Comments, Compliments, and Concerns for NDK 2011

[Masurao Tsukino]

i was wondering about that. i thought they were for keeping the badge checkers stuck to their chair! it looked like you were locking them into place.

hmmmm that would be a good hypothesis except on Sunday when I was working door they took the chair to get a better flow of traffic. 

Glad you all liked the noodles, I know they were a lot easier to use, than us reaching out to try to stop you guys. (That and they were fun to hold) ^^

[Alitain]

NDK Staff & Gimme Anime-
Oh don't worry, I don't it's the whole "supply & demand" thing, and what's popular.  And definitely get there's nothing that can really be done, like I said though it was just a general bummer that kinda went along with being out of the anime loop.  Since the majority of my anime is older stuff now it's hard to find stuff.  Not saying anything against the vendors though, more just that I wish I could keep up with the anime so that I might enjoy what the vendors bring more, that's all I meant sorry if it came across different the vendors rock at NDK, really.

[JoadJoVae]

Hey guys, if you want to continue talking about the stock or prices in the dealers room please make a new thread on the DR/AA forum, otherwise lets continue with comments compliments and concerns. Thanks!
I would like to compliment Security, anytime we needed anything you guys were there in a heartbeat! We felt safe and supported all weekend! So thank you all.

[Alitain]

I'd like to chime in, because I don't think I have yet, on the awesomeness of Security.  Now I'm not saying this because I had a situation Security helped me with or anything, it's actually because there WAS no incident that required me to seek Security.  To me that means they're doing a kick butt job.  I mean I'm sure some incidents came up and I'm sure they dealt with it, but my con experience was not interfered with and I appreciate that very much.  So you rock Security, keep up the good work and while it's been a week since I hope you all got time to rest up and recover from the con.

[Patient_Zero]

To everyone at operations, you are the salt of the earth, you were unbelievably helpful and nice. Prereg staff, you have more patience than I am sure is humanly possible; yes I could be implying that you are not human. The folk at the volunteer table, thanks for understanding and helping me when my costume left me incapable of basic motor functions.

Also, there was a man outside one of the panels who saw I couldn’t move to well and that because of my costume I was over heating, he offered me his own personal ice water! The most delicious drink I had all con. He also helped me out when my costume had a bit of a mishap. I didn’t get his name but he had on a kilt and Pikachu ears! Thank you so much.

Let me start up front by apologizing for the length of this post but I figured it best to be thorough. With that being said it would seem that for every bright side there is the unavoidable shadow. That is to say it can’t be good without some bad. Before I get to it let me start by setting up some ground work. I am by no means trying to be vindictive, condescending, or brash. However, I am upset. I know there are two sides to every coin and with that I would like to explain my side and hear the other. With any luck others will agree with me and as it is with mob mentality, the status quo will change. Without fail there will be those who whole heartedly disagree with me, so be it. Here is it…

I started work on a cosplay over two years ago and was able to finish it in time for NDK 2011. NDKs cosplay competition has a set of rules, among them:

“While we appreciate costumes from other genres, NDK's cosplay contest will be limited to those of Japanese origin. Special exceptions may be made for costumes of other Asian media, but the cosplay area head must approve them”

I knew this going into the convention this year, didn’t know it back when I started building my costume. So I did my research, and I found more than two dozen examples that placed my character in/out of/from Japan. Manga that was published by publishing companies out of Japan, written by Japanese writers, Drawn by Japanese artist et cetera et cetera. Also found manga that was ONLY released in Japan, by TOKOY POP Japanese drawn and written. On top of that I also found several video games that contained my character that were published and developed out of Japan.

After presenting my case to the area head, hard evidence aside, I was brushed off, no discussion or consideration, no thought; I was told that that I looked really good and that they were sorry. The rule stipulated “... the cosplay area head must approve them” this meaning that the area head could have approved me. They didn't so the apology given was hollow.

As harsh as that might be, actions speak louder than words. Trying not to let it ruin my NDK I continued to walk the floor. Adding salt to the fresh wound, my frustration grew when greeted by other NDK staff, being told not only that I should enter the cosplay competition but that I was a shoe-in to win it. Informing them that I had been denied entry I was comforted to see the disappointment spread across their face, their “I’m sorry” feeling actually sincere. This was followed by various statements of disapproval in regards to the current rules that prevented non-Japanese/Asian cosplay to take part in the cosplay competition.

