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"There always seemed to
be a lot to do, and the events, panels and workshops covered pretty
much every aspect of anime fandom and Japanese culture. There
were numerous panels that I had not seen anywhere else, including
ones on Ball Jointed Dolls, J-Dorama, Gundam Modelling and running
an anime website (run by us!). I thought it was brilliant that
the committee seemed to be open to ideas and willing to give people
a chance, even if they hadn't done a panel before. |
"I went to last year's Alcon, which was fun but chaotic, and the difference in the organisation this time was like night and day. Things were a lot more focused and there was a hell of a lot more going on too. The timings of the events was generally the same as billed in the programme, and there were very few delays and cancellations to any of the events that I attended. The atmosphere at the Alcon was probably better than at any anime event I have been to, the idea of people choosing a clan when they signed up threw in a bit of friendly rivalry and banter, but best of all everyone seemed to be having a good time. There was less of the cosplay snobbery you get at other events and people seemed to be in an accepting mood, which made the con one of the most accessible anime events I have attended. I didn't find any aspect of it patronising or excluding, yet there was still plenty to hold your interest no matter how experienced you are.
"There was the occasional issue. I did feel that the committee
didn't get the most out of the Quay Bar and Lecture Theatre for
example, and the Dealers Room was too small. However, much of
this was down to a last-minute change of venue that was outside of
the committee's control. Considering the leaps the convention
has made for just its second year and the fact that they have now
used the new buildings, I have every confidence that these issues
will be addressed next time. I didn't just enjoy Alcon 2008,
I was impressed by it, and my name will be amongst the first on the
list for 2009." |
"The main improvement was the vast majority of events ran on time and stayed in the rooms that they were supposed to. The timetable was adhered to this year and committee members were always on hand to answer any questions. Never during the convention did I feel frustrated or disappointed with any member of the committee, all were friendly and eager to help. "The layout of Alcon 2008 is the best I have seen of any convention. The registrations took place in the main accommodation building and |
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this building was only a two minute walk from the Quay Bar and the business centre, where all the events were held. Opposite the bar was a Sainsburys and a coffee shop, pub and cash machine (which did not run out of cash) were only a five minute walk away. Very convenient. "During the committee Q&A and the end of the event, the committee acknowledged that many thing went wrong in 2007 and that they strived to put these right for 2008. They definitely succeeded in my opinion, impressively improving the organisation whilst maintaining reasonable prices and a fan ethos. I say this as the committee engaged attendees throughout the weekend, namely by having people bring their own music to one of the parties and to run panels, even though some of the panel hosts had not run a panel before. "One issue with Alcon 2008 came up during the Q&A - the size of the dealers room. They agreed that it was too small, which I agree with since it was difficult to get past people at times. The committee said that they will look at moving it next year and it would not surprise me if they had more dealers next time. Many of the retailers I spoke to did very good business, so this will no doubt be conveyed in feedback to the committee who could approach other dealers for 2009. Considering the massive improvements they made for the 2008 event, I am certain the issue of the dealers room can be easily remedied for 2009.
"So a big thumbs up to the Alcon committee for
listening to heavy criticism and acting upon it. I found
Alcon 2008 a hugely enjoyable event which I will definitely
attend again in 2009." |
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"I am impressed that the committee has managed to completely turn around this convention from last year. This is even more impressive when you consider that Alcon 2008 had double the amount of attendees as 2007. The locations of each building made it convenient and easy to travel to each event (this was particularly handy considering the weather). Events were well organised and generally held on time or with minimal delays. |