WARNING: This is a very long read.

So, I went to a Brony Con in KC this past weekend. Mid West Brony Fest. I am still having trouble processing the experience. It has left me some what distressed and very broke.

On one hand I had a few truly stellar experiences, on the other it was nothing what I expected. I tried to go without expectations, and an open mind to new people and experiences. I did not realize that I still had many expectations ingrained in me. I go to Furry Cons to have fun, party, and socialize (but really ALL Cons I have went I do this). So, without thinking I went with at least these three expectations. Yet, at Mid West Brony Fest they were not met (at least not as I am used to).

First the Positives of my experience:

• The Dances and the DJ s' were some of the best I have ever experienced. Furry ain't got nothing on Bronys when it comes to Raves (Especially when there are deeper meanings to the music, and the music isn't just random noise to dance to). Sorry my Furry DJ friends. I had an ecstatic/spiritual experiences on Friday Night at the Con. I danced with Luna (Goddess of the Moon), and was taken to the sky. I shared that moment with 100+ other raving Bronys.

• I got to bond with one of the Bronys from my local area. I spent a great deal of time hanging with him, and watching him wonder at his first convention experience.

• I got to briefly talk to and shake the hand of Black Gryphon (Gabriel C. Brown: www.BlackGryph0n.com), a very talented singer/songwriter whose career I believe is about to really take off. One of my favorites songs of his: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDD_ZAeFWOI

• I got lightly bumped/elbowed in the eye by Michelle Creber (The Voice of Apple Bloom), she didn't even realize she had done it, and I got to hear her sing I'm a Cowboy by Bon Jovi in Apple Blooms voice (To Funny).

• Furrys. There were a lot of fellow Furs there, more or less in incognito, which was nice to met. Almost everyone of them spoke of furry in hushed tones, whispers, or looked perturbed that I ask if they were one. Like it was a bad thing. Am I missing something here? Was there a Con policy against furs? Seeing other furs was a pleasure in spite of that fact, I just wish we could have all hung out.

That is it. That was the extent of my positive.

The Cons of the Con:
Below are the things I experienced that I found “Unpleasant”. There are quite a few.

The Cost:
So, because I wasn't sure I was going to get to go to this I did not pre-reg. Which by their website was $46.75 right before they closed pre-reg (http://www.mwbfkc.net/registration/). There was no mention of how much it would be at the door... Couldn't be that much more right?... Well, it was $65.00 at the door. That is the most I have EVER paid for a basic weekend pass to a con (even at the door, and I have been to over 30 cons in my lifetime). This soured me greatly, right off the bat. Then to add insult to injury, for that cost you got NOTHING. No t-shirt, no poster, no nic-naks, nadda... Just your badge and a con schedule... Finally, to add a slap to the face on top of insult and injury, because I paid at the door for a basic pass I got to be treated like a 2nd class citizen. There was a line for everything (more on that below), and I was told every time to wait at the back or near back with the other 2nd class citizens by the overbearing “Line-Nazis” (More on that below too). Because if you pre-reged and paid more then you got to move to the front of every line (and everything had a line, EVERYTHING). The cost and the made to feel like unwanted chattel sloted for the glue factory, and was the most unpleasant and insulting experience I have ever had at a Con.

My Suggested Solution:
Give Something of interest to everyone, a shirt, a poster, a do-dad, hell even a pencil or pen with the Con logo. Something. OR, drop the cost to average con levels.

The Lines:
Every panel, every show, and every event had a line. You could not enter any room before any scheduled event. You had to stand in roped off corals. Add the fact that nothing started on time (because they had to keep the lines perfect). I stood in line more then I did anything else at the Con. At least 10-40 minutes for each thing I wanted to get into. Then there was the fact that no matter how early I arrived to the event, that right before they opened the doors the Line-Nazi told everyone who paid for the basic pass to give up their place in line and move to the back or separated them out into their own line (still losing your place). So, they could let everyone else in first. Usually adding another 5 minutes to my waiting and standing.

My Suggested Solution:
Have a number a reserved seating for the high rollers (first come first serve among them). I noticed most of the high rollers never sat in the choice seating anyway, sitting instead with their poorer friends. With the mark/reserved seats you could let everyone in to the panels rooms when ever to let them have a seat and get off their tired feet. In addition to not making your patrons feel like trash, and making the fact that they chose to pay less evident to everyone at the convention in the grand spectacle of financial/class discrimination.

Line-Nazis:
Now get this... Con Security was at least in part the beret wearing “Dorsai”. At least I think so. A few of the security were wearing the berets. One of which I have seen at furry Conventions (I do not know his name). Though I can not say for a fact that all the security personnel were Dorsai. Many of the Security were Furs though (everyone I asked said they were a fur, often in reluctant or hushed tones). Generally security was laid back. Until it came to the lines. They were constantly bossy and demanding forcing attendees to move around a lot, which resulted in LOTS of pointless standing and waiting in tightly packed lines. Now, I would understand this level of attempted organization if the convention was over a thousand people, but it had 550 attendees. Due to the constant scheduled conflicts (more on that below) with the panels and shows the Con population was always spread out (Never more then 30+ people in line). Again the security was relatively laid back and relaxed, until it came to the lines.

