Sonic Boom 2014 "I wanna be apart of it, New York! New York!"

[Wittymations]

Bit of a stupid question, I guess, but what usually happens on these events, anyway? Sonic Boom and Summer of Sonic? (I guess SoS is the European Sonic festival while Boom is the American).

 

I never can go to these being the broke joke that I am.

 

I know the probably leak some information and hold a Q and A, but what else all happens? Games? Food? Merchandise plugging? I expect the info to be leaked online afterwards, and I guess it gives an excuse to meet all your online Sonic fan buddies, but anything else?

[Tani Coyote]

Bit of a stupid question, I guess, but what usually happens on these events, anyway? Sonic Boom and Summer of Sonic? (I guess SoS is the European Sonic festival while Boom is the American).

 

I never can go to these being the broke joke that I am.

 

I know the probably leak some information and hold a Q and A, but what else all happens? Games? Food? Merchandise plugging? I expect the info to be leaked online afterwards, and I guess it gives an excuse to meet all your online Sonic fan buddies, but anything else?

SoS:

-8 Hour or so event, daytime

-Free entry

-Autograph signings

-Concerts

-Fan animation showcasing

-Sonic music in the background

-QnA with developers

-Cosplay and trivia contests

-Usually some sort of preview

-Food has to be purchased separately

-Very large merchandise booth

Sonic Boom:

-4 Hour Event, evening

-Paid entry (~30 dollars)

-Usually has higher end exclusives, if I'm not mistaken

-Concert

-QnA with developers

-Cosplay and trivia contests

-Usually has a preview, generally more extensive than what SoS receives

-Food is provided as part of the package

-Small merchandise booth

At least, that's as far as I know. Ultimately, SoS comes off a tad more as a proper convention with more to wander around and do (autographs, large booths, artist tables, etc.) whereas Boom seems more like a party.

[Wittymations]

Sounds like SoS has more going for it aside from the more extensive preview and the food.

[Tani Coyote]

More or less, yes.

I think it may also because the money is spent differently... case in point:

Catering: This very often costs 20 dollars per person at upscale venues at the lowest. So a lot of SEGA America's ticket price goes towards the catering. Summer of Sonic has attendees fend for themselves for food, so that expense is removed (it's still a very expensive event though, based on educated guesses).

Staff: As far as I can tell, a lot of SEGA employees are flown in to wherever the location of Boom is... that money between hotels/flights adds up really quick. SoS staff pay their own way, barring rare exceptions.

Venues: SoS, if I am not mistaken, is more partial towards community centers. These tend to be a looooot cheaper than the nightclub venues preferred by Sonic Boom.

I'd be okay not having complementary food if it made the event 8 hours long. The 4 hour timespan is Boom's biggest weakness, I think; how many people will travel a great distance for such a short event?

My work with Sonic Revolution has taught me some basic ideas on budgeting, so let's just look at the venue price alone for this sort of thing...

Sonic Revolution 2014's venue has a reception capacity of 300 and cost 2,000 dollars. So a venue for 1200 would cost 8,000 most likely... probably even more if it's in a city center. One venue in downtown San Diego charged 10,000 dollars for four hours for 600 people, and required a 15,000 food/drink minimum on top of it. So I can only assume this venue easily cost 20,000, if not more.

[Wittymations]

Yeah, I wouldn't travel too far for a four hour event. Honestly, to make me leave from my state, Kentucky, to New York, I'd have to have at least a few days to be enticed that much.  But I don't think any event for Sonic would last more than a day. lol

[MykonosFan]

Yeah, I wouldn't travel too far for a four hour event. Honestly, to make me leave from my state, Kentucky, to New York, I'd have to have at least a few days to be enticed that much.  But I don't think any event for Sonic would last more than a day. lol

I'll be heading out from western West Virginia, but I might be going with a local friend and will definitely be meeting up with online friends there. Plus, it's NYC and I've never been, so even if the event is only a few hours I'm still somewhere I've always wanted to visit. I mean there's gotta be tons of interesting things to do there.  

