This sums up every con that I have attended and staffed. And pretty my anime viewing rooms and VGR are the only things running and those are very quiet at this time too.
…why wouldn’t there be? I work nights. 4am is just after break, time to start wrapping things up before morning shift shows up.
At Con, 4am means the drunks are finally gone, the crowds are gone, can finally enjoy the place.
Err, yeah. I mean it’s been a while certainly, but I don’t think I ever hit any kind of con that wasn’t 24. Some of them would shut down certain bits after it got seriously late, but that was just some of the official stuff. Not even all of that.
Most Arizona conventions are not 24 hours. Things may still run super late depending on the event, but most official programming ends by 3am at the latest and picks up again by 10am the next morning. There might be some attendee-run room parties, but I’ve never been to one so I don’t know how common those are.
Some of this does depend on the venue. I worked a con in a small town that had to close by 11am due to security and safety reasons. The entrance to the hotel’s panel rooms used to go through the gift shop, so the con had to close up when the gift shop closed. There was a back entrance, but the con staff agreed not to push it since it wasn’t well-lit and located at the back of the hotel.
Moving to a different location wasn’t an option since the local convention center is ridiculously expensive – way over the con’s budget. Plus, the hotel staff are incredibly accommodating.
UnCONventional is a comic that ran from December 2009 to December 2019 about the staff of a small town anime convention and their lives. This is a complete online archive of the comic.
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15 thoughts on “Four O’Clock”
Langland
This sums up every con that I have attended and staffed. And pretty my anime viewing rooms and VGR are the only things running and those are very quiet at this time too.
Vorlonagent
Let the boy go on patrol. Give his enthusiasm and energy an outlet.
Xero
he’s an ass and making him sit on it will annoy him
Ed Rhodes
I disagree. Let this guy go “on patrol,” and I guarantee you, he will FIND “violators” to harass.
mitamaking
Wait, Bork Con is a 24 hour con? Why are there still 24 hour cons?
E. Bernhard Warg
Caffeine and sugar.
Trae Dorn
…there are multiday cons held in hotels that AREN’T 24 hour cons?
Those sound like disappointing cons to attend.
EcchiKitty
…why wouldn’t there be? I work nights. 4am is just after break, time to start wrapping things up before morning shift shows up.
At Con, 4am means the drunks are finally gone, the crowds are gone, can finally enjoy the place.
Dessa
Wait, there are NON 24-hour cons? I mean, yeah, PAX and crap, but fan-run anime cons that aren’t?!
Abdiel
Err, yeah. I mean it’s been a while certainly, but I don’t think I ever hit any kind of con that wasn’t 24. Some of them would shut down certain bits after it got seriously late, but that was just some of the official stuff. Not even all of that.
E. Bernhard Warg
Yes, if the fan-run con is in a convention center.
Vince Averello
Yeah, we have to shut down the dance at 2A and even that means we’re paying extra to keep the center open an extra hour.
Shadow
Most Arizona conventions are not 24 hours. Things may still run super late depending on the event, but most official programming ends by 3am at the latest and picks up again by 10am the next morning. There might be some attendee-run room parties, but I’ve never been to one so I don’t know how common those are.
Some of this does depend on the venue. I worked a con in a small town that had to close by 11am due to security and safety reasons. The entrance to the hotel’s panel rooms used to go through the gift shop, so the con had to close up when the gift shop closed. There was a back entrance, but the con staff agreed not to push it since it wasn’t well-lit and located at the back of the hotel.
Moving to a different location wasn’t an option since the local convention center is ridiculously expensive – way over the con’s budget. Plus, the hotel staff are incredibly accommodating.
E. Bernhard Warg
Do you perchance mean 11pm?
Shadow
Yes! I did mean 11pm, my bad! XD
About the Comic
UnCONventional is a comic that ran from December 2009 to December 2019 about the staff of a small town anime convention and their lives. This is a complete online archive of the comic.
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