this week in con fail
Jul. 18th, 2017 12:25 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
davemerrillSo a little while ago on Twitter a Twitter pal in Buffalo mentioned a Niagara Falls convention called "Fan World" and how they were being really vague about whether or not their big Japanese guest was going to show up. They're a "con in a box" type show: a guest list with five musical acts, four voice actors, and five "professional cosplayers" and not much else. They don't have any roots in local fandom and their website was designed by the same guy who designed the website for the Midwest Media Expo, which was a Detroit "fan con" that was cancelled days before it was supposed to take place.
http://www.nerdandtie.com/2017/04/26/midwest-media-expo-2017-cancelled-days-before-event/
In fact, both the Midwest Media Expo and Fan World Niagara had the same guest, used the same guest bio and the same photo of the guest - Akira Yamaoka - the same guest that Fan World Niagara was now being so vague about.
Turns out that Fan World Niagara just announced that Yamaoka cancelled. Which isn't a surprise, when shows say anything about a guest that may in any way indicate that guest might not show, you can count on that guest not showing.
The con also had an ambitious cross-border event plan, with most events happening on the US side and a few on the Canadian side; the Canadian side events have all been cancelled.
It looks to me like this is Midwest Media Expo all over again - a new show rides a little wave of interest and publicity, but is unable to maintain momentum and withers away after a few years. Who knows if Fan World will make it past two?
I've done a lot of "how to start conventions" panels in the past, and we always holler START SMALL at the top of our lungs, but people don't want to listen. I don't do those panels any more, because people don't listen. They have to find out for themselves that conventions have to grow organically, from the community, that you have to build relationships with staff and facilities and fans (your customers) over time, and that the good will you start with by running a fan event will vanish overnight if you abuse it.
http://www.nerdandtie.com/2017/04/26/midwest-media-expo-2017-cancelled-days-before-event/
In fact, both the Midwest Media Expo and Fan World Niagara had the same guest, used the same guest bio and the same photo of the guest - Akira Yamaoka - the same guest that Fan World Niagara was now being so vague about.
Turns out that Fan World Niagara just announced that Yamaoka cancelled. Which isn't a surprise, when shows say anything about a guest that may in any way indicate that guest might not show, you can count on that guest not showing.
The con also had an ambitious cross-border event plan, with most events happening on the US side and a few on the Canadian side; the Canadian side events have all been cancelled.
It looks to me like this is Midwest Media Expo all over again - a new show rides a little wave of interest and publicity, but is unable to maintain momentum and withers away after a few years. Who knows if Fan World will make it past two?
I've done a lot of "how to start conventions" panels in the past, and we always holler START SMALL at the top of our lungs, but people don't want to listen. I don't do those panels any more, because people don't listen. They have to find out for themselves that conventions have to grow organically, from the community, that you have to build relationships with staff and facilities and fans (your customers) over time, and that the good will you start with by running a fan event will vanish overnight if you abuse it.
