I need to get this off my chest because after putting so much time, passion, and effort into our cosplays, the way the Glamoured to Life section was handled was honestly not cool. I know that probably nobody from SE might read this, but this needs to be called out.
Here is what cosplayers had to deal with:
The venue was basically a completely empty, hot section of our entrance area with huge glass front. There was no proper ventilation, making the air stifling and unbearable—especially for anyone in full cosplays. At one point, someone tried to open a door just to get some fresh air, and staff immediately rushed over to stop them because it was an emergency exit. Zero air circulation.
There were NO chairs or seating areas anywhere for cosplayers to rest. We had to stand for one hour and a half straight. And zero drink stands. Honestly, is it really too much to ask to put out a table with small bottles of water for the participants? We are talking about maybe 200 bottles of water. For SE that costs literally pocket change, but it’s a basic matter of health and safety when people are performing in heavy outfits.
It’s mind-boggling that there wasn’t even a simple Square Enix backdrop with a photographer. Is it really too much to expect at least one decent photo of your cosplay after all that work? Instead, we are forced to take low-res screenshots from the livestream recording. Even if they didn’t want to hire a professional photographer, putting up a themed background wall is the bare minimum. On top of that, there was no group photo at the end. After the walk, everyone was just shuffled straight out the door like: "Okay, bye!" No wrap-up, no group gathering, nothing. It felt kind of bizarre.
There was no proper cloakroom or secure storage area for our gear and bags. All we got was one tiny, unattended table where everyone just dumped their belongings. Anyone could have walked off with our stuff.
There was no clear instruction on how the stage routing worked. The local venue staff had absolutely NO idea what was going on. I asked multiple local crew members for basic information, and none of them could help.
The only people who actually knew what they were doing were the handful of official Square Enix organizers who were running around frantically trying to keep everything from collapsing. While I appreciate the SE team stressing themselves out to fix things, the overall local organization was a complete mess.
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The Saving Grace: The Community & The Audience
I want to end this on a positive note, because despite the organization, the event was still a memorable experience—and that is 100% thanks to the people.
The other cosplayers were insanely sweet and supportive. The atmosphere backstage was amazing, and meeting such creative, lovely people made the whole stress worth it.
Huge shoutout to the audience as well. The crowd supported everyone on stage up to the very last person. We stayed to watch the show ourselves and cheer on the 80+ slots after us, and the energy in the room was amazing.
We made great memories because of the community and the audience standing together, not because of the event organization.
Square Enix / Venue Management: Please do better next time. Respect the effort, time, and passion your community brings to your games.
submitted by /u/piamiomomoko
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Here is what cosplayers had to deal with:
- Terrible Backstage Hall Setup:
The venue was basically a completely empty, hot section of our entrance area with huge glass front. There was no proper ventilation, making the air stifling and unbearable—especially for anyone in full cosplays. At one point, someone tried to open a door just to get some fresh air, and staff immediately rushed over to stop them because it was an emergency exit. Zero air circulation.
- No Basic Amenities:
There were NO chairs or seating areas anywhere for cosplayers to rest. We had to stand for one hour and a half straight. And zero drink stands. Honestly, is it really too much to ask to put out a table with small bottles of water for the participants? We are talking about maybe 200 bottles of water. For SE that costs literally pocket change, but it’s a basic matter of health and safety when people are performing in heavy outfits.
- No Photo Wall, No Official Photos & No Group Picture:
It’s mind-boggling that there wasn’t even a simple Square Enix backdrop with a photographer. Is it really too much to expect at least one decent photo of your cosplay after all that work? Instead, we are forced to take low-res screenshots from the livestream recording. Even if they didn’t want to hire a professional photographer, putting up a themed background wall is the bare minimum. On top of that, there was no group photo at the end. After the walk, everyone was just shuffled straight out the door like: "Okay, bye!" No wrap-up, no group gathering, nothing. It felt kind of bizarre.
- Complete Lack of Security for Belongings:
There was no proper cloakroom or secure storage area for our gear and bags. All we got was one tiny, unattended table where everyone just dumped their belongings. Anyone could have walked off with our stuff.
- Zero Direction & Unhelpful Local Staff:
There was no clear instruction on how the stage routing worked. The local venue staff had absolutely NO idea what was going on. I asked multiple local crew members for basic information, and none of them could help.
The only people who actually knew what they were doing were the handful of official Square Enix organizers who were running around frantically trying to keep everything from collapsing. While I appreciate the SE team stressing themselves out to fix things, the overall local organization was a complete mess.
---
The Saving Grace: The Community & The Audience
I want to end this on a positive note, because despite the organization, the event was still a memorable experience—and that is 100% thanks to the people.
The other cosplayers were insanely sweet and supportive. The atmosphere backstage was amazing, and meeting such creative, lovely people made the whole stress worth it.
Huge shoutout to the audience as well. The crowd supported everyone on stage up to the very last person. We stayed to watch the show ourselves and cheer on the 80+ slots after us, and the energy in the room was amazing.
We made great memories because of the community and the audience standing together, not because of the event organization.
Square Enix / Venue Management: Please do better next time. Respect the effort, time, and passion your community brings to your games.
submitted by /u/piamiomomoko
[link] [comments]
Continue reading...