Nekocon 2015 - The Year Where Everybody Knows Your Name
(Late con report is not that late now is super late)
Its that non-descript time of year again where I write my home-con report much, much too late.
Anyway, let's just get to it:
Thursday (11/5/15)
The day started with school. It was raining and I was still recovering from a particularly rough bout of sinusitis. Due to this I actually, literally, didn't go to any of my classes that week; that's hurt, but what can you do when it's con time? I was mostly at school to attend meetings with professors, to turn things in, meet with friends before the con, and, more importantly, because school was on the way to Hampton.
Eventually my con weekend "started" in the midday after lunch. I finally made it to the convention center around 2pm after a Walmart mishap and was instructed that the Con-Ops offices would be on the 2nd floor this year. Joy.
Once I arrived to the room, surprise, surprise, it was empty. None of my higher-ups were there and they would not be there until later that evening. Fun times. I ended up having the room to myself for the rest of the afternoon, which I used to finish some cosplay-related sewing, help with set-up, and just general milling about--enjoying the convention center while it was a dead zone (because that wouldn't last long).
I was able to hook up a friend of my friend's podcast crew ( TheBackroomCrew) with a broadcast space by lucking out when it came to talking to my boss' boss' boss. Ah the chain of command and how non-existent it is at cons… They were very grateful too me, even though it didn't feel like I did much. They even interviewed me on Friday morning, it was sweet and they were cool guys.
This was certainly a different year for me now that I think about it. I didn't keep to myself as much and I did my best to reach out and talk to people. It was especially easier since we weren't swamped with work. Oh right, Con-Ops didn't have staff check-in this year? Crazy huh? So what did we do all weekend? Well, other than absolutely nothing, we still had the lost and found; and we were basically a crash room of sorts. Yeah, it ended up being a pretty chill year.
So yeah, I talked to more staff members this year. That was exciting. What was even more exciting was when someone stopped by the room later looking for 'Louise'. It turns out they weren't looking for me, but to ask for my name and be directed to the ConOps room, such an honor! It's always the little things that get me ^.^
Registration was hectic once more and more people started arriving; but that was expected. Plus, things went much, much smoothly this year compared to the "line-con" of last year. Badges were plastic cards instead of paper in sleeves this year. I'm sure this is the exciting commentary my report needs right?
I saw Ashley and Daryl later in the evening. It's probably sad that one of my highlights this day was just walking around with the bestie and stressing more probably more than I needed to (as usual). We also saw our old Chibi Otaku club members and they marveled at how they didn't see us together for once. Huh. Things have really changed. Speaking of which, I also wandered around to other departments and actually mingled with other staff members. My social skills are somehow improving!
Anyway, since Reg were making con-goers the priority this night, I had to wait until past 10pm for my badge. Since I was not all about that life, I just told my dept. head that I would pick it up in the morning and I was off for the night.
Friday (11/6/15)
Fortunately, yukimayari and max300frk were willing to drive me back and forth from the con for the rest of the weekend. That was a generosity that I desperately ended up needing because, despite this being the most chill year for my department, I ended up running myself more ragged than previous con years. Chalk that up to actual panels I wanted to attend, cosplay photo shoots, and the like.
Sticking to my usual staff schedule, I had to work the dead morning shift. Once I arrived on-site, I went to pick up my badge (ironically, almost forgetting my ID, not like I've had to check-in staff for 3 years in a row or anything =.=), and holed myself up on the second floor for the majority of the morning. For awhile I ended up being left completely in-charge of Con-Ops, despite the fact that I'm nowhere near being dept. head or assit. dept. head; go figure. Had to rush to learn how to use the radios, fun times.
I mostly find it funny that, for our department having next-to-nothing to do other than running lost and found, I found myself doing more staff tasks. I took initiative to write down radio codes, update department locations, work "transport," and just a bunch of other tasks just for the heck of it. I dunno why I tend to do this to myself, I'm just an over-worker by nature I guess (when I enjoy the environment that is).
There were a lot of changes made this year, as you might have already guessed. The HRCC allowed us to use the 2nd floor, so, for some *strange* reason, most of the staff departments were relocated to the rooms that most con goers would never see. :/ This was further highlighted by the fact that we had security AMS guarding the hallway, only letting staff pass. Speaking of AMS, that department had a major change as well. Since we were given full reign of the convention center, we just assigned staff to the convention center entrances instead of the panel rooms. Ehhh, I'm still not the biggest fan of this idea, but whatever.
