Otakon 2007 Pre-Registration

Apreche

You can register for Otakon now. Hop to it. It feels like we just finished one Otakon and we're already registering for the next one. Got damn.

Loganator456

OMG! I want to go to Otakon so bad but we live in the south and also I dont have the moneys to.

RainbowRaven

No crazy firestorm about Artist's Alley this year. You can look for conventions near you until you can make it to Otakon. A Fan's View has a pretty good listing.

Ametto

There's no attendance cap this year. So there's really no need to hurry.

MarcusNoble

True, but usually the closer it gets to the date of the convention, the more expensive registration gets.

jwallace

Hmm, two weeks after AnimeNEXT? Darn. I was planning on a three-day weekend trip to AN (I was going to register for the con and book the hotel room this weekend) but hey, why not register for Otakon instead!

Do any of you think this could be a potential problem for the smaller conventions? AN is scheduled for July 6-8.

Apreche

Conventions only seem to get hurt by scheduling when they are at the exact same time as another convention. If you make your anime con the exact same weekend as the San-Diego Comic-Con, you are likely to take a big hit. If you make it just one week afterwards, history shows that your numbers won't be hurt so badly.

Anime Next and Otakon being a couple weeks apart won't really be a problem for either convention. People who can't afford to go to both of them wouldn't be able to go to both even if they were six months apart. Those people will either go to the con within closer geographic proximity or just Otakon because it is bigger and badder. People who can afford to go to both, and want to go to both, will likely do so as long as both conventions aren't the exact same weekend.

Trust me, the people who choose dates for conventions pay very close attention to what other events are happening around those times. History shows that being two weeks before or after another con is actually a nice buffer rather than a problem. If you don't pick the same exact weekend, you're probably going to do just fine.

jwallace

You've hit the nail on the head regarding people who can't afford going to multiple cons over specific periods as I can only afford one. The worst part is picking either AN or Otakon - it will be my first three-day con experience. Should an up-and-coming geek start slow by attending the smaller con and forgo the guaranteed awesomeness that is Otakon (for finance and planning purposes) or attend the big con simply because of it's badassness?

I'll have to start the entire planning process for Otakon this weekend (Amtrak, hotel, con budget, luggage) or simply follow through on my AnimeNEXT plans which have already been streamlined and wait for the GN coverage.

Off-topic: anyone here attending AnimeNEXT? I heard S&R's episode regarding last year's con and became interested. It's only two-plus hours from home.

Ametto

Should an up-and-coming geek start slow by attending the smaller con and forgo the guaranteed awesomeness that is Otakon (for finance and planning purposes) or attend the big con simply because of it's badassness?

Here's the thing about a small con. You won't get overwhelmed and I find it more social. You won't be getting to see the high profile guests but you'll get to see guests who are more than willing to talk to you about anything. More often they'll be hilarious. At the first Connecticon, I got to see and eat dinner with Ian from RPG World, Brian from 8 Bit Theater. A small con is great but you won't be seeing anything famous. Also depending on the con, there will be gaps in things to see.

Otakon on the other hand, you'll get to see the high profile people and you'll also get to see some guest similar to those at the small cons. Difference here is that they won't be able to spend much time with you. Though it's not really a problem because there are so many people and things to see.

This is a hard choice. Depends on what you want. If you want something fast paced and full off things to see, go to Otakon. If you just want to relax, meet and talk to other anime fans, you'll probably want to go to the smaller con.

Apreche

I think the main factor is how good you are at being able to make your own fun. If you are looking to be entertained by others, the big con is the way to go. If you think you can make your own fun in a room full of stranger geeks, then the small con is the awesome.

Rym

Big cons are better if you have a crew to bring with you. To make a dent in the larger crowd, you need more people.

jwallace

My initial plan was the attend AN this year and take and take a two-week vacation for Otakon next year, and from what everyone's been saying I may as well stick with AN.

My reasons are basically that I know that I want to visit their famous manga library, attend at least two panels, buy a whole mess of stuff in the Dealers Room and check out the gaming, other than that the Meadowlands has a whole mess of shops and restaurants surrounding it, not to mention they're building an indoor skiing area (!). At night I just want to enjoy some anime and then go back to Amerisuites to sleep. I guess I would be completely overwhelmed at Otakon as I currently have no one else to take and my wallet probably couldn't handle the strain. Maybe next year then.

I'm going off-topic so it's time for me to leave. Thanks everyone.

bunnikun

I've already registered for Otakon, and was thinking about going to AnimeNEXT. I'm not sure though... I'll only have about $400 to spend, and I don't want to send it all at AN.

Is AnimeNEXT worth going to? I live in Maryland, so I'll have to get a hotel room and drive. We're already booked at the Tremont Park for Otakon. ^.^

I'm really excited because this is going to be my first con! ^.^

letseatcake

Listen to this! I begged my mother to register for Otakon at 11:00 on July 11th. She has this thing about fearing that her identity will be stolen (that's why I waited until practically the last hour to register), so I had a hard time convincing her to preregister for Otakon this year. I tried to stall pre-registering for as long as I could. Everything worked out alright, so I'm happy.