FA+
Shop
Anthro Northwest 2017
General | Posted 8 years agoI wanted to make a quick post about Anthro Northwest, and my experience there. As of this post, there is a lot of speculation in regards to what happened at the event, and whether or not it was worth attending, or if its worth attending in the future. I hope I can shed some light, and give an honest review.
I normally do not make review posts related to conventions, however I feel there is enough interest in my opinion to save myself the trouble of typing it out over and over again, and share like this.
Im going to start with the bad, because that is what people want to hear about, however its not all bad. I actually very much enjoyed myself this entire event, and pending a few positive changes, I will most likely attend again.
First, lets talk about the media. I have been down this road before in the past. Those that know me, know that when Furlandia 2013 was launched, I invited MTV: True Life to film the setup and planning of the event. I was fortunate to come out of that experience on top, however its not a stretch to say that not everyone can handle the media the way I did. The event knew about CNN being there since October 20th, and per my sources, the people who did know about it encouraged the administration to go public, however did not. I think it is general consensus that this was a bad move, and I feel a public apology from the administration is warranted. Not everyone in this fandom is going to be comfortable with the presence of media, regardless of its intention, especially if its announced as people arrive to the event.
Lets talk about the administration for a moment, as I feel that is also important. The core group of people in charge arent entirely strangers, however the ring leader is not only new to the community, has a very strange, albeit benign outlook on how the furry fandom exists. They say the road to hell is paved with good intentions, and certain aspects of this convention definately reflect that. Bad choices in con planning does not make a bad person, however there was plenty of opprotunity to reach out for advice from those who have been down this road before.
Now its time for some real complaints, and I feel this is one of the more important bullet points, as we all know this fandom exists primarily over the internet. Through the offical communication channels for the event several prominent members of the community were censored when their concerns were voiced, along with several other bystanders who had legitimate concerns to things at the convention. This is not okay, and never works out for anyone in the long run. Trust me. I know. Deleting comments, and trying to sweep things under the rug does not work. First impressions like this never fade, and as someone who has been in the fandom for nearly two decades, I can tell you, furries hold a grudge. There are people still mad at me for stuff I said 15 years ago, and I can tell you now, it was a lot less cumbersome than this situation.
The use of Flare as "hired help" is also incredibly questionable, as these are non-licensed individuals with chips on their shoulder. I was harrassed several times over comments that were posted online in several non-related chats, and threatened with ejection several times over rumors and hearsay. For example, the joke was made that someone had pissed in the ball pit (yes, there was a ball pit) and it was hinted at that I had done it. Lets be real here people, jokes aside, Im 32 years old, Im not going to piss in public, let alone in a ball pit. Grow up. Macho attitudes of authorty do nothing but cause trouble. Im sure that some of you watching remember an event called "Rainfurrest", which despite several rumors, some of which I am mentioned in, was one of the larger contributors to its demise.
The communication between the event adminstration and those attending could have been much better, as mentioned before with censorship. It was hard for people who were not at the event to get any information, as the only point of contact was the man running the convention, who failed to delegate simple tasks like social media outreach to a volunteer.
As far as the venue goes, it was rather nice. I dont think it is suited for an event where there are several dozen large costumes running around, as there were more escalators than there were open spaces. I also feel that the location was a mixed blessing, as it was located directly downtown seattle, and parking on friday was upwards of 40$ a day. I personally paid 26$ and parked a few blocks away. I mean, do I really need to mention that most furries are broke?
A lot of time and money went into this event, without a good return on investment. That may not seem like a big deal to someone who is just attending, but no one wants to get involved with an event that cannot sustain itself, even if the person running it has deep personal pockets.
Some of the topics that are being brought up across the internet I dont have strong opinions on, but I feel I should touch on them anyway, and one of the biggest one is the lack of adult content. Who cares? You all have tumblr if you want to see things of that nature, and there are tons of other events that cater to that crowd. As a social person, it does seem to hinder that "party atmosphere, but I found it was super easy to overcome without much effort.
There are also complaints about there being a lot of kids around. However, I mean, we were all young once, and who is going to go to these events once we grow out of them. Furry has become main stream in the past few years, and if there is a market for it, it will happen, with "It" being an event like this. The same goes for programming. A lack of adult programing did not take away from this convention at all, then again, I rarely attend panels as it is.
