Forum - View topicNEWS: Baltimore Group Pegs Otakon's Impact at US$21 Million
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chrisb
 Subscriber Posts: 642 Location: USA |
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Haha, it seems they only focused on the more "hardcore" anime fans. Is the convention called "The Gathering of the Geeks" or was that just an adlib? I've seen news reports mock the conventions sometimes so it was good to see a rather amusing report and the reporters looked interested since it was something new but that one lady did look a little freaked out by some of the costumes.
I've never heard it prononounced before so is it ohtacon or ahtacon? |
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Spotlesseden
Posts: 3514 Location: earth |
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looks like anime fans have alot of money.
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kyokun703
 Posts: 2505 Location: Orgrimmar |
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I liked that report. Usually I see local news con reports spending more time sniggering behind the con-goers backs, but this one actually did a decent job. Plus the positive note that the fans bring in $21 million to the city in 3 days!
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Splitter
 Posts: 1276 Location: Knockin' on Heaven's Door |
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Everyone knows a congoer would rather starve themselves then go home without that prized 300 dollar resin figure. |
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LydiaDianne
 Posts: 5634 Location: Southern California |
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That was a very nice soundbite for us! But, then again, if they'd been nasty, The Baltimore Visitors Bureau and/or the BCC probably would have been screaming at the Station Manager: "WTF's wrong with you people???? Do you realize how much money those people put into the city in 3 days? $21 million! 3 days and $21 million! Do those Raven's fans spend that much money at a game? NO! Don't do that again!" Don't piss off the tourists! |
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Deltakiral
 Posts: 3338 Location: Glendora, CA (Avatar Hei from Darker than BLACK) |
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Well when you save up all year just to drop a lot of dough on one event that's what happens. Although I am not sure if anime fans are rich, I think that most of fans aren't "rich" there probably like every other joe schomo out there. |
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Jifty
Posts: 35 Location: Frostburg, MD |
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I've seen the impact of Otakon in B'more for the last year. There was debate over the building of a new extension onto the Convention Center that was supposed to cost $20 million, and it was decided that they needed to build the place when Otakon hinted that they might have to move to the Washington Convention Center.
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Heretic
Posts: 177 Location: Laurel, Maryland |
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Yep, that's pretty much what I do. The other two cons I go to (AnimeUSA and Katsucon), I don't spend nearly as much money as I do at Otakon. |
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Parvati-IV
 Posts: 72 |
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Are they talking about $$ spent in the dealer's room? Because I would figure the 21 million goes to hotel rooms for all those people, and food consumed, taxis and trains taken, etc. Wouldn't the only impact on the city or state from the dealer's room be sales tax charged?
Also, I've always wondered if Otakon warns that Burger King across the street when con weekend is. It's always jammed 
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kuni_kuni
Posts: 37 |
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No, they're talking about the money spent outside of the convention center (hotels, restaurants, transportation, etc). And that Burger King closed down. 
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Raiden Kitsune
Posts: 6 |
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I noticed that the McDonalds down the street from the convention center was closed all weekend this year. I have to wonder about the reason for that. I'm leaning towards all of their employees calling out sick as soon as they found out we were coming. It's gotta be -hell- working one of the fast good restaurants near a major con like that.
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Emerje
 Posts: 7413 Location: Maine |
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Probably for the best. They do get warned about Otakon coming and they never prepare for it. At least, that's what I was told by someone that used to do work for Otakon. I know back in 2002 when I went that BK was a disaster, they were running out of food and the lines were going out the door. Only ate there once, got the rest of my meals from the deli in the hotel. Emerje |
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Tempest
 I Run this place.ANN Publisher  Posts: 10461 Location: Do not message me for support. |
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They're talking about money spent outside the exhibit hall, money spent on hotel rooms, taxis, food, money paid by exhibitors to local workers, companies and unions (for loading/unloading work, electricity, etc) and money spent by Otakon on the convention center, hotels, security, etc... I assume that money spent in the exhibit hall by shoppers doesn't really count because most of the retailers are from out of town. However they may have factored in a bit of money for the exhibit hall shopping since some of the retailers are local... -t |
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Tempest
I Run this place. ANN Publisher Posts: 10461 Location: Do not message me for support. |
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Otakon might have been a part of the decision, but they weren't the entirety of the decision. From what I heard, Otakon was the last little push that got the work started. Still, that's no small feat for an anime convention. I bet the Otakon staff are both proud that they were able to influence the decision and happy that the decision was made. Hopefully in a few years they'll be able to raise that 25,000 person attendance limit. -t |
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Stueypark
Posts: 116 |
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It most likely also counts indirect (or secondary) spending, easiest way to explain that is with an example.
You pay $150 to the hotel to stay there a night. The hotel then pays a laundry service $15 to wash your sheets and towels, $1 to the local newspaper for the "complimentary paper" they leave at your door, and $3 to a food service for the in-room coffee and stuff. Suddenly the spending for that room went from $150 to $169 through indirect spending. It's how they can come up with a number that assumes the average spending was nearly $1,000 per person. |
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