Leslie (the AA head) was very proactive. Unlike most cons, I actually saw her continuously throughout the weekend, checking up on people, taking care of any problems that arose within the Artists, and dealing with issues as they came up (like coming back in the morning to the doors being locked shut, and no one knowing where the key is). I have no idea who the head of the dealer's room was, and neither did she, so she ended up taking care of the dealer's side of things as well.
The building we were in was entirely separated from the rest of the convention, and I do think that the con really needs to change venues if it's going to continue to grow. The Chattanooga Choo Choo is pretty, but definitely not the greatest place to hold a convention. Dealers were in the center of the room with AA tables surrounding the perimeter, which doesn't seem like the most optimal layout for anyone as I heard attendees several times over mention that they didn't know that there was any difference between the dealers and artists.
Hours were also very irregular. None of the hours matched what was written in the schedule or in the emails sent out in the days before the con. On the final day, the AA ended up closing two hours earlier then expected, and with only a twenty minute warning ahead of time, meaning two hours of potential sales that were desperately needed were lost.
The DD/AA was in a separate building from the rest of the main programming however, which might have discouraged many people from even seeking it out. We kept seeing the same people walk around the alley over and over, and artist often got up to walk around as well since sales were more infrequent than other cons I've attended. Did not make what I'd hoped, but hopefully this con will consider a new venue next year, since the layout of the Chattanooga Choo Choo didn't seem optimal.
Could NOT get a hotel anywhere near, many other events were going on in town and most of the hotels in the area have been renovated into apartments. :T