What do I hope to accomplish? Simple, open the cosplay to all origins. Perhaps a middle ground might be to create a category for non-Japanese cosplay. Maybe further clarification as to what constitutes “origin.”

I know I am not the only person who has taken issue with this, so I hope more will come forward. Should a substantial number of people agree with me I would hope that NDK being the “fan-run convention” that it is will change the status quo. It is possible that I am alone on my island and should that be the case, so be it. None the less I appreciate the opportunity to try and invoke change and have my opinions heard.

Another point of inquiry: I filled out the workmanship judging questionnaire and within that document potential competition participants are asked to indicate if their costume is a reproduction, if it’s based on pre-existing character, or if it is an original. I am having a hard time understanding how someone could have an original cosplay that is also of Japanese/Asian origin. Maybe I’m missing something but it seems to be a bit of a contradiction.

There are those who will want me to reveal what/who my character was. I will not at this time and don’t foresee a time or situation that will result in me doing so publicly. The reason for the secrecy is simple: It doesn’t matter. I don’t want this to turn into a thread where people weigh in as for or against the validity of my specific cosplay. People need to look at the big picture, the rules that are in place and the logic behind the issue then respond accordingly.

The current system is internally coherent but in application is discriminatory at best and fails due to a lack of specificity.

In addition…

So I have taken a few days to write this post and while doing so I have been going through footage of NDK and have to admit I had the wind knocked out of me when saw some of the copslays that were allowed to compete. So correct me if I am wrong but was there a Mortal Kombat character allowed to enter the competition? In what parallel universe does Mortal Kombat originate from Japan? Cause it doesn’t in this one. It was created by John Tobias and Ed Boon (yay google!) here in the states and developed by Midway Games an American developer. I loved her outfit and I like Mortal Kombat and in truth I think it should have been allowed but in the grand scheme of things if NDK is going to claim to abide by a set of discriminatory rules then they should actually enforce them.

Adding insult to injury was when I saw the Nyan Cat. I think it is cute as does everyone but it is an internet meme. The cat was created by Chris Torres who is from Dallas, Texas.  The youtube user Saraj00n (also American) synced up the pop tart cat to the “Nyanyanyanyan” song, the song came from Japan but the cat itself is of American origin.

(Warning run-on sentence ahead)

Now what started as frustration at being denied access to compete in a competition that I have been preparing OVER TWO YEARS for, due to the improper enforcement of a rule (That I don’t think should exist in the first place) despite the STACK of supporting evidence I brought with me, evidence that wasn’t even looked at, only to see that very rule being blatantly bypassed has now turned into some variation of hatred! Here is why… NDK is the ONLY con I go to, it is my 4th year, two of which were spent making the current costume, so yeah I’m a little angry. I apologize for coming across as hostile, but surely it is understandable having had a two year build up crushed without so much as a second thought.

I look forward to a constructive discussion.

[Sarge]

I would like to compliment Security, anytime we needed anything you guys were there in a heartbeat! We felt safe and supported all weekend! So thank you all.

I'd like to chime in, because I don't think I have yet, on the awesomeness of Security.  Now I'm not saying this because I had a situation Security helped me with or anything, it's actually because there WAS no incident that required me to seek Security.  To me that means they're doing a kick butt job.  I mean I'm sure some incidents came up and I'm sure they dealt with it, but my con experience was not interfered with and I appreciate that very much.  So you rock Security, keep up the good work and while it's been a week since I hope you all got time to rest up and recover from the con.

Wow guys, just...wow.  Thanks!  Now buzz off before you ruin our mean reputation 

[Rozen Middy]

[rant on asian-origins issue]

Another point of inquiry: I filled out the workmanship judging questionnaire and within that document potential competition participants are asked to indicate if their costume is a reproduction, if it’s based on pre-existing character, or if it is an original. I am having a hard time understanding how someone could have an original cosplay that is also of Japanese/Asian origin. Maybe I’m missing something but it seems to be a bit of a contradiction.

There are those who will want me to reveal what/who my character was. I will not at this time and don’t foresee a time or situation that will result in me doing so publicly. The reason for the secrecy is simple: It doesn’t matter. I don’t want this to turn into a thread where people weigh in as for or against the validity of my specific cosplay. People need to look at the big picture, the rules that are in place and the logic behind the issue then respond accordingly.

