SMOF News, volume 1, issue 33
AnimeNEXT burns some bridges, and news in brief.
Portrait of an Unhappy Facility Relationship
After being cancelled the last couple years, AnimeNEXT was to return to the Atlantic City Convention Center (New Jersey, USA) on June 11-13. However, it recently announced a cancellation for more than the usual reasons:
After multiple meetings with the Convention Center, they have made it very clear they do not share the same priorities as us.
Due to the recent developments with our venue, we’ve decided to call off all public-facing attractions of AnimeNEXT 2022. Meaning we will not be having an event for attendees, vendors, guests, etc. as we traditionally do.
A section promising more detail now says:
The convention center reached out at 11:34 AM today (3/30/22) and have expressed they will not continue communications until this section was removed. We spoke with the venue again today, they have asked us to keep this section down while they consult their Team further.
As of 1:51 PM today (3/30/22) the convention center has asked us to remove posts on AnimeNEXT social platforms showing/pertaining to the removed reasons for the call-off.
We kindly ask that any screenshots or copies of this information are not posted on our platforms until we hear back from the venue and their legal team.
The internet being what it is, reports based on the original announcement are out there and screenshots are easy to find. AnimeNEXT’s allegations were:
Significant unilateral price increases by the convention center. It is not clear whether this was permitted by the venue contract, or an attempt at hardball renegotiation.
Inability to determine what space would be available to the convention. The convention center currently hosts a mass COVID testing facility and the con was unable to find out if it would still be present at convention time. The convention center is owned by a government entity (New Jersey’s Casino Reinvestment Development Authority), and the decision about how long that testing site lasts is likely to be far out of the hands of the center management.
Unwillingness to enforce masking requirements on non-attendees. The convention center would not agree to make its staff wear masks, or have a mask requirement in areas deemed public.
A large event the same weekend with no masking or vaccination requirements. The Orange Loop Rock Festival is being held nearby on June 10-12. It will use no convention center space, but AnimeNEXT alleges that the convention center knew about it and should have warned the con.
AnimeNEXT is fulfilling its contractual obligations by holding staff workshops at the convention center, and is projecting confidence about a 2023 convention. This is likely to have been made much more difficult by its previous announcement. Not only has its current venue been upset enough to make threatening noises about legal action, but convention facilities tend to look at a con’s past relationship with other facilities. If your con blows up its venue relationship in a very public manner, other venues will consider that you might do the same to them.
In Brief
Erasmuscon is a bid to hold the 2024 European Science Fiction Convention in Rotterdam. This would be the first Eurocon to be held in the Netherlands.
Kumoricon (Portland, Oregon, USA, November 11-13) has added Caleb Hyles as a Guest of Honor.
Indiana Comic Convention (Indianapolis, Indiana, USA, April 15-17) has added Pauly Shore as a guest.
Event Calendar
Weekend of April 15-17
Reclamation 2022, the 72nd Eastercon (UK national sf convention), London, UK
Minicon 55, Saint Louis Park, Minnesota, USA
Norwescon 44, Seatac, Washington, USA
Fastaval, Hobro, Denmark
HAL-CON 2022, Kawasaki, Japan
Fauntastic 2022: Night of the Yōkai (anthropomorphic), Lyon, France
Fur Squared 2022 (anthropomorphic), Brookfield, Wisconsin, USA
GothCon XLV (gaming), Göteborg, Sweden
Conquest Games Convention (RPGs), Melbourne, Australia
Nashville Tabletop Day (boardgames), Nashville, Tennessee, USA
OzBunnyCon 2022 (boardgames), Glen Waverley, Australia
Kanpai!Con (anime), Omaha, Nebraska, USA
MTAC Score! (anime), Nashville, Tennessee, USA
Mang’Azur (anime), Toulon, France
Polymanga (anime), Montreux, Switzerland
Karoshi-Con (anime), DeKalb, Illinois, USA
Saluki Con (anime), Carbondale, Illinois, USA
SacAnime, Roseville, California, USA
Colorado Anime Fest, Denver, Colorado, USA
Sakura-Con 2022 (anime), Seattle, Washington, USA
Puerto Rico Comic Con, San Juan, Puerto Rico, USA
Indiana Comic Convention, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
BABSCon 2022 (My Little Pony), Burlingame, California, USA
Weekend of April 22-24
No Brand Con XIX, Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin, USA
