NDK should last for 4 days.

[Tsukara]

I've been going to ndk for the last four years, and from personal experienceit feels like Sunday is just a pack up and leave day and nothing much is going on. Would ndk consider expanding the convention for one more day?

[cherrysamurai]

I totally agree with this, I say why not, it would be such a good idea

[Rippy The Nekomatta]

Oh yeah....I would be up for that, there is just too much to do....

[Mahou Shoujo Michi]

I would LOVE for NDK to be 4 days. Another con I go to is 4 days long, and it's the BEST THING EVER.  The only issue is, that's really only feasible if NDK were on a holiday weekend.

Not only would students have a hard time taking monday off, people with jobs would also have an issue getting it off.  Heck there are people with jobs who have trouble taking Saturday and Sunday off.

On the flipside, I know there are plenty of students who skip Friday for NDK, or people who can't come for Friday, people who only come for one day.. etc etc.

Having an extra day might also help with the crowds and lines, if even by a little bit.

[Tsukara]

That's so true! So many event rooms fill up so fast, you have to wait an hour - hours in line just to make sure you can get it. If they added an extra day, that gives everyone a stronger chance to experiance everything.

[Breanna]

I agree with this, but then having another day with Marriott means more money given to the hotel. That also means that the badge would cost more, and there might not be as many staff/volunteers on the fourth day (Thursday or Monday). I am pretty sure there are other downsides to this debate as well that I am not aware of so I hope there is a staff member that will "clear the air."

[Tsukara]

Paying more for badges and rooms is obviously expected, hell any con you go to you have to save up. I think in the end its worth it for those that are willing to put out (attempting not troll lol). Besides I don't think ndk would put it past themselves to find a way to make the con more enjoyable and to make more money.

[Greg Hines]

This idea has come up several times before--usually after the con is over, which we see as a good sign--but unfortunately it's just not feasible for us. The additional expense wouldn't be that great considering we'd sell out the sleeping rooms at the Marriott for another night. The real problem is that it'd be quite a lot to ask of our staff members to take another day off of work or school; most of them already take Friday off, and some take off Monday.

Doing it over a holiday weekend could mitigate this somewhat, but our contract with the hotel has us on the weekend after Labor Day for the next three years and it might not even be possible to change even if we want.

Mostly, though, I'm not sure we could manage it without asking too much of our staff. As much as we love our attendees and want to give you what you want, we just can't put NDK together without our staff members and we don't want to work them ragged.

[Akkhima]

That's so true! So many event rooms fill up so fast, you have to wait an hour - hours in line just to make sure you can get it. If they added an extra day, that gives everyone a stronger chance to experiance everything.

I never understand what makes people think they'll be able to get into more things if the con is longer - we'd just have the same number of people for one more day (well, maybe less since people wouldn't take it off) but Saturday would STILL be the busiest day!

[Tsukara]

Thank you director for your very helpful import. So on a side note, with ndk growing every year and a rumor I heard limiting the number of badges given out, ndk wouldnt be able to get a bigger venue until the contract is up. Has the topic of getting the largest hotel in denver/venue ever come up?

[Joel Berger]

The question of a larger venue comes up every year, and it's not ignored.  There's a pretty good explanation of why we haven't pursued that here.

[Tsukara]

Thank you for that information as well. I guess all my questions have been answered for now-

[Rippy The Nekomatta]

I think the staff have a point, considering that yeah, we do have lives outside the con....man curse reality outside....but again, I think though it would be nice if we did have it on a time when there is a four day weekend. Again, that's wishful thinking

[GimmeAnime]

Been to one 4-day convention: AnimeFest in Dallas (didn't make it this year, unfortunately).

It's a bit disorienting. Kind of like having 2 Saturdays. You get done with the usual Saturday festivities and realize you have another full day and night, instead of the Sunday pack-up. And you have to make adjustments for it, in food being brought, in other supplies, adjusting hotel costs, etc. We'd have to rent a whole other truck for ramune 

Pluses:
- spreading events out. Don't have to worry about a concert, cosplay and dance all on Saturday.
- More attendees without breaking the cap. Since the cap is calculated daily, you could have more one-day attendees.

Minuses:
- More time off needed for staff, attendees, vendors, etc. Especially if it's not on a holiday weekend.
- May not make difference to vendors. My experience at AnimeFest says that, outside of snacks, people just spread out their purchases.
- More content to fill. If there is any problems filling the panel schedule, it could be made worse by adding an extra full day.

Right now, the closest holiday weekend is Labor Day. Moving NDK to it would put it in competition with 7 other conventions, including AnimeFest and Dragon*Con. This may make it harder to get guests. And I doubt they will make 9/11 a national holiday, or at least one that makes a 4-day weekend.

[Sarge]

I have a great time every year, but I'm so mentally and physically exhausted after every con and so is my staff...I'm not sure we'd could actually handle it.

[The Ronin]

Thank you director for your very helpful import. So on a side note, with ndk growing every year and a rumor I heard limiting the number of badges given out, ndk wouldnt be able to get a bigger venue until the contract is up. Has the topic of getting the largest hotel in denver/venue ever come up?

All your questions can be answered HERE

I have a great time every year, but I'm so mentally and physically exhausted after every con and so is my staff...I'm not sure we'd could actually handle it.

This.

Even with the little I helped here and there this year, plus spending time with my family at the con, I was pulling busy 12 hour days. I know many staff did much, MUCH more than I did, and I was dead tired by the end of the con. I'm still not quite sure how I stayed standing after moving all those chairs in main events. I doubt that many of us on staff could survive an extra day.

Another thing to consider is that many of the 4 day cons are corporately run. The workers are paid and only working normal 8 hour shifts. Those of us on staff aren't paid, and aren't subject to normal working days.

[Alitain]

I gotta support only a 3 day NDK, unless there was a big shift in the con itself, like The Ronin said, and it became more corporate run.  Mind you me and my friends only consider Sunday the "Pack up, check out, and make a final pass of the DR and AA before leaving" day.  There just is never anything real interesting for us on Sundays outside of autographs and I'm basically the only one who gets autographs and even I'm worn out by Sunday and lately haven't felt up to dealing with the lines and waiting(no complaint to staff about autograph lines, it is what is and understandable).

And yeah, while this year I'm jobless, other years when I had a job and attended even as an attendee getting that extra day off wouldn't have been easy and I can only imagine the pain for staff.

[Amadis]

I honestly appreciate that it's -not- on a holiday weekend. I know I'm just one person, but I work at an animal hospital/boarding kennel and I'm required to work on all holidays; dogs gotta eat yanno? If NDK were on a holiday weekend there would be absolutely no way myself or any of my coworkers could go.

As much as I'd love NDK to be longer, it's because I wish it could be NDK all the time forever XD and that's about as feasible as having all the wonderful staff and volunteers endure one more day. I couldn't ask them to do that, they already work so hard. I know -my- paycheck suffered from missing days to go to con, but I got to enjoy it as an attendee. The staff works hard all weekend for the love of it and 3 days of that dedication is enough for me ^_^

[Rippy The Nekomatta]

Yeah, now that i think about it, I happen to like working on the holiday weekends because I get time and a half at Walmart. I kind of enjoy getting a little extra on my paycheck to go toward rent, con and other things....So yeah, even though NDK would be great with the extra day, I think people would suffer

[Mahou Shoujo Michi]

To be fair, there are people who suffer with NDK being 3 days long.  Not everyone works Mon-Friday with Saturday and Sunday off.