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More Anthrocon Reflections
11 years ago
General
So, I just wanted to write down some more about Anthrocon because I did have a bunch of fun and there's a bit more to reflect upon. First, I'm glad vici and I stayed at the Omni. The lines for the elevators at the Westin looked crazy the couple times we walked by and we had usually no wait at our hotel. Also, the Omni was close enough to the convention center that we didn't have to worry about the shuttle at all. In fact, the one time we took the shuttle it took longer to get to the convention center than if we had walked.
Second, and relating to the previous point, I was a little surprised at the lack of free wifi in the Omni, but from a business standpoint, I can completely see where they are coming from. Most hotels aren't fully booked unless there is a special event going on, so the wifi isn't bogged down as much during normal operation. Then the furries, out-of-towners for the baseball game, a wedding, and numerous others descended. So it was a little nice not constantly jumping on the internet, watching YouTube or Netflix during the lulls or repeatedly checking my FA for updates. However, it would have made for the Ironclaw demo to go a bit more smoothly as I would have then had a spare copy of the main rulebook on my laptop.
Third, I love how much the area embraces Anthrocon. The only conventions that the locals really roll out the red carpet for in Chicago is...well, none of them. The local businesses know they are going to get extra cash, especially around McCormick Place (where the really big conventions are, like the Chicago Car Show) and the Stephens Convention Center (where Anime Central, Midwest Furfest, and numerous other conventions are held), the latter even having a shopping area closely located with lots of dining opportunities. Briefly talking about dining opportunities, it's been a while since I've been to a Giordano's, so I need to remedy that. I haven't seen any place show off a discounted price to convention-goers at the bowling alley near the Stephens Convention Center before, or any special deal at the Hofbräuhaus. Still, it's great that Pittsburgh has really embraced Anthrocon.
Fourth, the atmosphere was very similar to Midwest Furfest, though there were some things that were different. The dealer's den was much larger and spread out at Anthrocon, but I feel like the artist's alley was bigger at Midwest. Also, at Midwest, all areas around the escalators were strict no-standing zones and it was enforced, which is something that could have been a little better enforced at Anthrocon. Still, the general feel of everyone was, for the most part, the same. Everyone was friendly, courteous, and made me feel welcome.
Finally, I wanted to talk about the numbers of attendance. Midwest Furfest, which is stated to be the second largest furry convention, had an attendance of about 4000 people last year, which is respectable. Anthrocon had about 5600 last year. Vici and I were talking in the car about this as I had said that the numbers weren't very far apart, and if you look at many other conventions, I'm not wrong. PAX Prime 2011 recorded an attendance of over 70000 people, and Anime Central (the third largest anime convention in North America) in 2013 had over 28000 people in attendance. If you look at the stark difference between PAX and ACen, then the difference between Anthrocon and Midwest Furfest aren't very far apart, making the competition of "who is bigger" a little moot. Sure, there's bragging rights, but we also have to look at the fact that both cons take place in geographically different areas and therefor draw in groups from different regions. If anything, they both help represent that the furry fandom is growing and that it is becoming more vocal and public. Without large conventions, like Anthrocon, Midwest Furfest, Further Confusion, Furry Weekend Atlanta, and more, the fandom wouldn't be able to grow like it has.
Second, and relating to the previous point, I was a little surprised at the lack of free wifi in the Omni, but from a business standpoint, I can completely see where they are coming from. Most hotels aren't fully booked unless there is a special event going on, so the wifi isn't bogged down as much during normal operation. Then the furries, out-of-towners for the baseball game, a wedding, and numerous others descended. So it was a little nice not constantly jumping on the internet, watching YouTube or Netflix during the lulls or repeatedly checking my FA for updates. However, it would have made for the Ironclaw demo to go a bit more smoothly as I would have then had a spare copy of the main rulebook on my laptop.
Third, I love how much the area embraces Anthrocon. The only conventions that the locals really roll out the red carpet for in Chicago is...well, none of them. The local businesses know they are going to get extra cash, especially around McCormick Place (where the really big conventions are, like the Chicago Car Show) and the Stephens Convention Center (where Anime Central, Midwest Furfest, and numerous other conventions are held), the latter even having a shopping area closely located with lots of dining opportunities. Briefly talking about dining opportunities, it's been a while since I've been to a Giordano's, so I need to remedy that. I haven't seen any place show off a discounted price to convention-goers at the bowling alley near the Stephens Convention Center before, or any special deal at the Hofbräuhaus. Still, it's great that Pittsburgh has really embraced Anthrocon.
Fourth, the atmosphere was very similar to Midwest Furfest, though there were some things that were different. The dealer's den was much larger and spread out at Anthrocon, but I feel like the artist's alley was bigger at Midwest. Also, at Midwest, all areas around the escalators were strict no-standing zones and it was enforced, which is something that could have been a little better enforced at Anthrocon. Still, the general feel of everyone was, for the most part, the same. Everyone was friendly, courteous, and made me feel welcome.
Finally, I wanted to talk about the numbers of attendance. Midwest Furfest, which is stated to be the second largest furry convention, had an attendance of about 4000 people last year, which is respectable. Anthrocon had about 5600 last year. Vici and I were talking in the car about this as I had said that the numbers weren't very far apart, and if you look at many other conventions, I'm not wrong. PAX Prime 2011 recorded an attendance of over 70000 people, and Anime Central (the third largest anime convention in North America) in 2013 had over 28000 people in attendance. If you look at the stark difference between PAX and ACen, then the difference between Anthrocon and Midwest Furfest aren't very far apart, making the competition of "who is bigger" a little moot. Sure, there's bragging rights, but we also have to look at the fact that both cons take place in geographically different areas and therefor draw in groups from different regions. If anything, they both help represent that the furry fandom is growing and that it is becoming more vocal and public. Without large conventions, like Anthrocon, Midwest Furfest, Further Confusion, Furry Weekend Atlanta, and more, the fandom wouldn't be able to grow like it has.
