Comicpalooza Makes Navigation EZ

The sun has set on the first day of the 4th Annual Compicpalooza; however, guests will still be up until 2:00 AM celebrating comics, art, and music. When they lumber off to bed, convention goers will have Joker grins not only because met the legendary Stan Lee but also because the staff made events incredible accessible. Due to posted navigation, plentiful brochures, long, but fast moving lines, friendly security, a knowledgeable staff, and the Comicpalooza App, guests will find Comicpalooza on their yearly “Must Visit” lists.

It is effortless to find help due to uniformity in dress wear; the friendly workers have sky blue t-shirts with bold white print defining if they are staff or a volunteer. Their badges also make them easy to identify because Vo Nguyen, the artist and designer of this years passes, gave each level of admission a different image and color scheme; yet, he unified everything via his unique drawing style. Each worker has a positive attitude as do those in charge of security. The guards were relaxed, yet stern allowing every guest to enjoy themselves while ensuring the safety of not only the con goers but also the special guests. One should not be afraid to ask questions at this convention. If one worker does not know the answer they can quickly find someone who does.

Even with posted brochures and schedules being obsolete on the timing of certain events, the Comicpalooza App, introduced just this year, made up for the discrepancies. The first thing the application does upon being launched is update and sync to the Comicpalooza master schedule, which is updated in real-time as events change. All events listed on the application and a feature of the convention center touch screens. Guests are not shy about helping each other and can often be seen briefly crowding a cell phone in a football huddle for ten seconds. Upon disbanding, the groups break up with new friendships and networks being formed.

Locating special guests offering autographs is a simple matter as individuals are stationed at booths in the Artist’s Alley with signs clearly marking them via their name and a brief curriculum vitae. Paying for and picking up photo-op images, posters, and comics is an immediate and streamlined process. Stan Lee’s line saw hundreds of people pass through it within his one hour signing slot because staff, guests, and security made the whole operation enjoyable.

The general organization of the convention is spectacular. Every event, from the opening ceremonies to the concerts, has been running according to schedule. Some events finish up to fifteen minutes ahead of schedule allowing guests to move seamlessly from one event to the next. Guests will also be happy with the shear number of panels occurring each day, and even more satisfied with the extra day happening this year on Memorial Day. Sure to make con goers even more ecstatic is that all escalators and elevators are in working order and are open to the general public.

Events begin slightly after the sun rises on Saturday, May 24, starting with 24 hour anime at 8:00 AM in room 342 A. For more events, be sure to download the Comicpalooza App. We look forward to seeing you there!!