I have a suggestion for improving your convention's image in the eyes of fans. It's should be pretty obvious, but it seems like it needs to be said.

Don't spam other forums. Just because you want your convention to grow is no reason to spam various forums across the net in a pointless plea for people to come. It really only shows how pathetic you are. When was the last time Anime North staff spammed a forum with the intent of gaining attendees?

Thanks again for the useless spam on our forums. It's only proof of how pathetic your convention is, that you have to resort to such low measures to attract people. I don't think I'll attend a convention that relies on such methods.

LAST EDITED ON Aug-13-05 AT 01:09 AM (PDT)
 
By the way here's the message we got spammed with. It's got vB code, so it looks a bit weird here, but this is it:

Pacific Media Expo, a new convention for a new generation of fans!

September 3-5, 2005 -- Long Beach, California
Long Beach Convention Center

PMX brings the cutting edge of Asian entertainment to America, whether it is the newest anime from Japan, the hottest bands from the Pacific Rim, or the most creative fusion of sports and martial arts in Asian history. PMX seeks to create an entertainment community for artists, industry, and their fans.

Things to See and Do at PMX:

Admire the beautiful artwork on display at the Daisuke Moriyama Exhibit, and bid on "one of a kind" items in our Charity Auction.Watch an energetic performance by our "Talagang Crazy" Comedian Guest of Honor , Rex Navarrete, or move to the music of our annual Concert Series.Shop till you drop in our Exhibit Hall and enjoy the diversity of art and media in our Artists Market, then relax in our Gamers Lounge, and see an Airsoft or Martial Arts demonstration.Bring a camera! Fans roam our halls in costume, and all of them enjoy being photographed when they are not strutting their stuff on stage in our Cosplay Festival.Be educated and entertained in one of our many Panel or Workshop presentations. See your favorite artists and musicians in person. Hear them speak about their work, answer questions, and even offer autographs!Whet your appetite for the latest on imported Asian video, with our Anime and Asian Cinema programming tracks.At night, enjoy Dining and Entertainment just across the street at The Pike and Hooters, or sing your heart out for fun and prizes in our Karaoke room.

For more information visit us at www.PacificMediaExpo.com or email us at help@PacificMediaExpo.com

I take it somebody submitted a PMX ad post to http://p197.ezboard.com/bteahouseofthemaplemoon then? I see in http://p197.ezboard.com/fteahouseofthemaplemoonfrm4.showMessage?topicID=2.topic the prohibition against spam.

I know we have staffers tasked with finding ways to advertise on the web, but I don't think it was supposed to include other conventions' forums. Either way, such a post would be in violation of your board rules, so we should probably remind the staffers doing web PR to check board rules more carefully before posting. They probably just missed it and we probably owe your moderators an apology.

As for whether posting ads makes us pathetic, consider that Anime North cracked 9K this year and we only have one 3K year under our belt at this point. With the convention calendar fairly crowded in California, we can't exactly wait for word-of-mouth to drive all our growth. Please don't condemn us just for thinking like a business.