This apparently is a for-profit show run as a living for its organizers, which affects the tone of the event entirely, I expect.
Anyway, it was this review that really surprised me, particularly this bit:
Some of the masquerade contest rules were really outrageous, especially the college rule. If a cosplayer graduated from college they are considered a professional cosplayer and may not enter.What an amazingly stupid rule! It makes no sense on any level that I can see. Is it meant to be an age limit? If so, state it that way -- but it's still a dumb rule even if stated as an age limit, not an level-of-education-completed one. And what's the reason for it, anyway?
The reviews I've read make me glad I didn't make the trip up to Sacramento last weekend, even though I wasn't all that busy.