News out of Denver is that fans are waiting in very long lines to get into Denver Comic Con. Some reports are placing the wait is up to four hours to get into the convention center. This is a dangerous trend with comic book conventions which needs to be taken care of immediately.
Comic book convention lines. Ain’t nobody got time fo dat! – This is not actually a picture from Denver.
The Recent Past
Both Dallas Comic Con and Motor City Comic Con have made headlines recently due to long lines which have kept fans at bay for hours. With Denver Comic Con having the same issues, how many fans are going to become discouraged about coming to future comic book conventions?
Denver Comic Con Issue
According to Channel 9 News in Denver, the promoters and management of Denver Comic Con were not prepared for the long lines they were experiencing today. While having more guests than you would expect is a good thing, not being prepared for the numbers is something different. Comic books are in an upswing, the top movies each year are typically related to comics in some way, and more people are heading to conventions than ever before. It would be better for conventions to overstaff the front door than to automatically expect the status quo will work year-in and year-out.
The Damage Long Lines at Conventions Can Cause
First off, we have to take a look at the health risks involved with excruciatingly long lines. Issues such as exhaustion, heat exposure (in the summer) and hypothermia (in the winter) are issues which comic book convention promoters have to be concerned about. A comic book convention is supposed to be a happy event and it is the job of the staff to make sure health concerns never come into play.
Another issue is the short-term issue of people turning around and going home disappointed because they did not want to wait in line. This takes money out of the pockets of the convention itself, the vendors, and the guests.
Over the long-term, many fans could easily become discouraged by seeing stories about comic book convention lines and decide to stay home. Instead of taking another huge upswing in attendance, conventions might start losing attendance spikes because fans are too scared about the possibility of standing in line for three or four hours.
Comic book convention promoters and their staffs need to sit down and plan for dealing with lines which would boggle their minds. Comic books are the going thing, and comic book conventions need to make sure they stay high on as many lists as possible. Nipping this problem with long lines is the first step.
