Connecticon Forum

As a long time participant in the Connecticon Artist Alley, I feel that this thread is long over due.  For the previous 5 years that I have attended and sold at Connecticon I have noticed a very steady decline in the way that the Artists and Artist Alley has been handled.  And since it seems that Connecticon staff so far hasn’t been that interested in opening a dialogue with Artists about what they are looking for in a well run Artist Alley, I decided to start my own.

And I hope that every Artist will post their own lists of what they are looking for in an Artist Alley.

# 1 Respect.  I want to be respected as a paying customer of Connecticon, not only having paid the membership fee, but also a fee for my table. I want to be respected as a business person, no matter how much or little time I spend selling at Conventions and other shows. And lastly I want to be respected as an essential part of each and every Anime convention.  For without ART there is no ANIME!

# 2. I want the right to make a profit. I work hard on my art and products that I sell, and if they are popular I should enjoy the fruits of my labor by making a profit.  I don’t want to be limited to what I can and can’t sell and told how many—so long as what I do falls into the scope of Anime Art, Otaku and Gaming culture.

# 3. I want to be able to sell fan art.  I understand there is on going legal and moral issues surrounding Fan Art, but it is a part of the Otaku Culture.  And so long as I am not tracing or printing out official artwork as my own—and creating something in my own style & poses, etc, then is should be ok. Nor do I want a limit on it. In most cases fan art doesn’t sell very fast, and most artists can’t afford to spend the money to keep a large stock of a single print anyway.  And if they can, well they are more talented than me, and goes back to # 2 and the right to make a profit for their hard work and talent.

#4. I want clear, concise and timely communication with staff.  There are no rules posted in the Artist Alley section of the website—other than how to go about getting a sales tax license. There is no FAQ section. So far a few people have been answering questions on the forums, but nothing is clearly written out for everyone to see and review before they decide to make their purchase of an Artist Alley table.  In fact, the only mention of any rules was in the one e-mail sent out when registration opened, allowing for no time for Artists to get clarification—especially when they might lose out on getting a table if they waited around for someone to answer them.

# 5. I don’t want to be forced into the Dealer’s room because some staff think I am too “professional” or “profitable” for the Artist Alley.  The Artist Alley is just that, for Art work made by fans for fans.  Yes, some of us do this as a side hobby, some of us try to make a living at this.  All of us take it very seriously and try to be as professional as we can—face it you get more sales when you present a polished display and portfolio of art and products.  Dealer’s room is for people who are in retail. They buy things wholesale, mark it up and then resell it.  Artists make their products themselves, and put a lot of hard work into it.  Very big difference and what separates us Artists from Dealers.  And going back to # 1, it would be nice if you respected this difference and didn’t try to force Artists to be something they aren’t.

# 6. I want a decent location for the Artist Alley and a good layout.  I want a well lit, clean and safe location to sell my art, with decent foot traffic from con goers. I don’t want to be tucked away in an awkward space too far from everything else that I can’t be found.  Also, I want every inch of space in the Artist Alley to be put to good use, and in a set up that looks pleasing to the eye and helps move traffic thru the entire space.  Empty tables and open floor space that isn’t used for walking aisles is just wasted space.  Why not put it too good use and sell more tables, or allow artists to buy more space than the limit of one table.  Many people forget that the Artist Alley provides 30+ hours of programming for the con—as in its something for people to do when they are waiting for a panel or other event.  And often it’s just as big a draw as the Dealer’s room.  Make it look nice and people will come back for more.

# 7. I want clear instructions on how to check in to the Artist Alley, as well as get set up.  And at least 1-2 weeks before the con.  No one wants to get to the con and be running around wondering where they are supposed to go to get their convention badges, or where they need to go to check in. Or even how they can bring their stuff up to the Alley.  You got our e-mails when we signed up, communicate with us!

# 8. I want the head of the Artist Alley to be an Artist, one who actually goes to other conventions and sells.  No one know more about Artist Alley’s than other Artists who go to lots of different shows and sells themselves. They know how they want to be treated and what is important to their fellow artists when it comes to attending and selling at a convention.  They are also more invested in what happens, and it shows in how they prepare and run an Artist Alley.

I don’t think these requests are too demanding, and in fact are the norm at many conventions—as Head of the Artist Alley at AnimeNEXT, I can say that I provide all of the above and more for my Artists, and so does Anime Boston.  Its long past time that Connecticon became more invested in their Artist Alley, instead of letting it die.  Because you are indeed killing your Artist Alley.

Again, I invite all other Artists who have, will be and want to exhibit at Connecticon to also list out their wants for the Artist Alley, and then maybe we can finally have an open dialogue with the Staff of Connecticon about the state of the Artist Alley.

Hemlock Inyx
2011 Dept. Head of AnimeNEXT’s Artist Alley
PopCult Anime

Re: What Artists Want for Their Money

So my post isn’t as thought out as Inyx’s, but first I’ll say I support every one of her 8 points and I’ll add a few of my own.  I’ll also reiterate a few of hers to make it clear that I do support her points.

#1. Communication.  Communication is the most important thing and it is always a back and forth process.  I don’t expect to talk at you without you listening or caring about what I say and I am sure you would not like if you were talking at me without my listening or caring about what you say.  There needs to be information before hand from the people I will be interacting with at the convention.  That communication should not stop when the convention begins.  Never once has the head come around to inform me of “goingson” nor ask how the weekend has been going, other than with the tax license fiasco.  And again, communication should not stop when the convention does, leading me to the next point.

#2. Feedback. There needs to be some sort of feedback thread or discussion afterwards so you can at least hear what problems we had and what worked well.  Trust me: when things go well it will be mentioned in feedback threads and when things go poorly it will be hammered down your throat.  I understand that feedback, especially when negative can be hard to hear, and often more negative is emphasized than positive, thus is the nature of feedback.  There are people who let you know when things go right and will applaud you for it.  Negative feedback may be abrasive but it does still help pinpoint things that go wrong to fix the situations and please your customers.

#3. Reasonableness.  There is a standard set by anime conventions for how artist alleys in anime conventions are run.  The current display maximum is not in line with any convention other than comic conventions.  What differs them from an anime convention such as Connecticon (yes, I know it is multi-genre, but let’s face it, a high majority of programming and dealer’s wears are anime-focused – CTCon is as multigenre as any other anime convention I have attended) is that there are industry guests who often go through the alleys to find talent to give work.  Thus another way artists profit from their tables.  Connecticon does not host those kinds of guests.  Since the guests mimic the typical anime conventions (more so than comic conventions), it would be reasonable for table displays to also mimic typical anime conventions, that is an understandable sturdiness and often a maximum of 5’-6’ from the table.  I recently invested in photography backdrops stands that can go 12’ wide and 10’ from the floor.  Sturdiness with a 5’ from the table display maximum would not be a problem.  If there are unsturdy displays, which I have never seen at CTCon, it is then the responsibility of the alley head and staff to enforce the sturdiness rules.

