Forum - View topicChase Wang on Anime Expo 2007
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Superflyz
 Posts: 40 Location: Long Beach, CA |
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LBCC was a perfect replacement for this year's AX. It had space (aside from the horrid placement of the artist's alley), it was near the ocean so it wasn't as hot, and there were hotels near-by. The ONLY problem with this year's AX was its execution; nearly everything that could have gone wrong, went wrong.
A professional staff could have solved this. |
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Deltakiral
 Posts: 3338 Location: Glendora, CA (Avatar Hei from Darker than BLACK) |
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First off this was a really great interview, thank you Zac for sitting down and asking the question every wants to hear, and doing your best to get answers.
After reading about the LACC and the plans to possibly have a 24 hour space available that would make things smoother although it would suck in that I would want to go outside and not worry about being mugged. I completely agree with having the con moved a week forward or back in order to have it in Anaheim, it's a much nicer area and it something that I would go to. I don't really have any desire to spent money nor time in LA, especially in that area. Also that little shot at the end about south of the 10 being the 'ghetto' was really necessary.  .
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frentymon
Forums Superstar
 Posts: 2362 Location: San Francisco |
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Reading this interview, I got the impression that the person wasn't really listening to the interviewer but rather already had prepared answers in AX's every defense. Having listened to many peoples' experiences at AX 2007, I don't buy that every AX staffer was trying their best.
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bayoab
Posts: 831 |
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ichido reichan
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Okay people, let's be rough about it...
I come and volunteer every ANIME EXPO since 2001, and even in long beach before, it was awesome, remember any complaints when Haruhiko mikimoto and Kikuko Inoue came to visit? how about the year that was full of concerts and anime special guests, all this was without a flaw... until 2006.... 2007 the worst anime expo ever, and I was a volunteer!! I made people wait in line for hours until we were told the autographs were cancelled... All the money for Guests went to bring Gackt & co for a 45 min show, and the character designer for Death note, a show that general anime fans (beside the usual fan base) does not care. Even Hakul Momoi was treated bad and she went and made a hell of a concert for all his fans, so for this and many other reasons, I am not going to ANIME EXPO 2008 and LA. Learning process? everybody at the anime expo was giving excuses like that, it is a new convention now? what do you have to learn, dont take offense but before Jennifer Pon took over the anime expo...the convention was perfect, now is just another convention, the magic is gone, It hurts to see my young memories from my first anime expo damaged like this... I guess is time to let go..or better yet... find another convention |
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Kenji_Ikari
 Posts: 144 |
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Sure... At least it's good to finally see some sort of response from anime expo. Though, no mention of Tokyopop? |
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Zac
ANN Executive Editor
 Posts: 7912 Location: Anime News Network Technodrome |
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Tokyopop didn't have a booth, but they had multiple panels and portfolio reviews and whatnot. They've been diminishing booth presence at most of the shows I've seen them at over the years so it didn't seem relevant. |
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Dark Chi
Posts: 34 Location: Hades |
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I think in terms of professionals, it would mean replacing all the AX staff and not having volunteers in major positions. I think the interviewer was definitely not buying into the "cookie-cutter" con comment. It would be possible to have fans program and share their voice in the con and still have a professional org running the show. It would mean having the program manager working a bit harder with the fans. |
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Dark Chi
Posts: 34 Location: Hades |
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Comic Con or NY Anime Festival for me... |
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Yuukichan's Papa
 Posts: 93 |
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First off, to all those complaining about being afraid of being mugged at the LACC, just stop. Unless you're wandering nearly alone in a dark alley in the middle of the night, you don't have much to worry about given the level of lighting and the sheer number of people around in general, let alone during an anime convention. (Of course, this doesn't take care of being hit up for change by the homeless, but that's another issue). The actual legitimate gripes are related to the surrounding area's proximity (or lack thereof) to hotels and reasonably priced food, and the parking and traffic issues in the vicinity. Those are the problems that will really stretch people's patience and will likely be the real issues that arise when the con is underway.
And thank you, Zac, for asking tough questions and not being satisfied with answers that sidestepped the issues. Now that it's been a few weeks, my frustration with this year's con has subsided, but there were problems that definitely needed to be addressed. |
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CorneredAngel
 Posts: 854 Location: New York, NY |
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Actually, AX *is* run by a professional staff, in a way - the on-the-ground staffers are all volunteers, but the board of directors receives compensation for their time. Given that except for the convention weekend itself, working AX is *not* really a full-time job for the overwhelming majority of the people who are on staff, I basically don't think how any other arrangement would work. And in fact, this is how Comic-Con and the upcoming NY Anime Festival are handled: a few full-time staff who are paid, and then a much larger number of volunteers who participate at the event itself. In any case, basically, what happened this year was not a failure of AX's staffing concept, it was just a lot of failures on the part of individual staff members. And maybe, after the complacency of several years at the ACC, these failures were inevitable. ...and to anyone who is still concerned abou the logistics of the LA Convention Center, just think - if E3 could bring sixty thousand people there without anyone getting mugged or killed or whatever, AX can surely do forty-five or fifty thousand. |
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mgarcia
Posts: 4 Location: San Francisco Bay Area, California |
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Outstanding follow-up, ANN.
MDg |
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Furudanuki
 Posts: 1874 |
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And here is a link to a good place to learn about what areas to avoid. http://www.lapdonline.org/crimemap/?addressSearchFormStreet=1201+South+Figueroa+Street&addressSearchFormCity=Los+Angeles&addressSearchFormZip=90015 |
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Superflyz
Posts: 40 Location: Long Beach, CA |
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By "professional staff" I mean a dedicated company who has experience dealing with large crowds, just like the "Yellow-Jackets" at this year's AX. As surly as they were, they were only doing what they were told (To control crowds) and were probably as confused as the attendees. I'm sure that were they informed and educated of the events of the day, things would have flowed a little more smoothly.
Let's face it, nobody is going to listen to a volunteer, no matter how many ear-pieces, special vests, and pink tape/ropes you give them. Last edited by Superflyz on Fri Jul 13, 2007 9:01 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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esw01407
 Posts: 9 Location: PA |
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First, I have to say right off I have a low opinion of Mr. Wang to begin with. Why? I have constantly been receiving E-Mail from Mr. Wang's BAM! Marketing company, to the point of SPAM, and there is no way to unsubscribe, nor contact him via email. I do not know how I was signed up in the first place. Much of the SPAM as of late from him was about Anime Expo.
It’s good to see that someone is trying to get to the bottom of Anime Expo, and Zac really seemed to have him on the run before the end of the interview. BRAVO! Enjoyable read! |
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