decided to start my own anime con. i'm looking for advice on how to run it or stuff you guys would love to see at a con.>held at a hotel with 2 pools>more ticket sales = will expand to also rent out local bowling alley arcade>panels will be vetted by actual nerds, so you don't get "who is ash ketchum? what does yaoi mean?">r18 panels/merch allowed in separated area>baggage storage>hands-on cosplay panel tutorial where you actually make stuff>cosplay repair arealots more stuff under consideration. i'm financially prepared to eat the costs and pay for everything out of pocket and lose all the money if no one buys tickets, but i'd like to make this con fun and successful.
>>10920781Have you at least volunteered at an existing con or know the people that have organized them?Otherwise you have no hope. At very least you need a company insulating you, otherwise you'd personally be liable for a lot of shit.
>>10920781Make sure to serve booze. Where is the con gonna be?
TOTAL KIGGER DEATH
>>10920783have both volunteered myself and have 3-4 people who have been staff at other cons who agreed to be staff or at least help out with the planning at this con. also i studied event management, project management and bookkeeping in school, not that it means much irl.>>10920784police won't let us serve booze as an official part of the con, but no restrictions on room parties. i've been a bartender so was thinking of training someone to "unofficially" serve "anime style" drinks in the adult only room, or just doing it myself once the evening hours hit and most people have left.>>10920784washington state
>>10920781You know what city it's going to be in?
>>10920781Quick recommendation: Make social media accounts and a Discord server. That will get the message that your con is happening out to congoers.
>>10920789yeah. i plan to book the venue next month after our website and ticketing system gets finished and i double confirm everything with the hotel manager and the police. could be we have to suddenly change locations due to the police and municipality rules being a pain in the butt so i'll refrain from giving more precise details until after we at least have all that settled and the local advertisements out.>>10920791we have a discord (mainly just open to con staff until the ticketing system gets put in place and we start advertising), the instagram, youtube and other stuff will get made after we have the main website set up.
>>10920783>you need a company insulating youWill look into this. I dunno how I could get a company to do so - all I know is to run your own business as something like an LLC. The hotel has its own system for dealing with damages, drug addict customers and so on which I can build on in the contract for the tickets, but the hotel doesn't have a special system that covers stuff like "you caused a traumatic experience" or "a kid was kidnapped"
>>10920785Ok, Compass.
>>10920799If you don't have an LLC set up before the announcement you're setting yourself in a massive world of hurt. You will need an EIN and state tax ID. If you put your SSN as a tax ID you're now liable for everything.Never ever trust hotel sales in a single word of what they tell you. Everything must be in writing. Your contract is what will break you if it's not in there. The hotel will fuck you if you don't understand all of the terms.It also sounds like you haven't done jack shit on insurance research which will be required during the con.This is business 101 shitThere are groups out there who are organizers that can give you advisement. Do not do this because you hate the cons of how they're run.
>>10920808As stated, we are not announcing or advertising until we get all the basics set up. This includes the permits from the police, signed hotel contract, business accounts, ticketing system, and all that other stuff. We have a long time before the con, we're just starting out now after confirming it is actually possible to host and after conferring with different potential venues.>Everything must be in writing.Yes, we have an unsigned copy of the hotel contract in writing.>There are groups out there who are organizers that can give you advisementThe reason why I made this thread was for advice, not to advertise the con. I already said we are looking for advice and that we've recruited members with experience of con management. We aren't just going to ask for advice in one single place or ask for advice just a couple times then do whatever, we are getting advice throughout the whole way from various sources. It's not me who has the business experience, I personally am in charge of other stuff.
>>10920781>advice on how to run itGo to the AX thread, look at the kind of terrible opinions people have on running events and realize what an even worse idea it is to ask this here. Oh and there's also a book on the subject
>>10920813No, dumbass, there are specific groups in which hundreds of organizers who help run anime cons talk to each other. This is the worst place to ask for advice. They are easy to find if you take the time to speak to long-standing organizers instead of letting your ego get ahead of you.
>>10920786
nice to see 4channers are planning their own dashcon for the upcoming 10 year anniversary
I hope you do it and it’s successful. I don’t have any advise but I want to encourage you. Keep us in the loop.
Also came to encourage you. You're right about getting opinions from different sources.
>>10920828Excellent idea
>>10920796Aaand that's a fail. You've never run an event of any size. Ticketing is absolutely not the first thing you do. Never take on all the cost yourself that's the worst part of this plan. What do you want? Attendees focus or celeb? If celeb you're not gonna be able to oop this. If atendee your scope is already way too big, 30 of your budget should be in advertising and expect about 200 head - no where near enough to need 2 pools and outside locations.What's your date?
>held at a hotelstopped reading there, gave you another chance then i saw>bowling alleydo you know what a convention is?
