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Alcon
, like every event, had it's good and bad points, and we each had our own opinions on it.  Read on to find out what we thought...
 

 
"Alcon was my second con of the year, and it was definitely my favourite!  Although the parties weren't quite as spectacular as the ones at Amecon, the rest of the convention pipped its illustrious rival on a regular basis.  The accommodation was superb, and there was enough of it to go round too.  Everything was very close together and the ticket, accommodation and beer costs were surprisingly low, which meant that my overall spend for the event was just over half of what I spent at Amecon

"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 first Alcon - held in 2007 - received a lot of negative feedback from the anime community.  The convention encountered many issues, such as guests cancelling and a timetable which was forever changing.  Although it was a lot of fun and the first time many of the committee had run a convention, a cloud was now cast over Alcon 2008.  Thankfully, this years event improved ten-fold over its previous year.

"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

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."
 

 
"Alcon was such an enjoyable convention for myself.  There is no way that you can mistake the purpose of Alcon was to have fun with the clans of Vampires, Pirates and Ninjas to create some friendly competitiveness.  It is through these clans you could meet people and make new friends.  I met people not only from the UK but from all around the world such as Norway and the USA.  There was also a huge variety of events for you to choose from, these included the standard anime and cosplay masquerade to the not so conventional J-Rock, Pop and J-Dorama panels.

"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.


"If there is one item that I could possible feedback to the committee is the dealers room.  While it did have a reasonable selection of merchandise it would of been nice to see more representation from different dealers.  The location of this room could also do with reviewing as it was slightly cramped and hot due to the huge amount of people.  This is something though that I know that the committee is already aware of and is already working towards improving for next year.

"If this convention returns in 2009, then I will certainly be putting my name forward quick as I believe that the places will disappear fast!  Who could blame anyone for this as it fast becoming one of the best conventions in the UK."


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