This is the most important part of the review, is that people had fun! Many of the people who came out to the event, even those with doubts, didnt seem to have a hard time having a good time. On Saturday night, we got a room, and hosted a rather loud party until midnight with few complaints. Other than Flare and their strange hardon for me, there was little to no obstructions to night time fun.
Parking on Saturday and Sunday was also very affordable, at 6$ a day in the garage next door. That may seem like a lot, however people forget that Rainfurrest had expensive parking if you werent staying at the hotel.
This event has the potential to be viable, and self sustaining. With a few tweaks, the right advice, and a little direction I feel that this convention could exist and prosper for years to come. I feel that this would be a fantastic companion event to something a little more traditional down the line as well.
Would I go back to Anthro Northwest next year? Absolutely. I want to see positive change, but the people in charge are not bad people, they are not stupid people, and I feel like after this weekend they know what they need to do to gain the support and trust of those in the community. Would I recommend this to others? Probably not everyone, however for what it is? Absolutely. Its a great excuse to see your friends, attend programming, and watch theater events such as the dance competition and various performances throughout the weekend, while still being able to relax, and maybe attend a room party.
My advice for those who run the event? Open your administration. Too many cooks in the kitchen can be bad, but one person cannot make a christmas dinner for 800 people. I would also consider not using Flare again. I cannot stress this enough, that those with chips on their shoulders will do nothing but bring a headache to your event, especially as it grows. However most importantly, communication. The powers that be need to make it easier to communicate with their attendees and those who are watching from the outskirts. In this fandom, opinion seems to be everything, and I dont see that changing anytime soon.
I normally do not make review posts related to conventions, however I feel there is enough interest in my opinion to save myself the trouble of typing it out over and over again, and share like this.
Im going to start with the bad, because that is what people want to hear about, however its not all bad. I actually very much enjoyed myself this entire event, and pending a few positive changes, I will most likely attend again.
First, lets talk about the media. I have been down this road before in the past. Those that know me, know that when Furlandia 2013 was launched, I invited MTV: True Life to film the setup and planning of the event. I was fortunate to come out of that experience on top, however its not a stretch to say that not everyone can handle the media the way I did. The event knew about CNN being there since October 20th, and per my sources, the people who did know about it encouraged the administration to go public, however did not. I think it is general consensus that this was a bad move, and I feel a public apology from the administration is warranted. Not everyone in this fandom is going to be comfortable with the presence of media, regardless of its intention, especially if its announced as people arrive to the event.
Lets talk about the administration for a moment, as I feel that is also important. The core group of people in charge arent entirely strangers, however the ring leader is not only new to the community, has a very strange, albeit benign outlook on how the furry fandom exists. They say the road to hell is paved with good intentions, and certain aspects of this convention definately reflect that. Bad choices in con planning does not make a bad person, however there was plenty of opprotunity to reach out for advice from those who have been down this road before.
Now its time for some real complaints, and I feel this is one of the more important bullet points, as we all know this fandom exists primarily over the internet. Through the offical communication channels for the event several prominent members of the community were censored when their concerns were voiced, along with several other bystanders who had legitimate concerns to things at the convention. This is not okay, and never works out for anyone in the long run. Trust me. I know. Deleting comments, and trying to sweep things under the rug does not work. First impressions like this never fade, and as someone who has been in the fandom for nearly two decades, I can tell you, furries hold a grudge. There are people still mad at me for stuff I said 15 years ago, and I can tell you now, it was a lot less cumbersome than this situation.
The use of Flare as "hired help" is also incredibly questionable, as these are non-licensed individuals with chips on their shoulder. I was harrassed several times over comments that were posted online in several non-related chats, and threatened with ejection several times over rumors and hearsay. For example, the joke was made that someone had pissed in the ball pit (yes, there was a ball pit) and it was hinted at that I had done it. Lets be real here people, jokes aside, Im 32 years old, Im not going to piss in public, let alone in a ball pit. Grow up. Macho attitudes of authorty do nothing but cause trouble. Im sure that some of you watching remember an event called "Rainfurrest", which despite several rumors, some of which I am mentioned in, was one of the larger contributors to its demise.