Would you maybe be willing to pm me as to who you were doing? I understand if you won't, since I have no say whatsoever, but I'm quite curious now since you've found so much Japanese media pertaining to said character.
That being said, I think the issue would be that the character was not originally created by Japanese people. Did you by any chance talk to Katie? She's the cosplay head, so she would have final say, and she seems to me like the kind of person who would actually look into this. If you did talk to her, I'd ask her what criteria you were shot down on.
As for "original" cosplay: kimonos. IIRC somebody submitted a kimono into the contest last year. I would assume kabuki theater-style clothing would also be accepted. I think someone has also entered a kitsune accurate to the myth, but I may be thinking of a different con there. The thing they would look for there I would assume would be whether or not the fashion came from Japan or not.

[splintered-fiction]

I wanted to say that I had a blast this year! This was the best NDK I've ever been to.

Reading through the comments, I can't believe how many people are trashing on the staff. All of my interactions with the staff this year was wonderful, for which I was very glad because they were horrendously rude when I last went in 2009, which is what kept me from going to the 2010 con. The staff and volunteers I encountered were very professional (which I guess can come off as a 'rude' vibe to hyperactive con goers), and even when I was deliberately breaking a rule by climbing up a ledge on the outside of the hotel to get a picture, a staff member very politely told me to get down, because if I got hurt it would have been their responsibility. That, very honestly, was my own stupidity in action, because I didn't stop to think that what I was doing was against the rules, and I appreciate him for being very patient and kind with me.

Also, there is absolutely nothing that the staff can do about how crowded it is inside. Perhaps it didn't bother me, because I knew it was going to be crowded. You can't really expect to go to a big con and not be shoulder to shoulder with people when you're walking down the halls. It gets congested with lines, people trying to get here and there, and cosplayers that get pulled over to get pictures while people try to not walk in front of the camera. That's just to be expected. The lines didn't bother me. I got into the events I wanted with only waiting in line for about 15 minutes tops even with other people waiting for hours. The only thing that I could suggest in this matter is to move NDK to a bigger hotel. Otherwise, the con goers need to suck it up and accept that no one has a personal space bubble at cons. xD

I think my only complaint is the lack of water. Every time I went to get water from the dispensers they were empty. Luckily, there were water fountains every where, so I didn't get dehydrated. I don't know if it would be possible to keep a better eye on the water supply, so I'll just be sure to bring a water bottle with me next time.

This was the best NDK I've been to, and I've already pre-regged, so I'll see you guys next year!

 

[splintered-fiction]

I've been turning this idea around in my head for a while. What if for Main Events you could use a Disneyland-style timepass system?
At Disneyland, you can go to the entrance for a ride and get a slip of paper that has a time on it that you should come back to get in the ride.

Could NDK do this with something inexpensive, like rolls of different colored raffle tickets? Different colors mean different times and staff could start giving them out about an hour or two beforehand. And like the lines, it would still be first come, first serve. So for example, the Cosplay Contest. If you go to the doors at Main Events (or you could even set up some sort of booth to get slips for different main events) a staff member would hand you a green ticket, for example. And there would be a color-coded chart. So in this case, green could mean to come back at 5:55. The first 100 or so people could be let in about ten minutes before the event starts, during that set-up period between events. A small amount of people being seated shouldn't be too much of a disturbance during set-up. Then the next group of ticket-holders would show up around 6, about 5 minutes later, to be seated. And so on and so forth.
I don't know if this is possible, but if it works it would really help fix line congestion in the hallways as well as allow people to go do other things instead of sitting in line for three hours. I know it wouldn't be a good solution for smaller events like panels, but if there was a way to not have lines for main events at least it would make moving around the hotel a lot easier if we weren't tripping over each other. It would also be an easier way to count how many people there are, so staff doesn't go over the seating capacity and have fire hazard issues.

I second this. I think this is a fabulous idea and would really help keep the halls clear for the big events.

[Skrae]

Again, with water, the only way to help it is to let a staff member know, and we can alert the hotel.  Unfortunately, they're not put out by us, and with the black covers over the tanks, it's not so easy to tell with just a glance.

[Rippy The Nekomatta]

I started carrying around a water bottle, it seemed to work when I remembered to actually fill it....

[brianca]

I feel like the oddball because didn't have any interaction with staff that I didn't initiate and there was always water when we stopped. I must have been at some parallel NDK.

I thought the whole thing was very well run considering the attendance and limitations of the space.

