University of British Columbia Saves AE

After ten days of frantic rushing and last-minute efforts after a venue loss and indefinite postponement, Vancouver convention Anime Evolution is back on track with a new venue at the University of British Columbia.

Last night at approximately 7:15pm, Convention Secretary Katina Stachura made this official announcement:

Aug 22 – 24 Anime Evolution will be happening!!

On behalf of the Executive Team, I am pleased to announce, that we will be having Anime Evolution 2008, at UBC. Yes, the secret venue has been revealed. I have been in negotiations with UBC since July 13 and they are very excited to be hosting our convention for the first time and they are looking forward to welcoming everyone in August.

We have the contracts in place and all that remains is to finalize set up and equipment needs. I want to thank you all, especially those that offered great information and suggestions regarding UBC.

The Website will be updated tomorrow with Accommodation information and directions on how to get to UBC. Space is limited for accommodations on campus at UBC however the updated website will have a list of alternative accommodations

And yes, you can get to UBC by transit.

We will not be able to provide free parking at UBC. However we will update our website with details on UBC parking costs and location.

We appreciate everyone’s patience as we work out the details for Anime Evolution 2008 at UBC.

We are looking forward to seeing you all there.

Katina Stachura
Convention Secretary
Anime Evolution 2008
July 24, 2008

Needless to say, the local congoers are extremely relieved since it will all still be taking place on the same dates. Most, anyway, as there are some who simply can't cope with the change in venue regardless.

This was a long, stressful process for everyone involved, but convention executives, staff, and forum members all. No doubt once the convention is all over, there is going to be a long, hard evaluation of convention policies and processes to ensure this never happens again. Many people are still very upset with execs and how they handled things, and many are seeing a long road ahead for future planning.

In the meantime, however, Anime Evolution has a home for the year and west coast otaku have a convention.

End