(look I'm in a thing)
I spent most of Friday working. Took a break midday to get lunch, check Artist Alley, check a panel run by friends from school anime club, and then check dealer's room. I was gone for about 3 hours; oops. Boss didn't seem to mind, but the asst. dept. head seemed annoyed. She was bugging me all weekend: Getting all mad when I would go in and out of the ConOps room actually letting myself enjoy the con, even though we *literally* had no work whatsoever. She was also super hypocritical towards me, getting mad when my friends came by the room for the shortest of moments (usually just to drop something off or pick something up), but she'd invite whoever and they'd go behind the table (which only staff were allowed to do) and just stay in the room for hours. Plus I did more work than her while she did nothing but complain. What's even sadder was that she was like 70 or something, I guess it's too much to expect maturity at cons, even from your elders :/
Apparently, the concert this year got cancelled due to drama. Something about the performer being a real diva and violating contract. It wouldn't be an anime convention without sudden changes to the schedule (we had an app this year! http://sched.nekocon.com/).
I was able to attend the DanganRonpa photoshoot, that was fun (I was cosplaying Peko Pekoyama this year); then I stayed on shift until the Undertale photoshoot. I didn't have an Undertale cosplay (I tried to make a Toriel one last minute, but I caught sinusitis that week so I couldn't get anything resembling materials), but I had fun anyway, as well as getting a lot of great pictures! Yet again I returned to my shift (8am to 10pm, can you blame me for taking a 3 hour break?); I just chilled in the ConOps room for the rest of the night, being too tired to will myself to go to any other events (missed karaoke, probably for the better), and then left once my friends were ready to head out. I was already mad exhausted, but I was able to get a full night of sleep before having to get up crazy early for the next day.
Saturday (11/7/15)
We set out early again, complete with cosplay box, full bookbag, and warm cup of tea. I was more excited for Saturday since it had actual panels that I wanted to attend. One was being hosted by my friend and the other was being held by one of my professors (I know right?). The panels were: "You Meet in a Tavern: Tabletop RPGs and Narrative" and "Swords, Sorcery, and Steam: the Industrial Dark Ages in Contemporary Medievalism," I got to ask question and sit back and listen, great great times (even though I had to go on another 3 hour break).
I was also tempted to ask my professor at the end of his panel what I missed on class on Tuesday due to the above mentioned sinusitis, haha. I didn't though, mostly for the fact that the crowd was genuinely interested in his topic and wanted to learn more and more. Things like that truly warm my heart. ^///^ Maybe I'm too much of a softee. >->
Went back on shift for an hour before having to go to another DanganRonpa photoshoot; fortunately more people were able to attend this one. Ashley was finally able to meet me after having to arrive late due to getting there only for her and Daryl having to head back due to leaving their badges at home. The worst. Speaking of which, we actually had a policy for lost badges this year, replacements and everything; let's cross our fingers that this will be a tradition that will stick.
On the topic of badges, one of the never-failing-to-be-exciting lost and found stories for this year was that someone lost their bank card, eventually cancelled it, but not before someone else found it and used it to buy a CON BADGE. You know, something that requires your contact information, address and all that? Yeah. Genius. Ahh, the stupidity of people truly comes out during conventions. Great fun.
Unfortunately, after that, nothing much happened for the rest of the con. My asst. dept. head continued to be annoying, getting hypocritically mad at Ashley (me letting her in the room for 5 minutes while she parties with her cabal for hours on end) and bothering people who came looking for their things: pushing on their anxieties or deliberately withholding their things. I honestly wanted to smack her. My patience and usual ability to let things go and being passively submissive are traits that are gone from me during con-time. =^=
I mostly played with my Weiss Schwarz cards (I bought the Log Horizon trial deck at the con and pulled THE SIGNED CARD! :O ) for the rest of the night until I could leave. After saying my peace to the fellow staff members that somehow remembered me, I left with my friends for dinner at Steak-n-Shake, and went home.
And so goes Nekocon 2015. It was a more passive year comparatively to the previous years, but that was cool with me. Friends did beg me to take a break from staffing in the future, and it is an option I am greatly considering; the only thing holding me back really is that I'm now known among staff members. Mmm… I mean, I took to staffing because I had tons of downtime at cons and it both gave me something to do as well as a free badge. However, I seem to be more apt to doing and participating in things, plus I have a job now so I can afford the badge. Of course, company is also an issue; hanging out at a con alone is kinda a blah outlook. >o<
Oh well, we'll just have to see how Neko 2016 will go. It's almost May and I still haven't heard any Neko staff news, so I'm just going to have to play it by ear this year.