#4. Location Location Location.  Location when selling is key.  Yes. I am there to sell.  And honestly, many I have spoken with would rather be back in the hallways than where we are now.  When going to an artist alley, I expect that the location will be advertised and that the people running it will work to get attendees into the area – including the use of signs and layout that attracts attendees.  The past two years in the ballroom have had no signs, closed doors, and often an open door that looked down the aisle where people are sitting rather than at any displays.  When the area looks like a storage space, no one will enter it.  When we were placed on the exhibition floor we had great traffic.  I also have photographic proof that in the past few years when I have looked at the table top gaming area, almost the entire space was empty.  Shopping in one area makes a lot more sense and many other conventions have shopping all in the same areas (NY Comic Con, Anime NEXT, Otakon, just to name a few in the region).  I don’t think it would be unreasonable to swap the locations, or even share the exhibition floor and give more room to main events to ensure we have the traffic we are paying for.

#5. Timing.  I do not want to get up at the crack of dawn and stay until the owls are out just so that I am open for the five people who might slip in before going to the rave.  I expect longer hours than the dealers room, but this ties back into reasonableness.  12 hours is plenty long for us to have to sell: whether it is 9-9, 10-10, or 11-11 (and I can tell you traffic does not start until 10 and dies off around 9 at Connecticon, from years of experience here).  I want to be in the room when it is not locked, but I do not want to have to be there for 14.5 hours (many of which are not profitable) to do so.

#6. Heads and rules.  I want an artist alley head who actually cares what the people in the alley want.  He or she should be active on the forums.  He or she should be an artist who is known and often seen in the local alleys around New England.  We want people who care about the alley, the artists, and the convention to be the ones running it.  And we want to be able to tell that they care.  If rules are enforced, the rules should be made reasonable – respective to the size and scope of the alley.

#7. Fan art.  The fan art rules this year were quite a shock as I have heard of no problems occurring in the Connecticon alley due to excess amounts of fan art.  Going from no restrictions to stealing Otakon’s (often thought unreasonable) fan art rules seems needless and not very well thought out.  I would hope we can have an open discussion about this.  In addition, though the rules were posted up after this forum, it is quite ridiculous that any newcomers applying for a table would have no notice of the rules anywhere they looked, as they were only emailed to AA members from last year.

I am a native from Connecticut.  I want this convention to be great and it can be.  But honestly, this convention has become the one that gives me the biggest headaches year after year.  If this year flops, I may not bother returning, even though it is only 20 minutes from my house.  As Matt and some others know, I have a free table this year from doing a last minute favor for staff during the 2010 convention.  Yet even despite being able to set up and sell completely free of charge, I still considered skipping the convention once the changes that had a dramatic impact on my display and stock were sent out.

This is a smaller convention and a small artist alley.  These problems should not be hard to fix and I am hopeful that they will be remidied.  And having just come home from New Jersey Sunday night after selling at Anime NEXT, which Inyx runs, I have to emphasize that if you listen to no one else, you should listen to her.  She does a fantastic job running the alley there and knows what she is talking about. 

Paul Jacovino
Yuureikun

Lamb52 - 17 June 2011 07:16 AM

You are in CHARGE of the artists Alley at ANIMENEXT all I can say is WUT!!!!???? Read your own article and treat the artists at Animenext that way! Connecticon as far as Artists Alley is doing much better than you! Animenext in the last two years, as far as artist getting tables fairly is a joke!

And I more than welcome you to go to the AnimeNEXT Artist Alley forums here: http://animenext.org/forum/viewforum.php?f=30&sid=371bde648706c79457c73b2ed30b04ea  And leave feedback about the registration process. Suggestions and Feedback are always welcome there.

However, this thread is about Connecticon’s Artist Alley and how they can improve it.  And I would like to stay on topic.

Re: What Artists Want for Their Money

Respect. I want to be respected as a paying customer of Connecticon, not only having paid the membership fee, but also a fee for my table. I want to be respected as a business person, no matter how much or little time I spend selling at Conventions and other shows. And lastly I want to be respected as an essential part of each and every Anime convention. For without ART there is no ANIME!

Respect can be a two way street, If you feel you’ve lost our respect, I do apologize,but in this case, I would recommend that you be more specific about where you feel it’s lacking, so that we can make any needed changes.

I want the right to make a profit. I work hard on my art and products that I sell, and if they are popular I should enjoy the fruits of my labor by making a profit. I don’t want to be limited to what I can and can’t sell and told how many—so long as what I do falls into the scope of Anime Art, Otaku and Gaming culture.

Like happiness in the declaration of independence, there is a right to persue profit , it’s achievement is not an entitlement. The room costs the convention thousands, and like the costs of power and wireless, are the result of the convention center attempting to make their profit. The sales tax license is legally required. the -modest- limits we have placed on what can and can’t be sold are there to maintain the spirit of Artist’s Alley, as in your own words, for fans, by fans…

I want to be able to sell fan art. I understand there is on going legal and moral issues surrounding Fan Art, but it is a part of the Otaku Culture. And so long as I am not tracing or printing out official artwork as my own—and creating something in my own style & poses, etc, then is should be ok. Nor do I want a limit on it. In most cases fan art doesn’t sell very fast, and most artists can’t afford to spend the money to keep a large stock of a single print anyway. And if they can, well they are more talented than me, and goes back to # 2 and the right to make a profit for their hard work and talent.

Which pretty much fits right within our limits…  Nevertheless the legal and moral issues do weigh on us, and so we have weighted in modestly in the direction of limiting fan art, in the hopes of encouraging more original works. If fan art is such a poor seller, perhaps the time has come to move to original creations and develop your own fan-base, much the way the web comics who are in Artist’s Alley have.

