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Otakon Vegas

AprecheApreche
edited February 2013 in Conventions
Apparently this is real, and not a joke.

http://www.otakonvegas.com/

WTFFFFFFFFFF

Comments

  • RymRym
    Not to be a naysayer, but knowing what I know about the internal culture and organization, I really wonder how this will work out.

    Are they going to fly their experienced staff out to run it?
  • AprecheApreche
    Not to be a naysayer, but knowing what I know about the internal culture and organization, I really wonder how this will work out.

    Are they going to fly their experienced staff out to run it?
    Fly their experienced staff out to get wasted, gamble, and party
  • GeoGeo
    edited February 2013
    I really hope the harmful internal culture of Otakon just stays in Baltimore. This might be a chance for them to start a new, more professional and more modern convention culture than what they have already. Either that or the horrible Baltimore culture will just poison the well.
    Post edited by Geo on
  • WyattWyatt
    It's Vegas. That well has been tainted for a while now.

    On a positive note: I know where and when my bachelor party will be.
  • ProfPanglossProfPangloss
    I really hope the harmful internal culture of Otakon just stays in Baltimore. This might be a chance for them to start a new, more professional and more modern convention culture than what they have already. Either that or the horrible Baltimore culture will just poison the well.
    Yeahhhhhh, no. If anything, I predict a hilariously terrible extravaganza, ultimately resulting in con funds being siphoned off and spent on the slots.

  • SailSail
    edited February 2013
    I would maybe go to this because I can drive there, and it's at the perfect time of year where it's six months since the last AX/six months till the next AX and I'm usually having the no-anime-con blues.
    Post edited by Sail on
  • GeoGeo
    edited February 2013
    It's Vegas. That well has been tainted for a while now.
    It could be worse. The mafia could still have Vegas by the balls.
    I really hope the harmful internal culture of Otakon just stays in Baltimore. This might be a chance for them to start a new, more professional and more modern convention culture than what they have already. Either that or the horrible Baltimore culture will just poison the well.
    Yeahhhhhh, no. If anything, I predict a hilariously terrible extravaganza, ultimately resulting in con funds being siphoned off and spent on the slots.

    It's sad that that is the more realistic and likely outcome.

    Post edited by Geo on
  • AxelAxel
    Message from Otakon con chair via Facebook:
    And now a message from Otakon's Con Chair:

    Hi all - Convention Chairman for Otakon - I've seen some great comments here, and I wanted to thank everyone for your feedback. I wanted to comment quickly on some of the concerns that I've seen shared here, specifically those that surround moves, fears of dilution of efforts, and so on.

    Otakon is not moving. We remain in Baltimore, and have no plans of moving regions. Otakon Vegas is a second event. (Second Impact.. ;) I have a great love for Baltimore, and they have and continue to show Otakon a great deal of support.

    Otakon and Otakon Vegas have separate planning groups and different Chairmen. While some core individuals are on both committees, there was a careful choice to separate the resources going into the show. Otakon Vegas is expected and planned to be a different experience than Otakon.
    Throughout discussions, there has always been a careful choice to ensure the primary event for Otakorp, Inc. continues to be the annual meeting that is Otakon.

    With that being said, the mission of Otakorp, Inc. drives us to broaden our reach to more people in the country. The challenge the staff have committed to is to do so without lessening the experience that our established membership on the East Coast enjoy. Thus, a spinoff event was finally considered and approached.

    As the convention chairman of Otakon, I'm extremely focused on the 20th event that happens about six months from now. The work that the volunteers for Otakorp, Inc. execute throughout the year supports multiple events; Otakon, the Music Festival, our showings at the Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, DC, the Matsuri, our online presences, and now Otakon Vegas. Even so, the vast
    majority of our staff and our planning efforts goes towards Otakon, and will continue to do so.

    I am confident that you will see that when I open the doors to the 20th Otakon in August.

