Final Thoughts, for the evening

[wolven7]

wacko1138's party was good. Lots of conversations. I'm pretty hungry, now.

I've decided that we keep the D*C name, and simply append the "PAX" to the end, so it becomes "Dragon*Con/PAX-East: A Joint Venture."

Because it would sell twice as many tickets, in Atlanta, as either would, alone, and would help bring in/back some of the bigger names and enthusiasm D*Con's been loosing for years. Try to tell me it wouldn't. But will this happen at all, much less get my name appended to it, for credit? Never.

I swear, some people wouldn't know a good idea if it walked up to them, slathered in peanut butter, and said "Eat Me."

Good night.

Comments

[mendori.livejournal.com]

Penny Arcade Expo.

[wolven.livejournal.com]

Well, they're not a connected thing, yet.

And probably never will be

These are Just talkings and words... :\

[mendori.livejournal.com]

Here's an idea for those squeemish. We put the Dcon stuff where its currently held, and put the PAX stuff in the WCC / CNN center area. Run shuttles between the two all weekend. THEN, expand it out, take the bottom floor of the Americas / Apparel mart complex for a double dealers floor for DCon, PAX uses the exibition level of the WCC.

In a few years, we then rent / buy out the old Macy's building and run the entire building during con as LARPS/Gaming/Etc, have it as headquarters during the rest of the year.

[wolven.livejournal.com]

I think that would work out really well as a gradual introduction. There could even be some kind of discount deal for tickets to both, at first, before the full integration.

[perpetuallysad.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure that I'm really getting what PAX even has to offer. Is Dragon*Con really losing people to it?

[wolven.livejournal.com]

Take a look at the guest list and numbers for PAX, last year, the numbers from Dragon*Con, and the list of Sponsors, from PAX.

Also, the fact that they're the SAME Con, but the level of care and Cronyism are still at the proper balance so as not to make the whole thing impossible for new people to enjoy.

We need a fresh set of eyes and hands at D*C, and we have for the past few years. This is most productive means of achieving this, I can see.

[momentai.livejournal.com]

there is a such thing as something being too big. and there is only so much that effective management can do.

regardless of the level of incompetence in dragon con's executive offices, i think a larger problem with the con is simply the location. there really is no good reason for a celebrity of any caliber to come to atlanta, GA. despite any attempts by the city council and state tourism board to claim otherwise, we are just a "town", not a major city. even if someone is willing concede we are, we would still be a poorly designed and not very interesting small city. on top of that, we are a small, poorly laid out, and boring town in the southeast. the south still has negative connotations to people, and not just the hollywood types. twinned with that connotation is the fact that atlanta is not exactly a hub of pop culture or the entertainment industry.

Famous people, of all genres, just have nothing to gain from going to dragon con except limited interaction with, and pleasing their fans, but i rarely hear of celebrities who actually give a rat's ass about their fans. most seem to be of the george lucas mind in that "i can do whatever i want and you will still give me money b/c i am so and so." and again, that might not be the majority of them, but my main point is atlanta itself.

I am not sure if there is any promotion/management machine skilled enough to make dragon con that important b/c atanta is really not that important, except in certain regards, none of which involve entertainment. So, I agree that it is a good idea, but I don't beleive that any proposal could be viable beyond a longshot at this point.

[wolven.livejournal.com]

I would disagree, and I would point to the Turner Networks empire, which has facilitated the resurrection of two major prime time television franchises, has more Emmy Award winning and nominated actors and directors on its production projects, and has, most importantly, Adult Swim.

Adult Swim is Atlanta, through and through, and the constituency of the actors, artists, writers, and musicians who appear as Guests at both Dragon*Con AND PAX are, for the most part, Rabid fans of the works of Adult Swim.

For that reason, if no other, it's a smart business move for people who work in SF/F/Nerd culture.

[momentai.livejournal.com]

okay some of the people who are sought after to attend sci fi/pop culture conventions are fans of, or have at least heard of adult swim. what else you got?

I'm saying that atlanta is not a major icon in any genre of entertainment, so why exactly would anyone come here? what is here for them as far as tourism, networking or beyond besides def jam or turner? Most top tier people already have steady work or don't want it, so what lure does Turner hold for them?

and I am not saying this definitively, so i am totally open to being wrong. were i an actual journalist/industry commentator, I wouldn't rush out an editorial on how worthless this town is for the expansion of this type of convention, but I would be vocally hesitant about such a move w/o more concrete evidence and planning that such a move would be worthwhile for the backers and guests.

[wolven.livejournal.com]

From the business perspective, it's not about the "steady work" so much as it is about interconnecting sales and marketing spheres. Think of it as two groups that have been standing next to each other at a party, having two separate conversations about the exact same thing, and each one keeps talking about the things they're missing, as the other group talks about having That Very Thing.

Networking opportunities, increased visibility, higher market share, a motivated, if not RABID fan base (Browncoats, anyone?) who will mobilise at your mere mention of needing their input or assistance. These are the things to be gained. And it just so happens that the largest convention of of its type, in the South-East is held in the Exact Same City as the media marketing giant that is Turner, a subsidiary of which caters Directly To This Base.

You would think it would be some kind of perfect storm. You would think that people would take a look at their options and Make themselves a place to be respected by a constantly growing "subculture" that has pretty much Become The Culture of at least half of the current generation. But it's not, for some reason.

Someone has to be the one to get the two groups at that party to talk to each other, and recognize the mutual benefit.