, I want free food and free entrance for cosplayers!!!

.....

I had just written a really long entry about okane and cons and entrance fees and stuff, but I deleted it. Not accidentally, mind. I was writing practical. I just realized the topic was about ideal.

Perfect con = lots of sponsors, so we don't have to pay entrance fees and the organizers don't have to worry about our not paying entrance fees. Lots of anime-type booths (like the ones we have at the dental convention in World Trade every year. ^_^) More events like the ones at AQ2K3 where we could show our anime-spirit. Non-biased judging --- they can get judges who don't know anime at all, who can really choose the best costume according to craftsmanship and artistry; and objective anime-knowledgeable judges who can choose the best cosplayer based on portrayal of character, performance, and costume craftsmanship... all in all, the cosplayer must not only be WEARING the costume, he should be WEARING the character itself.

I like the idea of having categories besides just 1st, 2nd and 3rd, i.e., Best Group Cosplay. ^_^

To top it all off...

a BAGGAGE COUNTER. They always lack one of those. --;

Sorry, I guess the term "perfect" was a bit misleading. I realized this just a few moments after I posted it. What we're really after here are suggestions to future organizers on how to put up an event that their intended market will appreciate more

I'll post a more detailed reply tomorrow. Right now, I need some shut-eye -__-

QUOTE (officer_fujita @ May 28 2003, 01:53 AM)

What we're really after here are suggestions to future organizers on how to put up an event that their intended market will appreciate more

nothing would be perfect for the critical eye. as ryan said, what would be quite good con for some might be a bad experience for others.

i guess con organizers would have to describe what is actually their "intended market". Having a specific target to clearly identify what the "market" (ulp, we-are-called-market- [*sigh* business]) wants and expects...and a broad target so theyd be able to reach bigger crowds, and, simply put, make more money.

yun nga lang, you have to put in a lot of "gimik" in cons to appeal to both the diehard fan and the casual anime watcher. so good cons would really have a mix of these.

just wondering, most cons in usa have hotels as their venues. wouldnt be a (mini)con inside a hotel ballroom be nice? :) how much would it cost to rent one hotel ballroom?

...since I'm here na rin, i'd better share out my comment. I just dropped by the Anime Club website (sorry for those who might get offended) And I saw an article that says 'Cosplayers on focus : Anime Club FFX team'. No wonder na napuno ng FFX winners last con in the finals, kasi questor pala lahat sila. Don't you think that's a sign of their biased-ness? Not saying that those cosplayers don't deserve into the finals, pero dapat they should've looked more into other guys rather than making ALL of their Club's team to get into the finals, and to dominate the winner's list.


sorry for that, I just have the urge to rant at the moment.

lol, that's kinda offending but I understand why you said that.

*is the Lulu cosplayer*

But for the record, I didnt recognize the judges. I wonder who they were. I think it's important that cosplay event judges should be introduced first to the audience.

That's why I think it's important to have a clear set of rules in the judging and at least to make it clear to the audience why the winners were declared as winners. (please see my previous post in this topic).

Hmm..about cosplay venue, I think the center of Glorietta could also be an ideal cosplay venue. Just a thought. And someone did mention about the open space part of GB3 (the place with fountains and all. It's got some beautiful landscapes, perfect for picture taking), I think.

After reading all you threads, it now my turn to churn a thought:

Although all ideas are ideal, reality will always crash down on you whenever we dream up of a "near-perfect" convention. But i noticed that the ideas for conventions are completely one-sided, that is, to the side of the cosplayers.

Its like having to give all comfort to the player and not to the rest of the world. Im sorry if i had to say this, especially since i am a cosplayer myself, but we need to see everything in a balanced perspective.


[[About venue]]

Its true we need space for all our stunts, gimmicks and costume sizes. The bigger the stage the better. But what i noticed was that most cons tend to minimize stages to accomodate audiences. Because the audience are the ones appreciating the players. Give them little space and you have little audience. And we'll end up just cheering ourselves for all our efforts.

Just renting the venue cost money, LOTS of it. Sponsors are still not so keen about giving off money to what most upper class businesses consider as "minority market". Only the sponsors who actually support anime can give so much, and most of the time they would rather have "X-Deals" then shell out actual cash. C3Con actually LOST money, but it was the love of Anime and comics in general that made it worth their while.


[[About the Judges]]

Let's face it, i will yet to see a judge who knows everything about anime. If you were placed in a situation where you would rate a cosplayer who has an expensive costume based on an anime you hardly know, how would you rate that cosplayer? Basically you have to do it on the fly, meaning you have to use the audience as the gauge. Therefore, the more popular anime wins, with only the most visually impressive costume coming second. If you cosplay to win, you must follow two sure shot rules:

1) Cosplay a very very popular anime character shown in an anime HERE IN THE PHILIPPINES.
2) Make the best damn costume of that particular anime character.

Do that and you'll win for sure, guaranteed no sourgraping.


[[Free Food]]
Like i said, its all about the money. If the event is lucky to actually convince a sponsor to shell out free food that would satisfy the events volunteers and workers, the audience and cosplayers, then you're problems are solved. So until then let's be satisfied with free junkfood and buy our own hotdogs and iced tea.


[[Baggage]]
Now this i have to agree on. Every event should have space for baggage for cosplayers, since they brought tons of stuff for their costumes.


There, thats all i have to say, exept...

yowzer.

B)

to Rogue : gomen nasai about that. ;_; Hope you don't have any grudge about me for that. I was posting something but I got disconnected, so it got lost.

Anyway, sorry about that *again*, didn't mean to get you offended, or the other guys, it was just that... they should've looked more into the other guys who could've been finalists.

Again, you have a point there that they should introduce the Judges, so that people will have a background of who they are, which organizations they are affiliated, etc. I also read a post here, forgot who wrote it, about the Judges to give a reason why they chose that certain cosplayer to get into the finals, why did they win.

lulu-san, about my post, it's just my point-of-view on the Questor AniCons, they tend to choose people who they are familiar with / affiliated with / crowd favorites. In your case, since you don't know them, nadamay pa kita sa rant ko. Sorry about that *again*, didn't mean to offend you.

Hey no prob Shugo. Apology accepted ^_^v Dont worry about it. :)

Reading eva_guy's post (and I know someone else suggested that before him as well), I do agree that conventions need to provide baggage counters so the venue wont look a lot like a refugee camp neh?

And the free food (and entrance) thingy is indeed a bit out of this world. But hey, there's no harm in wishful thinking. lol, malay mo makalusot B)

since nandito na rin ako mind if you guys help me organize ubejam2? kasi i sort of need teams dito and so far dalawa palang ang nasa logistics team ko... and i sort of need people din sa marketing team and productions team... and also volunteers sa event itself... and meron kayong alam na venue na bar for ubejam? na accessible? yun lang ofcourse the people who will help will benefit from this ^_^ yun lang