It’s been a couple of days since I came home from Scare-A-Con: New England which took place in Framingham, MA. This was also the first year that I decided to do just the weekend pass instead of doing VIP like I always do for conventions. This convention was another fun time as it’s been three years in a row that I’ve enjoyed Scare-A-Con a lot.
One of the things that I liked about this convention was the fact that I didn’t feel like I was at Cherry Hill, NJ all over again as I still haven’t gotten over that convention. I would like to thank J.V. Johnson, his staff and the Sheraton Hotel and Conference Center for making sure that the convention and floor layout went off without a hitch. I liked how the convention floor was planned especially the big ballroom with Elvira in one corner, Doug Bradley in the other corner and vendors in between. This made those two lines against the wall in the corners move smoothly without interference or feeling like it was crowded. The hallways in the general area didn’t feel too claustrophobic as well as I could move easy even though it was busy on Saturday which made it nice as I want this con to continue operating in this area.
Another thing that I liked was the fact that there were hotel security and volunteers doing their job in getting the people who didn’t belong there. It made it feel more welcoming as sometimes with conventions that use bracelets, there is a chance that people can sneak in. That was a major problem in New Jersey back in March but not here as the convention people and hotel staff were prepared which made everything run smoothly.
Everyone was friendly. From the guests to the vendors and the hotel staff, it was a fun time as there were no major incidents. I would go back there and stay at that hotel and go to this convention at this hotel if this is going to be a regular venue for Scare-A-Con. The hotel got what the convention organizers were going for as the atmosphere inside the hotel lobby and halls were great. The people knew what they were doing which was a major relief compared to the Monster Mania 39 debacle where I rarely saw a volunteer or hotel security around.
If there was one problem that I had with this, it was the fact they didn’t do a good job with the way that they booked the panel rooms. They had a large room with the Middlesex Room and booked it with films and themed panel instead of putting the celebs panels in the large room. Only a few celeb panels like Elvira and Jason Lively were held in that room. I wished all of the celeb panels were held in that room. The room they used for the celebs was very small and tight. It’s the only complaint I had with this convention and when I addressed on their Facebook page, they listened to my criticism.
This is what every promoter should be doing post-convention instead of taking it out on the people who spent their hard earned money and driving three or four hours to be at your show and then criticize you about your bad convention that you the promoter ban them on social media. I want to thank J.V. Johnson and his social media team for taking the time to listen and I have confidence that they will fix this for next year as this is the only show where I feel that the show runner wants everyone to be happy and have a good time.
There was also a positive about the panels. I liked the idea of having people from The Dorkening, Dark Discussions and Shock Treatment podcasts running the panels as compared to the first two years of the convention in New England where it was just some random people running the panels. It gives it more of a local feel and I also thought they had more personality compared to the people running the panels the first two years. I hope they are allowed to do this again next year.
Would I go back to this convention next year? Hell yes, as this is the only horror convention that I would put my reputation on the line for. This is something that I cannot say for Rock and Shock and Rhode Island Comic Con that I regular attend. This was a fun weekend from the moment I walked right into the hotel until I left on Sunday.
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