C2E2 -- did anyone else go? (and what did you think about it).

[bert]

I attended for my first time and had very conflicting feelings.

I stayed at the Hyatt on-site (so I didn't have to mess with the Shuttles), and I very much enjoyed meeting up with my friends who were exhibiting there (Tom Stillwell, Brian Crowley, and Gail/Scott, of course).

It was very convenient for bringing the TONS (25 in all) of (mostly Marvel) Hardcovers that I picked up for $5 each, back to the room so I didn't have to haul them around all day. Even if I had no way to get the dang things home . . . luckily Tom was willing to mail the ones that made my bags too heavy to me.

but the hotel *wasn't* convenient for getting to Downtown Chicago. . .I didn't realize just how off by itself it is!

As to the con?

I thought the Dealer's room was phenomenal (tho I think it was poor planning to put the Marvel Booth so close to the entrance, as it caused traffic jams thruout the con, every time they had a signing or stage presentation).

But still. . nice, wide aisles, a great section in the middle (called "the block") for non-comics specific retailers -- I bought some signed record albums, and some great art prints in this area.

I also absolutely loved the HUGE -- bigger than I have ever seen -- artist's alley, that was an amazing mix of well known pros and indie creators all mixed together side by side. It was incredible to see someone selling RuPaul's Drag Race Prints (Chad Sell) sitting next to folks like Mark Waid, Gail, Nicola Scott, Adam Hughes, etc.


I did *not* like the "panel" portion of C2E2 -- thought it was very crowded and for the size of the crowds? The Panels were organized TERRIBLE, and absolutely something they need to fix before I'd consider coming back for that.

seriously, I only got into ONE panel the whole con (Gail's) and that's because I basically bullied my way in.

Wasn't even CLOSE to getting into the Saturday Night cosplay panel, despite arriving very early. They turned away literally THOUSANDS of folks (lined up all the way down the hall).

Really.

the *only* programming on Saturday evening, and not only could 9/10ths of the crowd not get into the room? They had no overflow or viewing rooms to watch the Cosplay contest from any other place.

and I found this to be true of several of the panels I was interested in (full rooms).

disappointing.


if I were to go back? I'd come just for the Dealer's room, and to visit those folks I know in Chicago:

Really just need 1 day for the show (dealer’s floor), and then go sight-see in Chicago (which is what I did on Sunday instead of even bothering with the Con).


Again, I thought the Dealer's room was among the best I've ever seen (way better than Dragon*con's, or SDCC). And the main hallways and Fan Village were nice too. But the disorganization in the panels killed it for me.

the CBR Bar was a nice attempt, but as I was by myself the layout was terribly non-conductive to meet folks you didn't already know (majority of the bar was tables to serve food, with "open seating" across the hallway, but no waitresses that I could ever find). I think this was purely the Hyatt that did that, not CBR, and I did stick my head in a couple of times thruout the weekend, but never really had conversations with folks I hadn't already met earlier in the day.

What did others think of the con?

I can Highly recommend sightseeing tho. . . Chicago has some amazing Museums, and I had a blast doing those the day before, Sunday, and day after C2E2

[Deathstroke]

Thanks for the con report bert!

[bert]

I thought CBR had a huge presence at C2E2. . lots of signage all over the Hyatt Bar.

but I guess no one else who attended has come here (or has re-signed in yet).


Glad to see you got your handle back, Deathy!

[Don C]

As you know, I've gone in the past, but skipped this year. I've always felt they did a great job with the Dealers Room and Artists Alley. Along with a location map being in the program, they have large maps conveniently placed throughout Artists Alley. And people sit where they're supposed to be. Makes it so much easier to find people.

The biggest complaint I had was that the panel room were so far away from the con floor. But I never had any trouble getting into panels. Even the DC ones were never full. I've never been to the main panel room, though.

I always stayed at one of the shuttle bus hotels. On the plus side, you're in downtown Chicago, across from Grant Park. There are tons of restaurants within walking distance. Sometimes there's interesting stuff going on in the park. Also, downtown Chicago feels very safe, to me. No panhandlers, no homeless, no one shouting or harassing people. And the rooms are cheaper.

Down side is that it takes an hour if you want to go back and drop something off in your room. In fact, I've never done it. (There's also a very long walk from the con floor to where the buses load.) So I always wind up having to carry everything I've brought or bought, all day.

[Deathstroke]

I thought CBR had a huge presence at C2E2. . lots of signage all over the Hyatt Bar.

but I guess no one else who attended has come here (or has re-signed in yet).


Glad to see you got your handle back, Deathy!

As am I bert, I would've been a bit pissed if I'd had to change my handle here.

Looking at finances, most of my congoing experience will be vicariously lived by reports such as yours. I'll be missing a Star Trek con and the Boston Comic-Con so far this year after hoping to be able to swing both of them.

[AdorkableMe]

So Chicago has 2 main places for conventions: McCormick and Rosemont. As someone who lives in Chicago, I am much happier having things in McCormick. Rosemont is way out by O'Hare, and while there are good hotel options out there, it's not a great locations for locals to come out -- plus, you are way more likely to miss any of the awesome things Chicago has to offer because you're so far out.