I don’t want to be forced into the Dealer’s room because some staff think I am too “professional” or “profitable” for the Artist Alley. The Artist Alley is just that, for Art work made by fans for fans. Yes, some of us do this as a side hobby, some of us try to make a living at this. All of us take it very seriously and try to be as professional as we can—face it you get more sales when you present a polished display and portfolio of art and products. Dealer’s room is for people who are in retail. They buy things wholesale, mark it up and then resell it. Artists make their products themselves, and put a lot of hard work into it. Very big difference and what separates us Artists from Dealers. And going back to # 1, it would be nice if you respected this difference and didn’t try to force Artists to be something they aren’t.

I’ll disagree here, the dealers room is not just for those in retail, if you’ve gone through it in the last years, you’ll note that there are a fair number of custom costumers there,  those dresses and tails and leather work are not bought wholesale, they’re made with the sweat of the brow of the people selling them, Professional artists and crafts people, are also fairly well represented in dealers room at many as well cons. This is not to mention those folks who are representing their own gaming companies. The decision to jump from the Artist’s Alley room, to the Dealers room can be an intimidating one, but sometimes it is necessary.

I want the head of the Artist Alley to be an Artist, one who actually goes to other conventions and sells. No one know more about Artist Alley’s than other Artists who go to lots of different shows and sells themselves. They know how they want to be treated and what is important to their fellow artists when it comes to attending and selling at a convention. They are also more invested in what happens, and it shows in how they prepare and run an Artist Alley.

I do, within the limits of my finances, I’ve attended Gencon as a selling artist for over a decade, and been a somewhat regular attendee at Otakon, Katsucon, I-Con, FurFright, Chiller Theater, Fur Affinity United, and others. I believe I’ve spoken to you before, and you know this.  In a good number of those cons, Artists Alley is a first come, first serve arrangement, where folks often are lining up to grab tables at 6 AM, or or chosen by lot each day, if you want more reliable space at those cons, you’re in the dealer’s room.

I will apologize for our response times, this year, the issues with the con website, literally prevented us in making progress, often the only response we had was “nothing has changed, we’re waiting on the website”. In the meantime, we spent time on developing what we believe were a reasonable and long over due set of rules for Artists Alley, the lack of which were becoming an issue, leading to things getting out of control in the room. These rules have now been posted, and while they’re not to everyone’s liking, We feel that they are fair and reasonable.

On to the next..

Reasonableness. There is a standard set by anime conventions for how artist alleys in anime conventions are run. The current display maximum is not in line with any convention other than comic conventions. What differs them from an anime convention such as Connecticon (yes, I know it is multi-genre, but let’s face it, a high majority of programming and dealer’s wears are anime-focused – CTCon is as multigenre as any other anime convention I have attended) is that there are industry guests who often go through the alleys to find talent to give work. Thus another way artists profit from their tables. Connecticon does not host those kinds of guests. Since the guests mimic the typical anime conventions (more so than comic conventions), it would be reasonable for table displays to also mimic typical anime conventions, that is an understandable sturdiness and often a maximum of 5’-6’ from the table. I recently invested in photography backdrops stands that can go 12’ wide and 10’ from the floor. Sturdiness with a 5’ from the table display maximum would not be a problem. If there are unsturdy displays, which I have never seen at CTCon, it is then the responsibility of the alley head and staff to enforce the sturdiness rules.

We’ll have to agree to disagree here, tables in Artist’s Alley have displayed a slow degree of creep towards becoming unwieldy and excessive, to the point where they begin to obstruct the business of neighboring artists. What may be your profit, might well be coming at the expense of your neighbor’s if the traffic becomes obstructed by buyers examining every button displayed on a massive display. As a result, since we have to attempt to keep all the artists happy, we’ve set a limit.  What’s more, the size of these displays and the the associated product and the time for set up and take down were becoming an increasing source of friction between the convention and the convention center, because of their union contracts.

Timing. I do not want to get up at the crack of dawn and stay until the owls are out just so that I am open for the five people who might slip in before going to the rave. I expect longer hours than the dealers room, but this ties back into reasonableness. 12 hours is plenty long for us to have to sell: whether it is 9-9, 10-10, or 11-11 (and I can tell you traffic does not start until 10 and dies off around 9 at Connecticon, from years of experience here). I want to be in the room when it is not locked, but I do not want to have to be there for 14.5 hours (many of which are not profitable) to do so.

I appreciate the sentiment, as the staff has to be there, all through those hours as well as well as being there beforehand, but this is a problem best solved by the assistance of co-workers to break things into reasonable shifts.

Re: What Artists Want for Their Money

ICAW, well I am glad that someone on staff is talking with us. However you don’t have a signature, perhaps you could introduce yourself and let us know what you do on staff?  And you said you’ve been going as an artist to other cons, could you share with us a website and/or DA page of your work?  I always like to know who is running the Artist Alley, and see their work.

And I am sure we have met and talked at con, but I am sorry to say I am horrible with names, and as everyone tends to use a different name on the forums, I can’t say I remember who you are.  Or I should say, I may remember who you are, but not knowing your Forum username, I might not realize just who I am talking too.

Also, I understand the need to defend yourself and the points we bring up, but we aren’t asking you to justify every little thing you do. But to realize that people aren’t as happy with things as you think they are, and realize that you might need to make compromises with your artists, or risk losing out on some quality people.

I do want to bring up the Dealer’s room issue though, since I’ve had this problem at other cons, where I would be happy to get a dealer’s table—just one Big problem.  From what I’ve seen with most Dealer’s rooms, is that they go back to the people who’ve already had tables first.  Which means that if every dealer from last year returns—no one new can get in.  So its not as easy as you seem to think it is to just pick up and move to the Dealer’s room.  However, in the Artist Alley it’s first come, first served, every year. So returning artists and new artists all have the same chance at getting a spot.

Now, if I am wrong and Connecticon doesn’t do this—and its first come, first served with Dealer’s room as well, I’d be happy to hear about it.

ICAW - 17 June 2011 10:58 AM

Respect. I want to be respected as a paying customer of Connecticon, not only having paid the membership fee, but also a fee for my table. I want to be respected as a business person, no matter how much or little time I spend selling at Conventions and other shows. And lastly I want to be respected as an essential part of each and every Anime convention. For without ART there is no ANIME!

Respect can be a two way street, If you feel you’ve lost our respect, I do apologize,but in this case, I would recommend that you be more specific about where you feel it’s lacking, so that we can make any needed changes.

I want the right to make a profit. I work hard on my art and products that I sell, and if they are popular I should enjoy the fruits of my labor by making a profit. I don’t want to be limited to what I can and can’t sell and told how many—so long as what I do falls into the scope of Anime Art, Otaku and Gaming culture.

