If you spent any time on social media yesterday and you follow any account that attended ANIME Impulse, you probably saw something about the line to get into the event. If you didn’t, let me give you a quick recap. The con was held at the Phoenix Convention Center South Building and started at 11AM. I arrived at 10:50AM and saw a few tents to try to shade attendees waiting in line. At that time, I didn’t realize how long the line actually was with attendees waiting for the event to open. It stretched an entire block; around the convention center. The event was worked by Pride Group, the organization typically contracted to work security for the convention center and they had a total of four metal detectors. FOUR METAL DETECTORS. Now, I don’t know what the attendance numbers are for ANIME Impulse but if the event is using the entirety of the South building, chances are its going to be well attended. At 2PM, which mind you was 3 hours after the event opened its doors, there was still a line that was still behind the convention center.

According to this article from AZ Central, the hottest part of the day in Phoenix is between 2PM – 5PM. At that time yesterday, it was hovering around 112 – 113 degrees with some shade depending on where you were in line but there were plenty of spots with no shade as well. Thankfully changes were made on Sunday to address the issue but for Saturday, it was a miserable experience for many.

Who is to blame? I honestly don’t know the logistics of how/who determines how many lanes are needed for a security checkpoint at the Phoenix Convention Center. Does the event itself determine that? Does the convention center? Regardless, it was an epic failure on Saturday to the point that I had several people tell me on Instagram that the fire department had showed up as someone passed out from the heat. There was at least a water station and a tent with coolers filled with free water bottles. It helped yes, but it wasn’t the solution.

This is NOT the first time that ugly lines in the sweltering heat have reared its head recently. Just off the top of my head in the past couple of years: Phoenix Fan Fusion 2022 (badge pick up), Saboten Con 2023 (badge pickup), Game On Expo 2023 (security check). Game On Expo 2024 was even worse but thankfully that was not in the heat and even had the benefit of a little rain but this was also a security checkpoint failure.

 

– Game On Expo 2023

These are not new problems, these events know roughly how many attendees to expect and they know it will be hot. This isn’t an unsolvable problem but it may cost a little bit to implement. Phoenix Fan Fusion figured it out, after 2022 they started offering to have their badges mailed to attendees after everyone had to pick theirs up on site. Guess what? I didn’t hear a single complaint about waiting in a line outside. Maybe the convention has to cut back on a guest or two to account for that cost but I guarantee most everyone would be okay with that. In the case of Saboten, I think they have fully outgrown the Sheraton but picking up/purchasing your badge shouldn’t be a cause of a line down the street and around the corner. Offer pick at their other venue at the Renaissance if your last name falls between A and N. Rent out one of the many empty spaces across the street in the Arizona Center specific for badge pickup.

I am getting a little off topic here so let me just circle back around and say in the situation at ANIME Impulse that I don’t think they are fully to blame (but like I mentioned earlier, I don’t know who shoulders the most of the finger pointing). The Phoenix Convention Center has a little bit more of a sensitivity to security after the incident at Phoenix Comicon in 2017 but these extra measures can’t come at the health and safety of the attendees trying to enjoy the event being held at the facilities. For everyone who have had to sweat through their shirt or cosplay waiting to get in, I’m sorry and each and every one of you deserve to have these conventions tighten up these outdoor lines in the summer.