Went to an anime convention last month and the panel rooms were a complete mess

I hit up Anime Expo in LA last month and the panel rooms were honestly a disaster. They had people lined up for 2 hours for a popular show discussion and the room barely held 100 seats. I ended up missing the whole thing because the volunteers had no clue how to manage the overflow. Has anyone else dealt with overcrowded panels at big cons or is it just me?

3 comments

3 Comments

shanec6115d ago

Came across the same problem at a smaller con last fall. They had a room for a classic mecha panel that only sat about 60 people and the line wrapped around the entire convention floor. I waited 45 minutes only to be told the room was full and they weren't doing a second showing. The volunteers were just standing around looking lost while people got pretty frustrated. It really takes the fun out of the experience when you plan your whole day around a panel and can't even get in.

wren23015d ago

AX 2023 had 2,000 people for a 300-seat room, and volunteers handled it fine.

ruby65915d ago

oh man, I feel your pain on this one. my tip is to always check if the con has a priority ticket or early entry system for big panels, some of them let you grab a spot online before you even show up. also, I've started bringing a foldable camping chair and just staking out the room an hour early, that way even if the volunteers are clueless I'm already in line before the chaos starts. it's not perfect but it saved my skin at a crowded retro gaming panel last year where the room only fit 80 people.