I'm in the furry marching band and there's discussion of us not going to perform at MFF anymore because even when they allow us to do official performances, they allow ZERO performance of music otherwise even outside of the building. They just kept forcing people to stop "busking" even if they never explicitly ASKED for compensation, weren't bothering anyone, and were just having fun.
That is messed up. What do you think is the reason for that? I can't imagine security hassling the people who provide their paycheck doing that as a nasty flex. I could see trying to keep large groups from forming and blocking foot traffic on the con main floor, but outside?
Unfortunately it was a good friend who was playing with other FMP friends and they got repeatedly shut down. AC seemed much more welcoming to musicians.
My biggest suggestion for MFF is they need to move main events into the convention center. It would cut down a lot of the traffic that happens in the skybridge and defo help with making the convention center more of a hangout space
They should also announce that it's shorter to walk to the hotel if you just go outside. The skyway wraps around the whole convention center. But the hotel is just across the street. It takes like 1 minute to walk there from the ground.
This was my 2nd MFF. But this year was also my first Antrhocon. And the two felt like very different events. Despite its name, Anthrocon was more than a con. It was a celebration. A festival. The city embraced the furries. There was so much more to do and be involved in thanks to the con and the city. Anthrocon wasn't a convention. It was Furry Mardi Gras. Contrast that with MFF. Rosemont felt indifferent to us. There was nothing to do in the city tied to the con. All MFF had was gaming, panels, dances and dealers rooms. Just like any other con. Any thing else you wanted to do, you had to get creative. I was also at the much smaller Fur Squared. Only about 1k people there. But the smaller, more intimate atmosphere, the more interactive theme, and its location in a shopping district made it a more engaging experience. MFF may have been bigger, but it didn't act like it. It didn't embrace how monumental it was. To MFF, this was just another con.
This year was my first MFF and I feel similar. Honestly, it was the most boring time I've had at a con. I'm used to furry cons being full of fun random interactions. If you're a fursuiter, you can go alone and just goof off with other randon fursuiters. But MFF didn't feel like that at all. It felt like everyone ignored strangers for the most part.
> "Contrast that with MFF. Rosemont felt indifferent to us." If that's true, that might be an interesting video topic: Why would the furries be better received in Pittsburgh than the Chicago area? Are the people who go to Anthrocon better-behaved, or is Pittsburgh harboring some secret den of furries?
@@benjaminrobinson3842 Cons known as "party cons" usually arent going to be well received because it means at least some people are taking things way too far, and it only takes a few years for it to get out of hand if its not under control quickly enough. Like Rainfurrest 2015. Im not saying MFF is anywhere near like Rainfurrest, I just mean that party culture and "anything goes" attitudes that some ppl have can attract more ppl like that if they get away with it a lot, and eventually it can get out of hand if its not handled quickly enough. It could be that any con with a reputation of it being party con just makes people hesitant to accept it cuz of Rainfurrest's example
this was my first MFF, and first furry con in general! honestly, my biggest critique is they need more signs. there is an app with a map and schedule for everything going on, but some people (like myself) dont like using apps for this, plus using a phone while fursuiting is hard. even though there was a lot of people, it felt like there was nothing to do at the con itself. i had planned to go to the inflatables panel, and i probably would have missed it if it werent for me coincidentally wandering to where it was and overhearing people talking about how it was going to start soon
This is a really good point! Half the time the signs were hidden behind people standing around; the app helps but more visible signage would definitely help move people around!
Finn, how about super large TVs on the wall near the elevators and escalators on EACH FLOOR. A list of panels and events with a room number and a BIG ARROW pointing which way to go. Like you might see at an airport terminal.
When I was at MFF this year I noticed there were actually two other conventions going on in the other parts of the convention center at the same time as MFF. There was a Pickleball tournament and an Oddities & Curiosities Expo, so MFF definitely has more room to expand in its current location. The biggest problem seems to be that the hotels are spaced out apart and it causes huge competition for the main hotel of the Hyatt Regency, as well as close by hotels of Crowne Plaza, Embassy Suites, and Hilton. There is not much that can be done about this unfortunately so MFF tries to make it equitable to everyone by randomizing hotel room booking for attendees via Lottery. There's also not very many food options nearby, forcing attendees to buy overpriced food from the hotel or food trucks, requiring you to take a longer walk or drive (and risk losing a parking spot at the Hyatt if you're in that hotel), or requiring you to use food delivery.
This was my first MFF and furry con ever and I do have some negatives to it *Skybridge climate was all over the place as well as the trash by day 2 *Registration should've been all day Thursday, that way you don't have 1K people on those small hours of the Thursday *I agree that main events should be at Con center or some other bigger place, the lines for closing and opening ceremonies were insane *Some hours weren't accurate as well as places/names Aside from that I liked the con, hanging around with friends, just walking the skybridge or going to panels was quite fun. I'm looking forward to 2024 MFF but they do need to step up their game and realize that they are THE biggest con and need even more spaces
I agree with a lot of your points, but I would like to get a bit more specific about a few things. I definitely feel like the convention space could be better utilized. There are massive hallways which are mostly empty. I wonder if having chairs along the walls might help people hang out there? Or maybe having some sort of lounge or consuite within the convention itself might move some of the people out of the main hotel? Also, making it more clear on how to move from the main hotel to the convention center by going outside would be really helpful and cut down on lines in the skyway. (More signage in general will help.) Finally, MFF needs to start mailing out badges. I would gladly pay 5 or $10 extra just to have my badge mailed to me a few weeks before the convention if I pre-register. Linecon is just the worst LOL
Interesting perspective, Finn! I attended MFF a few years back, and as much as I loved it, the space felt overly crowded and cramped to me (especially after attending AnthroCon), which is why I was drawn to this video. My mentality was that MFF had outgrown it's space, and should just move. But, I never realized that there's other cons that take up this space that are more than double in size! Also, you make a lot of good points that I never considered, like breaking established hotel agreements, creating new ones, and also finding a space that will accept furries. I really like a lot of your proposed solutions. It would be great to see MFF try them out! If they could make everyone more comfortable, and if they could reduce the number of incidents, it would help make an already great con even better!
