San Japan 5: August 10th-12th, 2012 @ HBG Convention Center

[Kuri]

hrmmm so this means more panel slots maybe?....

It will probably be around the same number of panel slots next year, but more the years after.

[comter]

Not sure if anyone in charge will actually read this but I am hoping to offer some helpful suggestions to make registration logistics run more smoothly. You put on a great convention and I would like to have a discussion about ways to decrease your registration headaches and logisitical issues- some might work others maybe not - I coordinate education conferences for a living. I was an observer and mom for a group of 7 girls this year for thier first year attending - It was wonderfull! I would like to help make improvements. Any suggestions on how to procede. (not selling anything just ideas and thoughts)

Comter is always up for suggestions. You can e-mail him, registration@san-japan.org or software@reg-it.org

Indeed. Do get in touch with me, either using the emails above or sending me a Private Message on these forums works as well. It's very possible that I even remember you (cause I do recall a group or two made up of girls where this was their first year and they had a Mom chaperone or two).

-the purring dork

[Proz]

It will probably be around the same number of panel slots next year, but more the years after.

We will see for 2013.

[lattin12]

Sweet Mach 5 ^^... Anywho, when can we start submittin for panels for SJ5?

[pyramidheadgirl]

Will the rave be at the hotel?

[Proz]

Sweet Mach 5 ^^... Anywho, when can we start submittin for panels for SJ5?

Panel submissions will be in November or December.

Will the rave be at the hotel?

Yes.

[pyramidheadgirl]

Yes.

Yay so happy now

[Nova]

I looked up the Hyatt layout and I can't wait for San Japan to be big enough for use to use both the second and fourth floor. San Japan certainly has a lot of room to grow for some time between the two floors at the Hyatt and the H.B Convention Center!

[sergiorex12]

I was looking at it too. Are we getting the full center or will we be blocked off from some areas?

[Proz]

I was looking at it too. Are we getting the full center or will we be blocked off from some areas?

We're only getting a small section of the Conv. Center because it would be far, far too expensive to rent it all out plus it would be far too much space. When we're at 12k-15k, we'll only need a bit more than half the conv. center.

[kite]

how come the convention cant be just in the hyatt like it was in the marriot?

[Proz]

how come the convention cant be just in the hyatt like it was in the marriot?

1) Too small.

Let me put it in numbers.

The Marriott has about 60k sq feet in function space (technical term for all the meeting rooms used at a hotel, ie Panel Rooms, Dealer Room, etc). The Hyatt has around 75k sq feet, spread over 3 floors, most of it on the 2nd & 4th floor. In order for SJ to run well at its current size, we need at least 120k sq feet to 200k sq feet to handle the anticipated attendance. Otherwise, everything is going to be the same prob we had at SJ4 with being very cramp and all rooms filled up.

2) Timing.

The weekend of SJ has usually fallen on is the same time the Cowboys are in town who take up about half of the Hyatt. There is no weekend in August that lets us take over the hotel like we did at the Marriott unless we wanted to put SJ to be getting dangerously close to when school starts which would be devastating. It is the same for every weekend in July too but many did not like it when we picked early July for SJ3 so we want to stick with late July or early August.

3) Growth

We've gotten too big to hold the convention in a hotel. We need to move into a place that allows us to grow and the HBG is perfect for us. We will be able to have a much larger dealer room, Artist Alley, Main Events, etc. over time.


--

If we stayed in just the Hyatt or Marriott, we would be forced to do the following:

-Cap Attendance, forcing everyone to pre-register and turn away anyone who shows up to register.
-Cap the Dealer Room size
-All panel rooms would be tiny
-Not enough revenue coming in to get in any big guests

[happygoldfish]

So it sounds like we'll be able to stay at the Hyatt/HBG for a few San Japans then? What on earth do you do if we get bigger, lol?

[kite]

1) Too small.

Let me put it in numbers.

The Marriott has about 60k sq feet in function space (technical term for all the meeting rooms used at a hotel, ie Panel Rooms, Dealer Room, etc). The Hyatt has around 75k sq feet, spread over 3 floors, most of it on the 2nd & 4th floor. In order for SJ to run well at its current size, we need at least 120k sq feet to 200k sq feet to handle the anticipated attendance. Otherwise, everything is going to be the same prob we had at SJ4 with being very cramp and all rooms filled up.

2) Timing.

The weekend of SJ has usually fallen on is the same time the Cowboys are in town who take up about half of the Hyatt. There is no weekend in August that lets us take over the hotel like we did at the Marriott unless we wanted to put SJ to be getting dangerously close to when school starts which would be devastating. It is the same for every weekend in July too but many did not like it when we picked early July for SJ3 so we want to stick with late July or early August.

3) Growth

We've gotten too big to hold the convention in a hotel. We need to move into a place that allows us to grow and the HBG is perfect for us. We will be able to have a much larger dealer room, Artist Alley, Main Events, etc. over time.


--

If we stayed in just the Hyatt or Marriott, we would be forced to do the following:

-Cap Attendance, forcing everyone to pre-register and turn away anyone who shows up to register.
-Cap the Dealer Room size
-All panel rooms would be tiny
-Not enough revenue coming in to get in any big guests

i understand, thank you for the reply

[sergiorex12]

So it sounds like we'll be able to stay at the Hyatt/HBG for a few San Japans then? What on earth do you do if we get bigger, lol?

Well since were not getting the whole thing if it grows a lot then there will most likely be money for more of the center then we get even more people.

[Proz]

Well since were not getting the whole thing if it grows a lot then there will most likely be money for more of the center then we get even more people.

SJ will have to be 30k or higher before we need to start looking at other options (likely add more hotels in the area).

[KittyAnne7152]

SJ will have to be 30k or higher before we need to start looking at other options (likely add more hotels in the area).

So once we're as big as Otakon.
Hell yeah, we can do this. XD

[Proz]

So once we're as big as Otakon.
Hell yeah, we can do this. XD

Our timeline years down the road, about 3-4 years, if we keep up the numbers, is to designate one of the exhibit halls into a dealer room (not gonna suddenly blow it up) and constantly expand the dealers room over time to match the numbers. We try to keep it at 1:100 in dealer booths to attendees, which is a reason why we haven't blown up the dealer's room in size. Don't expect a huge dealers room for SJ5 as it'll come over time.

Even when A-kon moves to the new hotel in 2013, they wouldn't be able to match the room we're looking at. The smallest exhibit hall is 77k, the largest is 125k. The largest room A-kon will have in the hotel is 75k, the next biggest is 45k. Unsure which they'll pick for main events or dealers room.

[YoSoyJaponesa~]

Our timeline years down the road, about 3-4 years, if we keep up the numbers, is to designate one of the exhibit halls into a dealer room (not gonna suddenly blow it up) and constantly expand the dealers room over time to match the numbers. We try to keep it at 1:100 in dealer booths to attendees, which is a reason why we haven't blown up the dealer's room in size. Don't expect a huge dealers room for SJ5 as it'll come over time.

Even when A-kon moves to the new hotel in 2013, they wouldn't be able to match the room we're looking at. The smallest exhibit hall is 77k, the largest is 125k. The largest room A-kon will have in the hotel is 75k, the next biggest is 45k. Unsure which they'll pick for main events or dealers room.

THIS. I like. ^^

[AnimeJunkie]

♥ the new location(s). Now more than ever I wish August would hurry up and get here. ^.^