Like happiness in the declaration of independence, there is a right to persue profit , it’s achievement is not an entitlement. The room costs the convention thousands, and like the costs of power and wireless, are the result of the convention center attempting to make their profit. The sales tax license is legally required. the -modest- limits we have placed on what can and can’t be sold are there to maintain the spirit of Artist’s Alley, as in your own words, for fans, by fans…

I want to be able to sell fan art. I understand there is on going legal and moral issues surrounding Fan Art, but it is a part of the Otaku Culture. And so long as I am not tracing or printing out official artwork as my own—and creating something in my own style & poses, etc, then is should be ok. Nor do I want a limit on it. In most cases fan art doesn’t sell very fast, and most artists can’t afford to spend the money to keep a large stock of a single print anyway. And if they can, well they are more talented than me, and goes back to # 2 and the right to make a profit for their hard work and talent.

Which pretty much fits right within our limits…  Nevertheless the legal and moral issues do weigh on us, and so we have weighted in modestly in the direction of limiting fan art, in the hopes of encouraging more original works. If fan art is such a poor seller, perhaps the time has come to move to original creations and develop your own fan-base, much the way the web comics who are in Artist’s Alley have.

I don’t want to be forced into the Dealer’s room because some staff think I am too “professional” or “profitable” for the Artist Alley. The Artist Alley is just that, for Art work made by fans for fans. Yes, some of us do this as a side hobby, some of us try to make a living at this. All of us take it very seriously and try to be as professional as we can—face it you get more sales when you present a polished display and portfolio of art and products. Dealer’s room is for people who are in retail. They buy things wholesale, mark it up and then resell it. Artists make their products themselves, and put a lot of hard work into it. Very big difference and what separates us Artists from Dealers. And going back to # 1, it would be nice if you respected this difference and didn’t try to force Artists to be something they aren’t.

I’ll disagree here, the dealers room is not just for those in retail, if you’ve gone through it in the last years, you’ll note that there are a fair number of custom costumers there,  those dresses and tails and leather work are not bought wholesale, they’re made with the sweat of the brow of the people selling them, Professional artists and crafts people, are also fairly well represented in dealers room at many as well cons. This is not to mention those folks who are representing their own gaming companies. The decision to jump from the Artist’s Alley room, to the Dealers room can be an intimidating one, but sometimes it is necessary.

I want the head of the Artist Alley to be an Artist, one who actually goes to other conventions and sells. No one know more about Artist Alley’s than other Artists who go to lots of different shows and sells themselves. They know how they want to be treated and what is important to their fellow artists when it comes to attending and selling at a convention. They are also more invested in what happens, and it shows in how they prepare and run an Artist Alley.

I do, within the limits of my finances, I’ve attended Gencon as a selling artist for over a decade, and been a somewhat regular attendee at Otakon, Katsucon, I-Con, FurFright, Chiller Theater, Fur Affinity United, and others. I believe I’ve spoken to you before, and you know this.  In a good number of those cons, Artists Alley is a first come, first serve arrangement, where folks often are lining up to grab tables at 6 AM, or or chosen by lot each day, if you want more reliable space at those cons, you’re in the dealer’s room.

I will apologize for our response times, this year, the issues with the con website, literally prevented us in making progress, often the only response we had was “nothing has changed, we’re waiting on the website”. In the meantime, we spent time on developing what we believe were a reasonable and long over due set of rules for Artists Alley, the lack of which were becoming an issue, leading to things getting out of control in the room. These rules have now been posted, and while they’re not to everyone’s liking, We feel that they are fair and reasonable.

On to the next..

Reasonableness. There is a standard set by anime conventions for how artist alleys in anime conventions are run. The current display maximum is not in line with any convention other than comic conventions. What differs them from an anime convention such as Connecticon (yes, I know it is multi-genre, but let’s face it, a high majority of programming and dealer’s wears are anime-focused – CTCon is as multigenre as any other anime convention I have attended) is that there are industry guests who often go through the alleys to find talent to give work. Thus another way artists profit from their tables. Connecticon does not host those kinds of guests. Since the guests mimic the typical anime conventions (more so than comic conventions), it would be reasonable for table displays to also mimic typical anime conventions, that is an understandable sturdiness and often a maximum of 5’-6’ from the table. I recently invested in photography backdrops stands that can go 12’ wide and 10’ from the floor. Sturdiness with a 5’ from the table display maximum would not be a problem. If there are unsturdy displays, which I have never seen at CTCon, it is then the responsibility of the alley head and staff to enforce the sturdiness rules.

We’ll have to agree to disagree here, tables in Artist’s Alley have displayed a slow degree of creep towards becoming unwieldy and excessive, to the point where they begin to obstruct the business of neighboring artists. What may be your profit, might well be coming at the expense of your neighbor’s if the traffic becomes obstructed by buyers examining every button displayed on a massive display. As a result, since we have to attempt to keep all the artists happy, we’ve set a limit.  What’s more, the size of these displays and the the associated product and the time for set up and take down were becoming an increasing source of friction between the convention and the convention center, because of their union contracts.

Timing. I do not want to get up at the crack of dawn and stay until the owls are out just so that I am open for the five people who might slip in before going to the rave. I expect longer hours than the dealers room, but this ties back into reasonableness. 12 hours is plenty long for us to have to sell: whether it is 9-9, 10-10, or 11-11 (and I can tell you traffic does not start until 10 and dies off around 9 at Connecticon, from years of experience here). I want to be in the room when it is not locked, but I do not want to have to be there for 14.5 hours (many of which are not profitable) to do so.

I appreciate the sentiment, as the staff has to be there, all through those hours as well as well as being there beforehand, but this is a problem best solved by the assistance of co-workers to break things into reasonable shifts.

Honestly, this is what I’m referring to and is one of the problems with the way this alley is handled.  Rather than getting a discussion, or figuring out why we’re upset and trying to compromise, or even taking time to try to consider our point of view, we get an item-by-item list of why we’re wrong as usual.

It is your responsibility as staff to address issues and concerns rather than dismiss them.  There is more than one person bringing up issues here and I have seen and heard other artists in other alleys tell people not to bother with this convention as it is run so poorly and brings in so little profit for its size.  I hear “it used to be awesome” but now is not worth the time, effort, or money.

I am absolutely sick of staff being right simply because they’re staff.  We are the paying customer and we are the ones you need to listen to.  I promise that if things do not improve I will not waste my time, money, or effort with Connecticon, others will do the same, and I will never again suggest that people attend.  And there are a few of us who actually draw people to this convention because we will be there.  I know I have had people on my DA page say they were not attending CTCon but would buy a Saturday pass so they could stop at my table.  Whether you like it or not, the AA does draw people to the convention.  As Inyx said we provide people with hours upon hours of programming and if the AA gets any smaller than it already is, what’s the point?

