If the Fests are losing money, why not up the price of admission? Why not have more dealers other than MPI? Don't the dealers have to pay a fee to the Fest to have tables there? Plus, I have at least one friend who stopped attending when they got rid of most of the dealers, so I know there are people who come to cons mainly for the dealers. Did Pierson really decide to continue with the Fests after 2003 because of pressure from the stars? Or was it because that Fan Fair group wanted to start their own DS cons? If Pierson doesn't want to do them, why not let someone else do them?
Well, I'm sure they've talked about upping the admission price before, but more than likely if they did that, they'd lose a certain percentage of attendance. One of the draws, for me anyway, it how cheap the FEST costs, minus hotel fees and traveling expenses. If I had to pay, let's say $500 for traveling expenses and hotel costs, and then turn around and pay like $250 or so for a total fest admission (including all days involved, and the banquet) I'd seriously rethink me going.
As for why they don't let other people run the fest--me thinks that it's because once people saw how much work goes into it, any volunteers would surely run the other way. Not to mention that if they royally screwed it up it would be Jim's, DCP's, and the Fest's name on the line. If I were Jim, I certainly wouldn't want that type of stress--worrying about someone else doing it and me not being able to go all control-freak. I am a control-freak, mind you
At the Brooklyn Fest last year, there was a....well, not a LARGE dealer room, but I was surprised at how many dealers were there. MPI, of course, and then there were a number of fan dealers that had a bunch of different fanzines for sale, and there were LOTS of table with DS pics for sale and fest vids for sale. Out in the main hall there were more DS picture tables, some DS Marilyn Ross tables with other little DS collectibles--watches, paper clipping, the like--and then a LARGE table that had tons of old TV Guides and 16, Tiger Beat, and related magazines, many with DS articles or mentions, and some that were just REALLY REALLY old and collectible to people who collect things like that.
This year, though, because of the scaled down event, I"m sure there won't be as many dealers. And if events in subsequent years are to match or mimic this year's gathering, I suspect dealers won't come in droves like they did before.