The communication between the event adminstration and those attending could have been much better, as mentioned before with censorship. It was hard for people who were not at the event to get any information, as the only point of contact was the man running the convention, who failed to delegate simple tasks like social media outreach to a volunteer.
As far as the venue goes, it was rather nice. I dont think it is suited for an event where there are several dozen large costumes running around, as there were more escalators than there were open spaces. I also feel that the location was a mixed blessing, as it was located directly downtown seattle, and parking on friday was upwards of 40$ a day. I personally paid 26$ and parked a few blocks away. I mean, do I really need to mention that most furries are broke?
A lot of time and money went into this event, without a good return on investment. That may not seem like a big deal to someone who is just attending, but no one wants to get involved with an event that cannot sustain itself, even if the person running it has deep personal pockets.
Some of the topics that are being brought up across the internet I dont have strong opinions on, but I feel I should touch on them anyway, and one of the biggest one is the lack of adult content. Who cares? You all have tumblr if you want to see things of that nature, and there are tons of other events that cater to that crowd. As a social person, it does seem to hinder that "party atmosphere, but I found it was super easy to overcome without much effort.
There are also complaints about there being a lot of kids around. However, I mean, we were all young once, and who is going to go to these events once we grow out of them. Furry has become main stream in the past few years, and if there is a market for it, it will happen, with "It" being an event like this. The same goes for programming. A lack of adult programing did not take away from this convention at all, then again, I rarely attend panels as it is.
This is the most important part of the review, is that people had fun! Many of the people who came out to the event, even those with doubts, didnt seem to have a hard time having a good time. On Saturday night, we got a room, and hosted a rather loud party until midnight with few complaints. Other than Flare and their strange hardon for me, there was little to no obstructions to night time fun.
Parking on Saturday and Sunday was also very affordable, at 6$ a day in the garage next door. That may seem like a lot, however people forget that Rainfurrest had expensive parking if you werent staying at the hotel.
This event has the potential to be viable, and self sustaining. With a few tweaks, the right advice, and a little direction I feel that this convention could exist and prosper for years to come. I feel that this would be a fantastic companion event to something a little more traditional down the line as well.
Would I go back to Anthro Northwest next year? Absolutely. I want to see positive change, but the people in charge are not bad people, they are not stupid people, and I feel like after this weekend they know what they need to do to gain the support and trust of those in the community. Would I recommend this to others? Probably not everyone, however for what it is? Absolutely. Its a great excuse to see your friends, attend programming, and watch theater events such as the dance competition and various performances throughout the weekend, while still being able to relax, and maybe attend a room party.
My advice for those who run the event? Open your administration. Too many cooks in the kitchen can be bad, but one person cannot make a christmas dinner for 800 people. I would also consider not using Flare again. I cannot stress this enough, that those with chips on their shoulders will do nothing but bring a headache to your event, especially as it grows. However most importantly, communication. The powers that be need to make it easier to communicate with their attendees and those who are watching from the outskirts. In this fandom, opinion seems to be everything, and I dont see that changing anytime soon.
Rainfurrest 2015
General | Posted 10 years agoI feel like I need to chime in here, as there is a lot of heat being brought down on me. Some of it rightfully so, and some of it, I am being used as a scapegoat, or there are other prejudices involved. I will make this simple.
Things I am guilty of for RF2015:
1) Getting intoxicated Saturday night, and getting in a loud verbal argument (not physical) with key members of RF staff and the board.
2) Promoting some of the drama on Twitter, by poking fun at certain things that happened, or retweeting other peoples posts.
Things I am NOT guilty of for RF2015:
1) Any damage to the hotel, in any way, shape, or form
2) Throwing diapers anywhere within the hotel, outside the hotel, or parking lots of neighboring hotels
3) Hating babyfurs in any way, shape, or form. (come on guys, some of you have SURELY figured this out by now)
4) Anything physical with any other person attending the con, or on the hotel grounds
5) Wearing a diaper, fetish gear, or anything of an adult nature (exception being a humorous shirt I brought from another con) in public space.
