Author Topic: 130,000 Attendees? NYCC  (Read 9636 times)

Offline ComicGirl

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130,000 Attendees? NYCC
« on: November 04, 2013, 03:25:55 PM »
I found this really great info graphic that makes me have some serious doubts about NYCC's claim of 130,000 people this year.
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If Comic-Con has a HALF A MILLION more square footage than NYCC - not even including the Indigo Ballroom at the Hilton - how is it possible for NYCC to have 130k people in 500,000 square feet less space and not be insanely crowded? They don't even have any offsite events to pull people away from the center like SDCC does. Am I missing something here?

Offline lawboysam

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Re: 130,000 Attendees?
« Reply #1 on: November 04, 2013, 05:07:32 PM »
Thanks! Me and another girl actually made that infographic. =)

We learned from this article - and I think there was another article, but I can't for the life of me find it tonight - (You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login) that:
Quote
One change in the mix of attendees this year was that Reed reduced the number of three day passes it sold, which allowed it to get a greater number of new people into the show every day.  That’s a trend that may be expanded next year in order to continue to increase the number of people that can attend the show.

Which, what we think that means is, rather than selling a three-day-pass to one person and counting it as one attendee, they sold three one-day-passes and counted it as three, even if it was one, two, or three different people buying those passes. Which helps to pad the numbers. Like, a lot.
« Last Edit: November 04, 2013, 05:17:17 PM by lawboysam »

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Re: 130,000 Attendees? NYCC
« Reply #2 on: Today at 03:38:19 PM »

Offline DRWHO42

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Re: 130,000 Attendees?
« Reply #2 on: November 04, 2013, 09:45:41 PM »
I was a little surprised with the figure myself when I read. Having been to both I do not think they could have that many people there on any one day. Granted the place was packed in some areas and there was a good turnout of attendees.

I think a deeper dive into the stats should be provided - like per day attendance, total tickets per category, etc. IMHO SDCC takes the cake for biggest and best.
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Offline YouThinkMeMad

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Re: 130,000 Attendees?
« Reply #3 on: November 05, 2013, 05:17:01 AM »
IMO, it DID feel insanely crowded! It was very hard to find a spot away from the crowds to just clear your head or grab a wall to rest for a bit.

Offline lawboysam

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Re: 130,000 Attendees?
« Reply #4 on: November 05, 2013, 06:25:25 AM »
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I was a little surprised with the figure myself when I read. Having been to both I do not think they could have that many people there on any one day. Granted the place was packed in some areas and there was a good turnout of attendees.

I think a deeper dive into the stats should be provided - like per day attendance, total tickets per category, etc. IMHO SDCC takes the cake for biggest and best.

That's not the attendance per day - it's per con, or per ticket. SDCC doesn't have 134,000 people inside it on one day either (now, they may if you include the people outside as well without a badge, but that would be impossible to count). The attendance per day is probably somewhere between 50-70K per day, depending on the day.

Offline ComicGirl

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Re: 130,000 Attendees?
« Reply #5 on: November 05, 2013, 09:02:32 AM »
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Thanks! Me and another girl actually made that infographic. =)

We learned from this article - and I think there was another article, but I can't for the life of me find it tonight - (You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login) that:
Which, what we think that means is, rather than selling a three-day-pass to one person and counting it as one attendee, they sold three one-day-passes and counted it as three, even if it was one, two, or three different people buying those passes. Which helps to pad the numbers. Like, a lot.

Really great graphic and thanks for explaining the single day attendance counts here. I tried to explain your same theory above in another NYCC thread on this forum, but it wasn't as nicely explained as you have it here. In essence, I was trying to explain the anyone who bought three single day badges is counted as three people at NYCC.

Again, awesome graphic. It really gave me a fresh look at all of the shows and how they stack up. I have to ask about SDCC's panel category pie chart ... Is the Anime programming percentage so high (compared to other shows) because you counted the anime movie schedules as a programming track?

Offline lawboysam

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Re: 130,000 Attendees?
« Reply #6 on: November 05, 2013, 11:27:10 AM »
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Is the Anime programming percentage so high (compared to other shows) because you counted the anime movie schedules as a programming track?

Yes, we counted screenings as a panel - so each screening on Preview Night also counted as one panel towards TV.

