From: 7514P%NAVPGS.BITNET@VTVM1.CC.VT.EDU (Chris Swett)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.anime
Subject: Re: Anime Expo GoH #4
Date: 22 Dec 92 05:02:00 GMT
To: Multiple recipients of list ANIME-L <ANIME-L%VTVM1.BITNET@uga.cc.uga.edu>
 <spool.mu.edu!umn.edu!csus.edu!netcom.com!albertw@uunet.uu.net>


>steps AnAm, who graciously decide to hold their con one week before AX '93.

     Wrong, Albert. All the arrangements made at the Westin Hotel were made
by the Chairman of Anime Expo, James Matsuzaki, because he was told by the
President of SPJA that the Parc contract could be cancelled without penalty.
Those arrangements were made for 4th of July weekend, the date of Anime Expo.
When James found himself hamstrung by SPJA, he resigned. His Hotel Liaison,
the Anime Expo '92 Hotel Liaison, tried to transfer the Westin arrangements to
Easter weekend and Thanksgiving weekend. No luck. He couldn't keep it on 4th
of July and he didn't want to get any closer to WorldCon, so he bumped it up
a week. So many of the staff walked out in support of James that he ended up
with the lion's share of experienced volunteers. That staff demanded a Con
to run, so it is happening.

     Now, I have spoken to Ken four times in the last two weeks. I have
offered to adopt staff. I have offered our lawyer, gratis, to help get SPJA
out of the contract Mike signed. I have offered a free dealers table and all
the money-making concessions I can think of. I put it in writing, signed it
and got all the other Directors of FACE to sign it.
Ken's reply was that though he is called the Chairman, he doesn't run the
convention. SPJA rejected these proposals and forwarded their own. These
included forming yet another corporation, this time "for profit", with the
provision to split profits between SPJA and FACE. A 100% staff merge across the
board. Continued separate guest liaison. Location in Oakland. FACE rejected
these proposals, mostly due to concerns with the negativity associated with
"for profit" Cons, concern that duplicate staff positions can't be merged,
separate guest liaison is confusing and unprofessional and a move to Oakland
is unacceptable to the staff who are still burned up over the way that
contract got signed in the first place.

>Maybe I'm just small fry too, but I'm also original staff and I didn't walk.

     Well I, for one, am quite well aware of that. I was the person who
appointed you to AX '92 staff. Why you haven't run like hell is frankly quite
beyond me, but do whatever makes you happy. That's what volunteer work is,
afterall.

     Anime America is going to have to prove itself to the fans. We know that
very well and are working very hard. Fourteen hundred confirmed guests
won't make Anime America a successful convention. Fourteen hundred happy fans
*will* make the convention a success. I'm leaving for Tokyo tomorrow and will
put in a lot of hours to make sure we have a program to make *every* fan
attendee and *every* guest happy. Fortunately for me, I really want to go to
all the places on the itinerary. I'm a fan too.

                                               --- Chris

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