I love flame wars as much as the next 4chan troll, but when uninformed opinions are bandied around as OMGTRUFAX, then it stops being funny, and I feel that persons on the receiving end of such drivel should be equipped with the proper tools to analyze and dissect these statements.

So how do you go about judging a con? It could depend on what kind of con you are attending and what kind of con-goer you are.

If you’re a casual con-goer who just likes the idea of getting together at the event with friends, chances are you’re pretty happy with simply the basics. If, on the other hand you are a been-there-done-that convention veteran who also happens to have a string of overseas conventions under your belt, then it takes a wee bit more to impress you.

As for the convention itself, it also depends on what the organizers’ aims are. Is it a selling convention? Then expect a large dealers hall where local retailers hawk their wares. Is it a fandom-centric convention? If so, then other activities such as lectures, exhibits and displays, and technical competitions are given comparatively more airtime and floor space.

No matter what kind of local con you are attending — anime, gaming, cosplay, or sci-fi and fantasy, ultimately the groundwork is still the same, and to be able to judge the success or failure of a convention all you need is a little experience, a bit of common sense, some good observation skills, and a solid set of principles.

Truth in Advertising

Does the product do what it says on the box? If the con was advertised as a gadgets and technology event, but featured leisure estates and water purifiers instead, then it clearly is a case of bait-and-switch, and con-goers should demand their money back.

Any inaccuracies or half-truths surrounding the PR effort of a convention versus the actual finished product should be counted against the event and its organizers. This covers not just the line-up of activities, but contest prizes, judging criteria, ticketing information, and other con-related information as well.

So if you showed up an event, paid for the admission, and got something completely different from what the poster shows, then the event and its organizers deserve every single critical comment they receive on social networking sites and personal blogs.

Relevance of Activities

Do the merchandise, exhibits, activities, and competitions featured at a convention cater to its target audience? If a convention is able to highlight several different aspects of their featured fandoms, and encourages its attendees as well as random passers-by to get involved, then that event is judged as a success.

This aspect of the criteria has absolutely nothing to do with people’s misguided expectations of what the event should be like. After all, only a moron would show up at a Dungeons and Dragons convention and complain that there wasn’t enough Naruto in it; if that were the case, then the attendee would be the source of failure, and not the con.

On a related note, it’s a bit sad to see that some activities like cosplay competitions are being used by unscrupulous marketers and events organizers as a way to get more bodies into the events hall. These people seem to be conveniently forgetting the fact that their conventions may have absolutely nothing to do with dressing up as an anime character.

Continued in Part 2.