Big conventions don't care about the little guy anymore.

This is a long post, but worth it if you're into fandom and conventions...  Feel free to discuss.

Rant Incoming:

Major shows don't really care about the little guy, but this has just gotten silly.  I'm an artist, not a famous one, but I do the work I can and put bread on my table as often as clients let me.  I can be a little outspoken at times, but all in all I try to be a positive part of the whole burrito we call "Fandom".  The following emails are the end result of a series of mis-communications between myself and the Directors of Dragon Con Art Show, one of the largest art shows related to a convention in the world.  It saddens me greatly when an organization gets so big it can admit it makes a mistake and immediately follow up with "But if you don't like it you're free to walk, be thankful if we give your money back."

From me:

________________

Re: Artist: 6768

Hello Directors of Dragon Con Art Show,

I am sending this letter to request a change in status as a result of an error by a member of your staff, and inquire as to how the situation can be remedied with your assistance.

A few weeks ago (on time and as per instruction) I submitted a series of panels to Heidi Wallace for Art Show Programming about how to make your own Indy Video Games.  She loved the ideas for panels so much that (according to her) she forwarded my information and panel requests to the "Director of Programming for the entire convention" (her words, not mine) and assured me that these would be a great addition to the convention programming as part of a "larger venue" (again her words).  Weeks went by with no response, until I sent her numerous mails inquiring as to the status of my panels.  She finally answered and stated that the Programming Director "didn't have any more room" for panels at the convention (a statement I find perplexing given the size of the event), and since Ms. Wallace had already turned in her list for art show programming, somehow I was lost in the shuffle; and now despite her constant reminders of how much she would love to see my panels and numerous emails apologizing for her error... My team and I are left out in the cold.

I feel as though someone else's mistake has cost us a great deal of promotion (which is a killer for indy artists trying to make a living from shows like yours) and a potential boost to my project has been passed over.  It would be quite different if I was simply passed up or denied for panels, but this was clearly the result of a lack of follow through or organization by someone dealing with many of your artists.  I appreciate that we are a small studio that doesn't rank up there on the priority list for your event, but I feel as though this was a serious error on the part of your staff, with only multiple "I'm really sorry"s made as an attempt to repair what is clearly costing me valuable exposure for both myself and my volunteer team.

Ms. Wallace has offered to put me "on the back-up list" without any notification in the main convention program or advertising for my panel (read by me as: "We're sticking you in an empty room and not telling anyone who you are or even when the panel is"), and I have already cancelled the attending Occulus Rift Demo, Dr. of Anthropology, and Origin Award winning writer that were all planning to come and speak with me on my subject during said panels.

At this time I am inquiring as to changing my status from an attending artist placed on the floor to a mail-in artist.  I understand that there is a $40 fee associated with this change of status, but it is my hope that perhaps this fee could be waived considering an error on the part of your staff has made your event suddenly quite a bit less appealing to both my studio and myself as an individual artist.  We understand accidents happen, and we hope that none of this was done with any malice, but spending the considerable resources to get myself and my team half way around the world doesn't seem worth it if we are going to be lost in the shuffle because we aren't worth your time.

Please advise me if a remedy can be presented, or if I should just pay 40 more bucks and hope my art isn't lost when I mail it to your event.

-James Clayton

___________________________

The Response from The Directors of Art Show.  I get the stress of putting up with artists and getting ready for a huge show... no really, I worked A-Kon Art Show and served as auctioneer for 20 years; but this seemed a little tacky.

________________________

Hello James,

*edited to save two long paragraphs about how conventions work.  I worked A-Kon for 2 decades.  It ain't DragonCon big, but still pretty huge; I know how these events go down.  I didn't need the lecture but appreciate the point the Director was trying to make*

In this case there seems to have been a breakdown in communication and we do apologize for that as regardless of whether your panel ideas had been forwarded to another group, we thought you had been contacted about this situation and we were apparently not as clear with you as we might have been otherwise.  But as for any errors, other than a lack of clear communication on our part, we are afraid that there has been some sort of misunderstanding on your part when attending the Art Show as an artist.  We are the largest Art Show currently in Fandom, but we cater to our Fans first and foremost and then to our artists who the fans have come to see, talk to and possibly purchase some great art from while they are attending the Convention.

Most of our artists are single individuals or possibly husband / wife teams with the occasional partnership thrown in for variety.  This is the first we have been made aware of you being part of some studio or having any sort of team for that matter.  What you are describing does not fit into the standard artist model that attends the Art Show.  What you are describing is something that would be better served participating with Comics and Pop Artists Alley or possibly as a Vendor in one of the Vendor or Exhibition Halls, but not the Art Show.

*which I totally understand and accept being in the wrong about*

Our mission statement has always been one of art education to fellow artists and the public about all the great good and enjoyment Sci-Fi / Fantasy artwork can bring to people.  Our programming reflects this philosophy by allowing an artist to give back to the community and educate people on some aspect that they excel in with their artwork.  And while there is a certain amount of self promotion that occurs, for the most part it is the interaction between the artist and the attendees that makes the difference.  We are not about helping anyone get any sort of promotion or potential boosts for their art or products, we are about the Fans and making sure we put on the very best Art Show we can for them and the artists.

So, we understand your view and sympathize with your belief that you have not received the attention or promotion due a small studio with Indy artists trying to make a living from Shows like ours, but if you had come to us up front with all of this, we could have avoided the situation that has agitated you so.  As for your request to be a mail-in artist, we regret to inform you that the mail-in requests must be made at the beginning of the Jury submission process and then approved by us on a case by case basis.  The deadline for that process is long past and that option is not available to you.  So, the only options left are you either find an Agent who will be responsible for getting your art to the Show, checking it into the Show and then coming back on Monday to check it back out of the Show and return it to you or you can withdraw from the Show completely and we will be willing to refund your floorspace payment even though it is past the refund deadline.  If you go to the Art Show website and click on the Yahoo Group link to find out how to join, many of the attending artists this year are on that Group and you may be able to find someone who is coming to Agent for you.  Either way, the choice is yours and you just need to let us know what you decide.

Best Regards,

Dragon Con 2014 Art Show Directors

My final response:

_______________________________

So essentially what you're telling me is that you acknowledge your staffer's potential mis-communication, I'm a noob at your event, but as the "largest Art Show currently in Fandom" my only choice is walk or find someone else to help me.

Very well.

You will have my decision by August 1st.

Thank you for your time and attention.

James Clayton

_________________

Maybe it's me, but that seems a bit tacky doesn't it?

I may be a noob at the show, sure.  I perhaps should have contacted other people or had more hope in staffers to point me in the right direction; totally fair.  But this smells of something I've dealt with far too many times in Fandom and in many other aspects of life in general:  Your show got big so you don't have to care about the little guy anymore... Even if all we're asking for is 40 stinkin' bucks off and somebody there to hang my art in exchange for a screw up on your staffer's part (it ain't the money, it's the principle dammit) so I don't have to drive or fly 1,000 miles to be in your show; even if it is the biggest.  Using the rules to blow me off because it's easier than fixing a mistake says loud and clear that you don't have to care, and that customer service doesn't exist (seeing as we have to pass jury and then pay you to get into the show for the space we'll be using, along with whatever profits you gain from the auction and your percentage from our sales).

Was it really so hard to say "oops, our bad, we'll apologize and help so you don't have to travel 1,000 miles to still be in the show we voted you into by jury"?  Or do they feel better sitting somewhere "on high" saying "Too bad kid.  We f***ed up but youuu get to suck it."

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