Fan Fest 2016 suggestions
Just a few suggestions based on my observations from the first Fan Fest.
Initial online registration - They need to have the fan fest signups on more robust servers with larger bandwidth. The systems choked instantly last time and caused a lot of unhappiness with people either not being able to get to the webpage to register, or once they get in, not being able to complete the registration. Furthermore, I do understand the need to limit the attendance, however, if there is to be a limited number of attendees, then rather then offer them all up at once, split the signup period up into chunks, offered at different times of the day. This way, people who are working, or otherwise occupied when the initial offering happens, also have a chance to get signed up. So(purely as an example), if you had like 2000 spaces available, make 500 available at 10AM, 500 at 2pm, 500 at 6pm, 500 at 10pm. Please do announce the times when they will become available, to give people a chance to plan ahead to get the best chance at getting registered.
VIP Ticket - Would have been nice to have more of these available, they went way too fast.
Registration at Fan Fest - This was the line to end all lines and could have been handled better. Rather than make everyone form up a huge line to register, receive their name badges and convention bag/t-shirt; why not take a lead from some of the other huge conventions out there. Mail the name badges out to people (well in advance of the convention, no reason to cut it close), then when people come to register, they present the name badge, it gets scanned (registration complete!), then you get given the items associated with your attendee status.
Hard Plastic Convention Name Badges - Part of the point of going to a convention for a game is to create memories, and bring back mementos for the future. The first Fan Fest's badges were paper (a rather huge disappointment) , printed on site as you checked in. We can do better than this! I'd love to see them move to something that will last. Thick plastic card stock please!
The lines - I understand having thousands of eager fans trying to go to the eight or so areas that the first fan fest had is going to result in lines, but something needs to be done to break things up. Maybe multiple locations for a single event type with smaller lines rather than a single event with a gigantic line.
Merchandise Area - Two big issues with the first Fan Fest Merch. First, they had only two cash registers, and when the credit card system went down on one of them it created huge delays in the line, they need to plan some redundancy into their ability to have people throw money at them. Second, even with the crowd splitting up eight ways after the opening ceremony to the various events, people that were at the back of the line in that initial line forming, on first morning of the first day, there were already items being listed as out of stock. That was just from the first group of people who immediately went to the line to buy stuff, people that went to play the other events had it even worse. Bring more stuff to sell, you know how many attendees will be there!
Please feel free to add suggestions, the DEVs may be listening!