alabaster

Just out of curiosity, why not? XD Just because I've seen tons of videos with hundreds of people doing it. Because it's filthy and it'll get your costume dirty? Seriously -- thousands of people tramping through the BCC make the floors pretty gross by the end of the day, and that's assuming it's not icky out or nobody has stepped in anything. When you're all gone at the end of the very long day, around 3am, a team of cleaners tackles the cleaning chores and they scrub that carpet every night with this huge beast of a machine. But it gets pretty filthy again very quickly.

I think you def. have the most to do out of us all...otakon will come fast for you. *lol* Oh heck no -- you should see the to-do lists for some of our other staff! People generally have *no* idea how much work is really involved. The toughest part is the sneakers, honestly. I wear a size 15, so shoe shopping for me is walking into a store and saying "what do you have in size 15", and then if they have any at all, seeing if either pair makes me want to poke my eyes out. Then I hand over my money and hope that I haven't misjudged the fit.

- Finalizing last few guests - Firming up schedules - Putting together shopping lists - Arranging remaining flights for guests and interpreters - Keeping tabs on guest questions - Trying to get my house cleaned up - Arranging for cat-sitter - Trying to find another pair of sneakers to wear at con - Dealing with several billing/payment issues Oh yeah I'm also trying to renovate my kitchen.

an interesting mix..... as in: baseball fans, rock concert fans, ship ceremony, and the usual tourists. i wonder what they'll think of the cosplayers I believe the Navy refers to them as "Uniforms".

Just one note -- we refer to attendees as "members" or "attendees". "Guests" refers specifically to invited guests of the convention, or guests provided by industry. Just to keep things clear!

Nope, they're at Expo (right inside) and they're surviving. They'll be at Otakon with plenty of product (good sales) and some pretty good announcements, or so I've been told by the guys who run it. Check Anime News Network's coverage for details.

Hi, best check out with Con Ops if you're doing this on site. There may be some restrictions regarding placement if you're taking photos with lighting other than a flash. And don't forget that there is a Photo Suite that Otakon provides as well up on the floor by the ballrooms, which provides much the same service. Just one quick note -- the Photo Suite moved this year, to the corridor near Karaoke. (300 level, up from the fountains)

Best place to check is the Otakon website -- that's why we have it -- and if you can't find an answer there, try here.

I mentally start at 20%. As long as they competently produce my order and keep my drink topped off (I am a heavy drinker of water), it stays there. It's up to them to lose a tip.

$68 seems high -- like, standard daily rate for that garage high, plus "not divisible by three" high....OTOH, you should see what the parking runs at the Hyatt. When you're parking at a hotel that uses a public-accessible garage, make sure you go through the hotel to get your parking sorted out. In many cases, you get a flat rate with in/out privileges, and you're basically considered pre-paid by the system, so you should be able to find SOME parking place.

Hope the chemo's going well for ya! There is a pretty big treat in store for old school devotees of Japanese cartoons.

Okay, you ARE an otaku. Either you pay WAY too close attention to your kid's hobby, or you are watching DBZ yourself. Welcome! You're our type of mom!

I'm sorry, but this is not something that would be allowed without working directly with our Programming department. If you've been working with Omar, that's one thing, but I'm pretty sure that's not the case. I can assure you that we would quickly move to shut down any impromptu terrace events of the sort you describe. There are so many problems with what you're suggesting, i don't know where to begin, so let's keep it simple: you'd be violating the terms of our convention center contract, which could incur thousands of dollars in penalties. Something like this MUST be don

You couldn't pay me enough to write a name in that book

I drag my mom along to help run the green room, but other than that I fly solo. My whole family goes to Shore Leave, however. I can think of at least four families who all staff Otakon together.

Oh, I'm not one of the co-founders! I'm just a very visible staffer and former Chair. We always take the problems seriously, but there is often little we can do beyond making sure management is aware of our concerns. I always try to print out hotel reservation paperwork (and other travel plans stuff) and stick it in a folder, so it's handy when I need it.

Baltimore Travel Plaza is NOT convenient to the con, at all. I'd recommend BWI area hotels over that, anytime.

I'm calling them this week and will let them know about the problem. They did switch reservation system last year. However, as we repeatedly advise, and as any good travel site will recommend, GET IT IN WRITING. Always, always ask for a reservation number and have them email you a copy if you can.

i've noticed that Viz and tokyo pop don't have exhibits/tables in otakon DRs.... why is that? i know they're west coast companies but so is bandai and they come every year. and i remember Viz and Tokyo pop being in the DR back in 01 and 02 and giving away freebies - but in recently years they haven't come at all. why the change? and i think bandai visual is going to disappear for the simple fact that their DVDs are too darn expensive They folded Bandai Visual USA earlier this year -- they're being absorbed into Bandai USA by the end of the summer. But it probably has less to do w

We've passed along well-wishes from his friends at Otakon. I can assure you that we WILL have some kind of tie-in or cross promotion with any concert Yoshiki does in the US. We were working out details for a ticket giveaway for the NYC concert when Yoshiki got injured, but whenever that concert gets rescheduled, you'll hear something from us. And it looks like there will be something cool at con this year too, though a live appearance isn't in the cards.

Actually, it's VERY rare for Japanese bands to be independent -- most are creations of their label, and they can't hum in public on the subway without permission. (Not that anyone hums on subways in Tokyo anyway.) Yoshiki is one of those rare examples of someone who *isn't* controlled by his label. He was basically out of circulation for a while and the timing was right. We reached out through a mutual friend and the stars somehow aligned -- but don't think for a moment that it's EVER that simple. There have been a few occasions over the past five years where we had a band who w

You'll want to print up a few forms for people to sign, giving you permission to use the clip. I think some places have people simply read it on camera.

Budget $30/day. With luck you'll find something closer to $20. Then you'll have a buffer in case gas goes up another quarter while you're at the con.

It's a pretty safe place to bring your kids -- though of course we very much encourage the whole family to come. The forums and FAQ are filled with tips, such as arranging meeting times, exchanging cel numbers, and having backup plans. The reality is that it is not practical for us to collect and maintain permission slips and proof of age for every kid who shows up -- teens don't need parental permission forms to go to the mall, after all, or to a theme park. I'd say that MOST teens nowadays have a cel phone, or someone in their group does. And there are plenty of responsible, surprisin

What? you think you get time off? This is Guest Relations, boyo! NO TIME OFF! (someone has to help me get these people to go to bed before I fall over at 3am)