Hey folks, it’s Koji! I don’t normally blog at all save for my occassional forays into DateCraft.com. No I don’t use it to find dates, but more on the website in later blogs! In any case I figure I should spend some of your precious time to introduce myself. I was brought into Oni-Con in 2007 when the original security director couldn’t make it to the convention due to some military obligations. Having worked with Sven “Doc” Berglowe at other conventions as his lieutenant (assistant manager in lame man’s terms) I was the next choice to take the spot. Since then I haven’t been able to make it to an Oni-Con and it’s now 2010. I’m still not sure if I’ll be able to make it to this year’s Oni-Con but I anticipate that if I do, it’ll be cutting it very close. Will I be working as member of convention Safety when I come back to Oni-Con? Absolutely not (Haha Booth!) but that doesn’t mean I won’t know the convention safety policies and rules; young attendees beware! I can appear to be at many places at once.
The first convention I volunteered for (also where I met Doc Sven) was AnimeFest 2006 with FLOW as the musical guest. Fun year where I met a lot of great people and made a lot of friends. Since then I’ve worked on Safety/Security Staff in six different conventions between Texas and Louisiana. My favorite convention out of all that I’ve attended is still Oni-Con. What sets it apart from many other conventions is its mixture of medias: anime, games, and music. Sure, other conventions have the same thing but the atmosphere of Oni-Con is very different from the rest. There’s always been a more laid back feel to Oni-Con that I’ve enjoyed over other conventions. So how do we take advantage of the atmosphere and make it more fun? Suggestions from you, the attendees, is our number one source of input on this matter. That being said, this doesn’t mean we don’t have any ideas of our own. Me being the awesome asian sensation that I am (all modesty aside) I’ve compiled a list of possible activities and ideas that could be implemented for all future Oni-Cons to come. This list is written in much the same way I wrote out our pros and cons list from the 40 artists our friend at AVEX; Steve Harrel suggested to us earlier this year. Thanks Steve! Maybe not this year but you can rest assured we’re keeping your number at the front of the rolodex.
1. Play AMV’s all through out the convention floor plan through the use of mounted projectors.
Pros: Frees up programming time for the AMV contest by shortening the whole thing into a 30 minute award presentation on Saturday or Sunday. EVERYONE gets to see what an AMV is and people can vote for their favorite AMV’s during the convention hours. Infact everyone can vote multiple times for different AMV’s. This can be facilitated by some slick Excel spread sheet programming to count votes with. This also adds a People’s Choice feature to the AMV contest rather than just having it go through a few judges that no one even knows.
Cons: Projectors cost money! Counting votes would require a little extra work from staff (Looking at you Con Ops) which may strain man power and resources (No it really won’t. Most people are just cry babies. Just drink a fifth of vodka, like a boss, and carry on.)
2. More industry booths! No, not David Booth and his family. I’m talking anime companies, record companies and game production companies.
Pros: Makes Oni-Con more of a convention rather than just a 3 day party. You get the latest news straight from the industry about your favorite medias. Booth girls! Dude… booth girls. And it helps when the industry booths have preview stations where you can check out all the cool new stuff hands-on.
Cons: Runs the risk of over commercializing a convention. There’s a fine line between a convention where people come to meet and connect with the same interests. And an industry trade show where professionals meet to network and do business at a fast pace and large scale.
3. Open stage performances! Have an open stage or performance area on the convention floor reserved for attendees/artists who wish to display their talent or act.
Pros: Skits, dance battles, independent artists, anything that involves performing live to anyone and everyone who happens to pass by and see you. Gets anyone who performs immediate exposure and performance experience.
Cons: Space is expensive! The only way for this to really work is if people were actually willing to sign up for blocks of time for their performances. Not many people know what that all requires but as long as there’s a demand from performers then it could be a possible addition to programming if there is space and resources available to make it happen.
So there’s my big three for Oni-Con. If you have a big three (or more!) send your suggestions to b.perez@oni-con.com because Koji isn’t cool enough to have his own Oni-Con e-mail address yet. If you would like to help me get my own Oni-Con e-mail address, then respond to my blogs and facebook posts with “GIVE KOJI AN ONI-E-MAIL!” Shout it out and let your internet voice be heard! Koji needs an oni-e-mail so Bryan can stop getting his mail all the time. It’s only logical! I’m just saying!
/Love Koji
