Tsubasacon 2009

I agree with that then again I also feel there should have been more trashcans but that's another story. I have to say I am guilty of splashing Ramune on the cosplay table but its wasn't real bad so nothing but my jaket go messed up 

Jerad, Im almost positive the "don't open your stuff here" signs will be wanted by all vendors. I think we need to tackle this problem agressively. At least give the tables a shot for one year and then deem then worth the space or not. I would gladly offer the tables myself if Tsubasacon staff decided to choose this path.

the selection wasn't quite what it was last year, but the stuff that was there was really great! and the vendors were all very friendly, which is always nice.
it seemed roomier this year too. i suppose it was because there were less vendors this year. overall, it was awesome!

It was roomier because we used the entire Riverside Suite instead of just 2/3 of it. The video game room was in the other 1/3.

I remember either last year at our convention - or maybe it was a different convention - but someone like Wizzywigs had a spot on their own table where they would open the ramune FOR people.  I think that would be a good idea if we ask all the dealers who sell the stuff to offer to open the bottles for a person who would otherwise get it everywhere.  I'd have to say that besides just signs perhaps we should speak to the vendors themselves to take responsibility for the messiness of the foods they carry.  Obviously once it's out of their inventory they don't have much control if someone walks over to another table to open it - but I think a lot of people would probably be willing to have someone open it for them if they don't know how, especially if they want to drink it then and there.

I had a thought about a new way to set up the dealer's room for next year - especially since we had so much more free space than last year, if we were to put a vendor between the doors that would kind of urge people to walk in and then out the other door - if we were to get more vendors it would be handy because then it might be a wee bit more crowded - but at least the crowd would force people to move through the room in an orderly fashion rather than hanging about and then going out whatever door they pleased. It's nice to have two doors however, because that encourages people to visit the artists at the end of the artist alley rather than avoiding them altogether because they never see them for the artist alley.  One door might have alleviated the problem of people going in the wrong doors however.

There was however a VERY large problem with food in general - people sneaking in Wendy's could really get us in trouble with the convention staff.  I'm amazed they haven't punished us in years past because of the random food in con-ops and from just general con-goers bringing food from outside.  I caught a group of people eating Wendy's at a spare table in the artist alley!  I told them they had to go outside with it, but I was really too late because they were pretty much finished eating by that point - but what irked me most was that no other staff members had said anything to them!  One of these days this food issue will come creeping back and bite us, and I think we ought to deal with the problem by not tempting fate.

I saw it three times, the third time, I spoke up, and the people blew me off.

Frankly, I think there's not enough room between the two doorways for a vender spot, however there were three trashcans positioned there this year...if you took out the middle one and put in a small card table, it would fit perfectly, and be isolated by distance from the rest of the vendor's room. So much distance in fact, you'd have to practically detonate a Ramune soda with some sort of explosives to get any on a vender.

Another few pluses to that location are that it doesn't require anyone to go out of their way, it doesn't add any hassle to the Vendors, and doesn't take up any space in Artist's Alley.

The problems with putting a vendor between the doors is that 1) there's hardly any room there without making it perpendicular to the wall, creating a tunnel between it and the photography station which would cause more traffic and 2) it's not the vendor's responsibility to direct traffic. They're there to sell their goods and nothing else. I think if you just put a standing sign by the doors they'd be more effective.

As far as food in the convention center, I'm guilty and I'm sorry. I had someone smuggle me Bob Evans. A picnic area outside would be a wonderful idea. If we have clearance to put stuff outside the convention center, someone should bring one of those fold-up picnic tables and some chairs. I'm not volunteering this early, but I have some that I could bring if my parents would let me.