    -- Terry Chu, Conchair Otakon 2013
  • GundampilotspazGundampilotspaz
    An Anime Convention and an excuse to get out of the bitter New England cold? This will be amazing!
  • SailSail
    The real advantage of this that I see is, even if the con sucks, you're still in Vegas.
  • AprecheApreche
    edited February 2013
    The real advantage of this that I see is, even if the con sucks, you're still in Vegas.
    YES. More cons need this. Even if the con doesn't suck, plenty of places to eat close by!
    Post edited by Apreche on
  • WyattWyatt
    edited February 2013
    The real advantage of this that I see is, even if the con sucks, you're still in Vegas.
    YES. More cons need this. Even if the con doesn't suck, plenty of places to eat close by!
    And strippers! And slots! And a magic show! And a magical stripper slot show!



    I can see the con poster now:

    Those V-cards have an expiration date.

    (╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻

    Otakon Vegas 2014!!!
    Post edited by Wyatt on
  • Victor FrostVictor Frost
    I would maybe go to this because I can drive there, and it's at the perfect time of year where it's six months since the last AX/six months till the next AX and I'm usually having the no-anime-con blues.
    Anime LA is on around then, but Otakon in Vegas? We should carpool, dude.
  • SailSail
    I really didn't enjoy ALA the year I went. But yeah, definitely.
  • YoshoKatanaYoshoKatana
    Are they gonna mail badges? ^_~
  • jtvhjtvh
    This episode of ANNCast includes some discussion of the Otakon organizers being wooed by Vegas, as well as various references to the Otakorp Mission. Sounds to me like they got seduced by fancy hotels and such, and are justifying the decision for Vegas in part by saying they need to continue creating new events in accordance with their Mission, or risk losing their 501(c)3. (Unless anyone has reason to believe they're in any danger of losing that status.)
  • SailSail
    Hahaha. Sounds like a poorly thought out mission statement, I'd expect no less :P
  • GeoGeo
    On the subject of that ANNcast, I found it particularly interesting that Otakon stated that Connecticon was primarily a webcomics con.

    To which my response is:

    "Why would you say that? How do you suddenly have all of this "knowledge" if you are generally apathetic towards every other con? My evidence for this being in the Otakon 2011 thread where Rym explicitly stated that unnamed staffers said choice things such as "we're not a professional convention, and never should be," and that "staff culture is more important than getting things done." or "We don't care what other conventions do, and we don't like talking about them here. Don't use another convention's success with an idea as the basis for trying it at Otakon: we don't want to be like other conventions."?

    Further proof that Otakon is full of drama and incompetence...and somehow manages to be the biggest game in town when it comes to fan-run cons...undeservedly so.
  • AprecheApreche
    Otakon became the biggest and baddest anime convention for two reasons, and only two reasons.

    1) They were located in a humongous convention center for many years in a row that allowed them to grow without having to move.

    2) Bigger more important guests earlier than other cons.
  • AxelAxel
    It is undeserved. But they have money to get good guests and a great venue.
  • GeoGeo
    It is undeserved. But they have money to get good guests and a great venue.
    I'll give them that, that will never stop being cool to me. I just wish it were in a con that had better ethics in every category than Otakon.

  • RymRym
    It's funny that Otakon would specifically mention ConnectiCon, let alone in that context.
  • GeoGeo
    edited February 2013
    It's funny that Otakon would specifically mention ConnectiCon, let alone in that context.
    I just mentioned it to highlight that not only do they suck in staff & attendee (the managing of that is) culture, but they also suck in the most basic tenant that you learn in grade school: RESEARCH! Check your facts before you say stuff lest you risk looking like a jackass when you are inevitably called out for it.
    Post edited by Geo on
  • jtvhjtvh
    When they were talking about CtCon and webcomics, it sounded to me like they meant that CtCon is a major go-to place for webcomics, not that webcomics are the main focus of the con.

    I had fun at Otakon last year. I'm planning to go again this year. (Viga: I'll put Five Guys in my GPS so we won't get lost. ( ^_^) ) But from what little I've heard, I'm not at all convinced they've got the breadth/depth of personnel to launch two new events in such a short period of time (especially given that one isn't on their home turf).
  • MattMatt
    If they were looking to establish a con on the other side of the country and eventually grow it to the size of their main con, perhaps they chose Vegas not just for its huge convention space, but also for that fact that you can get hilariously cheap flights there?
  • RymRym
    The anime con going demographic in general is younger and poorer than, say, the gaming con demographic. I think the vast majority of anime con attendees are local.
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