Swancon Not-A-Con, Tuart Hill, Australia
OmegaCon (relaxacon), Siren, Wisconsin, USA
JordanCon (fantasy literature), Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Ice and Fire Convention (Song of Ice and Fire series), Mt. Sterling, Ohio, USA
Penguicon 2022 (sf/open source), Southfield, Michigan, USA
Malice Domestic 32-33-34 (mysteries), Bethesda, Maryland, USA
Farmageddon IX (gaming), Farmer City, Illinois, USA
Cheyenne Gaming Convention, Cheyenne, Wyoming, USA
Rising Phoenix Game Con, Milford, Massachusetts, USA
Jeu au Boute (boardgames), Chertsey, Québec, Canada
Recon (miniatures gaming), Orlando, Florida, USA
PAX East (video games), Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Omnicon Revival (anime), Cookeville, Tennessee, USA
Oz-Con (anime), West Plains, Missouri, USA
Kawaii Kon (anime), Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
Anime St. Louis, St. Charles, Missouri, USA
ExpOtaku Vitoria-Gasteiz (anime), Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
Mobile Bay Anime Festival, Daphne, Alabama, USA
Beta Quest 2022 (anime), Kingsland, Georgia, USA
San Diego Comic Fest, San Diego, California, USA
El Paso Comic Con, El Paso, Texas, USA
Yellow City Comic Con, Amarillo, Texas, USA
Fayetteville Comic Con, Fayetteville, North Carolina, USA
Suncoast Comic-Con, Palmetto, Florida, USA
Comic-Con Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
Fanboy Expo Las Vegas (media), Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Weekend of April 29-May 1
RavenCon 15, Glen Allen, Virginia, USA
Tulkon, Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA
Glasgow International Fantasy Conversations (symposium), online
Das Frühlingsfest der Filksmusik (music), Hanstedt, Germany
Furry Weekend Holland: Castles and Peacocks!, Baarlo, Netherlands
Chupacabracon VIII (gaming), Round Rock, Texas, USA
TringCon (gaming), Marsworth, UK
San Marino Game Convention, San Marino
Great Plains Game Fest, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
Congress of Gamers Spring Session, Rockville, Maryland, USA
2022 Gaming Hoopla, Mundelein, Illinois, USA
LoBsterCon XXII (boardgames), Eastbourne, UK
Jeu au Boute (boardgames), Chertsey, Québec, Canada
Game Jam South (video games), Huntsville, Alabama, USA
Midwest Gaming Classic (video games), Milwaukee, Wisconsin
FnordCon 5 (Steve Jackson Games), Austin, Texas, USA
aniMUC (anime), Fürstenfeld, Germany
Castle Point Anime Convention, Seacaucus, New Jersey, USA
Kameha Con (anime), Allen, Texas, USA
Anime Athens, Athens, Texas, USA
Avalon Expo 8 (media), St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada
Fangaea (media), San Diego, California, USA
Causeacon (media), Beckley, West Virginia, USA
Fan Expo Cleveland (media), Cleveland, Ohio, USA
Wirral Comic Con, New Brighton, UK
Geek Days Rennes (media), Bruz, France
Visioncon 2022 (media), Springfield, Missouri, USA
MonstahXpo (horror media), Fairhaven, Massachusetts, USA
Weekend of May 6-8
Demicon 2022: The After, Urbandale, Iowa, USA
Furry Weekend Atlanta: The Enchanted Forest, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
ChupacabraCon VIII (gaming), Round Rock, Texas, USA
AniMinneapolis (anime), Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
Hanami (anime), Ludwigshafen am Rhein, Germany
South Pacificon Game Fest, San Diego, California, USA
Heroicon (gaming), Decatur, Illinois, USA
WagonCon 2022 (gaming), The Dalles, Oregon, USA
S’mores & Meeples (gaming), Coatesville, Pennsylvania, USA
Festival Alchemie du Jeu (gaming), Toulouse, France
GlyphCon 2022 (Pathfinder/Starfinder), Leduc, Alberta, Canada
21st Windy City Pulp and Paper Convention (pulp), Lombard, Illinois, USA
Portsmouth Comic Con, Portsmouth, UK
Weekend of May 13-15
ColoniaCon 24, Köln, Germany
SFeraKon 2022, Zagreb, Croatia
AtomaCon 2022, North Charleston, South Carolina, USA
StokerCon 2022 (horror), Denver, Colorado, USA
Geekway to the West 2022: Life Finds a Game (gaming), St. Charles, Missouri, USA
Huzzah! Con 2022 (miniatures gaming), Portland, Maine, USA
Romance of the Cyclops Con (D&D), online
PuchiCon (anime), Tannersville, Pennsylvania, USA
Metrotham Con Episode 3: Revenge of the ‘80s (media), Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA
Tidewater Comicon, Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA
Fan Expo St. Louis (media), St. Louis, Missouri, USA
Saratoga Comic Con, Saratoga Springs, New York, USA
Northern FanCon (media), Prince George, British Columbia, Canada
FrankenCon (horror films), Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
QFX East (LGBTQ+ media), Tampa, Florida, USA
Seaquestria Fest (My Little Pony), Ocean City, Maryland, USA
Coda
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