And back to #1 from Inyx’s post, this is where the respect is lacking.  Listen to what we are saying.  Consider it.  And think about some of the ramifications of not listening to us.  Because the empty spaces currently in the AA are not only because of the tax license.  You are losing artist and you are not gaining any new ones.  Partly due to the tax license, partly due to what we are discussing.  I have friends who are dealers and say they are treated with loads more respect and their concerns are addressed.  Which is partly why they moved into the dealer’s room.  But lack of respect should NOT be a reason to move.  The fact that it is becoming one is ridiculous.

Re: What Artists Want for Their Money

I’m going to clarify some things in order to keep this conversation civil because it’s taken a very dark tone and I want to make sure the message isn’t getting lost. I would hate to lock this thread, so I’m just reminding everyone to be respectful.

I won’t comment on all the specifics because I think Ian did a good job addressing most of them. This is certainly not a “right vs. wrong” issue. The staffers are trying to be as transparent as possible and tell everyone the reasons behind their decisions, which a lot of other organizations would not do. They would make sweeping changes and silence all opposition. It’s completely within their right to do that because they run the show, but we try not to be that way. We take suggestions into consideration when we make policies and procedures. We also try to let people know when we have no control over the way things are run. It’s a hard thing to admit, but if we say something like, “this is how the convention center wants us to do things,” everyone should accept that. Call them up if you feel that strongly about it, but they run events every week, so I doubt they’d make anymore exceptions for us than they already do.

The major reasons why these small amounts of changes were made (because they are small) is because the AC staff was getting complaints about these things from other artists or they were concerned about the ramifications of not changing the rules. We try to be intuitive and prevent incidents like when DRS showed up and yelled at some artists because they didn’t have licenses. It’s not easy trying to balance state laws with the opinions of our artists, as it is equally difficult for lawmakers, but I think the AC staff does a good job with this. I personally apologize if the rules affect anyone in a more profound way than others, but they have to be fair for everyone.

As mentioned, some of our rules are also for safety reasons. The AC is set up the way it is by our show coordinator for a reason - to comply with fire code. CT fire codes are extremely strict; I can’t stress this enough. Google “The Hartford Circus Fire” to get an idea. The fire marshal is present at the convention at all times and we try not to push our luck. On top of that, I’ve been to lots of conventions to promote for ConnectiCon. The biggest shows that I’ve been to have even stricter rules about their AA’s. NYCC is the best example I have- their AA spaces are just seas of barren tables. They’re often not allowed to display work at all, they have to keep it to portfolios, fliers, and business cards. So, I know that the new rules are not out of line. We would not have approved them if we thought they were unreasonable.

Let me be clear- these rules are not only to protect us, the convention center, and our artists (both physically and legally), they are to ensure fairness. Artists who are just starting out in our colony don’t have the money or marketing knowledge to put up fancy displays or make hundreds of copies of their work. They may not be aware of federal/state regulations regarding selling merchandise and copyright ownership, so we take it upon ourselves to inform people of this and make any prohibitions against this to make the ground level for everyone. If even a few people break the laws, other people will decide that they can get away with it, so they’ll try it and get themselves into legal trouble. This doesn’t reflect well on us, either, and it could get us into trouble. We’ve had our fair share of legal issues, so we don’t take any chances.

As for communication, I know for a fact that the AC staff is always available to talk with their artists about concerns. They may not be available online 24/7, but they’re always at staff meetings, MADs, and other events. Face to face conversation seems to be their preferred method of communication. They’re old school, they don’t all sit at their computers and obsessively check their facebooks, and this can be a hurdle for some people to get in touch with them, but it’s not because they ignore people. Without getting personal about it, access to a computer is a problem for some of our staff members. It’s not a requirement for the position and it doesn’t hinder the job they do for the convention. Outside of that, we’re aware of the online communication problems, but I can assure you that 90% of the problem was due to the website, which the AC staff had no control over, so I don’t feel they should be faulted for it. The AC staff was prepared for the new registration system, which they were promised, but unfortunately the rest of the site wasn’t completed on time. I think the AC staff was very good about making last minute accommodations and they were available to help with the process.

If you need an outlet for your frustration over registration or other things, direct your anger at the executive staff. In fact, if anyone ever feels like they are being ignored or disrespected by a department, take initiative and e-mail someone in charge like myself or thehappyguy. This is what people do when they have a problem with a business, it should be no different for us. It can be fixed quickly and then we wouldn’t need to have these discussions because I feel that they don’t always solve the problem.

As for the location, I think it’s a great location for the artists. I personally love the ballroom- it’s welcoming, colorful (unlike the dealers’ room), and allows for better security because we can keep it locked when the AC is closed, unlike the exhibit space or the hallways. And it certainly shouldn’t be taken as an insult if we suggest that you get a dealer booth. People leave all the time because they feel they’ve outgrown the AC, and that’s fine - it’s a sign of success. As stated, we have many artists in the dealers’ room and they have all been very happy to make the switch. I don’t think we’ve had anyone go back.

And since I’ve been assisting AC staff with registration this year, I can confirm that the AC is full this year, so thankfully the rule changes have not kept people away. We will be having quite a few new artists this year as well, so hopefully they will do well and enjoy themselves and decide to come back. We’re expecting to continue to grow as a convention, and I hope that the artists will be willing to grow with us.

Re: What Artists Want for Their Money

[quote author=“Skydancer”]I’m going to clarify some things in order to keep this conversation civil because it’s taken a very dark tone and I want to make sure the message isn’t getting lost. I would hate to lock this thread, so I’m just reminding everyone to be respectful.

It isn’t that people are being disrespectful, it’s that they are frustrated and angry, and yes that is going to come across. But no one is swearing at you, and calling you names, etc.  We just want to have our issues taken seriously and actually have a conversation about how to deal with them.  And locking this thread and pretending that you don’t have a problem at all isn’t going to help.  In fact it’s just going to reinforce the fact that staff doesn’t want to actually listen to artists.  Something that even I am sadly coming to see more and more.

