BLFC is definitely the main reason why FC isn't growing according to locals I've asked. It's a modest drive from the SF Bay (easier than going to Califur), it gets volunteers from here and it isn't too far apart in the season. I heard an opinion that it's totally cool to have FC be more of a "local con". With the concentration of furries around here it should stay nice and stable if it's well managed.
That's cool because growing isn't the point, so I think "competitors" is a fun way to look at them but only really means how many friends you can spend time with. You can't do everything at a big con, but it's fun to try.
That's why it's also cool that San Jose has PAWcon, I'm not sure many other places are keeping multiple cons going at once. This one's pretty under the radar so it seems to be getting mostly Cali furs, but again the nice concentration locally means it's low effort to go to one then go to another just 2 months later.
Just guessing about growth happening in Nevada and Texas, it must have something to do with the SF Bay Area having some of the most expensive costs anywhere. Same with NYC, it has some furs but very little activity as far as I know, just a few small meets.
In San Francisco itself, there are still fun and popular meets happening, but since I was organizing some back around 2012-2014, there has been a lot of movement in and out with all the gentrification. Frolic Party for example lost its original venue due to the landlord situation, although luckily was so popular it got another with ease. Some of the public events are now being organized with people meeting at parking garages instead of apartments - we're doing a chartered streetcar fursuit outing next month and then the street fair season starts soon after.
Buzzfeed asked me about the Bay Area gentrification in an interview last week - I said that it's had downsides, but upsides too, there's heavy overlap with furries and the techies who are moving in.
BLFC is definitely the main reason why FC isn't growing according to locals I've asked. It's a modest drive from the SF Bay (easier than going to Califur), it gets volunteers from here and it isn't too far apart in the season. I heard an opinion that it's totally cool to have FC be more of a "local con". With the concentration of furries around here it should stay nice and stable if it's well managed.
That's cool because growing isn't the point, so I think "competitors" is a fun way to look at them but only really means how many friends you can spend time with. You can't do everything at a big con, but it's fun to try.
That's why it's also cool that San Jose has PAWcon, I'm not sure many other places are keeping multiple cons going at once. This one's pretty under the radar so it seems to be getting mostly Cali furs, but again the nice concentration locally means it's low effort to go to one then go to another just 2 months later.
Just guessing about growth happening in Nevada and Texas, it must have something to do with the SF Bay Area having some of the most expensive costs anywhere. Same with NYC, it has some furs but very little activity as far as I know, just a few small meets.
In San Francisco itself, there are still fun and popular meets happening, but since I was organizing some back around 2012-2014, there has been a lot of movement in and out with all the gentrification. Frolic Party for example lost its original venue due to the landlord situation, although luckily was so popular it got another with ease. Some of the public events are now being organized with people meeting at parking garages instead of apartments - we're doing a chartered streetcar fursuit outing next month and then the street fair season starts soon after.
Buzzfeed asked me about the Bay Area gentrification in an interview last week - I said that it's had downsides, but upsides too, there's heavy overlap with furries and the techies who are moving in.