It is super easy to get from McCormick to downtown. There are buses right there (#3 to get downtown), plus cabs -- and I highly suggest downloading Uber or Hailo when visiting Chicago for easy cab hailing. I live on the super far north side of Chicago, and it only takes me less than an hour to get to McCormick by 2 buses. And of course, there are the shuttles to take you from McCormick to the Loop.

Granted, I will say, the food options near McCormick are lacking. I was happy it moved to the other wing this year, so things like McDonald's, etc were open and I could avoid overly priced expo hall food.

I believe this is the first year they've done such a big cosplay contest, so they're learning. I'm sure next year the space will be bigger. And I never went into that room to be able to compare it to any other panel rooms that could have possibly been opened up...

I got into the 4 panels I tried to get into. I waited an hour for the Saturday GoT panel, and I'm pretty sure almost everyone who waited in line got in. Do I wish there was something like an info desk on the panel floor right after you get off the escalators? Yeah, that could have helped. A digital sign with "what's happening now" or something.

Personally, I felt like it was all done fairly well and don't really have too many complaints. I had a great time.

[bert]

^^ ChinaTown was close for dinner options (tho not that safe to walk to alone at night, as I was warned).

but yeah, I meant the Hotel is not close to downtown to easily go out and do things at Night (clubbing, restaurants, shopping, etc).

So I pretty much stayed in the room at night. If my partner had been with me tho, I'm sure we would have cabbed it downtown for some evening activities).

I got lucky in that I had folks local I am friendly with who were exhibiting at the Con (Tom Stillwell, of Spinner Rack Comics). . so on Friday Night he and family took me downtown to Ed DeBevick's for dinner. And on Monday, he picked me up and we not only went to "Yolk" for breakfast, he and I then went to the Museum of Science and Industry.

On Thursday, I just cabbed it to and from the Museum Campus (to do Field Museum and Shedd Aquarium), and on Sunday, I just blew off Con and used the Con Shuttle to get me to Graham Crackers/Millennium Park and I just walked from there to the Art Institute, and then walked over to Willis Tower.

so I *was* able to get in a ton of sightseeing, despite being over at McCormick Place.

but IF I were to go back, we'd stay downtown, and use the shuttle just to get to the con for 1 day, and then be more central for all of the Chicago Nightlife.

but I wouldn't go back for all 3 days. Not unless the panel issues I had are completely overhauled.

Glad you had a great time. as I noted, I really, really liked the layout of the dealer's room. . . so definitely worth a 1 day trip back just for that

[Don C]

Hey, bert, just out of curiosity, what panels did you not get in to? Last time I went, the only panel I had to stand in line for was DC. I got into Valiant, Dynamite and IDW no problem. The con even had them back-to-back. The last three weren't even close to full.

[bert]

I had planned to go to the Comedy show, and another panel Friday night, but missed those due to going out to dinner (so don't fault anyone by myself for missing those).


From Sat:

I got into the Gays in Comics panel (with Gail). . tho it was standing room only, and if we hadn't bullied our way in, thanks to a Con Security who let us cut into line, we would not have gotten in, even tho we had lined up).

1:30 pm - 2:30 pm
Bloody Good Fun: Exploring Comedy within the Horror Genre (room full)


4:15 pm - 5:15 pm
Comics and Pop Music! (room full)


7:30 pm - 9:30 pm
C2E2 Crown Championships of Cosplay (room WAY full.. I was there almost an hour early, and did not get in, tho I was in a row close to the doors -- as opposed to the literally THOUSANDS of folks that didn't even get near the doors, and were lined up all the way down the hall).

[Don C]

I'm surprised Bloody Good Fun and Comics and Pop Music filled up. Sounds like the crowds are growing.

[jessecuster3]

I have gone every year that they have held it. This was the 5th year, and in my opinion the worst year yet.

A number of the comcis dealers didn't show up, and those that were there did not have as fanatastic deals as I have found in the past. My LCS here in Chicago did not even have a booth this year.

A lot more of the booths that were there were about toys or clothes, mnore than ones that were selling comics.

The actual show floor was smaller and occupied less space than it has in previous years.

In previous years, they had an entire section dedicated to webcomics creators, this year there was not one to be found.

The whole artists alley was smaller, and even had one row taken up by podcasters, and at least 3 of the rows were only half rows. In addition, I felt that quality of the talent that were in artist's alley was in sharp decline from previous years. The few artists that I did try to talk to talk to were very standoffish and almost seemed to not want to be bothered.

Brian Posehn was the stand up again, while I appreciate that some find him funny, I do not, and avoided this year, it has been better in previous years, and was held on Saturday night, not Friday night.

[jessecuster3]

4:15 pm - 5:15 pm
Comics and Pop Music! (room full)

This is a hold over from last year when among other people, Kieron Gillen, was on the panel and it was a huge success, I wonder if this wasn't trying to cash in on that.