[quote author=“Skydancer”]
I won’t comment on all the specifics because I think Ian did a good job addressing most of them. This is certainly not a “right vs. wrong” issue. The staffers are trying to be as transparent as possible and tell everyone the reasons behind their decisions, which a lot of other organizations would not do. They would make sweeping changes and silence all opposition. It’s completely within their right to do that because they run the show, but we try not to be that way. We take suggestions into consideration when we make policies and procedures. We also try to let people know when we have no control over the way things are run. It’s a hard thing to admit, but if we say something like, “this is how the convention center wants us to do things,” everyone should accept that. Call them up if you feel that strongly about it, but they run events every week, so I doubt they’d make anymore exceptions for us than they already do.

Again, we weren’t looking for someone to justify every little thing. But to actually realize that people aren’t happy with the changes, and that we want to be included in the planning process by actually having staff ask for suggestions and feedback and try to make an effort to meet us half way.  I do understand the need to juggle rules and regulations from both the state and convention center, however a lot of things you do have control over. Such as location, communication issues, and limits on prints, etc.  Its like the tax license, yes we understand it’s the law, and we will comply. However, the state of CT doesn’t demand we must be put in a ballroom, or that we can only sell 10 copies of one print.  Thats all staff decisions.

[quote author=“Skydancer”]
The major reasons why these small amounts of changes were made (because they are small) is because the AC staff was getting complaints about these things from other artists or they were concerned about the ramifications of not changing the rules. We try to be intuitive and prevent incidents like when DRS showed up and yelled at some artists because they didn’t have licenses. It’s not easy trying to balance state laws with the opinions of our artists, as it is equally difficult for lawmakers, but I think the AC staff does a good job with this. I personally apologize if the rules affect anyone in a more profound way than others, but they have to be fair for everyone.

Actually, they are not small changes.  They may seem small to you, but the display height rule alone is a Huge problem.  I’ve spent years, and hundreds of dollars refining my display so that It can look appealing and professional and showcase as much of my products as possible—nor am I the only one to do so.  Because despite what you seem to think, the very Last thing an artist wants is for their display to fall over and ruin artwork.  Nor is my display overly tall, at max its’ a little over 6ft from the top of the table—which does include my banner.  Suddenly being told that for one show my entire display is suddenly too tall?  Not easy to deal with at all.  And this change was made without any warning, nor with any open discussion with the artists. In fact, I have to wonder just how many people even saw this rule, since it was sent out by e-mail to a small list of people. Instead of being posted to the website for all to see and read before they made the decision to buy a table.  And in addition to the rules not being publicly released before the sale of the tables, you don’t provide for refunds.  So even if I do decide that I can’t comply to this new rule, I can’t get my money back.

[quote author=“Skydancer”]
As mentioned, some of our rules are also for safety reasons. The AC is set up the way it is by our show coordinator for a reason - to comply with fire code. CT fire codes are extremely strict; I can’t stress this enough. Google “The Hartford Circus Fire” to get an idea. The fire marshal is present at the convention at all times and we try not to push our luck. On top of that, I’ve been to lots of conventions to promote for ConnectiCon. The biggest shows that I’ve been to have even stricter rules about their AA’s. NYCC is the best example I have- their AA spaces are just seas of barren tables. They’re often not allowed to display work at all, they have to keep it to portfolios, fliers, and business cards. So, I know that the new rules are not out of line. We would not have approved them if we thought they were unreasonable.

But NYCC is not a good example of the type of con that Connecticon is.  And if you go to shows like AnimeNEXT, Anime Boston and even Otakon, you will see a very different sort of Artist Alley. However, if the direction that Connection is going in, is just to become another Comic Con, then please be up front with Artists and let us know. Because if that is what you really want, then the rest of us will know to not waste our time.

[quote author=“Skydancer”]
Let me be clear- these rules are not only to protect us, the convention center, and our artists (both physically and legally), they are to ensure fairness. Artists who are just starting out in our colony don’t have the money or marketing knowledge to put up fancy displays or make hundreds of copies of their work. They may not be aware of federal/state regulations regarding selling merchandise and copyright ownership, so we take it upon ourselves to inform people of this and make any prohibitions against this to make the ground level for everyone. If even a few people break the laws, other people will decide that they can get away with it, so they’ll try it and get themselves into legal trouble. This doesn’t reflect well on us, either, and it could get us into trouble. We’ve had our fair share of legal issues, so we don’t take any chances.

Again, I know that the convention has to protect itself, but I have to wonder just who you are being “fair” too.  Newcomers yes, but what about those of us who have been going to cons for a long time, and have invested in our set-ups?  How is it fair to us, that you make a rule changes that disqualifies us in one sweeping gesture, or so hampers us that its not worth it for us to even go to your con?  Nor how will it remain fair to those newcomers who eventually learn marketing and make enough money to afford more prints and a nice display.  Because they will eventually out grow your convention and rules and not come back.  And you will be stuck with an artists alley of small, beginning artists who might only have a small portfolio of work—if any, and be taking commissions on lined notebook paper.  Heck, even most of your webcomic people don’t want to be in the Artist Alley, instead wanting to be in the dealer’s room where they will be treated better and get more sales.

[quote author=“Skydancer”]
As for communication, I know for a fact that the AC staff is always available to talk with their artists about concerns. They may not be available online 24/7, but they’re always at staff meetings, MADs, and other events. Face to face conversation seems to be their preferred method of communication. They’re old school, they don’t all sit at their computers and obsessively check their facebooks, and this can be a hurdle for some people to get in touch with them, but it’s not because they ignore people. Without getting personal about it, access to a computer is a problem for some of our staff members. It’s not a requirement for the position and it doesn’t hinder the job they do for the convention. Outside of that, we’re aware of the online communication problems, but I can assure you that 90% of the problem was due to the website, which the AC staff had no control over, so I don’t feel they should be faulted for it. The AC staff was prepared for the new registration system, which they were promised, but unfortunately the rest of the site wasn’t completed on time. I think the AC staff was very good about making last minute accommodations and they were available to help with the process.

Again, while you might see to think it’s just dandy that staffers are available at these events, just how do you expect Artists to find a way to get there to talk to them?  Especially when some of us live out of state.  And the only reason I would be going to a staff meeting, was if I was on staff—and aren’t staff meetings closed events anyway, just for staffers?  As for it not being a requirement for the position, perhaps its time it was.  There clearly is a break down in communication, and the best way to address it is to have staff that can easily check the forums, and answer e-mails in a timely manner.  And when I say staff, I mean Artist Alley staff, especially the head of the department.

