Alcon 2010

[XenLár]

Thanks for all the feedback guys- here's some stuff we had already decided about EACON that you might want to know as it links to the above -

- we are banning outside alcohol. There are several bars on the site from which can be bought alcohol. Therefore we are banning outside (as in large crates of the stuff) alcohol from the convention. The only exception to this rule is if someone would like to apply before the convention to bring a small bottle of something to share with others (such as something bought from your home that can't be got here). And this will be marked on a register. anything else that is brought in will be confiscated.

We hope that this will solve the drinkfest problem and encourage people not to drink excessively, while still allowing everyone to drink a little. It will also prevent underage drinking as the bars will be told to check ID.


- we deliberately started up this forum with the hope of stopping cliquey groups from forming before the convention, with the hope that people will get to know those other than simply who they're going with.


- we're also planning an EACON road trip so as to get people involved even more and to make us more accessible to everyone else ^^.


- we are planning to organise staff shifts very carefully so there is none of that "picking up the slack" that you talked about Kyo. It's unfair and unpractical to expect only a few members of staff to do all the work.



You say about meeting new people Wander?

Would it therefore be worth organising events where people are grouped with others? Such as at the Ball for example, choosing partners through picking out of a hat? If only for one dance in the evening?

[wandercrest]

Yes that would be a really good idea : D I mean I know that I myself try and talk to lots of people at cons, its fun to chat to new people >> especially if you find out they like your obscure fandom! I do like the idea of maybe a dance at the ball like idk a really fun folk dance that makes people change partners, or the idea of the names from a hat! I was at a con recently in Ireland that did the group folk dance and it was so much fun XD I hung out with people i'd never met and it was awesome

[XenLár]

Ooooh that sounds like a good idea ^^

Did they teach you the dance then and there or did they prepare you beforehand?

[Gavin Guile]

Hmm. I did type a very long summary of my singular, but very severe, negative experience with ALcon, but then reigned myself in, as it serves no relevance to any other con, ever. So the feedback wouldn't be helpful.

Basically, special disability needs of a dear friend were ignored, before ALcon 09. It was a temporary disability brought about by cancer, and it wasn't taken very seriously in the whole nine months we were in contact before the con.

Other than that, ALcon works (for the people who go) because of the people who go: the popular, large cliques and groups of friends use ALcon as a hang-out. It's essentially, to them, an opportunity to see their friends and have fun. The con itself seems surplus to requirements, actually.

But, if people go and enjoy themselves--and I know many people who do--then fine. As long as I don't need to touch it with a ten-foot barge poll, lest boredom be hammered into me slowly over a long weekend, then s'all good!

In ALcon's defence, although it comes across as a shabby, ill-fitting con, the staff DO work their asses off to compensate for the misgivings of certain individuals, I think. If ALcon were to change, certain things, I do honestly think the efforts of some of the staff would pay off and result in a good con. But they need a venue change, I think. Hotels, imo, are the place for cons. Not sprawling campuses.

[XenLár]

Oct 16, 2010 14:56:41 GMT Gavin Guile said:

Basically, special disability needs of a dear friend were ignored, before ALcon 09. It was a temporary disability brought about by cancer, and it wasn't taken very seriously in the whole nine months we were in contact before the con.

This I have no words for. Other than to express my ultimate disgust.

Moving on- I'm not sure what disability your friend had, and I won't ask because it's private but I can tell you that the venue we're hoping to book does have disabled access to most places. I will make a note to check the access to every part/room that we use.

I will also personally guarantee right now that any comments to us about a disability will not be ignored ;-) I won't let it, and I'm absolutely positive that faye-san won't either. :-)

Other than that, ALcon works (for the people who go) because of the people who go: the popular, large cliques and groups of friends use ALcon as a hang-out. It's essentially, to them, an opportunity to see their friends and have fun. The con itself seems surplus to requirements, actually.

I found this too. Does anyone have any more suggestions on how to avoid a cliquey con?


I am afraid to say, however, that our convention is going to be held at a university, not a hotel.

Please let me explain why -
a) a uni is much cheaper than a hotel. I have a feeling that certain con organisers use a uni so that they can pocket more money... :S we're hoping that this will open up more money to book really cool guests etc. not line our own pockets. ;-)
b) the uni we are hoping to use is a campus uni. de montfort is a city uni so it's spread through some streets. uea is a big campus but it is all totally together with the dorms etc. so there's not a lot of traipsing around. on the other hand it's a ten minutes bus ride from the centre of the city so even though it's contained it's connected to the city in case anyone wants to get away for a bit.
c) the uni we are hoping to use is the uea which has the LCR which is a gig concert room. we're hoping to book live bands for the evenings of the gigs and this obviously gives us a place to do it.


