Conventions *are* run by the fans
Anime conventions started out of a combination of fans getting together to watch fansubs and anime related panels at science fiction conventions. They have always been fan run and continue along that path. Sure, some of the big conventions have to answer to sponsors and need a lot of rules and by-laws to keep the peace when they have 20K+ attendees, but most of your local conventions continue to be fan run. Even the big conventions do not pay their staff, convention chairs, or board members (to the best of my knowledge), with the possible exception of a stipend to cover gas, hotel, or food.
So, what this means to you, the average attendee, is that there is a lot you can do to affect how conventions are run. First off, most panels are run by fans who know something and want to teach others, so if you think there is a topic that is lacking, then next year volunteer to lead that panel. Leading a panel usually requires no more commitment than volunteering (or filling out a panel request) to show up at the correct time and have something to say.
The other more direct ways to affect a conventions, besides leaving feedback on websites and with staff, is to participate at the convention as a staff member or volunteer. Most conventions are set up with a hierarchy that runs along the lines of: Convention Chair -> Department Heads -> Staff Members -> Volunteers. All of these people are crucial to making the weekend enjoyable and run smoothly. Now, volunteers often only participate during the actual weekend (though local ones may be asked to help stuff bags, assemble name tags, etc. before the convention) and they are the ones checking badges, handing out water bottles, etc. They are the grunt labor that frees up staff members to take care of bigger problems and to make sure that everything else is running smoothly. Most conventions allow you to sign up as a volunteer on-site without a prior commitment. If you have a few hours to kill, it’s a great way to do some good and meet new people.
Art by Nightambre
Volunteers for everything from badge checking to guest wrangling are needed to make sure a convention runs smoothly.
Staff members have a higher level of commitment usually. They tend to work most of the weekend and are in charge of individual areas or tasks, often working under a department head. Working as staff will get you a lot more exposure to the inner workings of an anime convention, as well as allow you to network. Typically, staff need to attend meetings occasionally (every few months to once a month) in the city that the convention will be held. Still, if you want to work as staff and know you can’t make most of the meetings, you can talk to the department head that you want to work for and see what can be worked out. Some jobs don’t require a lot of prep ahead of the convention, but need lots of knowledgeable helping hands at the event itself.
Age is always a concern with these kinds of things, and you’ll have to check with the convention itself for their policies. Some allow volunteers as young as 13, whereas others don’t let you until you are 18. Staff ages vary as well, and some conventions don’t mind kids volunteering with their parents. If you can’t volunteer yet, just remember, it’s not because they think you’re too immature or don’t want you to volunteer, it’s almost always an issue of liability risks.
How does being staff/volunteer help change the way a convention is run? Because it’s the staff and volunteers who are running it. If you’ve gone to the same convention for a few years, you might notice a major difference between two years in how an event is run. Each department head that comes in depends on their staff to help them make decision and give them feedback on what works. Staff are needed before the event to generate ideas and strategies to help it run smoothly. Just being a volunteer or staff member also puts you in touch with the people who make the upper level decisions and they depend on you to be their eyes and ears at the event. The head of cosplay may be stuck in the back room making sure that everyone lines up correctly, therefore they might never see for themselves that people in the back row couldn’t hear or see very well with this year’s set up.
So remember, conventions are run to give anime fans a fun place to hang out, learn, and meet guests at. But, it does cost them a lot of money. It can cost just 10K alone for the hotel, 20K for a convention center, money that quickly adds up. As I said before, the people running these conventions are not making money any profit for themselves, they are running it because they are fans too. Keep in mind the costs when making a suggestion to a convention. Very few can afford to bring over Japanese guests, so don’t be surprised when they ignore your request for that. On the other hand, you might be able to suggest some great low cost event that they can run or help them find a way to ask a more unusual guest to attend. The more details you can give with your request, the more plausible it becomes for them to fulfill it.
I’m also going to address a few common complaints now: space, noise, and food. These three things are most often the biggest problem (or at least most noticeable) at a convention. Unfortunately, due to extremely complicated contracts, they’re also issues that the staff has the least control over. Every space being used costs the convention money, and there’s no perfect set up plan. It seems like no matter how hard the convention tries, there is always something wrong with the placement of events. Maybe the video rooms have crummy soundproofing or the artists alley is off in an undisclosed location, and if you point these things out to staff members, you may get grumbled responses or excuses on how it’s not their fault. Chances are, by the end of the convention they’re very tired of hearing this complaint. A good convention staffer probably figured out the problem half an hour after opening ceremony, but there just wasn’t anything they could do.
Food is another issue that gets hotly debated with the hosting location. Most contracts prevent the convention from selling refreshments, and any food will be provided through the hotel/convention center. So food is going to vastly depend on the location. I’ve seen some conventions work out great buffets and others where the best they could do is the give attendees maps to local restaurants. You might think conventions have great bargaining tools, but they don’t. Most cities only have one or two venues that can support an anime convention (due to the number of smaller rooms a convention needs available for a multitude of programming), and hotels don’t really care about hosting conventions. A hotel would much rather have a wedding on Saturday and Sunday than a convention, because a wedding involves catering, which is where the hotel makes a good portion of their money.
And one last note: The way to change your local conventions is *not* to start your own. Most of the country is oversaturated with conventions and starting your own is not the answer in most cases. If you do study the situation and still think that your convention is the answer, then you need to staff at at least five different conventions, preferably one for multiple years and then a few different ones, so that you get a full taste of what it entails to run a convention. I’ve helped start one that is going into its fourth year now, and the two years that I staffed/ran/lived it consisted of a lot of conversations with the two other people in charge that went along the lines of “I slept 5 hours last week.” “Okay, you won, I got seven hours.” Trust me, it takes a lot of money, time, energy, and sanity to start your own.
If you are looking for a local anime event, try having some kind of one day festival. If you have an active anime club, that is the perfect place to get volunteers. This is also a great way to make local businesses aware of the anime related interests in town. If you're still considering starting up a local convention, a one day event can also help you test local interest and build up some starting capital. Thats how my convention got started and thats how we kept out of the red.
