I think I have a pretty good reason as to why I’ve never set up a report for this convention, and for events following that. To begin with, the overall performance of this convention was very lackluster, and the biggest reasons being the relocation to a much-too-luxurious venue and for not having a very impressive lineup. I have no disrespect for the guests that agreed to partake in the event, but it was telling that it wasn’t the most spectacular even with the impressive venue in tow…
Without further ado, here is a brief report below the cut.
Prior to the convention, there was a new policy that bothered a lot of artists. I’ve tweeted it here, even:
These are the new incredibly 50-50 policy enacted to artists participating at @AnimeCalifornia‘s artist alley… pic.twitter.com/0HI9a8ESzd
— Kari Avalon (@evatrice) August 15, 2016
It was repealed in the end, but it very likely left a mark on how the newer convention performed since.
I tabled with the ever lovely friend lemishie!! She I had the corner table of A147, and due to the number of products in hand, I took up the corner.
The event was held from September 2 to 4, 2016 at the Long Beach Convention Center, Long Beach, CA. I recall bemoaning about having to pay the hefty parking fees, but I had little choice in that regard.
From what I could recall, the event itself was sadly very uneventful… and boring. I remember spending a good deal of time creating a rather pretty watercolor artwork for myself and made occasional treks outdoors.
Up till that point, I virtually had no memory of visiting Long Beach, so I think it is safe to claim that it was my first time laying eyes on present-day Long Beach. I tried making use of the spots of wi-fi to play Pokemon Go, haha.
On the last day, I had poke for the first time. It was soo good!
In conclusion, I performed rather poorly. I do not think I broke even either. Day 1’s sales legit was the worse day I’ve ever performed in my history of tabling at the convention, and it was definitely demoralizing. To my understanding, the convention overall did not perform well enough, and no longer sought to run again the following year.