[quote author=“Skydancer”]
If you need an outlet for your frustration over registration or other things, direct your anger at the executive staff. In fact, if anyone ever feels like they are being ignored or disrespected by a department, take initiative and e-mail someone in charge like myself or thehappyguy. This is what people do when they have a problem with a business, it should be no different for us. It can be fixed quickly and then we wouldn’t need to have these discussions because I feel that they don’t always solve the problem.

Honestly, registration is just one of the many issues with the Artist Alley.  And I have e-mailed before, got one response and then never heard back from anyone again.  And again, what we want is an open discussion between artists and staff.  One that everyone can see and be a part of.  And of course these discussions aren’t working. By you even saying that “we wouldn’t need to have discussions because I feel that they don’t always solve the problem.” says to me that you don’t want this stuff aired on the forum for all to see, because you don’t want anyone to know that people are upset with how things are run, and that any discussion is moot anyway, because you have already made up your mind about how things should be.  And we just can’t do anything to change it anyway.

[quote author=“Skydancer”]
As for the location, I think it’s a great location for the artists. I personally love the ballroom- it’s welcoming, colorful (unlike the dealers’ room), and allows for better security because we can keep it locked when the AC is closed, unlike the exhibit space or the hallways. And it certainly shouldn’t be taken as an insult if we suggest that you get a dealer booth. People leave all the time because they feel they’ve outgrown the AC, and that’s fine - it’s a sign of success. As stated, we have many artists in the dealers’ room and they have all been very happy to make the switch. I don’t think we’ve had anyone go back.

I’d glad you like the ballroom, but then again you aren’t the one sitting there all weekend trying to sell are, are you?  And of course people aren’t coming back from the Dealer’s room, if they can get in, because they are treated better over there, have better traffic and make more money. Why would they want to waste their time on the Artist Alley?  Again, if you want to redefine your Artist Alley, please at least be very clear about it to the rest of us.  It you just want new artists, or a certain type of artist, they say so, on the website in writing.  So everyone else can know not to waste their time trying to go somewhere they aren’t welcome.  And yes, I am really starting to feel unwelcome.

[quote author=“Skydancer”]
And since I’ve been assisting AC staff with registration this year, I can confirm that the AC is full this year, so thankfully the rule changes have not kept people away. We will be having quite a few new artists this year as well, so hopefully they will do well and enjoy themselves and decide to come back. We’re expecting to continue to grow as a convention, and I hope that the artists will be willing to grow with us.

Again, may I remind you that many of those new artists might not have seen the rules, because you haven’t posted them to the website—other than the tax license requirement.  So they are going to show up with no idea. And considering how the Artist Alley has shrunk in size and talent, I really don’t see how you plan to grow.  Again, my advice, is find someone to run the Artist Alley who can communicate in a timely manner, is invested in running a great Artist Alley, and then actually give them enough control to get the Artist Alley back in line with other conventions.  Because if you didn’t know, Connecticon’s Artist Alley has the worst reputation right now.  Most people are told not to go, its too much of a hassle, you won’t be treated well, and forget making any money.  Oh, and then there is how the staff treats you. 

And even though I spent the money to get a tax license, and was invested in returning for 5 years, I really think this is my last year of putting up with this nonsense.
And to other Artists, I know how frustrating this is, but I still hope you won’t stop posting your wish lists and giving feedback.

hemlock_inyx - 17 June 2011 11:32 AM

ICAW, well I am glad that someone on staff is talking with us. However you don’t have a signature, perhaps you could introduce yourself and let us know what you do on staff?  And you said you’ve been going as an artist to other cons, could you share with us a website and/or DA page of your work?  I always like to know who is running the Artist Alley, and see their work.

Well to quote the Stones…“Please allow me to introduce myself…

My name is Ian Williams, you’ve met me several times at the con, I’m the tall skinny fellow, occasionally in the Cheshire cat outfit who helps run artists Alley, I’m usually ensconced next to Joe, with a table full of miniatures, terrain, and leather and jewelry work.  As I mentioned above, I’m a long time con-goer, but as you may have been able to tell from the list of conventions I dropped, I by no means go to Anime cons exclusively, or even frequently, being far more likely to hit a Furry or Gaming con, when I can afford to.  As such I may be a little out of touch with how a lot of the anime cons handle things, but on the other hand, I have seen a -wide- variety of art shows, dealers rooms and artist’s alleys. and how they’re run across a broad range of cons and genres. I’ve seen some that are a lot better than Connection, I’ve seen a lot that are a lot worse. 

Artistically I lean toward middle to high end craftwork and original graphic work, since I hit a lot of Furry and general Sci-Fi cons I’m a little biased, since those cons a high value is placed on original works; prints of original works, and on the spot commissions are the money makers, and IP violations are one of the quicker ways to start a general flame fest. 

I will and admit and apologize for past lack of communication, between the website issues and a few computer migrations on my end I had fallen out of touch with the forums and staff email, and had basically let things fall to Cels and Skydancer, I’ve gotten things back together on my end and hope to keep the lines open, though in some cases, replies may take a bit as things get bounced up and down the ladder, when I don’t feel I can necessarily speak for the con right off the bat.

Honestly, this is what I’m referring to and is one of the problems with the way this alley is handled. Rather than getting a discussion, or figuring out why we’re upset and trying to compromise, or even taking time to try to consider our point of view, we get an item-by-item list of why we’re wrong as usual.

Okay…  now have you run across this little bit of dialog?

Aren’t you going to tell me to change something, too?.
No, I just want my dress to be cool.
Do you not like the color?.
The color’s fine, just make it look cooler.
Do you not like the shape?.
The shape’s fine, just make the whole thing you know, cooler….
It needs to be about 20% cooler.

My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic - Suited For Success

This is sorta how I feel about this whole issue…

I’m not quite sure how else to begin a discussion of a long list of points, other than by addressing them one at a a time, I’m an old usenet hand, and quote/replies are how I learned to do things….

Now as the actually problems go, they seem to break down in two ways…
a) our communications suck…b) folks don’t like the new rules on fanart and display size

a) is not somewhere where I’ll tell you you’re wrong, between the website issues and RL problems among the various AA staff members , it’s fallen apart over the last two years, we -are- trying to fix this and open up broken lines of communications to get things running smoothly and openly again,

b) Is somewhere where we will disagree, and this is a two way street,  the artists are not the only people who observed problems in artists alley over the years, and we’ve had to deal with these problems as they’ve come up…  cases in point, being a wandering location, the unionization of the convention center, making sure that people are informed of how to get utilities, and most lately the sales tax issue.  All of these have caused problem that we’ve had to attempt in one way or another to mitigate for the artists.  Some solutions, like for example an AA cashier, a real art show, or somehow paying the union fees to give AA folks access to the loading dock are simply out of reach because AA is a break even operation for us, and sometimes even a money loser.