This was my first MFF - as for the pros: I absolutely loved it. The variety show was amazing! (I was the martial arts act), and was able to hang out with some old friends and meet some new ones. All around, a fun time. As for the cons: There weren't many, as I didn't attend many of the dances or parties - If anything it was more of an adventure to me. One thing that did concern me were the number of ambulances that I saw. I know MFF and other cons have their accents, but it seemed almost every time I went into the main hotel, I'd look outside and see an ambulance. I did also have some unsavory encounters, however, it did seem the the MFF security team had that handled. I did also read a comment stating that the skybridge had trash everywhere, which, does fall in line with what I saw. I did see a ton of over-filled trash cans around every corner, which was a little concerning. I cannot speak on hotels as I am a Chicagoland native, and my drive isn't far, so that was not a worry. I was made aware that the hotel situation for many is basically a gamble. Overall, my experience was mostly positive, with what was basically another adventure for me. I loved meeting my friends and making new ones. I also held concern for the amount of ambulances and some behaviors of attendees. 7/10 - It's in my lineup, though if anyone knows of any other conventions in the midwest around WI or IN, they might take the place of it depending on how it goes
If you asked me, a Furry-Convetion coulndt be big enough. I've visited the EF27 with 3408 Members and it was a blast straight up. So much fluffyness, happiness and friends to meet and greet. I've visit old and new friends, artists, fursuiters, ect.
Ey Finn! Super pumped to see ya making long form videos again like this one. I'll certainly be looking forward to any future ones! Also wanted to say, I think that the chill jazz for the BGM fits the bill pretty well not just for your Sona, but also for the general vibe of your videos ^^ Last but not least, thanks for covering so many different topics, even ones that are a little controversial. It is always helpful to have a viewpoint based more from facts, rather than opinion, as well as just a voice to explain various happenings in the Fandom. You're easily the best channel I could recommend to Fandom newcomers, and have a gold mine of info for people to help better understand who we are and what we do.
You said it. I went to MFF this year and it is my biggest yet. I love the venues, panels, and the cute suits. The hotel and the con center is fanominal. To me, it not only blew me away, but also fascinated me at how many came. I love conventions, and MFF is no differant. I will return next year. Didnt see you this year, maybe next year. Love the video. Keep up the awesome job.
so for me, MFF was my first fur con! I'm used to anime/fandom cons where the attendance reached 50,000+ people. The only complaint I really had was the crowding around the main escalators at the Hyatt. I was struggling to not step on the person in front of me, stop on the escalators, or trip over the person in front of me. If people were a little more spread out in that area I think it would have been good. Overall I had a great time! I met so many of my VRChat friends, experienced so many things, it was great! I do wish the convention center space was more used though, especially for main/bigger events.
Lots of good points. Mff is the only one I've ever been to. But yea got crazy crowded and a bit wild at times. Btw love your suit!! Good to finally see another Panther ❤
MFF2023 was my first furry con, and it was an incredible, life-changing experience. But there was way, way too much time spent going back and forth across that skybridge.
This was my first big convention. I had a lot of fun, but I personally like the vibes that come from smaller cons. I find it easier to schmooze and make friends. At a smaller con you might see the same person a couple of times and it's really easy to meet and chat with them. At a larger con if you see someone you want to meet, you have to compete hard for their attention. You might also might meet somebody, have a friendly interaction, and not see them again for the rest of the con. I also like to go around and get pictures of the fursuiters and the logistics of that gets tricky when there's a lot of people in the same space. Also, it's a lot easier to get into the smaller cons and get a room in the main hotel block. Also, hey, I'm in the B-roll.
Wow thats allot for FurFest! I plan on going to Megaplex in Orlando next year with my husband. Speaking of events that are getting too big, I went to Dreamforce this past September in SF and it was 50K attendees. You literally could not move on the vendor floor. Especially when the Saleforce Furries came out. At least I got to meet Brandy to Fox and Cody the Bear this time around. Appy was too mobbed to get a photo.
i would like to see the convention just move every thing to the convention center so that there is nothing at any of the hotels including the Hyatt. One thing that i did like this year that MFF did was have Shuttle service to the various Hotels. I am sure that helped out quite a bit
The Donald E Stevens center alone is 840,000 sq, ft, and that does not even include what the Hyatt O'Hare offers for space. The Donald E Stevens Center Is massive! We are talking about Amazon Distribution center size here. Or 5x larger than the typical full-size Walmart Super Center. Again not even including the Hyatt space. And the McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago is stupid huge at 2.6 million sq, ft. The Chicago Auto Show which is held at the McCormick Convention Center every year in February has over 300,000 attendees. McCormick Place is so big that it can comfortably hold the entire population of Cincinnati Ohio! They just need to create a large gathering space in the convention center I think rather than just the hotel. With 840,000 sq, ft. of space there is no way Midwest Furfest is maxing out that kind of space. And when I attended in 2019, the convention wasn't even utilizing half of the convention center's floor space.
