Between this and Las Vegas Unicon last year, I'm really beginning to wonder if this is the first sign of the convention "bubble" beginning to pop.
Bare minimum, it's going to start getting harder for first year cons to get off the ground, particularly with regards to things like getting guests. I'm fully expecting acting agents to start recommending to their clients, "you know, it sounds good, but you'd better give them a year or so to make sure they're a worthy concern to actually be a guest at."
With the facilities out there, expect hotels and convention centers to start tightening their requirements for conventions. In fact, I'd be surprised if we don't start finding some areas where the facilities will basically become impossible to book for the first year conventions, either outright, or via more onerous installment payment schemes.
Heck, I'd recommend to anyone that, unless it's local or you know where they're getting their showrunners (hint: better have worked staff at other cons), to be very careful about first year cons.
And for the record, I've attended two cons in Denver in their first year, Britannicon and Nan Desu Kan. Both rented incredibly modest digs (Britannicon at a small business conference hotel, Nan Desu at a student union facility). Both were well-run, but I understand that a number of their people "cut their teeth" with Mile Hi Con and StarFest/StarCon. They also had very reasonable expectations for starting out.
Yes, Dartz, Dashcon's going to be a watchword. I'd be very unsurprised if, like LV Unicon, some conventions will again use it as impetus to take a good look at themselves to make sure they're not overreaching.
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"You know how parents tell you everything's going to fine, but you know they're lying to make you feel better? Everything's going to be fine." - The Doctor
Bare minimum, it's going to start getting harder for first year cons to get off the ground, particularly with regards to things like getting guests. I'm fully expecting acting agents to start recommending to their clients, "you know, it sounds good, but you'd better give them a year or so to make sure they're a worthy concern to actually be a guest at."
With the facilities out there, expect hotels and convention centers to start tightening their requirements for conventions. In fact, I'd be surprised if we don't start finding some areas where the facilities will basically become impossible to book for the first year conventions, either outright, or via more onerous installment payment schemes.
Heck, I'd recommend to anyone that, unless it's local or you know where they're getting their showrunners (hint: better have worked staff at other cons), to be very careful about first year cons.
And for the record, I've attended two cons in Denver in their first year, Britannicon and Nan Desu Kan. Both rented incredibly modest digs (Britannicon at a small business conference hotel, Nan Desu at a student union facility). Both were well-run, but I understand that a number of their people "cut their teeth" with Mile Hi Con and StarFest/StarCon. They also had very reasonable expectations for starting out.
Yes, Dartz, Dashcon's going to be a watchword. I'd be very unsurprised if, like LV Unicon, some conventions will again use it as impetus to take a good look at themselves to make sure they're not overreaching.
--
"You know how parents tell you everything's going to fine, but you know they're lying to make you feel better? Everything's going to be fine." - The Doctor