>>10926617It's another retard who thinks going to cons is easy therefore running one must be super easy. They can fail like hundreds of others.
>>10926624the problem is OP doesn’t seem to know that people like conventions for a myriad of reasons. how the fuck are you going to have an artist alley in a hotel or a bowling alley? i know everyone starts small but OP has too many close minded ideas, just too far in his own head about keeping out “the cashualz” and not the bigger picture
>>10926627>how the fuck are you going to have an artist alley in a hotelhotels have con rooms dumbass
>>10926617500 IQ post>>10926627Over 9000 IQ post
>>10926643and? no one wants to walk through several hallways/floors when most cons have one or two big floors, and if you barely have any attendees it’s gonna feel empty as fuck or if you have too many and not enough rooms reserved it’s gonna be sardines.
>>10926627>how the fuck are you going to have an artist alley in a hotelConference rooms, ball rooms, hallways
>>10920781You are going to need to do a paytron / paypal for about 1-9 HUNDRED THOUSAND dollars. (10 hundred thousand would be a Million.)Ask Mr. Beast to help, Lol.
>>10926627you do know most conventions started at hotels, right?
Easy access to water.>>10920781>>cosplay repair areaWhat materials are available here?
>>10926808yes, when back then conventions were mostly just people gathering to watch anime together and that was it usually. cons are way more active now in terms of events and that’s what usually drives people to go
>>10920828>look at the kind of terrible opinions people have on running events and realize what an even worse idea it is to ask this hereA month in, so far every other post on the subject (both here and AX thread) proves me right
>>10927019might as well go to japan with those pricing ideas LOL
>>10927019That idea is so stupid because high prices just attract the clout chasing influencers/youtubers for thinking its the new coachella/burning man/lollapolooza etc
>>10927019the only people who go to AX are people who just wanna bang and flex their money who the most normalfags of them all yet talk about how they should make it even more expensive to keep the normies out lmao
>>10927121Their virus is spreading, evidently>>10929738>>10929942
>>10930271I'm the one that posted >>10929942Not sure if you took that as me pushing the idea because I'm not. I sell at cons, normies are my biggest cash cow.I was just saying I see the thought process everywhere. Usually coupled with the idea it will keep blacks/Mexicans/teens out. Usually have to break the news that as a teen I'd drop 600$+ at sdcc each year and then they either don't like the idea anymore or decide then that should be ticket price alone.Side note kiddos - I don't know why you think people being friendly because they're trying to sell shit means they want to be your friend and you can just sit at my table all day apill these opinions all over them. I'm here to sell I don't want less people and I want you to stop blocking my table.
>>10920781Chair of a former small con here. Some tips that I wish I'd known before starting out: Like others have said, do the 501c3 before anything else. This will protect you legally.Get every last thing with the venue in writing. Have diagrams of the function space included in the contract. Do not promise a sellout because it will not happen. Stay reasonable based on what you plan to offer and only increase after 5 or so years. Prepare to get fucked by insurance costs. There's no getting around it. It's necessary. Make sure your con has a board of directors that is separate from the position of con chair. It's good to have a team of folks dedicated to telling you your ideas are fucking stupid or too expensive. Do not immediately put your loser con volunteer friends in management positions. Poach talent from other, bigger cons in your area so they can share actual experience with your team. Don't waste your budget on overpriced con guests. Build relationships with talent managers, especially for established guys. John St John will do a con for $500 and a McChicken if he likes you. Social media engagement is everything. Take care of your audience and they'll take care of you. Don't take criticisms personally and lash out like some other conventions do. That's all I got for now.
Make the convention a premium con, I am talking about $200-500. This way you can break even easier and people think your convention is a great experience. You gotta fake it to make it and use photos from established conventions to make your convention look busy. Also, give free badges to popular influencers, saying that you will give a free badge if they promote your con 10 times. After that, your convention is good to go.
>>10930304Fyre fest, that you? How ya been?
>>10930297How much were the costs?Rent, food/drinks, furniture, maids/janitors, police/security, music/equipment, electricity, comic/tv celebrities, (other stuff?).How do you set those things up?Do you google some event director/coordinator people/team ?Can you give some more details on how "your" con worked/was put together?
>>10930335I'm sure forgetting a lot of things, like nurses/first aid, fire extinguishers/firefighters?, 100,000's of volunteers/Basic workers who would work at a store/business but will now work helping visitors at con, storage lockers?, handicap gear? (some stuff comes with the building rent?).I think might need to google 100 things inside a convention/event for people to prosper or something.I'm pretty sure I'm forgetting 10-20 of "most" important things.Maybe metal detectors (or just the security staff), emergency generators/ Extra emergency lights/flashlights? (comes with building?).I feel like if you try, you can keep thinking of stuff you need. Uh...shit...I'm gonna be thinking about this for a bit now. Someones gonna mention something obvious I forgot to type...