It was my first MFF, but I've been to Anthrocon many times. MFF was so big, and yet there were always people moving around you. It felt like you could rarely stop and talk to people who you wanted to talk to. I didn't really make friends outside of my group because no one seemed like they wanted to make friends, everyone was moving and everyone was already with their friend group. A problem I never had at Anthrocon. Not to mention the tension in that city. I had two bad experiences with locals, but in Anthrocon Pittsburgh? Not a single one in my many years. The only thing I can say that MFF did more than right is their Dealers Den. It gave lots of space in between rows, unlike Anthrocon, where I was constantly smothered.
MFF needs to figure out how to move stuff into the convention center, like you said. Year after year things have been in the Hyatt, and the Hyatt is too small for the con. I think the other problem is the way room lotteries are done, which is not a problem unique to MFF, but MFF still has. If you don’t get a room near the convention center then you’re looking at driving from your hotel somewhere else, or walking. Walking can be a bad idea in Rosemont (I have had eggs thrown at me in suit from passersby, and the city is in general not as safe as many other cities in the US), and driving in a fursuit is very difficult because, even if you have a handler, the parking situation requires you to walk a good ways back to the Hyatt. If you could park in the garage and then walk the short sky bridge into the convention center, it would be much more reasonable, especially for fursuiters.
I cannot have an opinion since I just joined the fandom in August. Though I must admit logistics are interesting and obviously difficult. Great content, Finn
There's a certain nostalgia that keeps a lot of us coming back despite all the downsides. I do miss when it was smaller and easier to attend. My first MFF was 2011.
A key part about the "Can it move" segment is also the fact Chicago is an international hub for a lot of airlines. Way more people attending Anthrocon have to take multiple flights compared to MFF due to this, and it's a deciding factor for some people who would never take two flights with their fursuit!
Im newish to the community, ive been a lurker for years but now im starting in earnest to interact and i would like to attend a con. But as an introvert its immediately a dealbreaker seeing 15,000 in attendance.
in my opinion i think the background music is just a bit too loud, maybe try turning it down a little in the next video. i love your videos and keep it up!
This was my first mff and had a fair few things go wrong , even then the memories and triumphs i did outshined them. Also organizing a random sea shanty meet would never feel as good in a fur con than anywhere else.
This is hilarious because I as talking about this with my local furry friends. In my mind statically things might need to change like con registration and such if we will be hitting the 20k to 30k population count. It is crazy and I am so happy how big this fandom has gotten.
This was my first MFF, my first con and my first time in the US. I had the time of my life (especially meeting my boyfriend in the flesh for the first time). My biggest gripe would be the separation between the "hangout space": the hall of the main hotel and the convention center. Walking through the infamous sky bridge was so awful that we ended up deciding to just walk through the outside area. Apart from that, for us, MFF was all about meeting as many online friends as possible. We only attended the Twitch meetup (but didn't stay long) and the dance competition because two of our friends were taking part. We went to the Artist alley once and the dealer den den twice. As for in-room parties, we organized our own with friends in our hotels. But I agree, education on this subject is very important (I don't blame the victims, no one should ever be abused in any way). I partied a lot in my twenties, I know the rules of the game, but that doesn't apply to everyone.
I spent too much time lost and confused. I think that it just needs to be better organized. There are various hotels around the convention center that could participate in the con.
They should have a second one in Davenport IA, only 2 1/2 hours away from Chicago. I say this for no reason and not cause I live half a mile from downtown👀
I am not happy with how many people made a spectacle out of the emergency services having to come to the con. I am happy that I got to briefly meet you. Your suit is even cuter in person! I hope to meet again more in depth!
Honestly Finn, I think that MFF and midwest furfest should move its locations higher up right into canada, because its very limited for furry populations and it would level everything out for both the U.S and Canada! ^^
Really MFF has gotten to a point where depending on how you feel about the crowd. You should ask yourself should I go? As I discovered smaller fur cons are just as fun.
I think MFF started feeling too big when they went over 10k attendees in 2018. That year and every year since has been a nightmare to get room space for and featured lines, crowding, and congestion. MFF could help things by swapping the spaces for dealers den (Hall G) and registration (Hall A). Open a fire exit door near the Expoteria to create a skybridge alternative during dealers den hours. Also, MFF needs to fix their relationship with the Hilton, Embassy Suites, and Double Tree -- hotels that were in the con block prior to the chlorine incident in 2014.
@@FinnThePanther yeah the thing with fur cons compared to other cons is a lot of what happens is just kinda general mingling around and the convention center would be great for that, they just need to figure out a good way to get people over there for more then just reg and buying stuff.
Well, now you've piqued my curiosity: If MFF is a "party" con, what serious business goes on at a NON-party convention? Panels with titles like, "Fox vs. Rabbit: Which is Cuter?" Discussions of how furries should deal with habitat loss? Debating whether Firestar or Twilight Sparkle would win in a fight?
room parties were lit and all my con homies were there. if you know how to use the secret elevators and stairs you can get around hella easy. not a good con for a newcomer
No such thing as too big, but there is such a thing as too big in the wrong hands, and I think MFF exemplifies that. Honestly, they're too busy reminding fursuiters not to show up in the lobby when the businessmen are there (even though they love us) to do any of the sensible things you mentioned.