[Tani Coyote]

I'll be heading out from western West Virginia, but I might be going with a local friend and will definitely be meeting up with online friends there. Plus, it's NYC and I've never been, so even if the event is only a few hours I'm still somewhere I've always wanted to visit. I mean there's gotta be tons of interesting things to do there.

Can vouch for that as a former NYC resident.

The good news is NYC is a pretty great location overall, so Boom being only 4 hours doesn't hurt it as much there.

I'm still determined to one day have a multi-day Sonic event, that said...

[KittyNakajima]

I agree with someone mentioning the timing of this event. Both Boom and NYCC are right smack in the middle of the upcoming semester, and I worry I can enjoy it without neglecting my studies. Or at least, NYCC - I've gone all four days the last two or three years, but now that I'm back in school, I'll be cutting it close running to the con on Thursday and Friday directly after class.

 

The upside is that one of my friends might be coming up from Florida to take part in both events, so it's totally calling out to me to go.

[Tani Coyote]

I agree with someone mentioning the timing of this event. Both Boom and NYCC are right smack in the middle of the upcoming semester, and I worry I can enjoy it without neglecting my studies. Or at least, NYCC - I've gone all four days the last two or three years, but now that I'm back in school, I'll be cutting it close running to the con on Thursday and Friday directly after class.

Yes, while I greatly appreciate the huge advance notice this year (kudos to Kellie and the team on that), I am concerned the exact date could impact attendance from people who aren't locals. This is why I'm hopeful there's a lot of promotion on the ground, since a lot of the student crowd won't be able to attend.

On the flipside, this is going to shift the demographic upward towards people who are older and work full time, so I hope SEGA takes advantage of that and has a larger merch booth than usual. Simple estimates show that there's no way tickets alone cover this event, so merchandise would help them out enormously.

[Badnik Mechanic]

Venues: SoS, if I am not mistaken, is more partial towards community centers. These tend to be a looooot cheaper than the nightclub venues preferred by Sonic Boom.

 

Erm.. no they're not, and no they're not.

[Tani Coyote]

Erm.. no they're not, and no they're not.

Community centers are cheaper from my experience, due to not being run for a profit. But given the UK government demands 20% on imports over 30 US dollars or so... I wouldn't be surprised if they likewise skin people who rent public venues. This is why I put "if I'm not mistaken" though; I was running on the assumption because it looked like 2013's venue had that hall, and 2012 had Brighton Center, which I both presume are government facilities.

The point about catering and the staff not being the best use of money by Boom remains regardless. Especially the catering, since it will wipe out most spare cash.

[Badnik Mechanic]

Community centers are cheaper from my experience, due to not being run for a profit. But given the UK government demands 20% on imports over 30 US dollars or so... I wouldn't be surprised if they likewise skin people who rent public venues. This is why I put "if I'm not mistaken" though; I was running on the assumption because it looked like 2013's venue had that hall, and 2012 had Brighton Center, which I both presume are government facilities.

 

You are forgetting one important fact.

 

London Venues = Vastly more expensive than the exact same venue even in a 'second city' location.

 

Also, SOS 2013 was at the central hall Westminister, this was not a community centre at all.

 

SOS 2012 was going to be held at a much larger venue more in line with westminister but got moved at the last second. 

 

2011 was also a government owned building.

[Tani Coyote]

Perhaps I should have said "non-profit" center instead, but it doesn't have the same ring to it.

It sounds like most of the centers rented are non-profit. Government-owned, church-owned, or owned by a non-profit. The sole exception seems to be the Boiler House and Pavilion, which from what I can see look to have been for-profit facilities.

This is a stark contrast to the fact SEGA rents concert halls, which are clearly designed to make money for the venue rather than simply pay expenses.

 

London Venues = Vastly more expensive than the exact same venue even in a 'second city' location.

I meant in relative terms, not absolute. Pretty much anything in London is going to be expensive in absolute terms. But something that's privately-owned and run for-profit is more likely going to be even more pricey.