Its that non-descript time of year again where I write my home-con report much, much too late.
Anyway, let's just get to it:
Thursday (11/5/15)
The day started with school. It was raining and I was still recovering from a particularly rough bout of sinusitis. Due to this I actually, literally, didn't go to any of my classes that week; that's hurt, but what can you do when it's con time? I was mostly at school to attend meetings with professors, to turn things in, meet with friends before the con, and, more importantly, because school was on the way to Hampton.
Eventually my con weekend "started" in the midday after lunch. I finally made it to the convention center around 2pm after a Walmart mishap and was instructed that the Con-Ops offices would be on the 2nd floor this year. Joy.
Once I arrived to the room, surprise, surprise, it was empty. None of my higher-ups were there and they would not be there until later that evening. Fun times. I ended up having the room to myself for the rest of the afternoon, which I used to finish some cosplay-related sewing, help with set-up, and just general milling about--enjoying the convention center while it was a dead zone (because that wouldn't last long).
I was able to hook up a friend of my friend's podcast crew ( TheBackroomCrew) with a broadcast space by lucking out when it came to talking to my boss' boss' boss. Ah the chain of command and how non-existent it is at cons… They were very grateful too me, even though it didn't feel like I did much. They even interviewed me on Friday morning, it was sweet and they were cool guys.
This was certainly a different year for me now that I think about it. I didn't keep to myself as much and I did my best to reach out and talk to people. It was especially easier since we weren't swamped with work. Oh right, Con-Ops didn't have staff check-in this year? Crazy huh? So what did we do all weekend? Well, other than absolutely nothing, we still had the lost and found; and we were basically a crash room of sorts. Yeah, it ended up being a pretty chill year.
So yeah, I talked to more staff members this year. That was exciting. What was even more exciting was when someone stopped by the room later looking for 'Louise'. It turns out they weren't looking for me, but to ask for my name and be directed to the ConOps room, such an honor! It's always the little things that get me ^.^
Registration was hectic once more and more people started arriving; but that was expected. Plus, things went much, much smoothly this year compared to the "line-con" of last year. Badges were plastic cards instead of paper in sleeves this year. I'm sure this is the exciting commentary my report needs right?
I saw Ashley and Daryl later in the evening. It's probably sad that one of my highlights this day was just walking around with the bestie and stressing more probably more than I needed to (as usual). We also saw our old Chibi Otaku club members and they marveled at how they didn't see us together for once. Huh. Things have really changed. Speaking of which, I also wandered around to other departments and actually mingled with other staff members. My social skills are somehow improving!
Anyway, since Reg were making con-goers the priority this night, I had to wait until past 10pm for my badge. Since I was not all about that life, I just told my dept. head that I would pick it up in the morning and I was off for the night.
Friday (11/6/15)
Fortunately, yukimayari and max300frk were willing to drive me back and forth from the con for the rest of the weekend. That was a generosity that I desperately ended up needing because, despite this being the most chill year for my department, I ended up running myself more ragged than previous con years. Chalk that up to actual panels I wanted to attend, cosplay photo shoots, and the like.
Sticking to my usual staff schedule, I had to work the dead morning shift. Once I arrived on-site, I went to pick up my badge (ironically, almost forgetting my ID, not like I've had to check-in staff for 3 years in a row or anything =.=), and holed myself up on the second floor for the majority of the morning. For awhile I ended up being left completely in-charge of Con-Ops, despite the fact that I'm nowhere near being dept. head or assit. dept. head; go figure. Had to rush to learn how to use the radios, fun times.
I mostly find it funny that, for our department having next-to-nothing to do other than running lost and found, I found myself doing more staff tasks. I took initiative to write down radio codes, update department locations, work "transport," and just a bunch of other tasks just for the heck of it. I dunno why I tend to do this to myself, I'm just an over-worker by nature I guess (when I enjoy the environment that is).
There were a lot of changes made this year, as you might have already guessed. The HRCC allowed us to use the 2nd floor, so, for some *strange* reason, most of the staff departments were relocated to the rooms that most con goers would never see. :/ This was further highlighted by the fact that we had security AMS guarding the hallway, only letting staff pass. Speaking of AMS, that department had a major change as well. Since we were given full reign of the convention center, we just assigned staff to the convention center entrances instead of the panel rooms. Ehhh, I'm still not the biggest fan of this idea, but whatever.