MFF is a party con ironically not much different from Anime Central according to Finn the last con I went that was a huge party was something called anime reactor or Rector and it was a huge party the con is longer held but maybe some time in future I will go to MFF
7:35 Thank you for saying that part; Even Indianapolis, holding GenCon which has at times threatened to move its event somewhere else over bigoted Indiana policies, who makes fortunes off GenCon, still can be unwelcoming to say the least towards attendees. And they are usually just TTRPG fans and like stock photo geeks. It would rock, but there could seriously be issues with honest to goodness anti-furry protests and other nonsense
Finn, while I think MFF should stay where they are, I think you are underestimating the power of all those furry dollars. There is many a venue that would drool over the opportunity to take on this event. Not to mention the taxes a city and county could gain from supporting it.
There's actually plenty of hotels in the area, just not enough hotels within a close walking distance to the convention center and Hyatt (which is important for fursuiters and people with disabilities.
umm.. I disagree where could they move? They could move to indianpolis if they really wanted to as there's a MASSIVE convention center that hosted GenCon which had over 70,000 attendees. And there are a LOT of hotels in downtown indianapolis.
They still run into the problem of giving up the space they have. That's new contracts to negotiate with the convention center, hotels, etc. My point is it's probably easier to fix the space that they have now than the throw everything away and start over
@@FinnThePanther I agree The Donald E Stevens center alone is 840,000 sq, ft, and that does not even include what the Hyatt O'Hare offers for space. The Donald E Stevens Center. It's massive! We are talking about Amazon Distribution center size here. Or 5x larger than the typical full-size Walmart Super Center. Again not even including the Hyatt space. Plus it has close access to two major international airports. Fur Fest just needs to be organized a bit differently to give it that more home-feeling vibe. 15,000 attendees for this space isn't even half of what the convention center can hold. It's also larger than the Indianapolis Convention Center as was mentioned above. Not to mention Indianapolis isn't exactly a major destination like Chicago and doesn't have as many airlines serving it without layovers and such. And the McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago is stupid huge at 2.6 million sq, ft. The Chicago Auto Show which is held at the McCormick Convention Center every year has over 300,000 attendees. McCormick Place is so big that it can comfortably hold the entire population of Cincinnati Ohio!
Its better to have more medium and small conventions than a pawful of large conventions. With the bigness comes mundie eyeballs/prank channel chuds and children. We want neither of those groups coming. Nor do we want any gentrification of our communities that may come from showings of how popular they are.
Make friends? Sorry, not sure how you do that. No one talks to you unless you're introduced. I have fun in other ways, but furry cons feel very isolating. So many people, so little interaction. Your brain goes numb wandering around for hours with no one saying hi.
I'm in the furry marching band and there's discussion of us not going to perform at MFF anymore because even when they allow us to do official performances, they allow ZERO performance of music otherwise even outside of the building. They just kept forcing people to stop "busking" even if they never explicitly ASKED for compensation, weren't bothering anyone, and were just having fun.
That is messed up. What do you think is the reason for that? I can't imagine security hassling the people who provide their paycheck doing that as a nasty flex. I could see trying to keep large groups from forming and blocking foot traffic on the con main floor, but outside?
Unfortunately it was a good friend who was playing with other FMP friends and they got repeatedly shut down. AC seemed much more welcoming to musicians.
My biggest suggestion for MFF is they need to move main events into the convention center. It would cut down a lot of the traffic that happens in the skybridge and defo help with making the convention center more of a hangout space
The space is definitely there, it just needs to be used more efficiently!
They should also announce that it's shorter to walk to the hotel if you just go outside.
The skyway wraps around the whole convention center. But the hotel is just across the street. It takes like 1 minute to walk there from the ground.
This was my 2nd MFF. But this year was also my first Antrhocon. And the two felt like very different events. Despite its name, Anthrocon was more than a con. It was a celebration. A festival. The city embraced the furries. There was so much more to do and be involved in thanks to the con and the city. Anthrocon wasn't a convention. It was Furry Mardi Gras.
Contrast that with MFF. Rosemont felt indifferent to us. There was nothing to do in the city tied to the con. All MFF had was gaming, panels, dances and dealers rooms. Just like any other con. Any thing else you wanted to do, you had to get creative.
I was also at the much smaller Fur Squared. Only about 1k people there. But the smaller, more intimate atmosphere, the more interactive theme, and its location in a shopping district made it a more engaging experience.
MFF may have been bigger, but it didn't act like it. It didn't embrace how monumental it was. To MFF, this was just another con.
This year was my first MFF and I feel similar.
Honestly, it was the most boring time I've had at a con.
I'm used to furry cons being full of fun random interactions. If you're a fursuiter, you can go alone and just goof off with other randon fursuiters.
But MFF didn't feel like that at all. It felt like everyone ignored strangers for the most part.
> "Contrast that with MFF. Rosemont felt indifferent to us." If that's true, that might be an interesting video topic: Why would the furries be better received in Pittsburgh than the Chicago area? Are the people who go to Anthrocon better-behaved, or is Pittsburgh harboring some secret den of furries?
