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Sakura-Con 2022<\/h4>\n published 2 years ago<\/span>\n
@oliviabettyrain<\/a> Samus from Metroid<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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Sakura-Con 2022<\/h4>\n published 2 years ago<\/span>\n
@oliviabettyrain<\/a> Samus from Metroid<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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Anime Texas: The Birth of an Anime Convention<\/h4>\n published 2 years ago<\/span>\n
The Woodlands Resort is home to Anime Texas 2022 and features a number of outdoor pools.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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WonderCon 2023<\/h4>\n published 1 year ago<\/span>\n
@daretaylorofficial<\/a> Samus from Metroid<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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Anime Texas: The Birth of an Anime Convention<\/h4>\n published 2 years ago<\/span>\n
The guest list for Anime Texas 2022.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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Anime Texas: The Birth of an Anime Convention<\/h4>\n published 2 years ago<\/span>\n
“A lot of it comes from fan feedback,” Josh explains. “We really try to listen to people in different communities and different parts of our neck of the woods who say, ‘Hey! I traveled here from X city to attend a show. I really would like it if you would think about hosting an event in my hometown.’ Of course we take those requests into consideration when we hear them repeatedly. Another thing we like to do is look in those markets where there’s not already a vibrant, healthy community or event that would support it. One of the reasons I held off for so many years on hosting any type of convention in Dallas Fort Worth is because you could throw a rock in any direction on a weekend and you would probably hit an anime con or comic con. They’re everywhere - all over the metroplex.”<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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Sakura-Con 2022<\/h4>\n published 2 years ago<\/span>\n
Sakura-Con is one of the unfortunate conventions that had to suffer a three year gap due to COVID. Since it occurs in the spring it was forced to cancel in 2020. By the first week of March 2020 pretty much every convention had rescheduled or cancelled. Rather than attempt to reschedule Sakura-Con just called it off and didn\'t make plans to start again until 2021. While it was possible to have held the event in 2021, they obviously opted to remain on their Easter date.\n\nFalling in line with other large metropolitan based anime conventions, Sakura-Con required proof of vaccination or negative COVID test and masks while indoors. Washington State actually lifted its mask mandate before the convention, but the convention stayed the course. At this point in time, I expect more conventions to forego any of these requirements and things will basically return to normal. This is what larger conventions such as ECCC have decided.\n\nThe three year gap didn\'t seem to quench the thirst of attendees. From what I could see, turnout was on track to be at or above pre-COVID attendance levels. Were it not for a hastily announced cap on registration it may have been a record year. There was actually a series of posts that went something like \"registration is closed without any advance notice\", followed by \"whoops, no it\'s actually still open\", and then \"but it might close soon\". This was quite upsetting to a lot of attendees who thought they wouldn\'t be able to attend. Ultimately registration was capped to an unknown number of attendees. Although Sakura-Con staff wouldn\'t say, it\'s likely that the convention center was behind the attendance cap.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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Otakon 2022<\/h4>\n published 2 years ago<\/span>\n
Samus from Metroid\n@melpoolcos<\/a>\n@syzygy.lily<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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FanimeCon 2022<\/h4>\n published 2 years ago<\/span>\n
@makeupyourreality<\/a> Samus from Metroid<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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Katsucon 2022<\/h4>\n published 2 years ago<\/span>\n
National Harbor is right next door to Washington, DC and not too far from Baltimore. It\'s 15-20 minutes away from the Ronald Reagan airport, but there\'s also Dulles and Baltimore airports. It\'s one of the easier conventions to travel to. The DC metro has a line directly from the airport to The National Mall, so definitely consider making your Katsucon trip a Washington, DC trip. Uber and Lyft operate in the area as well.\n\nNational Harbor is a shopping and dining destination, so there are places to eat besides the hotel. The cheapest option is Chipotle Mexican Grill where you can stuff your face with a monster burrito for under 10 bucks. You can also have a \$50 steak at the fancy Old Hickory steak house. I recommend Nando\'s PERi-PERi for delicious Afro-Portuguese dishes.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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Colossalcon Texas 2021 Swimsuit Anime Convention<\/h4>\n published 3 years ago<\/span>\n
The outdoor arts and entertainment area.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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Colossalcon Texas 2021 Swimsuit Anime Convention<\/h4>\n published 3 years ago<\/span>\n
It’s not a stretch to say that Colossalcon Texas could possibly become the largest Colossalcon. It’s close to multiple large metropolitan cities. Some people can just drive to it from their home each day, which isn’t something many can say about the Sandusky location. It occurs in the usually slow month of November, so there’s less competition and perhaps it’s easier for people to get time off. It has room to grow. The one thing it doesn’t have is Colossalcon Prime’s June weather. The weather was actually quite good for November. It was floating around 70 on Friday and Saturday and reached a pleasant 75 degrees on Sunday. It dipped in the 50’s at night, but was still bearable with a jacket. It was a little overcast and windy, but it sure beats the snow I had in my hometown.\n\nUPDATE:<\/span> The convention is now scheduled to take place perpetually in August.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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Dragon Con 2021 - Celebrating 35 Years<\/h4>\n published 3 years ago<\/span>\n