Let me compare my experience in Vegas in relative terms. I can rent a local government-owned facility that fits 600 for 2250 a day (3.75 per person). A hotel that fits 1800 asks for 10,000 a day (5.5 dollars per person; that's 46% more expensive), when both are in a prime location. The latter is much more expensive per person, as for-profit venues tend to be.

The conclusion being... if SEGA America wants a larger event, it really should aim for non-profit locations. I'm sure a city as massive as New York, with all its government programs and the like, has no shortage of public facilities.

[Best Dude55]

Well after doing the math I don't think I'll be able to afford going. Even if I get a group together, plane/train tickets are still crazy expensive, and I also have to include hotel costs, ticket costs, and other expenses.

 

Even if I get 15-25% off because of group booking, it'll still be too much for me, especially going into college. Going last year was different for me because the only expense I had to pay was ticket costs and maybe 10 bucks of gas.

[Tani Coyote]

That's unfortunate.

That's why I try and get these local groups going, so no one's ever too far away to have some fun!

[Jix Hedgehog]

I've got a $45 hotel room in lower Manhattan.. Now it's just a matter of getting a plane ticket for under $400 and hoping I'm not charged extra for cos-play carry on

After living in the US for close to 9 years, I'll (hopefully) finally get to see NY

[Tani Coyote]

I've got a $45 hotel room in lower Manhattan.. Now it's just a matter of getting a plane ticket for under $400 and hoping I'm not charged extra for cos-play carry on

Oh! Where's this? I think I'll refer it to all the other Boomgoers; that sounds like a steal!

[Jix Hedgehog]

X

Edited August 15, 2015 by Jix Hedgehog

[Tani Coyote]

I'll go back to praising my luck in having enough hotel points for two free nights then (barely; Manhattan hotels aren't cheap!) and having family I can stay with...

 

There's a two-person short-term rental close to the venue that's available for 125 a night or so...

[Badnik Mechanic]

Upon further review of the "hotel" I've discovered it's

• Barely a 1 out of 5 star place
• Rooms are small.. extremely small.. I mean a bed and if you're lucky another piece of furniture
• Shared bathroom
• Rooms are separated by chicken wire thin walls
• Many noise complaints
• Roaches.

I don't mind, I've stayed in worse places, but I wouldn't recommend it to fellow members

 

Sounds a lot like the place I stayed at for most of the past SOS.' 

 

To be honest, unless you intend to stay there for a few days, those places are not too bad since you'll want to be out of the hotel most of the time anyway, and odds are you'll be that tired you'll just pass out asleep.

[Tani Coyote]

Sounds a lot like the place I stayed at for most of the past SOS.' 

 

To be honest, unless you intend to stay there for a few days, those places are not too bad since you'll want to be out of the hotel most of the time anyway, and odds are you'll be that tired you'll just pass out asleep.

Even if I'm asleep... the idea of roaches crawling all over me is the keys to my NOPEmobile's ignition.

Granted I'm staying at a Super 8 for E3 and a Howard Johnson for Sonic Revolution, so it's not much better...

[dhistoire]

I've got a $45 hotel room in lower Manhattan.. Now it's just a matter of getting a plane ticket for under $400 and hoping I'm not charged extra for cos-play carry on

After living in the US for close to 9 years, I'll (hopefully) finally get to see NY

Congrats! How did you find such a cheap room in Manhattan? Every hotel I've seen in NYC is over $100 a night for 3*.

[Tani Coyote]

As he mentioned, it's because it's one star and has an assortment of drawbacks. It's really all about what you expect of a hotel. I for one hope that downtown hotel I'm in is awesome, given it wiped out my reward points.

[Jix Hedgehog]

X

Edited August 15, 2015 by Jix Hedgehog

[Tani Coyote]

I'd hold off on flights until one gets a ticket to the event itself, just because their refund policies usually aren't as lenient as a hotel's. As for the hotel itself... Knock yourself out!