It is important to understand that there are several factors that have contributed to the issues at RF2015, and I will not deny that my actions Saturday night arent part of them. It is also important to own up to said mistakes, which I am also doing. Speculation, rumors, hearsay, these things will do more damage to the future of Rainfurrest than someone wearing an inappropriate tank top, or a snow white cosplay outfit.
I hope this clears some things up,
Saphy of Portland.
Things I am guilty of for RF2015:
1) Getting intoxicated Saturday night, and getting in a loud verbal argument (not physical) with key members of RF staff and the board.
2) Promoting some of the drama on Twitter, by poking fun at certain things that happened, or retweeting other peoples posts.
Things I am NOT guilty of for RF2015:
1) Any damage to the hotel, in any way, shape, or form
2) Throwing diapers anywhere within the hotel, outside the hotel, or parking lots of neighboring hotels
3) Hating babyfurs in any way, shape, or form. (come on guys, some of you have SURELY figured this out by now)
4) Anything physical with any other person attending the con, or on the hotel grounds
5) Wearing a diaper, fetish gear, or anything of an adult nature (exception being a humorous shirt I brought from another con) in public space.
It is important to understand that there are several factors that have contributed to the issues at RF2015, and I will not deny that my actions Saturday night arent part of them. It is also important to own up to said mistakes, which I am also doing. Speculation, rumors, hearsay, these things will do more damage to the future of Rainfurrest than someone wearing an inappropriate tank top, or a snow white cosplay outfit.
I hope this clears some things up,
Saphy of Portland.
Furlandia 2013
General | Posted 12 years agoSo, lets talk about Furlandia a little bit. I am sure a bunch of you are dying to know the truth behind a lot of bitter twitter messages from people who weren't there, and skewed convention reviews by people who didn't stay the entire weekend.
1) I am the person responsible for the cameras, and I am the person they were filming. It might be nice to think the worst on a situation, but the filming of convention planning, setup, execution, and tear down brings nothing harmful to the community. The worst it can do is show the stressful conditions someone running a multi-thousand dollar large event has to endure. The media clause in most terms of service for conventions state that you will not purchase a membership and act on behalf of the media, meaning you will not provide footage you take to a third party source while attending as a member. It means that someone cannot come in and start filming you without your consent, or without legally posting signs in a shared space or pubic area within their shoot. What this does mean, is that if you sign a release, or are adequately warned you may be in a crowd shot either verbally or with a well posted sign, that you may appear in footage. Within Furlandia, there was little to no margin of error for someone to be filmed without permission, and even those who decided against it later, should be assured by law that they will not appear on any edited footage. Lets be real people, and research a little before going off on a limb. The media is a tool, not an entity. All tools can be abused and misused, however if handled right, it can work for your benefit. No network paid to be involved in this convention, it was agreed on and signed with no monetary compensation. After the convention was over, and they crew left for the airport, they offered us a sum to provide to our charity, as they were pleased with how welcoming the majority (*Yes, the Majority*) of the convention members were to them.
2) The dance competition was for fun, and only had 5 contestants, a 6th was pulled in impromptu, and won because they owned that dance floor. The two judges (myself, and one other) have been involved in the dance/choreography community for years prior to joining the furry fandom. We judged fairly, and tried to add a sense of entertainment to the event between dances. No one was distracted, or texting, or not paying attention. The accusations that such was happening is insulting, and offensive, especially made by those who were not at the event, and especially for those who did not participate in the event. It is not mine or anyone else's intention to make anyone feel bad, or make them feel like their performance wasn't good, however we used our best judgment, and chose those who really, really put on a performance. In fact, the winner of second place wasn't even in fursuit, and that takes a lot of courage.
