[ACML] Event Planners Part Two

[Michael C Beuerlein]

-All replies snipped- 

Like most of you, I am very interested in an AMCL-con, assuming we get past the choosing of a location.  For me I think the two biggest factors in picking a time/place are going to be 1) cost, and 2) a good lounge.  As most of us are hitting at least three shows a year (and some of us more like twelve or fifteen) the biggest factor is going to be travel and stay expense.  As we are not looking to pull in mass numbers to be commercially successful, and all we need to advertise is shoot a single email onto this list, the exact city is also not super important (at least in my opinion).  Most "hub" cities only have one or two cons, and as hopefully we can all police ourselves pretty well there is no need for a lot of staff.  
I suggest that we all do our homework and scout a location that's really willing to play ball.  It doesn't seem unlikely to me that we could find a damn nice hotel that would give us rates of 79 bucks or lower for a bunch of meeting planners to stay at (especially if the hotel is owned by a chain or major player in a region and was permitted to give a presentation on its available locations/amenities).  Airport costs could also be a factor.  
An example city I might suggest (again for the purpose of example, not really a true suggestion) would be Dayton Ohio.  While Dayton has no anime convention, it has several decent convention hotels, one of the cheapest airports in the nation, and their convention bureau contacts me on a regular basis about trying to find a way to bring an event to their town.  Sure it's not as central or as cool as Chicago for the midwest, and there would be no real "local" staff, but it's only a 4 hour drive from Chicago, is within three hours (by car) of all 8 Ohio conventions, both Indiana cons, at least three of the Michigan cons, and again has one of the cheapest airports.  (I quickly expedia'd a flight from LA to Ohio for this weekend.  Whereas flying to Columbus would cost around 700 bucks, Dayton was only 250.)
(Note, as the bulk of the Ohio/Michigan cons already work together this might not be the most important state to prioritize).  

I'm sure there are plenty of cities like Dayton out there that may not be the most central, but are cheaper, and for a nationwide event with each city/state only having a handful of representatives, I'm not sure being in a dense population center actually makes a difference. 

On a similar note, time of the year should be focused around cost too.  I know the December dates were much maligned, but I know of a few locations here that have literally a ten fold difference in space costs for December vs April, especially smaller meeting locations that focus heavily on weddings.  


My last thought is that while hotel rooms and meeting space quality doesn't really concern me, I would want this hotel to have one kick-ass lounge.  While the panels and lectures and wisdom available in the day might be invaluable, it can also be downloaded, purchased or hell... found by skimming this mailing lists archives!  The true value of the event would being able to cut loose with my fellow conchairs and staffers, share stories we can't tell on the record, network and share outsource/vendor/supplier contacts, and hell... spend a nice evening talking anime with a bunch of fans without having to get up and respond to a security call or other crisis every few minutes!  

-Michael
 		 	   		  
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