Anime Expo Decides To Go Younger And Inexperienced. Sigh!

All right, so, I've had a rough week this week. Not only did Pangya Global pull out the Hanbok Sets for the remodels on the day I receive my paycheck, but I received this email from Amy Miyamoto, who is the Registration and Exhibits Division Manager. See, I was wondering why I applied for staff in January, and I never received any e-mails or contacts. I had worked the Registration Department for my first three years at the con and wanted to come back for a fourth.

Jo-Ryan, We will respectfully decline your offer to join Registration.  You will remain [in] the open applicants to see if any other departments contact you.    Regards, Amy Miyamoto Registration & Exhibits Division ManagerSociety for the Promotion of Japanese Animation 1522 Brookhollow Dr, Suite 1, Santa Ana, CA 92705Anime Conji - AC | Anime Expo - AX | Project Anime – PA – Los Angeles & Tokyo     

Shortage of staffers...my ass.

While I did say in a follow-up that I intend to reapply next year, one thing that is important when working with experienced convention staffers like myself is that department managers need to be transparent and not withhold important information and conjecture/opinion regarding the direction of staffing a convention like AX. Otherwise, you end up with speculatory conclusions which may or may not be correct, and I don't like to do speculation in these circumstances but I am force to because Ms. Miyamoto did not disclose the exact reasons.

My speculation is as follows: Anime Expo is going younger to save costs regarding housing its staffers. They are going with inexperienced, unqualified newbies who have to pay part of their hotel room, which, unless pointed out, is the Radisson USC. As a veteran staff member, the hotel and perks are free, so long as the room is in good shape and I make a deposit. So by this, it would be more expensive for the penny-pinchers at SPJA to retain my services because I've served a string of cons. I was with them in Anaheim, I was with them in Long Beach. And I was with them when staff was housed at the Westin Bonaventure and the Radisson.

This is not meant to be an affront to SPJA or the convention, for the record. I had a great time staffing this con during my nine years. Good memories, it's forever a part of me, and everyone out there should get the chance to take part in it on Independence Day Weekend. Thank you, AX. But I strongly believe that Ms. Miyamoto or the others should have explained further the future direction of the convention's makeup in terms of staffers so that it will alllow me to make a decision as to whether or not I should do further business with them. I'll give them one more year for them to give me a chance, but if no department wants my services, I have no choice but to cut my ties by mutual agreement.

One of my personal beliefs is that I don't waste my time with people, organizations, groups, anyone who doesn't want my services. I wanted to do 10 years at AX and stop there, but if they wanted me to stop at nine, they could have just said so. They can give me a good reason, I'll consider it, and then my time staffing this con is history. Anyone that I know or work with, regardless of who it is, that doesn't come clean with me and leaves me out of the loop is essentially giving me a slap to the face, and that is something that businesses and companies should never do when communicating bad news.

End true story.