Sometimes the problems come at us from the artists end too, and we can’t always take a “the customer is always right” attitude,  in particular we’ve noted and been unhappy about a proliferation of oversize booths, and virtually mass produced fan art in AA over the last few years,  and we’ve slowly come to the conclusion that we need to do something about them. Booth size presents a double problem to us, as a) a large booths do obstruct and overshadow of neighboring artists, and b) set up and take down has become an issue, with both time limits for us closing the convention, and conflicts with timing at the loading dock, elevators, and union labor,  limiting booth size, is sort of an attempt to kill two birds with one stone. 

Fan art is another matter, while the moral element is debatable, the legal one is less so, commercial use of someone’s IP is illegal, and risks a lawsuit,  while some Anime companies may look the other way, other companies, particularly in other genre’s may not,  we really cannot risk a lawsuit, or possible loss of our sponsors over this.  This becomes a particular issue when those items border on mass production, to the point where their quality and number are really indistinguishable from that of a licensed product.  As such, we’ve “laid the law down” and put rules in place that limit, but don’t ban fan art. It’s our hope, that over time, this will encourage folks in artists alley to be more creative and original, and develop their own fanbase…

Re: What Artists Want for Their Money

So straight up, I have a question that I would appreciate answered.  We understand why you put in the rules.  Repeating them in response to our gripes won’t make us suddenly have an epiphany where we immediately exclaim, “oh, we get it now.”  We get them.  We know why you justify them.  We don’t like them.  We have been going to this convention and others in the area (yes, everyone posting here goes all over New England and further) for a long time.

We obviously have a number of problems (and while it seems like those new to the alley and complain are listened to more than those who have been supporting you with the attendees that come for us, the programming we provide, and with our space fees and membership dues for years. . .) and it is obviously not only one person who feels this way.  I think Inyx, Owls Mirror, Project Poppet have well addressed your responses.

So onto my question: do you care that we are unhappy?  Will you consider our gripes? Will you try to work with us to fix them so the people who pay for the section are happy?  With your posts it doesn’t seem like it (defending them doesn’t make the problem go away for us). 

If the answer to any of these three questions is no, then this entire thread is moot.  While you need to stay within the law (just as every other convention of this nature does), you also need to make your customers happy or they will no longer be your customers.  There is a serious lack of professionalism with this situation (though less so in this thread).  With nothing posted on the website, the threat of locking the thread (to attempt to silence dissent as I see it), and no communication before this thread was created (by the way, the next time James sends out an email can you ask him to send it to himself and BCC the mailing list?  I was surprised to see my personal email address and everyone else’s go out to everyone), this convention is known for a lack of professionalism.  On another convention’s AA forums, “I have absolutely no idea what’s going on with Connecticon’s AA this year - or in previous years. I just hear whispers from other artists to Not Do It, that it Used To Be Awesome but has since just turned into this hodge-podge of “D:” faces.”  From someone who has “not done Connecticon before (and [has] no plans to do so)” this should be the kind of information Connecticon worries about.  On a convention’s facebook page (the whole convention, not just AA), someone wrote “Who’s going to Connecticon 2011?.” While there was a few “what is it?” and “maybe just for Saturday” responses, the most poignant one that you should listen to was “meh.”

Skydancer, it’s great that you like the ballroom for the AA; but you’re not the one selling in it.  We are and we don’t.  Ian, it’s great that you think booths are oversized and to an extent I agree.  But going from “anything goes” to 6’ from the floor give artists used to any extreme (from no display to a massive one) just 40” from the top of the table and a small table surface for display.  That is a VERY small display space.  Compare it to Otakon (a convention with the same fan art rules): 60” from the table (Yes, 20” makes a BIG difference for artists).  The next point I have about displays relates to another one of CTCon’s policies.  Our displays are stationary and sturdy.  Yet 7,000 attendees can make props 8’ tall (dwarfing our tables), 150 lbs heavy, and movable.  This alone doesn’t make sense.

With the fan art rule, I have never seen a funimation booth at CTCon.  I have never seen Disney at CTCon.  So to protect the convention in the contract you waive all convention liability.  Not to mention, I have friends who have sold at Anime North (where Disney does attend) and they were approached by Disney’s lawyer.  What happened?  They were given a cease and desist.  There was no law suit.  The only new rule in effect was no Disney-owned character fan art (including marvel now).  Adding onto that, Anime NEXT, about the same size at CT Con has no fan art rules and had no problems.  New York Anime Festival, attached to NYCC has TONS of industry guests, no fan art rules and no problems.  Copyright laws were not made to protect companies from fan art, but from another company taking their character, design, concept, etc, and using it in their own games, books, videos, etc.

Displays at Anime North (since we’re looking at the convention already) are a “sturdy and does not impede your neighbor’s space.”  Everyone posting in this thread was previously a new convention artists.  I started at CTCon in the hallway with a few pieces of fabric (on Saturday because only then did I realize everyone used table cloths), a few shoeboxes to push up my prints to higher display, and a small portfolio.  From there I learned to utelize vertical display because a table top isn’t that big.  And people don’t like to flip through portfolios.  And you need to be eye catching so try to have all of your prints on display.  Use lights and sound if you can.  And over time displays develop into ones like the staff seem to dislike.  But okay: those new alley members go to CTCon, see the 6’ tall rule, and then decide to expand to other conventions.  They will again be dwarfed.  They don’t learn, as Inyx wrote, about merchandising or more professional displays until they go some where else and realize how silly the CTCon conventions’ rules are.  I’m glad I was dwarfed by first year.  I made plenty of money to pay for my table and profit a bit, and seeing those huge displays inspired me to do a bigger display.  Not only that, talking to the artists and looking at their displays helped me know what to get to impress and boost my sales.  And going to the first convention, seeing the bigger displays help people learn so they can do even better at the next convention they attend.  I have told at least a half dozen new artists at various conventions what I do for display and where they can get the material for it if they want to try. 

For comic artists who do have the 6’ rule: they are published, they are mostly doing commissions, and there are industry guests at those conventions who they want to impress.  Your rule doesn’t make it fair for everyone; as Owlsmirror said it makes it equal, but not fair. 

This post turned out a lot longer than I wanted it to, but I did try to go more into depth and pick out some specific examples.