@benjaminrobinson3842 think the answer is that it's the Midwest
@@benjaminrobinson3842 Cons known as "party cons" usually arent going to be well received because it means at least some people are taking things way too far, and it only takes a few years for it to get out of hand if its not under control quickly enough. Like Rainfurrest 2015. Im not saying MFF is anywhere near like Rainfurrest, I just mean that party culture and "anything goes" attitudes that some ppl have can attract more ppl like that if they get away with it a lot, and eventually it can get out of hand if its not handled quickly enough. It could be that any con with a reputation of it being party con just makes people hesitant to accept it cuz of Rainfurrest's example
@@benjaminrobinson3842I believe in pittsburg Anthrocon is seen as part of the city’s art scene
this was my first MFF, and first furry con in general! honestly, my biggest critique is they need more signs. there is an app with a map and schedule for everything going on, but some people (like myself) dont like using apps for this, plus using a phone while fursuiting is hard. even though there was a lot of people, it felt like there was nothing to do at the con itself. i had planned to go to the inflatables panel, and i probably would have missed it if it werent for me coincidentally wandering to where it was and overhearing people talking about how it was going to start soon
This is a really good point! Half the time the signs were hidden behind people standing around; the app helps but more visible signage would definitely help move people around!
Finn, how about super large TVs on the wall near the elevators and escalators on EACH FLOOR. A list of panels and events with a room number and a BIG ARROW pointing which way to go. Like you might see at an airport terminal.
BLFC had a big foldable pamphlet with every days schedule on it, I'm glad they had that instead of an app.
cons arent for panels
When I was at MFF this year I noticed there were actually two other conventions going on in the other parts of the convention center at the same time as MFF. There was a Pickleball tournament and an Oddities & Curiosities Expo, so MFF definitely has more room to expand in its current location.
The biggest problem seems to be that the hotels are spaced out apart and it causes huge competition for the main hotel of the Hyatt Regency, as well as close by hotels of Crowne Plaza, Embassy Suites, and Hilton. There is not much that can be done about this unfortunately so MFF tries to make it equitable to everyone by randomizing hotel room booking for attendees via Lottery. There's also not very many food options nearby, forcing attendees to buy overpriced food from the hotel or food trucks, requiring you to take a longer walk or drive (and risk losing a parking spot at the Hyatt if you're in that hotel), or requiring you to use food delivery.
One of my tennis club's coaches played in that pickleball tournament. I told her about MFF.
This was my first MFF and furry con ever and I do have some negatives to it
*Skybridge climate was all over the place as well as the trash by day 2
*Registration should've been all day Thursday, that way you don't have 1K people on those small hours of the Thursday
*I agree that main events should be at Con center or some other bigger place, the lines for closing and opening ceremonies were insane
*Some hours weren't accurate as well as places/names
Aside from that I liked the con, hanging around with friends, just walking the skybridge or going to panels was quite fun.
I'm looking forward to 2024 MFF but they do need to step up their game and realize that they are THE biggest con and need even more spaces
I agree with a lot of your points, but I would like to get a bit more specific about a few things. I definitely feel like the convention space could be better utilized. There are massive hallways which are mostly empty. I wonder if having chairs along the walls might help people hang out there? Or maybe having some sort of lounge or consuite within the convention itself might move some of the people out of the main hotel?
Also, making it more clear on how to move from the main hotel to the convention center by going outside would be really helpful and cut down on lines in the skyway. (More signage in general will help.)
Finally, MFF needs to start mailing out badges. I would gladly pay 5 or $10 extra just to have my badge mailed to me a few weeks before the convention if I pre-register. Linecon is just the worst LOL
12:14 Finn the glitched panther
No idea what happened there, the file looks fine on my computer
Interesting perspective, Finn! I attended MFF a few years back, and as much as I loved it, the space felt overly crowded and cramped to me (especially after attending AnthroCon), which is why I was drawn to this video.
My mentality was that MFF had outgrown it's space, and should just move. But, I never realized that there's other cons that take up this space that are more than double in size! Also, you make a lot of good points that I never considered, like breaking established hotel agreements, creating new ones, and also finding a space that will accept furries.
I really like a lot of your proposed solutions. It would be great to see MFF try them out! If they could make everyone more comfortable, and if they could reduce the number of incidents, it would help make an already great con even better!
This was my first MFF - as for the pros: I absolutely loved it. The variety show was amazing! (I was the martial arts act), and was able to hang out with some old friends and meet some new ones. All around, a fun time. As for the cons: There weren't many, as I didn't attend many of the dances or parties - If anything it was more of an adventure to me. One thing that did concern me were the number of ambulances that I saw. I know MFF and other cons have their accents, but it seemed almost every time I went into the main hotel, I'd look outside and see an ambulance. I did also have some unsavory encounters, however, it did seem the the MFF security team had that handled. I did also read a comment stating that the skybridge had trash everywhere, which, does fall in line with what I saw. I did see a ton of over-filled trash cans around every corner, which was a little concerning. I cannot speak on hotels as I am a Chicagoland native, and my drive isn't far, so that was not a worry. I was made aware that the hotel situation for many is basically a gamble.