3) Sibe was at the convention. Correct, he paid his 35$ and attended the convention. We gave him a panel at 11pm where there would be plenty of other stuff going on if people wanted to avoid him, and low and behold, his panel had the highest attendance of any panel at the convention. While we all understood that there are people who have personal problems with him, most people who have problems had never met him before in person, didn't even know what he looked like. The panel was a Q&A, and some of the hard hitting questions were asked. They were answered, and some people went away with a new frame of mind, others kept their opinions but at least they had a chance to meet him in person rather than judging without putting a face to it. The point is, it is not our place to tell someone they cannot be involved unless they give us a reason, and there was no physical or logical reason for us to not let him come, except a couple people would have a problem with it. On top of that, we didn't think he would actually show up. People get "sibe sightings" at random conventions all the time that hes not in, we just took it a step further and placed him in our conbook. Guess he had to show up to this one, right?
4) It was a first year convention, at a hotel that was not very good, with very little time to plan the whole thing out. Rooms weren't available on time, catering and such was a huge mess. No one purchased a bunch of ice cream by mistake and tried to make people pay for it, it was an option included with a sponsors package, with additional tickets available to purchase. Proceeds from that went directly to the charity we had in place. There were errors in timing for the super sponsors and guest of honor breakfast, starting at 9am rather than 10am on Sunday like the book stated, there were errors in T-Shirt orders, and the badges that were printed were the wrong size. The conbook had issues, as well as hotel signage. No one is denying there were mistakes or errors, however, a first year con, with minimal staff and volunteers, 3 months of planning, and the little money out of the convention holders pockets, we did pretty damn well. We had 270 members, we had 5 people that we have confirmed that ghosted the convention (payment from them has been since collected) and we broke even on our costs, something that we really were worrying about for a while. We raised a great deal of money for a worth cause, and we have a small amount set aside to start working on next year. For those of you who decided that they wont come back next year, we are very sorry to hear that, we hope that you reconsider over the next year, but we respect your decision on the matter.
5) The pool was closed, no one bothered to ask the hotel staff prior to the event (I know, major mistake) to make sure it was going to be open, apparently it opens the following weekend. The hotel is owned by the college, and they are incredibly difficult to work with on dumb things like that.
6) Our volunteers were wonderful! Those that showed up at least, so we had some panel gaps, we had some access control gaps, we had a few logistical issues, but all that aside, we learn from our mistakes, and this convention allowed us to meet new people in the area who are thrilled to be apart of Furlandia 2014 next year.
So, things to consider. This was a first year convention. We posed a positive image of the furry fandom to the media, regardless of network, in a controlled environment, while respecting other peoples privacy. We raised a lot of money for a charity, we put on a good show, and we did what we could, with very little resources. I am happy with the way the convention turned out. For every bad twitter message of someone that was actually here, there are 10 twitter messages of good things. For every bad twitter message from people who weren't here, there are at least two twitter messages of people who wished they could come and experience a very relaxed, socially driven convention.
As far as me being gross, well, I was running around under camera lights, doing the job of 5 people, after a 50 hour work week, and the previous weekend attending BLFC. I could say a million bad things about Reno, valid, and unbiased things that I was not pleased with, but there is nothing good in being negative, when there are at least 10 million GOOD things to be said as well.
I do hope to see most of you next year, and I look forward to seeing more new faces. I promise you wont regret coming, and I promise that you'll enjoy the show.
~Saphy
1) I am the person responsible for the cameras, and I am the person they were filming. It might be nice to think the worst on a situation, but the filming of convention planning, setup, execution, and tear down brings nothing harmful to the community. The worst it can do is show the stressful conditions someone running a multi-thousand dollar large event has to endure. The media clause in most terms of service for conventions state that you will not purchase a membership and act on behalf of the media, meaning you will not provide footage you take to a third party source while attending as a member. It means that someone cannot come in and start filming you without your consent, or without legally posting signs in a shared space or pubic area within their shoot. What this does mean, is that if you sign a release, or are adequately warned you may be in a crowd shot either verbally or with a well posted sign, that you may appear in footage. Within Furlandia, there was little to no margin of error for someone to be filmed without permission, and even those who decided against it later, should be assured by law that they will not appear on any edited footage. Lets be real people, and research a little before going off on a limb. The media is a tool, not an entity. All tools can be abused and misused, however if handled right, it can work for your benefit. No network paid to be involved in this convention, it was agreed on and signed with no monetary compensation. After the convention was over, and they crew left for the airport, they offered us a sum to provide to our charity, as they were pleased with how welcoming the majority (*Yes, the Majority*) of the convention members were to them.