I hope this gives you a little more confidence in us using a uni instead of a hotel.

Were there any other problems you think with using a uni instead of a hotel? We can do our best to overcome them if they're something we can alter about the campus etc... :S

[The Jim]

ALCon is the only actual con I've been (and that was in 2007 and '08), but I think the clique aspect of it is an unfortunate carry-over from the AL forums that the con evolved from.

[XenLár]

This may be true.

I really hope that this forum doesn't cause a similar result... :S this is why I've been talking to 'Crest about organising activities that encourage people to talk to those outside of their "cliques".

[Stripe]

It's more the case that if you don't post on AL, you won't really be part of anything at Alcon... I think so long as people aren't left out just because they don't like forums or whatever, things should be fine XD

[The Jim]

It's definitely AnimeLeague's Convention.

[wandercrest]

It truly is, but that isn't necessarily a good thing. As for EAcon
One thing I can say is, a friend of mine was worried that if she didn't post on here she wouldn't fit in at the con and i've said to her she'll be fine. Since i've been on here, theres none of that tension I found on AL, I mean I can talk to anyone on here and have a nice chat with them, whereas on AL theres a good chance you'd be ignored if you weren't in a clique!

Hopefully the same will go for the con itself, I mean I know that personally I make an effort to talk to people at such places! /if any of this makes sense! Also at the Irish con yeah they took a few minutes before we did the dance to explain and let us practice!

[XenLár]

Dance -

How about we arranged a sort of rehearsal a few hours/the day before? We'll explain that it's not for everyone going to the Ball, just the ones that want to do a dance for everyone else? And then people who don't want to dance in that way can avoid it and won't be embarassed or forced into it at the Ball and those that do want to do it will be rehearsed and ready for the real thing? How does that sound?


ALcon and EACON -

I'm glad you think the forum is so much different on here Crest ^^ I think you're definitely right. At least, I hope you're right, and that everything you have said is what others think too.

What me and faye will have to make a point in doing is remember that those outside the forum will want to be involved too. It's very easy to just think that everyone on the forum will be the people going to the con but that's totally not the case. So during the convention, if any jokes forums based are made, I shall have to remember to tell those that have mics to explain any of these jokes that are made to the masses. So that there aren't a load of people standing there going "what's he on about?"

If you could pass on to us any of your friend's worries Crest that would be really helpful for us to work out what we need to do to make sure that they aren't a problem. Because chances are whatever she's worried about, other people who aren't on the forum probably will be worried about too.

Oh and also, if doesn't really apply in this case because you guys are in Ireland... :S sorry. But this summer, if it works out well, me and faye-san are obviously doing the Road Trip thing, and maybe we can get people who aren't on the forum/but want to go to the con, to meet us etc so that they feel involved before the actual con anyway... Not sure how we'd get people to know about it when they're not on here though... Unless we make a website for the convention before we're even selling tickets or whatever and put the info up on there... :S

[wandercrest]

make the site, have it all prepared with information on where EA con will be and things, it would be a good idea.

[XenLár]

As soon as we have a definite date and venue we shall do just that have no fear ^^

Me and faye kinda agreed that I would make the forum and she would make the site ^^ lol. Even though, you know, we both kinda manage both (or at least will do lol).

[Jupitris]

Ah alcon....
It is pretty much drinking , some of the panels were cool but mostly not much worthwhile went on.
And yes I got too drunk on Saturday... I feel bad for the staff who had to send me to my room for being too drunk, but I stand by my decision that vanilla vodka and coco pops is genius.

And with any con/event there will always be cliques and no matter what if people don't go on the relevant event forum they will miss out to some degree.
No defence here to the alcon cliques but no matter what in any con its going to happen.

[MeekaAquraria]

I will agree that cliques will happen no matter what its part of the psyche but at least it can be reduced and not quite as bad as is on alcon.

Also with the no outside alcohol rule, while i'm not putting it down as a completely horrible idea, i would like to point out that people:
a) like drinking with just friends in a room
b) have spent all their money and can't afford to drink at the bar
and/or
c) hate the fact that to get to the pub you have to wade through smokers, then may not like the music being played too loudly, or the crush of people when all they want is a nice quite chat/catch-up with friends.
I personally avoid the bar completely for the last reason as instead of having fun i end up coughing a lung up, grouchy and with a headache. on the other hand i am also one of those people who doesn't have to drink to have fun so i won't naysay the idea completely.

Also shouldn't those ideas be put in the eacon section so people who may not find the alcon reviews interesting know about them?