Talk:For fans, by fans: Toronto anime event 2017 among continent's largest

Unedited interview transcription
'''Since the creation of Anime North, it's amazing how much it's grown, to become one of the largest events in North America. How has the organization been able to deal with the growth?'''

I think one of the key things is that, in many ways large chunks of the organization are very stable. There's almost like a backbone of staff who have been in the same positions for long periods, For example, the woman who runs the program department, Elaine MacAvoy, she's been doing it every year since the first Anime North, which means she's gotten really, really good at it. As the convention has grown, people have been in the same positions, so it kind of grows around them, so in many ways positions grow around the person at the core and their strengths. There's that, and &mdash;

We've also been very lucky with our staff, because we have a lot of really great staff. People like to talk about "drinking the Kool-Ade" and stuff, but for us a lot of it is very much the idea that it's &mdash; well, at the very beginning, the motto was &mdash; well, the unofficial motto was &mdash; by the fans, for the fans. When we first started, we were just [...] around 700 our very first year, and that was 21 conventions ago, so this is our actual 20th birthday. At the very beginning, we started with that as a core, we actually started as a one-day event started by the University of Toronto Anime Club, along with other university clubs, pooled resources, made use of one of the university facilities, which was no cost, planned for 300 which was club membership, got 700, and it's kind of grown up since then.

'''Most conventions tend to be for a certain genre, but anime is much larger than a single genre. How do you balance all of the different interests?'''

A lot of it is, when we do the panelists, people can submit panels. They say, "hey, I would like to do a panel on this, and here's the topic I have, here's the panelists I'd like to bring." So people come to us and say this is what we're doing, and we have a team that reviews it, and says "we've got too many of this, but not enough that," so they can kind of work back and forth to provide a very general program.

One advantage of the size is that we can cater. For example, Yaoi North is an area dedicated to the Yaoi fans. So they have their own space, and in many ways it lets them be themselves, they don't have to worry about, someone walks in there, they know what they're going to. [...] The people who do the ball-jointed dolls have space. Since we're so large, we can devote different parts of different hotels, gaming has this track, that has that track. It helps that we can maintain the diversity that way.

I think this year, we have just over a thousand staff. It was a thousand yesterday, not sure how many more have checked in. It means there are staff dedicated to different events, different things. For example, the guys who do cosplay chess focus on cosplay chess. The guys who are working on the [yard?] room, focus on the [yard?] room. There's a certain amount of diversity and specialization within the organization.

'''Is there any programming you're particularly excited for this year? Do you actually personally get a chance to at least have five minutes...?

I try to catch as much as I can in passing, but I spend most of my time walking around, walking the floor, talking to people, checking in with departments, so I see almost everything in passing. There are some occasional panels that, if I have a chance to sit down, I'll sit in on. But often it's very hard to plan, because [the moment I sit down, something happens.] I have to admit, I haven't read the whole programme schedule, [ed: too fast, didn't transcribe].

'''How after 21 years do you remain so passionate? Is it just seeing everyone else's reactions?'''

That has a lot to do with it. As I said, it's by fans, for fans. I mentioned this in the opening ceremonies, just walking around... Sure, the con has changed, the world around us certainly has changed in the last year, but as I say, the more things change, the more things stay the same. A lot of it is the passion these people bring in, every time you look at these costumes, it's like "you spent a whole year working on that, that's a huge commitment, and a lot of love and passion." In many ways, that's what inspires us, as we look at all these people and they love it so much, and it inspires us to do the best we can for them.

Context
How was this interview documented? Audio tape? --Pi zero (talk) 19:19, 28 May 2017 (UTC)
 * The Voice Memos app on my iPhone. I've just surprised myself... I've been able to send it to my email. Shall I forward it to any particular address? (I know there's a generic evidence inbox, can't find the address.) --  Zanimum (talk) 19:39, 28 May 2017 (UTC)
 * scoop at wikinewsie dot org --Pi zero (talk) 20:25, 28 May 2017 (UTC)
 * Thanks, sent! --  Zanimum (talk) 20:34, 28 May 2017 (UTC)
 * FYI, it seems to be trying to forward to three individual accounts that are bouncing. --  Zanimum (talk) 20:36, 28 May 2017 (UTC)

Sorry re: 6 hours,, it's from the CPC's own voting information page. -- Zanimum (talk) 19:24, 31 May 2017 (UTC)
 * Link? --Pi zero (talk) 19:43, 31 May 2017 (UTC)
 * Oh. I see.  --Pi zero (talk) 20:15, 31 May 2017 (UTC)

Review of revision 4318806 [Passed]

 * Sorry, and thanks! --  Zanimum (talk) 21:03, 31 May 2017 (UTC)

Elaine MacAvoy or Eileen McEvoy
The IP user changed the name. Which name is correct? --George Ho (talk) 00:24, 2 June 2017 (UTC)
 * It wasn't simply "changed by an IP", an edit changing it was submitted by an IP, and was then reviewed. I reviewed it.  The convention web site has a staff list (which I knew about from the in-depth review), which confirms the IP's correction.  --Pi zero (talk) 01:08, 2 June 2017 (UTC)
 * Okay. Thanks for the heads up. --George Ho (talk) 01:09, 2 June 2017 (UTC)

5 images I can't see
I see five images that no longer exist, have they been deleted on Commons? --Livenws (talk) 22:17, 15 January 2018 (UTC)