Overall, my experience was mostly positive, with what was basically another adventure for me. I loved meeting my friends and making new ones. I also held concern for the amount of ambulances and some behaviors of attendees. 7/10 - It's in my lineup, though if anyone knows of any other conventions in the midwest around WI or IN, they might take the place of it depending on how it goes
If you asked me, a Furry-Convetion coulndt be big enough. I've visited the EF27 with 3408 Members and it was a blast straight up. So much fluffyness, happiness and friends to meet and greet. I've visit old and new friends, artists, fursuiters, ect.
Ey Finn! Super pumped to see ya making long form videos again like this one. I'll certainly be looking forward to any future ones!
Also wanted to say, I think that the chill jazz for the BGM fits the bill pretty well not just for your Sona, but also for the general vibe of your videos ^^
Last but not least, thanks for covering so many different topics, even ones that are a little controversial. It is always helpful to have a viewpoint based more from facts, rather than opinion, as well as just a voice to explain various happenings in the Fandom.
You're easily the best channel I could recommend to Fandom newcomers, and have a gold mine of info for people to help better understand who we are and what we do.
I like how finn saying that mff is the biggest furry con on this planet kind of implies that there are larger furry cons outside of Earth itself.
Maybe Finn knows something we don't. I haven't seen the dark side of the moon in a while.
It must have been started by the furry astronaut 😮
@@onyxestrela 😆
I cannot tell you how many times I saw you and was like.. "Hey! That's Finn, Furry for 30 :D"
I can't tell you how many times people addressed me as the "Furry for 30" guy haha
You said it. I went to MFF this year and it is my biggest yet. I love the venues, panels, and the cute suits. The hotel and the con center is fanominal. To me, it not only blew me away, but also fascinated me at how many came. I love conventions, and MFF is no differant. I will return next year. Didnt see you this year, maybe next year. Love the video. Keep up the awesome job.
so for me, MFF was my first fur con! I'm used to anime/fandom cons where the attendance reached 50,000+ people. The only complaint I really had was the crowding around the main escalators at the Hyatt. I was struggling to not step on the person in front of me, stop on the escalators, or trip over the person in front of me. If people were a little more spread out in that area I think it would have been good. Overall I had a great time! I met so many of my VRChat friends, experienced so many things, it was great! I do wish the convention center space was more used though, especially for main/bigger events.
Lots of good points. Mff is the only one I've ever been to. But yea got crazy crowded and a bit wild at times. Btw love your suit!! Good to finally see another Panther ❤
This is the first year i didn't go because its getting too hard to find a room . My furiend went and slept in his car !
That's one thing I don't know enough about to comment on; getting hotel rooms deserves a video all on its own
@@FinnThePantherAnd let's compare the prices on Airbnb next to the venue.
MFF2023 was my first furry con, and it was an incredible, life-changing experience. But there was way, way too much time spent going back and forth across that skybridge.
This was my first big convention. I had a lot of fun, but I personally like the vibes that come from smaller cons. I find it easier to schmooze and make friends. At a smaller con you might see the same person a couple of times and it's really easy to meet and chat with them. At a larger con if you see someone you want to meet, you have to compete hard for their attention. You might also might meet somebody, have a friendly interaction, and not see them again for the rest of the con. I also like to go around and get pictures of the fursuiters and the logistics of that gets tricky when there's a lot of people in the same space. Also, it's a lot easier to get into the smaller cons and get a room in the main hotel block.
Also, hey, I'm in the B-roll.
Wow thats allot for FurFest! I plan on going to Megaplex in Orlando next year with my husband. Speaking of events that are getting too big, I went to Dreamforce this past September in SF and it was 50K attendees. You literally could not move on the vendor floor. Especially when the Saleforce Furries came out. At least I got to meet Brandy to Fox and Cody the Bear this time around. Appy was too mobbed to get a photo.
i would like to see the convention just move every thing to the convention center so that there is nothing at any of the hotels including the Hyatt. One thing that i did like this year that MFF did was have Shuttle service to the various Hotels. I am sure that helped out quite a bit
The Donald E Stevens center alone is 840,000 sq, ft, and that does not even include what the Hyatt O'Hare offers for space. The Donald E Stevens Center Is massive! We are talking about Amazon Distribution center size here. Or 5x larger than the typical full-size Walmart Super Center. Again not even including the Hyatt space.
And the McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago is stupid huge at 2.6 million sq, ft. The Chicago Auto Show which is held at the McCormick Convention Center every year in February has over 300,000 attendees. McCormick Place is so big that it can comfortably hold the entire population of Cincinnati Ohio!
They just need to create a large gathering space in the convention center I think rather than just the hotel. With 840,000 sq, ft. of space there is no way Midwest Furfest is maxing out that kind of space.
And when I attended in 2019, the convention wasn't even utilizing half of the convention center's floor space.
It was my first MFF, but I've been to Anthrocon many times.
MFF was so big, and yet there were always people moving around you. It felt like you could rarely stop and talk to people who you wanted to talk to. I didn't really make friends outside of my group because no one seemed like they wanted to make friends, everyone was moving and everyone was already with their friend group. A problem I never had at Anthrocon.
Not to mention the tension in that city. I had two bad experiences with locals, but in Anthrocon Pittsburgh? Not a single one in my many years.
The only thing I can say that MFF did more than right is their Dealers Den. It gave lots of space in between rows, unlike Anthrocon, where I was constantly smothered.
MFF needs to figure out how to move stuff into the convention center, like you said. Year after year things have been in the Hyatt, and the Hyatt is too small for the con.
