The TrackBack specification was created by Six Apart, who first implemented it in their Movable Type blogging software in August…

One thing I want the SDCC exhibitors to know: I spend money there, and I spend it at their booths. While I love the panels and seeing movie stars and all that stuff, the San Diego con is the one con I know where I am most likely to find anything I’m looking for. I’m not an attendee who attends all the event stuff and spends 10 bucks on the floor. I’ve spent $1K every year for 15 years, and for each of the last 3 years I’ve blown 2 to 3 grand at dealers’ tables, and not just on a few high-end books. SD is my escape-and-splurge con. I can’t get a room this year, and since I’ve had a good freelancing (computer) year, I was ready to spend even more. But it looks like I won’t get to spend it at your booths.

And as far as spending in the city, every meal is bought locally. I go to the movies once or twice while I’m there; I hit the bars. Wednesday before the con I’m usually stuffed with chicken wings and beer before I waddle over for early badge pick-up. I’m really going to miss not being able to attend this year.

I called the live voice line, and put it on automatic redial.
I got through once but it rang for 5 minutes straight with no answer.
I hung up, and tried again.
Come 9:30am with nothing but a busy signal, I gave up on the phones.

Meanwhile, I was trying online at the same time.
At 9:05, I actually got through to booking. It was a great positive start early in the game.
A room was free with 2 beds at the Horton Grand and I clicked on BOOK IT.
I went to the next screen, and put in my dates.
Hit next (or whatever it was)… the screen came back with all hotel rooms unavailable.

I kept trying up through 9:55, and never got through again via the online login.
Then I quit, fearing anything worth getting was already booked.

A friend managed to get through and get one room around 9:30.
But out of all of us, we managed to only reserve one room.
So I opted out of going.

*sigh*
Out of luck again for the 2nd year straight.

I don’t think I’ll even bother in 2009 or beyond.
What’s the use?

You’re fine. It’s just that you probably paying more to stay if that hotel isn’t on the list of hotels that the SDCC organizers deal with, that’s all. But they do advise people to go ahead and make reservations ahead of time. But like I said you do miss out on the lowest rates possible from the organizers.

On That note, it took me 90 mins to get through on the web and get a reservation. I was on my hardline phone and cell phone for 2 hours of busy signals. Four yrs. ago, I didn’t have this problem at all.

I think that the con has gotten too big for itself. But people need to also put into account that it’s not just comics anymore, it the whole entertainment aspect now. Video Game, Movies and TV and Anime, Cartoons, Manga. It’s all there now and San Diego is only about 2 hrs. away driving distance from LA so it’s convenient for Hollywood to plug there ideas to the public a or more ahead. And now the show gets podcasted and shown live on TV for some channels it has become the monster that I don’t think that the original creators would have ever dream of.

and therein lies the rub: a comic book convention in a huge casino town is too much distraction with the almighty dollar on what it’s economy is based on - perhaps it’s a good occupation for the kiddies along a major throughfare that’s not kid friendly in the first place- but Vegas is what it is - a town to throw money around on blackjack, Star Wars slot machine progressives, and hookers.

You don’t have none of that in San Diego - other than the hookers.
The show was a good experiment , and I couldn’t knock the convenience of a five minute drive back and forth between Mandalay Bay and my dad’s house everyday.

The only conventions that bring in revenue for the city of Vegas are porn & sportscar conventions.

~

Coat

I got a room at the Hard Rock within 20 minutes online.

I’ve also shared a train commute with big groups of con people on a few occasions and the weird thing I remember about those experiences wasn’t so much the costumes or whatever but that the con attendees always look angry and unhappy. Almost oppressively so. This strikes me as odd because it seems to me you should be happy to be going to a big con!

If the con went to Vegas, there wouldn’t be any end to complaints about getting to and from the con proper.

It comes down to a.) who is organizing it and b.) will everyone get behind it and go.

Most pros I know have mentioned how badly Vegas needs a MAJOR comic-con, so I’d bet money if the right people handled a.) then b.) would not be an issue.

I really really really wish they would consider moving to los angeles. Still in california bigger convention center and several hotels are being built and there’s more hotels all over town. The locals wont care because there’s no such thing in la.

It’s just far too much of a hassle — waaaay too expensive and just too much stress. There’s a half a dozen other comic conventions (smaller ones, in other markets) I’d rather attend.

Gone are the days when I could stay at the J-Street in for $125 a week. When I first started looking at hotel rooms for this year’s show way back in August, I finally threw up my proverbial hands in frustration when I saw that the Vagabond Inn (several miles away from downtown, never part of the convention block, your standard roadside motor inn on the same level as Super was quoting close to $300 a night. No thanks.

To Darren: I’M HORRIBLY OFFENDED!! (Not Really. But if it makes you feel any better, my wife is a Hilton Honors member and will be using the points she gets from us staying there to get a night free somewhere else. So we are at least sticking it to the man that way.)

From what it sounds like, the residents don’t like us, the mayor hates us, we don’t spent enough money, why don’t we go out back and eat worms.

On one hand, I understand that getting whacked in the head by a piece of someone’s costume while you’re trying to make your weekly grocery purchase might be annoying, but, on the other hand, hasn’t Comic-Con been going on for approaching 40 years? Should the natives be accustomed to this by now? Or at least realize that no matter how much they roll their eyes, the con isn’t likely to go away?

I was all set to go to Wonder Con this year until I found it conflicted with another event.

I would much rather still to the B-level (in terms of size not quality) shows like Heroes and Baltimore and maybe Emerald City.