SPJA Reviews

People who do not like anime or respect anime fans hold leadership positions and only begrudgingly listen to anyone who understands the fanbase. Unbelievably low pay - if you do not have a roommate, a live-in partner, or a second source of income, you will suffer. Management punishes you for speaking up about anything - complaining is seen as poor sportsmanship and considered a sign that you can't handle your job. Anyone who quits is seen as a traitor - try bringing up their name, see what happens. There is blatant employee favoritism. It doesn't matter how much you contribute, or how competent and exceptional you may be at your job. Management expects you to "prove" yourself through cult-like devotion to the company and the work, rather than just letting you do the job you were hired to do. Try reasoning with the CEO - it's like talking to Agent Smith from The Matrix. He says "hold the line" because if you cross it he will literally gaslight you into a reality that does not exist and is not sustainable for anybody other than himself while he leeches off of your lifeforce through the pod he traps you in in Corona. Some people in the organization are the human equivalent of Crebain. If you still decide to work here, be careful who you complain to. They'll just report back to Mordor.

From an internal standpoint though, it is not as successful. Turnover is higher than most places employees have had positions at. Management has practices that display an interest in being bosses rather than leaders. Instead of being a leader and listening to employees, the main objective seems to be to “hold the line” with no noticeable interest in bettering positive company culture. Management is thin skinned and when someone provides crucial feedback, they let their feelings get in the way of facts and become defensive. Executives’ poor habits and management styles tend to trickle down and even teams reporting directly to executives adopt an entitled manner that is detrimental for employees feeling as though they cannot ask for support. Anime Expo has bee a pillar in the industry for decades. Because of this, it is a magnet to attract top tier professionals. However, those with the most event knowledge and experience are driven away by the company culture. Those who stay either have not known anything but this organization and/or are comfortable being passive and not advocating for improvement. Processes are archaic and instead of actively pursuing modern methods that streamline and maximize results, time is wasted on inefficient processes. Employees’ time is undervalued and going above and beyond is rarely appreciated. More often than not, efforts that create positive environments or results are seen as more of a threat than recognizing how the event truly benefits from it.