[Alitain]

Now what started as frustration at being denied access to compete in a competition that I have been preparing OVER TWO YEARS for, due to the improper enforcement of a rule (That I don’t think should exist in the first place) despite the STACK of supporting evidence I brought with me, evidence that wasn’t even looked at, only to see that very rule being blatantly bypassed has now turned into some variation of hatred! Here is why… NDK is the ONLY con I go to, it is my 4th year, two of which were spent making the current costume, so yeah I’m a little angry. I apologize for coming across as hostile, but surely it is understandable having had a two year build up crushed without so much as a second thought.

I look forward to a constructive discussion.

Just like to say, hard to have a constructive discussion about your cosplay issue without knowing what it was.  No offense, I understand it's your choice not to reveal your cosplay, but to want constructive discussion it's basically impossible because all we have to go on is your side of the story saying your cosplay is from Japan.  And not saying your lying.

I will say it's a shame you had such a hard time, though maybe there is a reason you're not aware of or wasn't made aware of at the time you were turned down.  Rozen Middy was nice enough to ask for a PM, not sure if you did or not but maybe they can help you a little if you do.

Brianca-
I'm with you, I think that there was a space time anomaly at NDK that created two divergent Cons, at least for part of the time before they fused back together probably sometime Sunday.  Or maybe the anomaly was only around the property of the Marriott or also its immediate area.  So once people left the area to go back home, they all snapped back into one cohesive dimensional timeline/spaceline.  Haha, went a little overboard did I?  Yeah...

[Patient_Zero]

I think the issue would be that the character was not originally created by Japanese people.

I never claimed to be originally created in Japan. I know this is why I was turned away, I know I wasn’t created by Japanese people but I did find Japanese media pertaining to an American Character. A long shot sure but had to try. As far as the area head, I did talk to her and it would seem that because my character wasn’t 100% Japanese the research I did was null and void. If entries HAD to be exclusive to and solely originate from Japan this brings me to my issue with the admittance of the Mortal Kombat character and the Nyan Cat.

Just like to say, hard to have a constructive discussion about your cosplay issue without knowing what it was.

Exactly! As I stated I don’t want this to be about MY cosplay, I want to have a constructive discussion about the discriminatory rules that are in place that prevent cosplays of non-Japanese origin from entering and why do they exist? From talking to Staff and NDK veterans it would seem that the cosplay competition used to be open to any origin.

[GimmeAnime]

Exactly! As I stated I don’t want this to be about MY cosplay, I want to have a constructive discussion about the discriminatory rules that are in place that prevent cosplays of non-Japanese origin from entering and why do they exist? From talking to Staff and NDK veterans it would seem that the cosplay competition used to be open to any origin.

It was a evolved rule, just like the splitting of the cosplay & costume sections. And it's an old problem. I remember when a group of Klingons won the Project A-Kon costume contest. Immediately afterward, they changed the rules so that there was a "Best Non-Anime" category ( rather than an outright ban in deference to the Klingon group, who were also part of Con Security) to help weed out the non-anime costumers. This has carried over to several other conventions, when they suddenly had problems with Super Hero, sci-fi, random video games, internet memes and people just costuming as an RPG character they played. Not all anime conventions deal with it the same way. Some are very strict, several are loosey-goosey about it and all are different because of the different problems they've faces

I understand that you had problems with this as you put a lot of time & effort into it, but if I might make a suggestion? If you are local, consider taking your costume to some other cons. We have Animeland Wasabi, Starfest, Mile Hi Con, Anomoly Con and 2 comic book conventions starting up. Since you won't tell us what the costume was, I can't point out if it's better for Steampunk or for general sci-fi or for comic books, but if your costume is still available to wear, and I hope after 2 years of work that it didn't fall apart immediately, you should still get good use out of it for years to come.

[Rozen Middy]

We have Animeland Wasabi, Starfest, Mile Hi Con, Anomoly Con and 2 comic book conventions starting up.

Don't do Wasabi. The rules state that the character/show "must be from or take place in Japan or have significant Japanese influence" or some such nonsense. We made a strong case for Heavy Rain when we went there (primarily focused on the Origami killer and all of that) and they shot us down. I suspect you'd have the same issue.
Depending on how many entrants they have next year, I don't see too much of a problem in the limitation. Since there were usually so many entrants in the past, it made sense to limit the amount of contestants. If there's fewer this coming year as it was this year, opening it back up would be a good suggestion.

