fallengorn said:
The Beat has a write up of the ReedPop Q&A session on Sunday:
http://www.comicsbeat.com/nycc16-whi...nual-qa-panel/
A few things I wanted to point out here:
Numerous kudos were given to the “blue shirt” staff, as well as convention security, and customer service in general. (Although many suggested that there needs to be better communication regarding updates, such as the line on Friday and Saturday.)
This brings a huge smile to my face. So much stuff goes on behind the scenes to ensure that fans are happy and having a good time. Radio chatter requesting assistance in areas that need it the most; fans telling me that Crew made their day; Crew wearing subtle things to stick out such as cat ears and paws, extravagant hats, and what have you; snacks, donuts, and refreshments being brought to the break room to ensure that everyone is functioning like a human and not a like a zombie.
At Artist Alley, an artist that I built a rapport with Neil Dvorak, was awesome enough to give me both of his volumes of Easy Pieces at a discount because he appreciated the work that the Artist Alley Crew did. Ask any Crew how long they've working the show and if it's more than a year, you can expect to hear some stories if they were not too busy.
I fought back tears on Sunday because it was ending as emotions got higher by the time 5pm approached. I personally do it because I love it and the camaraderie that I've built over the years with veteran Crew, Staff, security, and newcomers alike just like so many of the friends that I've made over the years do. It's been a tremendous pleasure to be part of such a huge show and get to enjoy it like a fan half of the time.
And I completely agree that communication issues can be better since it's an area that needs constant improvement even in this year's show. Whether that means using megaphones or some kind of a signage system.
A crew member asked about the upcoming anime show from another company, and if that would affect NYCC’s programming. Mike noted that ReedPop has a good working relationship with their anime partners, and that another show helps the general community to grow. Another comment about the lack of anime content in Artist Alley was explained that 1,600 applications are made for the approximately 400 tables.
This is referring to
Leftfield Media which notably organized Play Fair earlier this year and Awesome Con. They're organizing a new anime con in November of next year called fittingly enough,
Anime NYC in partnership with Crunchyroll. As a fun fact, Play Fair 2017 is happening the week before the aforementioned so they've got a lot on their plate. Also, their headquarters is in the same vicinity as ReedPop. An anime con in November in NYC is not common at all so this is going to be interesting.
On another note, the final damage report on attendance: 185K tickets sold once again surpassing SDCC for yet another year:
"We sold at least 185,000 unique tickets" to New York Comic Con, ReedPOP Senior Vice President Lance Fensterman told ICv2 Sunday. That’s up from 167,000 attendees at the show a year ago (see "ICv2 Interview: ReedPOP SVP Lance Fensterman"), an 11% increase. The growth in attendees was accomplished by selling more single day tickets, especially for Thursday, Fensterman said.
Also some more info on what's in store for next year's NYCC including hinting that Artist Alley might be at an off-site venue and more off-site events:
Changes will have to be made to the show for 2017. The North Hall, where Artists Alley has been sited the last few years, is going to be rebuilt, which will require the layout of the show to be reconfigured. "We’re going to have to shuffle the deck a little bit, and hopefully find a way to expand the show more," Fensterman explained. Changes will definitely include the use of more offsite space.
Lots more at the link including including RFID system stuff and new sponsorship methods used at this year's NYCC.
With Special Edition NYC occupying the Javits North Hall in its first two years (for those who don't know, it was just the Artist Alley area), I think next year we'll get a preview as to where the new Artist Alley will be with its return. Special Edition NYC was on hiatus this year due to ReedPop focusing its efforts on expanding NYCC.
I'm going to miss the natural sunlight and direct access from the adjacent building. Gotta wonder how exhibiting artists are going to react to the changes. Artist Alley was my favorite area to visit between breaks so hopefully it's not too far from the Javits Center proper. Oh and next year's NYCC is happening at the same time as Heroes and Villains Fan Fest in NJ so that's going to be interesting to watch. Of course, NYCC is going to dwarf it.