2) The dance competition was for fun, and only had 5 contestants, a 6th was pulled in impromptu, and won because they owned that dance floor. The two judges (myself, and one other) have been involved in the dance/choreography community for years prior to joining the furry fandom. We judged fairly, and tried to add a sense of entertainment to the event between dances. No one was distracted, or texting, or not paying attention. The accusations that such was happening is insulting, and offensive, especially made by those who were not at the event, and especially for those who did not participate in the event. It is not mine or anyone else's intention to make anyone feel bad, or make them feel like their performance wasn't good, however we used our best judgment, and chose those who really, really put on a performance. In fact, the winner of second place wasn't even in fursuit, and that takes a lot of courage.
3) Sibe was at the convention. Correct, he paid his 35$ and attended the convention. We gave him a panel at 11pm where there would be plenty of other stuff going on if people wanted to avoid him, and low and behold, his panel had the highest attendance of any panel at the convention. While we all understood that there are people who have personal problems with him, most people who have problems had never met him before in person, didn't even know what he looked like. The panel was a Q&A, and some of the hard hitting questions were asked. They were answered, and some people went away with a new frame of mind, others kept their opinions but at least they had a chance to meet him in person rather than judging without putting a face to it. The point is, it is not our place to tell someone they cannot be involved unless they give us a reason, and there was no physical or logical reason for us to not let him come, except a couple people would have a problem with it. On top of that, we didn't think he would actually show up. People get "sibe sightings" at random conventions all the time that hes not in, we just took it a step further and placed him in our conbook. Guess he had to show up to this one, right?
4) It was a first year convention, at a hotel that was not very good, with very little time to plan the whole thing out. Rooms weren't available on time, catering and such was a huge mess. No one purchased a bunch of ice cream by mistake and tried to make people pay for it, it was an option included with a sponsors package, with additional tickets available to purchase. Proceeds from that went directly to the charity we had in place. There were errors in timing for the super sponsors and guest of honor breakfast, starting at 9am rather than 10am on Sunday like the book stated, there were errors in T-Shirt orders, and the badges that were printed were the wrong size. The conbook had issues, as well as hotel signage. No one is denying there were mistakes or errors, however, a first year con, with minimal staff and volunteers, 3 months of planning, and the little money out of the convention holders pockets, we did pretty damn well. We had 270 members, we had 5 people that we have confirmed that ghosted the convention (payment from them has been since collected) and we broke even on our costs, something that we really were worrying about for a while. We raised a great deal of money for a worth cause, and we have a small amount set aside to start working on next year. For those of you who decided that they wont come back next year, we are very sorry to hear that, we hope that you reconsider over the next year, but we respect your decision on the matter.
5) The pool was closed, no one bothered to ask the hotel staff prior to the event (I know, major mistake) to make sure it was going to be open, apparently it opens the following weekend. The hotel is owned by the college, and they are incredibly difficult to work with on dumb things like that.
6) Our volunteers were wonderful! Those that showed up at least, so we had some panel gaps, we had some access control gaps, we had a few logistical issues, but all that aside, we learn from our mistakes, and this convention allowed us to meet new people in the area who are thrilled to be apart of Furlandia 2014 next year.
So, things to consider. This was a first year convention. We posed a positive image of the furry fandom to the media, regardless of network, in a controlled environment, while respecting other peoples privacy. We raised a lot of money for a charity, we put on a good show, and we did what we could, with very little resources. I am happy with the way the convention turned out. For every bad twitter message of someone that was actually here, there are 10 twitter messages of good things. For every bad twitter message from people who weren't here, there are at least two twitter messages of people who wished they could come and experience a very relaxed, socially driven convention.
As far as me being gross, well, I was running around under camera lights, doing the job of 5 people, after a 50 hour work week, and the previous weekend attending BLFC. I could say a million bad things about Reno, valid, and unbiased things that I was not pleased with, but there is nothing good in being negative, when there are at least 10 million GOOD things to be said as well.
I do hope to see most of you next year, and I look forward to seeing more new faces. I promise you wont regret coming, and I promise that you'll enjoy the show.
~Saphy