My Suggested Solution:
Is the same as for the lines (above). This would give security less to do, and let them focus on security rather then organization.

Schedule Conflicts:
Every panel and event had some sort of over lap (Schedule here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1u8PO2KDw7SQsaB2cscqcje_lPTqiYzI3tGsc2_ua0uU/edit#gid=0 ). Now, I know this can't be helped, but the way it was done at this con was the worst I have ever seen. Every panel overlapped with every other panel. In addition to many of the starting at times like 15 or 45 min after. Who schedules anything at those times? This made planning confusing. I take this as a sign of bad management, and bad convention planning.

My Suggested Solution:
Get a better schedule planner, who will consider the attendees interest in the subjects.

The Verity Show/Cosplay Contest:
Sorry Bornys, Furrys and Sci-Fi have you beat on talent shows and costuming. I stood in line for 30 min. to see a sad example of a ill-managed verity show that lasted 10-15 minutes. The announcer had clearly never done this before, and few of the acts had a short performance planed or were even given enough time to do them. No one was on stage for more then 5-6 seconds. In spite of the fact that some of the 20 contestants actually had pretty good outfits. The only thing that made it was the pair of Zentai Deadpool's that went super-sayen on stage, and then broke out into clumsy whiteboy break dancing. Twilght Sparkle (The announcer) didn't know what to do, the look on her face was epic and hilarious. They got a full 30 sec on stage (One of them later got their badge yanked, for other reasons).

No Episode Stream Party:
There was a new episode over the weekend of My Little Pony. You'd think that being a Brony Con that they would have arranged a Streaming Panel, or Viewing, or some such. To my surprise, there was no such thing. I have been to Furry Cons that show episodes. Or at least a party somewhere where they were projecting it on the wall. This some how seems like the greatest of all of the sins at this Con. Another big disappointment.

No Notice Board:
Every other Con I have went to has had some form of message board or cork board or event board. Not this one. There was no place to set your business cards, organize room parties, make random comments. I never knew I would miss these until I went to a convention that did not have one.

My Suggested Solution:
Spend $20, get a cork board, set it up on a table not far from Registration.

No Artist Ally:
I didn't expect there to be one as this is a unique thing with in Furry, but the sheer number of artists sitting around in the lobby doodling would benefit greatly from such a thing. I would have like to see one, to let me try and make back the ridiculous reg cost. My suggestion for this is obvious.

No Parties, No Alcohol:
The con book stated a strict no tolerance No Alcohol, No Drink policy Which I understand to a point, but the other Brony cons I have researched do not take this stance. I think this may have put a damper on any room parties, because I could not find a single one... I go to cons to party, have fun, and socialize (even Sci-Fi Cons). All of these requirements are usually met at such parties. Not finding a party to met new folks at was a big disappointment. As for the No Alcohol policy, I ignored it and drank from the bar and my flask anyway, even if I was doing it alone. I still got to dance.

Atmosphere:
The atmosphere was not what I expected. It was really hard to met and converse with new people. No one would sit still for long, and if they did they were all circled up at a lobby table with in their own social groups. Kinda felt like my High School lunch room cafeteria, each social group had their own table and sitting at it when you were not apart of it was bad form. The few conversations I did have were friendly, but short lived and did not produce any lasting friendships. You'd think being a fandom about friendship that this sort of thing would be easy.

Vendor Hall:
What few vendors they had were well stocked, and for the most part VERY friendly. I liked almost everyone one of them, and a few I have seen a Furry Cons as well. However, there was only 13 vendors. Even MFM have 3 times that. So, the Vendor hall was kinda sad. Tho I did get a few pieces of awesome for my Alter to Luna.

By Sunday I felt extremely let down and exhausted. I didn't even bother going back to the Convention for the last day.

Synopsis:
I am not sure I will go back to this convention, even though this was my first true Brony Con, I know that this is not like the average Brony Con. I would like to try another, but I can't afford that atm, and Furry Conventions to. If I could I would god to Cider Fest (A Brony Con with Alcohol), and/or Brony Con. Honestly, I don't think this was a Brony Con, it felt more like a poorly run Anime Con.

Was it worth the cost? No... The Con was to expensive to be treated like I was, and to have the experience I had. Again I go to Cons to have fun, socialize, and to party, none of these requirements were met at this Con.

Was it a total loss? No... It has made me appreciate the Furry Conventions I get to. The atmosphere is friendlier, and more fulfilling at furry Conventions. My worse experience at a Furry Con was far better then my experience at this Con, and that has helped me put back into perspective why I go to Furry Cons. I had been going to Furry Cons for so long I forgot what other Cons were like.

Ryngs