Click to view(look I'm in a thing)
I spent most of Friday working. Took a break midday to get lunch, check Artist Alley, check a panel run by friends from school anime club, and then check dealer's room. I was gone for about 3 hours; oops. Boss didn't seem to mind, but the asst. dept. head seemed annoyed. She was bugging me all weekend: Getting all mad when I would go in and out of the ConOps room actually letting myself enjoy the con, even though we *literally* had no work whatsoever. She was also super hypocritical towards me, getting mad when my friends came by the room for the shortest of moments (usually just to drop something off or pick something up), but she'd invite whoever and they'd go behind the table (which only staff were allowed to do) and just stay in the room for hours. Plus I did more work than her while she did nothing but complain. What's even sadder was that she was like 70 or something, I guess it's too much to expect maturity at cons, even from your elders :/
Apparently, the concert this year got cancelled due to drama. Something about the performer being a real diva and violating contract. It wouldn't be an anime convention without sudden changes to the schedule (we had an app this year! http://sched.nekocon.com/).
I was able to attend the DanganRonpa photoshoot, that was fun (I was cosplaying Peko Pekoyama this year); then I stayed on shift until the Undertale photoshoot. I didn't have an Undertale cosplay (I tried to make a Toriel one last minute, but I caught sinusitis that week so I couldn't get anything resembling materials), but I had fun anyway, as well as getting a lot of great pictures! Yet again I returned to my shift (8am to 10pm, can you blame me for taking a 3 hour break?); I just chilled in the ConOps room for the rest of the night, being too tired to will myself to go to any other events (missed karaoke, probably for the better), and then left once my friends were ready to head out. I was already mad exhausted, but I was able to get a full night of sleep before having to get up crazy early for the next day.
Saturday (11/7/15)
We set out early again, complete with cosplay box, full bookbag, and warm cup of tea. I was more excited for Saturday since it had actual panels that I wanted to attend. One was being hosted by my friend and the other was being held by one of my professors (I know right?). The panels were: "You Meet in a Tavern: Tabletop RPGs and Narrative" and "Swords, Sorcery, and Steam: the Industrial Dark Ages in Contemporary Medievalism," I got to ask question and sit back and listen, great great times (even though I had to go on another 3 hour break).
I was also tempted to ask my professor at the end of his panel what I missed on class on Tuesday due to the above mentioned sinusitis, haha. I didn't though, mostly for the fact that the crowd was genuinely interested in his topic and wanted to learn more and more. Things like that truly warm my heart. ^///^ Maybe I'm too much of a softee. >->
Went back on shift for an hour before having to go to another DanganRonpa photoshoot; fortunately more people were able to attend this one. Ashley was finally able to meet me after having to arrive late due to getting there only for her and Daryl having to head back due to leaving their badges at home. The worst. Speaking of which, we actually had a policy for lost badges this year, replacements and everything; let's cross our fingers that this will be a tradition that will stick.
On the topic of badges, one of the never-failing-to-be-exciting lost and found stories for this year was that someone lost their bank card, eventually cancelled it, but not before someone else found it and used it to buy a CON BADGE. You know, something that requires your contact information, address and all that? Yeah. Genius. Ahh, the stupidity of people truly comes out during conventions. Great fun.
Unfortunately, after that, nothing much happened for the rest of the con. My asst. dept. head continued to be annoying, getting hypocritically mad at Ashley (me letting her in the room for 5 minutes while she parties with her cabal for hours on end) and bothering people who came looking for their things: pushing on their anxieties or deliberately withholding their things. I honestly wanted to smack her. My patience and usual ability to let things go and being passively submissive are traits that are gone from me during con-time. =^=
I mostly played with my Weiss Schwarz cards (I bought the Log Horizon trial deck at the con and pulled THE SIGNED CARD! :O ) for the rest of the night until I could leave. After saying my peace to the fellow staff members that somehow remembered me, I left with my friends for dinner at Steak-n-Shake, and went home.
And so goes Nekocon 2015. It was a more passive year comparatively to the previous years, but that was cool with me. Friends did beg me to take a break from staffing in the future, and it is an option I am greatly considering; the only thing holding me back really is that I'm now known among staff members. Mmm… I mean, I took to staffing because I had tons of downtime at cons and it both gave me something to do as well as a free badge. However, I seem to be more apt to doing and participating in things, plus I have a job now so I can afford the badge. Of course, company is also an issue; hanging out at a con alone is kinda a blah outlook. >o<
Oh well, we'll just have to see how Neko 2016 will go. It's almost May and I still haven't heard any Neko staff news, so I'm just going to have to play it by ear this year.