I think the other problem is the way room lotteries are done, which is not a problem unique to MFF, but MFF still has. If you don’t get a room near the convention center then you’re looking at driving from your hotel somewhere else, or walking. Walking can be a bad idea in Rosemont (I have had eggs thrown at me in suit from passersby, and the city is in general not as safe as many other cities in the US), and driving in a fursuit is very difficult because, even if you have a handler, the parking situation requires you to walk a good ways back to the Hyatt. If you could park in the garage and then walk the short sky bridge into the convention center, it would be much more reasonable, especially for fursuiters.
I'm glad to have been one of the 15,547 at mff this year! Bummed I didn't get to see you there, Finn.
I cannot have an opinion since I just joined the fandom in August. Though I must admit logistics are interesting and obviously difficult. Great content, Finn
There's a certain nostalgia that keeps a lot of us coming back despite all the downsides. I do miss when it was smaller and easier to attend. My first MFF was 2011.
A key part about the "Can it move" segment is also the fact Chicago is an international hub for a lot of airlines. Way more people attending Anthrocon have to take multiple flights compared to MFF due to this, and it's a deciding factor for some people who would never take two flights with their fursuit!
Im newish to the community, ive been a lurker for years but now im starting in earnest to interact and i would like to attend a con. But as an introvert its immediately a dealbreaker seeing 15,000 in attendance.
in my opinion i think the background music is just a bit too loud, maybe try turning it down a little in the next video. i love your videos and keep it up!
Will do! Sorry about that!
This was my first mff and had a fair few things go wrong , even then the memories and triumphs i did outshined them. Also organizing a random sea shanty meet would never feel as good in a fur con than anywhere else.
Love the Andy stuffy behind you!
going to my first fur con soon! mega excited. anybody else going to MCFC?
Yes ! Yes ! That's my con ! Always a great time ! And it's on my birthday !
@@sparkythedetroitdoggo8281 awesome! I am hyped for it!
2019 mff was already overwhelming with 10k. I can hardly imagine 15k
I wish I could go to a furcon soon
I wish I could meet you, Stormi Folf, Ragg topp and Verplex
I making my wish list
Love your videos FINN
Tbh, I brought some friends whom weren't even furries at the con and they still had a blast lmfao.
This is hilarious because I as talking about this with my local furry friends. In my mind statically things might need to change like con registration and such if we will be hitting the 20k to 30k population count. It is crazy and I am so happy how big this fandom has gotten.
I saw you there but I wasn't able to get a picture with you as you walked into the fursuit lounge
Ah maybe you'll catch me next time!
@@FinnThePanther hopefully, it was my first con and I still got to meet a ton of other furries I follow
Perhaps also have a vr component?
There was less than half the attendees when I went in 2016 there was only 7,075 attendees that year
11:10
Idk why I laughed so hard when you said this 😭😭
This was my first MFF, my first con and my first time in the US. I had the time of my life (especially meeting my boyfriend in the flesh for the first time). My biggest gripe would be the separation between the "hangout space": the hall of the main hotel and the convention center. Walking through the infamous sky bridge was so awful that we ended up deciding to just walk through the outside area. Apart from that, for us, MFF was all about meeting as many online friends as possible. We only attended the Twitch meetup (but didn't stay long) and the dance competition because two of our friends were taking part. We went to the Artist alley once and the dealer den den twice.
As for in-room parties, we organized our own with friends in our hotels. But I agree, education on this subject is very important (I don't blame the victims, no one should ever be abused in any way). I partied a lot in my twenties, I know the rules of the game, but that doesn't apply to everyone.
I spent too much time lost and confused. I think that it just needs to be better organized. There are various hotels around the convention center that could participate in the con.
Spreading events amongst the hotels would be helpful if possible, I know that's something FWA did last year and it worked well.
There was another convention going on at the same time i found out.
The dealers den was a bit too crazy at some points 😅😂
They should have a second one in Davenport IA, only 2 1/2 hours away from Chicago. I say this for no reason and not cause I live half a mile from downtown👀
I am not happy with how many people made a spectacle out of the emergency services having to come to the con.
I am happy that I got to briefly meet you. Your suit is even cuter in person! I hope to meet again more in depth!
It's not our fault the fire truck is a rave-mobile. C'mon
There's a conversation center in San Diego California that might have enough space
Honestly Finn, I think that MFF and midwest furfest should move its locations higher up right into canada, because its very limited for furry populations and it would level everything out for both the U.S and Canada! ^^
Really MFF has gotten to a point where depending on how you feel about the crowd. You should ask yourself should I go? As I discovered smaller fur cons are just as fun.
Very well presented points Finn
I think MFF started feeling too big when they went over 10k attendees in 2018. That year and every year since has been a nightmare to get room space for and featured lines, crowding, and congestion. MFF could help things by swapping the spaces for dealers den (Hall G) and registration (Hall A). Open a fire exit door near the Expoteria to create a skybridge alternative during dealers den hours. Also, MFF needs to fix their relationship with the Hilton, Embassy Suites, and Double Tree -- hotels that were in the con block prior to the chlorine incident in 2014.
I remember getting there, then needing to wait in line for so long. Litterally played probably 1,000 games of chopsticks with my friend.
They don’t to change locations just move more stuff over to the convention center there’s a lot more space there compared to the hotel.