I managed to use airline miles for half of my flights which saved me about \$250. The Atlanta airport is a major hub and the busiest airport in America, making it easy to fly there. The local metro system called MARTA is a quick and reliable \$3.50 ride with a direct connection to the downtown Peachtree center. Parking in Atlanta can be difficult and I\'ve heard of people having their cars booted (putting those yellow clamps on your tires so you can’t leave without paying an exorbitant fee). Be forewarned.\n\nThe largest cost was the hotel. With 85,000 attendees on an average year, all of the area hotels fill up. You have to book a year in advance to get a room and you’ll pay a premium. Rooms run \$250-400+ per night and they can be hard to get even on a covid-affected year with less attendees. \n\nI had a reservation at one of those Airbnb type properties that I found through Booking.com. The price was good and the location was excellent, sitting right behind the Hilton. However, my reservation fell through literally on the first day of the convention. It’s a lesson to me that I will never book this type of property again. They just aren’t reliable, especially during a busy event like Dragon Con. Don’t do it!\n\nI was able to book the Sheraton for the okay-ish rate of \$315 per night. The con rate is around \$265, but the host hotels are notoriously difficult to book. Some of them use a legacy system that gives priority to those who stayed the year before. The hotels which have open booking usually sell out in minutes. If you are thinking of attending Dragon Con I suggest following the Dragon Con Rooms Facebook group<\/a>. It’s an excellent resource on how to book or transfer a hotel room.\n\nRegistration for Dragon Con costs between \$85 and \$100, depending on when you purchase. I was fortunate to receive a press badge this year, which saved me that cost. Remarkably, they sell an “Eternal Membership” which grants you access for as long as the event is held. It currently costs \$3500, although I remember it being around \$2000 when I first attended in 2016.\n\nThe only other costs are food and whatever you might buy from vendors. The food is totally up to you. There is a large food court in the nearby Peachtree Center Mall. I recommend Aviva by Kameel. All of the hotels have grab and go stations as well as sit down restaurants. Although there was no wait to be seated, I was told by staff at the Marriott Marquis High Velocity restaurant that it would be an hour before I would be served food. Apparently the pandemic was still wreaking havoc by reducing the number of employees working.\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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Otakon 2021 - The Anime Convention That Nearly Died<\/h4>\n published 3 years ago<\/span>\n
If you\'ve seen what it costs me to attend some other conventions, the grand total of \$607.53 won\'t seem very high. The reality is it cost more, but I used airline miles to buy the flight back home. That saved about \$250. Still, the cost for me to attend was significantly less than other conventions. The \$8 transportation fee is thanks to the convenient and affordable D.C. Metro. It has a direct connection from the Ronald Regan airport to the convention center.\n\nYou might notice the low cost for the hotel. I managed to book a room at the Marriot Marquis under the Otakon room block for a total of \$824.40, but I also booked a second room at the AC Hotel by Marriot for \$640.95. My roommates and I agreed that the AC Hotel was a better deal since it was less expensive and had queen beds instead of the double beds at the Marquis. That was a good rate, especially for Washington D.C. It would have been nice to stay at the Marquis because it\'s connected directly to the convention center and lots of other attendees stay there, but money and comfort rule.\n\nIt’s unfortunate that hotel rates through sites like Expedia.com were cheaper than the convention block rate. I understand how important it is for a convention to fill its quota for any given hotel, but most people will go for the lower rate regardless. If this is a problem for Otakon, they either need to not have blocks at these hotels or they need to negotiate better rates.\n\nThe \$95 membership fee is among the highest I\'ve ever paid for a convention. The next closest is Dragon Con, which is currently a five day convention with a lot more to offer. I blame the Walter E. Washington convention center for this high cost. That place has got to cost close to a million dollars to rent for the weekend and I\'m not even exaggerating.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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Anime Los Angeles 2023<\/h4>\n published 1 year ago<\/span>\n
As anime becomes more and more popular, I would expect conventions like this to continue growing. ALA is particularly poised for growth due to its location and the aforementioned organizational prowess. Los Angeles is the second largest metropolitan area in the USA, and that’s a key factor. If you want a lot of people to come to your convention, you need to hold it where the people are. Why do you think Anime Expo is the largest anime convention in North America? Sure, it’s been around for 30 years, but it also has a huge audience at its doorstep. \n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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Katsucon 2023<\/h4>\n published 1 year ago<\/span>\n
People would be in tears. Some might even protest. It would be utter chaos and destruction! Overturned vehicles and bonfires in the streets. Cats and dogs living together! But seriously, that’s what the future holds unless they cap the event. The alternative would be to move to a larger venue. If they stay in the D.C. Metro area that would likely be the Walter E. Washington convention center. Home to Awesomecon<\/a> and Otakon<\/a>, you can read my opinion of that location here<\/a>.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n