Offline DRWHO42

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Re: 130,000 Attendees?
« Reply #7 on: November 05, 2013, 11:51:29 AM »

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That's not the attendance per day - it's per con, or per ticket. SDCC doesn't have 134,000 people inside it on one day either (now, they may if you include the people outside as well without a badge, but that would be impossible to count). The attendance per day is probably somewhere between 50-70K per day, depending on the day.
Thanks for the clarification.
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Offline NYRider

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Re: 130,000 Attendees?
« Reply #8 on: November 06, 2013, 03:35:33 AM »
The numbers for each convention center, here is just total area/gross space (San Diego CC is actually 2.6 million sq. ft, according to their website). That's not all used by the show or public space What matters most exhibit space. Javits has more exhibit space than San Diego CC ( 840,000 sq. ft vs 615,701 sq. ft.) The Javits space included all eleven halls in the building, that be used for exhibits. The San Diego CC has larger contiguous show floor on level, and Sails Pavilion can be used for exhibit space. The Javits can have a higher attendance for it shows, depending on the layout, how much space used. For example, the NY Auto Show, (not run by Reed) had 1.1 million attendance, with just one day 158,908. Both shows have different layouts and type of crowd that only goes to see cars:


 NEW YORK, April 18 /PRNewswire/ -- The 97th New York International Auto
 Show (NYIAS) clocked in over 1.1 million attendees over its 9-day run at the
 Jacob Javits Center, breaking the one million attendance mark for the ninth
 consecutive year.  The NYIAS, held March 29-April 6, also set a new record for
 Show attendance on any Easter Sunday when 158,908 people visited the Javits
 Center, maintaining its standing as the largest auto show exhibition in the
 United States.

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« Last Edit: November 06, 2013, 04:24:34 AM by NYRider »

Offline NYRider

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Re: 130,000 Attendees?
« Reply #9 on: November 06, 2013, 05:03:36 AM »
This is just the space used for show floor alone for SDCC and NYCC, this year. I don't attend SDCC. So I'm going off CCI and San Diego CC maps Let me know if I'm missing something or it's incorrect:

SDCC:

Ground Level Halls A-G  460,859 sq.ft

Total Space 460,859 sq. ft

NYCC:

Third Floor: 410,000 sq. ft
Artist Alley in the North Building: 80,000 sq. ft
Autograph Area in Hall 1B: 80,000 sq. ft

Total Space: 570,000 sq. ft

Offline YouThinkMeMad

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Re: 130,000 Attendees?
« Reply #10 on: November 06, 2013, 06:12:14 AM »
You'd have to add in Hall H as well I'd think. Plus would you count the hotel space that's used?

Offline alyssa

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Re: 130,000 Attendees?
« Reply #11 on: November 06, 2013, 07:20:03 AM »
a couple of additional facts/impressions

the total amt of folks allowed into the sd convention center is 135,000.  i read this as a per day rate.

the Javits is **not** set up as well as sd convention center with the escalators, add on rooms & split level. Personally, i really dislike the Javits- love NYCC but the venue is a pain. I think this contributes to the perception difference which makes perception a tricky argument. 
Plus, sd convention center has the ability to spill outside. I tend to go outside on the back porch/steps for a break this wasn't possible at the javits.
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Offline YouThinkMeMad

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Re: 130,000 Attendees?
« Reply #12 on: November 06, 2013, 07:21:10 AM »
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a couple of additional facts/impressions

the total amt of folks allowed into the sd convention center is 135,000.  i read this as a per day rate.

the Javits is **not** set up as well as sd convention center with the escalators, add on rooms & split level. Personally, i really dislike the Javits- love NYCC but the venue is a pain. I think this contributes to the perception difference which makes perception a tricky argument. 
Plus, sd convention center has the ability to spill outside. I tend to go outside on the back porch/steps for a break this wasn't possible at the javits.

This. The layout of Javits is awful and adds to the "It's too crowded" vibe of it all.

Offline NYRider

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Re: 130,000 Attendees?
« Reply #13 on: November 06, 2013, 07:33:00 AM »
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You'd have to add in Hall H as well I'd think. Plus would you count the hotel space that's used?

Hall H is used for panels. So it doesn't count as part of the show floor or show capacity, IMO. What space is used for exhibits or booths in the hotels?

I do agree the Javits layout is awful and not suited for the comic con crowd. It was made more than one trade shows to run at the same time.  But I think the issue is more layout, and the type of crowd, than amount of people in the building. There was bigger expansion to the North Side of the buidling planned years ago. But it got reduced due to budget cuts.

Offline YouThinkMeMad

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Re: 130,000 Attendees?
« Reply #14 on: November 06, 2013, 07:34:14 AM »
I missed that part of the OP! My apologies!

I think that NYCC/Javits does right though, is Artist Alley. I kinda wish SDCC could find a way to maybe have it in it's own space. I feel like it's shrinking every year :(