I’m going out on a limb here people, but I’m not buying the “official” numbers coming from Origins. Seeing Elliott and I were there and I’m usually pretty good with my guesstimates off the top of my head – I commented on a previous show the numbers for the 2012 Phoenix Comicon to be in the vicinity of 35,000 and the official numbers later stated 32,127. I’m saying this right here and right now, Elliott can back me up, there was a bigger difference than 1.5% in attendance at this year’s show as opposed to 2011. Of that I have absolutely no doubt! I’m sticking with my estimate 15-20% fewer people came out to Columbus in 2012!
Don’t get me wrong we had a fantastic time, and we’ll be back next year, but it was a much quieter show than we’d seen in the past.
I do not doubt that the numbers are artificially increased, though, it might not be on purpose.
I think there are some issues with their system that increase the numbers. I am part of a group that runs a lot of games at Origins, and normally I simply come as a GM and use the badge I get with the group and do preregister for any events.
When prereg is open, one of the members of our group registers all of us and sends out information so that we can purchase tickets if we so desire. This year I did. When I got to Origins, it turned out I had two badges. One that was printed because I am part of the group, and one that was from me registering for events. My husband also had two badges.
I wonder how many other people who run with groups end up with multiple badges. Perhaps we are simply doing something wrong, and that is why we had two…but it would not surprise me to find out that others out there did the same wrong thing, thus increasing the attendee count Origins is reporting.
Something I’ve heard is that some attendees bought 4day passes and then did not show up until the weekend. That could explain the ‘ghost town’ during the week and almost regular crowds on the weekend. Nothing to base this on but it is a good explaination.
There is something telling in the past numbers. GAMA does no have the past attendance out, or not where I could find it but looking at the ICV2 press releases for the pass several years there is some in interesting in info. One year, 2009, they did not published numbers only to say they were down 18% from 2008. So here are the numbers.
08 14190
09 11638
10 10601
11 11502
12 11332
What this really shows in space of five years there has been no or little growth. If you have 08 as the high point it’s ranged about the same general numbers range. If not losing anymore attendee was a victory condition well, Winning.They say one set of numbers but my gut and alot of other peoples agree that there that the number do not reflect the reality we saw.
I’m with you.The numbers reported don’t jive with what Elliott and I experienced, even on the peripherals of the con such as very short lines in the food court at the convention center, fairly empty nearby restaurants, what our friends at the companies exhibiting there told us compared to prior years, as well as what our own eyes told us. Becky’s point is valid too, as Elliott and I had press credentials but they had to register the two of us in order for us to be able to purchase the Board Room ribbons in our support of the Ohio group that runs that section. I’ll bet we were counted as paid attendees even though we weren’t.
One area of that has not been explored is event numbers. This year the last excel, and only, spreadsheet had 4087 events listed. In 2011 the master listing had 4389 , and 2010 4588. Now these can only be used as snapshots. Events can be added and canceled without notice. We can see in two years a decline of almost 500 events. Now some of that this year is companies not running their events like Looney Labs, Twilight Creations, and I think Fantasy Flight. Events numbers is one of the things that drive attendance, good convention lots of events, poor convention fewer events. Something to consider.