[Skrae]

I don't work in cosplay, so what I say may not be entirely correct, but I wish to throw my two cents in.  The reason that we have the rule is that NDK is a convention promoting Japanese culture, not just anime or the fandom, and as such, we like our panels and competitions to reflect this (it's the same reason My Little Pony is not allowed in the AMV contest).  Regarding Mortal Kombat characters, I do not know which character was in the competition, but keep in mind that many of the characters are based off of Japanese culture (Sub Zero and Scorpion are both ninjas for example), so it could be considered a grey area.  Regarding Nyan Cat (I am going on the record by stating that I agree with you, more for the fact that memes in real life annoy me), the gif was made by an American, and the video was made by an American, but the song is Japanese, so it could be another grey area.

Now regarding the character you cosplayed having been done in Japan as well:  Star Wars, Spiderman, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, The Incredible Hulk, and even Jesus have all had Japanese adaptations.  By your logic, we should allow all of these characters as well, but if we did, we'd have the same complaints from people cosplaying characters WITHOUT Japanese origins.

You're right, this is by definition discrimination.  But discrimination is not always bad, and while I'm not going to comment either way on that, I will reiterate what I said earlier:  We are a convention promoting Japanese culture.  If our rules help us to achieve this, then I say it's good discrimination.  If we were to say that because it's not Japanese in origin, you can't wear it at the con, then I would be cheering with you, but as it stands, I support the ruling.

As for the apology which you feel is hollow, the area head has to approve ALL cosplays, so it's likely that it was a sincere apology, especially if yours looks as good as it sounds (you've certainly put the blood, sweat, and tears into it).  I'm sure you're not the only one she turned away, and I'm sure that some of them looked just as good, but if they don't meet the rules, they don't meet the rules.  I can speak for her character, if she says that she's sorry, she's sorry.

I'd now like to initiate a return to the topic at hand, if you would like to discuss this further, I'd recommend starting a thread in the cosplay section.

[The irresponsible captain Jack Harkness]

Dear fellow forum members.

I would like to kindly request, that when posting about a policy, pertaining to NDK, you keep the fallowing in mind.

Sometimes when people post a question about a policy they are interested specifically in official response from staff members. Sometimes other forum members speculations and assumptions about policies are not accurate, and may sometimes be Interpreted as offensive or aggressive if given in an authoritive tone.

Forum members are free to make speculations and assumptions, but if you are not a staff member please do not present them in the form of an answer/ or official answer.
 
Thank You

[Katie]

Patient_Zero, I’m sorry for taking a while to respond. I really wanted to give you the most thorough answers as possible as that is what I feel you deserve. Because of that it makes this a really long post.

First I’m going to address the rule in question and give some background (as you asked):
“While we appreciate costumes from other genres, NDK's cosplay contest will be limited to those of Japanese origin. Special exceptions may be made for costumes of other Asian media, but the cosplay area head must approve them”

This rule refers to the source material of the costume not what anime or manga it was turned into but the actual source material and where it all came from. So as an example, there is a Star Trek manga, while the manga may have been produced in Japan (I don’t know that for sure) the original material is Star Trek, which is American. Thus it does not qualify under the rule.
 The second part of the rule ‘other Asian media’ refers to original material from other Asian countries such as Korea. A prime example of this is if someone wants to enter as a character from a Korean source such as Ragnarok Online. This is something that would need special permission as its not specifically Japanese. I am sorry if the wording is confusing and I will look into changing it so it is clearer. But that is what the intention of the rule is.

This rule was instated 5 years ago. You may not know this but the costume contest has been full and has had to turn people away by the dozens for several years running. Now several years ago (before the rule) we had people entering as comic book characters and taking the top awards (this wasn’t a one time thing but happened multiple times). And while it was a very cool costume it had very small if no ties to Japan and there were many complaints from cosplayers, audience members and special guests alike. So since the contest was so popular that we had to turn people away, because of the complaints we were getting, the convention was for promoting Japanese animation and the culture and there were several other conventions in the area (Starfest, Milehicon, and Opus for a while) that catered more toward those other costumes it was decided that we should limit NDK’s contest to characters of Japanese origin. The other Asian media bit was added on a little later.

As for the costumes that were entered this year that weren’t from Japanese sources. I did not let them in intentionally to hurt anyone or rub salt in any wounds. I was not familiar with Nyancat but when the gentleman entered, the source he gave me was a Japanese website I did go to the website to check it out and it did have Nyancat on it. I like to believe the best of our convention goers so when I saw Nyancat on the Japanese website I thought ‘ok this is Japanese’ and didn’t think to investigate further. Had I known it was from an American meme I would not have allowed it. The Mortal Combat costume was entered onsite and honestly I thought it was Japanese. As you pointed out you had to go to google to see it wasn’t Japanese and while I’m onsite I don’t have that luxury as I have no internet connection onsite. Again these costumes weren’t intentionally let through because there were gray areas or because I was dismissing anyone. I honestly didn’t know. When a costume is from something as well known as Star Trek, Star Wars, Wow or comic books, I can definitely tell right off the bat but some things I rely on the peoples honesty in entering to have read the rules and abide by them. This isn’t to say that anyone this year did this on purpose; they might not have known either.