This is honestly my biggest suggestion
@@FinnThePanther yeah the thing with fur cons compared to other cons is a lot of what happens is just kinda general mingling around and the convention center would be great for that, they just need to figure out a good way to get people over there for more then just reg and buying stuff.
Well, now you've piqued my curiosity: If MFF is a "party" con, what serious business goes on at a NON-party convention? Panels with titles like, "Fox vs. Rabbit: Which is Cuter?" Discussions of how furries should deal with habitat loss? Debating whether Firestar or Twilight Sparkle would win in a fight?
Hey I Kobe you I’m a big fan I just sub to you your on Spotify I’m a big fan I love your fursuit we need more Spotify episodes please
room parties were lit and all my con homies were there. if you know how to use the secret elevators and stairs you can get around hella easy. not a good con for a newcomer
No such thing as too big, but there is such a thing as too big in the wrong hands, and I think MFF exemplifies that. Honestly, they're too busy reminding fursuiters not to show up in the lobby when the businessmen are there (even though they love us) to do any of the sensible things you mentioned.
Beautiful intro.❤❤
MFF is a party con ironically not much different from Anime Central according to Finn the last con I went that was a huge party was something called anime reactor or Rector and it was a huge party the con is longer held but maybe some time in future I will go to MFF
7:35 Thank you for saying that part; Even Indianapolis, holding GenCon which has at times threatened to move its event somewhere else over bigoted Indiana policies, who makes fortunes off GenCon, still can be unwelcoming to say the least towards attendees. And they are usually just TTRPG fans and like stock photo geeks. It would rock, but there could seriously be issues with honest to goodness anti-furry protests and other nonsense
Should have just said this was made cause that one dude got SA'd lol
There's no such thing as too much. The bigger the better to see everyone and making friends
wow i am so glad you got to go, it sounds fun but SOOO big.
Very nice video!
Well that is aewsome
Sad that I didn’t get to meet you there- are you planning on attending any other cons within the next year?
Party schools to party cons!
loved mff but also never going again lol it’s just tooooooo big. vs fwa an also huge con that feels so welcoming and homey
Started watching the shorts last month. Now I got Furry For 30 embedded into mind when I see an actual video uploaded.
love ur vids❤❤
i want go one day but the line get your badge seem like nightmare for person like me with sesnory issues i herd they did not have ada line at the con
Hey there 1:33 to you guys
I just like to go to meet Rex Masters
Yes.
Finn, while I think MFF should stay where they are, I think you are underestimating the power of all those furry dollars. There is many a venue that would drool over the opportunity to take on this event. Not to mention the taxes a city and county could gain from supporting it.
Might be... getting a tad too big. Not enough Hotel rooms 😢
I'm working on a video on that specifically, it's the only part of this whole thing I have no answer for :/
There's actually plenty of hotels in the area, just not enough hotels within a close walking distance to the convention center and Hyatt (which is important for fursuiters and people with disabilities.
I like ur fursona ❤ its cool
As a fan I got a question are your going to do a face view please I’m a big fna❤🎉🎉🎉
umm.. I disagree where could they move? They could move to indianpolis if they really wanted to as there's a MASSIVE convention center that hosted GenCon which had over 70,000 attendees. And there are a LOT of hotels in downtown indianapolis.
They still run into the problem of giving up the space they have. That's new contracts to negotiate with the convention center, hotels, etc. My point is it's probably easier to fix the space that they have now than the throw everything away and start over
@@FinnThePanther I agree The Donald E Stevens center alone is 840,000 sq, ft, and that does not even include what the Hyatt O'Hare offers for space. The Donald E Stevens Center. It's massive! We are talking about Amazon Distribution center size here. Or 5x larger than the typical full-size Walmart Super Center. Again not even including the Hyatt space. Plus it has close access to two major international airports. Fur Fest just needs to be organized a bit differently to give it that more home-feeling vibe. 15,000 attendees for this space isn't even half of what the convention center can hold. It's also larger than the Indianapolis Convention Center as was mentioned above. Not to mention Indianapolis isn't exactly a major destination like Chicago and doesn't have as many airlines serving it without layovers and such.
And the McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago is stupid huge at 2.6 million sq, ft. The Chicago Auto Show which is held at the McCormick Convention Center every year has over 300,000 attendees. McCormick Place is so big that it can comfortably hold the entire population of Cincinnati Ohio!
Also Indy Fur Con exist so Indy is out of the question lol
hehehe finn looks like that one surprised cat meme image in the thumbnail
Good vid
Its better to have more medium and small conventions than a pawful of large conventions.
With the bigness comes mundie eyeballs/prank channel chuds and children. We want neither of those groups coming. Nor do we want any gentrification of our communities that may come from showings of how popular they are.
To be fair, we have a lot more moderately sized cons than big ones, the big ones just naturally draw a lot of attention on to them
as always, well made finn
15k. Ompred to other cons this is small blizzcon 50k and Detroit comic con WA over 50k ajlso
Make friends? Sorry, not sure how you do that. No one talks to you unless you're introduced. I have fun in other ways, but furry cons feel very isolating. So many people, so little interaction. Your brain goes numb wandering around for hours with no one saying hi.
At this rate, let's just make a village instead
Heya
Long story short: ua-cam.com/video/u1o6njya6hE/v-deo.html
Don’t say first
Or here
Getting? It has been for years!