Vendors, Vendors Everywhere

Dragon Con is known for its fantastic panels and events. It is also known for shopping. Opening day was at the AmericasMart Friday at 10AM. Before the time arrived, there was the usual serpentine line of fans waiting to go in to buy their items. This year, Dragon Con found a new way to have fans enter.

About 15 minutes before opening time, volunteers counted off participants into four groups of about 100. The first group was escorted to the fourth floor opening to wait. Once they were at the entrance, the next group was escorted to the third floor to wait. This also happened for the second and first floor. This new directive allowed the line to move forward and opened up the opportunity for the vendors on the first floor not to be overwhelmed with the onslaught of fans. It also allowed the line to move forward more quickly, lightening the mood of the crowd. You could hear cheering on each floor as volunteers rallied the spirit of Dragon Con while waiting for the magical time of 10AM to arrive. 

The announcement over the public address system signaled a welcome to the Mart and cheers were heard throughout each floor. 

In speaking with fans, at first the new system was confusing. Once the realization came, they were supportive and encouraged this new way of crowd control. They may not have started out on the floor they thought they would, but upon consideration it made a lot of sense. With this new method, it spaced out fans all throughout the Mart so they would not feel like a herd stampeding the town.

The vendors also liked this new method. They liked the idea that they did not have to wait for fans to get to their floor. It would also allow for earlier sales, hopefully increasing their revenue. The vendors also liked the idea that the initial opening crowd would not be so intense. 

It would appear this system worked well. The volunteers plan on repeating this process each day the Mart is open. In speaking with one of the directors, nothing is set in stone for next year. There will be discussion after the Con to review if the new directive was a success or if further refinement is needed.

Author of the article

Award-winning author Amanda Faith may have been raised in Dayton, but her heart and home is in the South. With a lifelong love of teaching and writing, she had plenty of encouragement from teachers and friends along the way. Loving a good puzzle has always been a fascination, and writing gives her the outlet to put all the pieces together. Being adventurous and loving to try new things, it wasn’t long before her characters found themselves in unusual situations. She loves to put people from two different worlds into new situations and to see how they interact, taking them on journeys they would never have normally experienced. Her current adventure working as a high school English professor turned Media Specialist, writing, and doing paranormal investigations doesn’t slow her down from having a great time with a plethora of hobbies. Her published credits include several short stories, poetry, several journal articles, her doctoral dissertation, and her award-winning book Strength of Spirit. With multiple degrees, she has a passion for learning and exploring new venues. She is a staff writer for The Daily Dragon at Dragon Con. Check out her new website (www.amandafaith.net) or on Instagram (@dramandafaith)