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NEWS: Anime Expo Discontinues Premier Fan Badges




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TheKillerAngel



Joined: 02 Mar 2018
Posts: 84
PostPosted: Mon Jan 09, 2023 5:33 pm Reply with quote
Absolute trash decision on their part. I guess they want everyone to partake in linecon.
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invalidname
Contributor



Joined: 11 Aug 2004
Posts: 2451
Location: Grand Rapids, MI
PostPosted: Mon Jan 09, 2023 5:40 pm Reply with quote
And yet, Otakon is doing free badge-mailing for everyone who registers by May 15.

I did AX once; I’m fine with not going back.
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PipimiOden



Joined: 26 Mar 2022
Posts: 182
Location: Pennsylvania, USA
PostPosted: Mon Jan 09, 2023 6:14 pm Reply with quote
This is why I'm glad i don't even live close to AX. Yay Pittsburgh
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catandmouse



Joined: 02 Mar 2011
Posts: 213
PostPosted: Mon Jan 09, 2023 6:25 pm Reply with quote
I’ve never purchased a premier badge so it doesn’t affect me personally.
In terms of the lines, they actually got their sh*t together last year and there were no lines to go inside.
The longest line I was in was for the merch store.
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celegdir



Joined: 14 Mar 2011
Posts: 3
PostPosted: Mon Jan 09, 2023 8:35 pm Reply with quote
As a chronic Premier badge holder, I am mostly disappointed with how this was communicated.

Those of us on the mail list as a previous Premier badge holder were sent a short, emotionless email from AX that Premier badges would not be returning just hours before they announced the official release time for badges.

I understand if it was no longer sustainable for them to continue on this separate badge, especially as the size of the con now has made it difficult to cater for such a small population, but the means by which this news was broken to us was insulting and I wouldn't be surprised if most of us are now looking to patron other cons or plan for other things during AX weekend.

As for whether or not the badge is worthwhile, for the past few in person Anime Expo's, I believe that premier badge holders basically filled the closest two hotels. Especially because I have con friends who are mobility limited, this made the badge worth it for our sanity. Also having priority ticketing did make the badge worth it for us.

Personally, this is likely gonna be my last AX (mostly due to me preferring to fly the pond to Japan). The con is so large now that less care is possible for niche interests and the like. I strongly recommend everyone who is reconsidering attending AX due to these changes to look at other smaller local cons and cons connected with the International Otaku Expo Association https://ioea.info/. The best way to improve the con experience is by supporting cons that are run in ways you prefer as a fan.
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Gem-Bug



Joined: 10 Nov 2018
Posts: 1218
PostPosted: Mon Jan 09, 2023 9:37 pm Reply with quote
I wonder if there's another event going on that weekend and they weren't able to secure those hotels in time? Seems like the hotel thing would be the biggest draw of the badge, honestly.
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Hiroki not Takuya



Joined: 17 Apr 2012
Posts: 2529
PostPosted: Tue Jan 10, 2023 12:05 am Reply with quote
I've never known AX to pass up a way to make extra $$ so this one is a head-scratcher. Someone suggested this could be a setup for an excuse to hike all tickets to +200$ in the future.
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xxmsxx



Joined: 06 Sep 2017
Posts: 567
PostPosted: Tue Jan 10, 2023 1:53 am Reply with quote
Hiroki not Takuya wrote:
I've never known AX to pass up a way to make extra $$ so this one is a head-scratcher. Someone suggested this could be a setup for an excuse to hike all tickets to +200$ in the future.


That's exactly I think what is going to happen Wink
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casenumber00



Joined: 05 Feb 2011
Posts: 156
PostPosted: Tue Jan 10, 2023 8:48 am Reply with quote
I remember buying the P badge for $80 the first year it came, 1$00 the next year, a $120 after than, then it made a huge jump to $175. It was longer longer worth the price.
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azabaro
Subscriber



Joined: 06 Jul 2007
Posts: 252
PostPosted: Wed Jan 11, 2023 1:56 pm Reply with quote
Hiroki not Takuya wrote:
I've never known AX to pass up a way to make extra $$ so this one is a head-scratcher. Someone suggested this could be a setup for an excuse to hike all tickets to +200$ in the future.


I suspect the Premiere Badges were leading to resource challenges and (probably more significantly) complaints. As I recall, I heard the premiere of the Bunny Girl Senpai movie on the last day of AX 2019 filled up with Premiere Badge attendees, which left people who'd been in line for that screening - possibly for a couple of hours at the head of the line - completely cut out. Dealing with issues from privileges like that might make the whole program more trouble than it's worth (in addition to dealing with complaints from folks who can't get the very limited supply of Premiere Badges).
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celegdir



Joined: 14 Mar 2011
Posts: 3
PostPosted: Wed Jan 11, 2023 2:01 pm Reply with quote
azabaro wrote:
Hiroki not Takuya wrote:
I've never known AX to pass up a way to make extra $$ so this one is a head-scratcher. Someone suggested this could be a setup for an excuse to hike all tickets to +200$ in the future.


I suspect the Premiere Badges were leading to resource challenges and (probably more significantly) complaints. As I recall, I heard the premiere of the Bunny Girl Senpai movie on the last day of AX 2019 filled up with Premiere Badge attendees, which left people who'd been in line for that screening - possibly for a couple of hours at the head of the line - completely cut out. Dealing with issues from privileges like that might make the whole program more trouble than it's worth (in addition to dealing with complaints from folks who can't get the very limited supply of Premiere Badges).


Yeah, AX has outgrown LACC, but there are only a few convention centers that are larger than LACC and they are all out of California, so it's probably is a no go for relocating. I do see increasing the standard badge cost to manage turnstile count might be viable, although it would make a lot of the community quite unhappy given how AX is branded as the industry anime con for the US.
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DKLA



Joined: 14 Jan 2023
Posts: 1
PostPosted: Sat Jan 14, 2023 6:35 am Reply with quote
4 day passes are at $145 ($80 for Sat/Sun, $70 for Mon, $50 for Tues). Problem is LACC is limited space for 110,000+ attendees and they capped it for the last few years. Only solution is to raise the price or decrease the quality of the convention. I blame logistics for the events. You always get a handle on how many people are interested in attending (either tickets or voting or the app) and making the arrangements and they did not utilize all the hotel conference rooms nearby. I was Premier Fan for 10+ years, but I was staff prior to all this before it got too big. I feel sorry for the people who wasted their time waiting in line, but that is why you have designated seat counters for the attendees and capping the line at particular points. Plus they need more signs for the "end of the line for event" at this convention. I just hope that they implement an online ticket for events for attendees along with standby lines. It will help mitigate crowding.
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omiya



Joined: 21 Sep 2011
Posts: 1833
Location: Adelaide, South Australia
PostPosted: Sun Jan 15, 2023 6:45 am Reply with quote
DKLA wrote:
Plus they need more signs for the "end of the line for event" at this convention. I just hope that they implement an online ticket for events for attendees along with standby lines. It will help mitigate crowding.


I remember AnimeJapan 2017 where they had "This is not the end of the line signs" in addtion to "end of the line" signs.
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