>>10930297>John St John will do a con for $500 and a McChicken if he likes you.Damn, that's how much a video game classical / jazz cover band charges for a single performance at a local con. And STILL Youmacon managed to make John St. John hate them?
>>10930347Yes. That's the running joke amongst Midwest conrunners. Youma management is absolutely fucked. >>10930335>>10930338Overall costs for the first couple of years were around 10-15k, but we also weren't in a hotel initially. Work within your means and if a hotel doesn't work out (which it might not, if certain market trends are to be trusted), then try mini events at your local community college or library to build interest in a larger event. Most of what you're asking is usually rolled into the overall hotel costs, as they'll provide most equipment and have furniture for their ballroom spaces. Regarding coordinators, the high level ones usually have their shit listed on LinkedIn or in the program book. Con volunteers will work for ramen and a place to sleep as long as you don't treat them like shit and overwork them. But if you have police or venue security then you won't have to worry about volunteers beyond badge checkers and gophers.
>>10930348>hotel, or college/libraryI think there are some other big options, and big Buildings/structures for rent?Just have to get some good rent service people, and info from google.https://www.crexi.com/lease/properties?sqFtMax=1000000&sqFtMin=100000&types%5B%5D=IndustrialBut I'm not an expert, so something like that might be all I can find.Maybe just find what structures/buildings/places other cons/events use, and try to get payment, for the few days. (1-4 days) You could maybe do only 1 or 2 days if you have to?Look you run a paypal/patreon for like 50k$, and make all tickets (Aside from people under 12? or celebrities) like 500$, or 1,000$ for "VIP"? Can maybe do 300$ tickets for (kids under 12) or "special" people with PROOF of a disorder or something?If you sell 2,500 at 500$ that's 1.25 million$. (according to calculator) >gophers Can you say delivery workers? (google says it's delivery) Maybe you can explain?>Most of what you're asking is usually rolled into the overall hotel costs, as they'll provide most equipment and have furnitureWell I kinda figured, but that makes it easier.Good to maybe double check though.
>>10930353And as in pic, you can rent BIG tent "buildings" I guess.
>>10930353Also 1,500 tickets at 400$ is 600,000 (OVER half a MILLION$)I would assume a con should be trying to get more then a couple thousand people in?
>>10930354Pretty sure your talking to a troll
>>10930359I was responding to myself.Not trolling.Look would that GIANT MEGA huge tent the size of a mansion be too small for a con?Maybe,But hotels don't seem much better?You have to consider options.Considering options is not a troll thing. Calling people a troll for no reason is.
>>1093040450k patreon300$ for a kid ticket500$ for an adult ticket 1000$ vip ticket>>10930353That pesos or you trolling?That or just run a private party for you and your friends if you don't want anyone there Mr.moneybags.
>>10930353if they sold 12,000 tickets, that's 6 million dollars. Pocket $4 million, and you still have $2 million to run the convention. It's an easy way to get rich.
Hire Costhots as guests
>>10930453Do a convention every weekend that is $400 million dollars. That’s a nice chunk of change. That’s life changing wealth.
>>10930458No one is paying $400 for a shit elitist con. This isn't going to be FyreDashCon
>>10930436>No one will pay Higher pricesYou don't seem to know how the world works.10 years ago a month of groceries was 100$, now it's 300$.Gas was 2$ a gallon, now it's 5-10$.And you still pay.You can blame inflation or whatever. But People will pay. My Dad Is an accountant, and my bro has a math degree.I Know a bit about what I'm saying man.You can say it's wrong or crazy, But If you eat food or ride in cars, You prove my point.>>10930453>Pocket 4 millionI thought everyone complains about how expensive cons are?Use more then half the money on the con, on guests, on rent, services, bills and stuff.The priority should be making the con good, and making sure everything/everyone is payed.Look, can you make a million profit? Sure, But you gotta pay the staff, and maybe save for future cons.>>1093046010 years ago a phone was a couple 100$ now it's 1,000.A pc was 500, now it's 1,500$.Do you use tech? (This is a website, so you do.)People will pay.What matters is advertising and activities, panels, events, and making a good schedule, as well as decorations.You just need to make the con seem busy.Heck let in Like 1,000 people for 100$ or maybe 50$ just to fill up space, then make everyone else pay 400$ after you did the work of making it seem popular/good.You can call it manipulative. But politics, and any product sold does same thing.Their are products like shamwow that sold a 50 cent towel for 10$.Scrub daddy sells a 50 cent sponge for 5$.I can keep going if you want.I'll name like 10 products if you need....Just accept I'm right.
>>10920781What's the concept of your convention that'll make it worthwhile going, outside of "It's a con I'm running myself"? Serious question. I like it when a convention has it's own identity and fosters more than just a generic community.