Just so you know, every year I have to turn people down, usually 3 or 4 people, and contrary to what may be popular belief, this is not easy. When I set up these rules I made a promise to myself that I wouldn’t make exceptions (knowingly in light of what got through this year) for anything, because that could be seen as being bias for what I like and make for an unfair contest. The past two years (including this year) I have had to tell 2-3 people that they could not enter the contest as characters from Avatar: The Last Airbender. Anyone who knows me knows that I absolutely love Avatar and cosplay from it every convention I go to. Every time I have to do this it breaks my heart a little because I love that show, the characters and the costumes, but because of the rules I set in place before I had ever heard of Avatar I couldn’t allow it. I bring this up because it’s a prime example of not bending my own rules, even for something I love. So when I say it wasn’t intentional that I let people through whose costumes weren’t of Japanese or even Asian origin, I mean it.

As for the hallow apology, I am sorry if it sounded like that. I did mean it when I said your costume was really cool. As someone who makes chainmail I was very impressed by the closures of your rings (its something of a pet peeve for me) and by your incorporating different patterns like the Byzantine into the costume. The rule does say that ‘Special exceptions may be made for costumes of other Asian media, but the cosplay area head must approve them.’ But again this is in reference to original works from other Asian countries like Korea. I’m sorry for the confusion that the wording of this rule has caused and the fact that it made it seem like I just brushed you off that was not my intention.

I want you to know that you are not the only one who made the suggestion that cosplays be open to anyone and anything. Your words do not fall on deaf ears.

Again the biggest reason it isn’t right now is because of space issues and the need to give precedence to costumes from the country that the convention was intended to promote.  This year we had fewer registrations than ever since I took over the costume/cosplay contest. I don’t know if it is because the economy is bad and people just didn’t have enough to put towards cosplays or if this year was just a funky year for people. Depending on what happens with registration next year I may tweak the rules a bit to allow for more non-Japanese origin cosplays. I won’t say it’s an absolute definite but it is an option I am considering.


As for your questions regarding the costume contest questionnaire the Original was intended for costumes that involve traditional clothing or Japanese fashion like Lolita. Sometimes people combined the lolita fashion with something like Transformers. Though this isn’t always the case if there are sufficient pictures of a certain character in Japanese Mythos like Kaguya-hime where they can say it’s a reproduction of a certain picture that was found, but a lot of times there are no pictures. We’ve also had people who have cosplayed as a kitsune in kimono, those would qualify under the original character rule.


If you have any other comments or questions regarding what I’ve said feel free to post here or pm me and I’ll be glad to talk further with you.

[Dante of the Inferno]

I've been turning this idea around in my head for a while. What if for Main Events you could use a Disneyland-style timepass system?
At Disneyland, you can go to the entrance for a ride and get a slip of paper that has a time on it that you should come back to get in the ride.

Could NDK do this with something inexpensive, like rolls of different colored raffle tickets? Different colors mean different times and staff could start giving them out about an hour or two beforehand. And like the lines, it would still be first come, first serve. So for example, the Cosplay Contest. If you go to the doors at Main Events (or you could even set up some sort of booth to get slips for different main events) a staff member would hand you a green ticket, for example. And there would be a color-coded chart. So in this case, green could mean to come back at 5:55. The first 100 or so people could be let in about ten minutes before the event starts, during that set-up period between events. A small amount of people being seated shouldn't be too much of a disturbance during set-up. Then the next group of ticket-holders would show up around 6, about 5 minutes later, to be seated. And so on and so forth.
I don't know if this is possible, but if it works it would really help fix line congestion in the hallways as well as allow people to go do other things instead of sitting in line for three hours. I know it wouldn't be a good solution for smaller events like panels, but if there was a way to not have lines for main events at least it would make moving around the hotel a lot easier if we weren't tripping over each other. It would also be an easier way to count how many people there are, so staff doesn't go over the seating capacity and have fire hazard issues.

I second this. I think this is a fabulous idea and would really help keep the halls clear for the big events.

I third this.  Any new idea to better manage the super-lines should be considered.