Anime Convention Review: Anime Blues Con 2013

The Lobby of Anime Blues Con on Sunday.

                Anime Blues Con is the largest anime convention in Memphis, TN. It has grown very quickly. They're only on their 3rd year and they are already almost 3,000 attendees strong. Now, since this was my 2nd year here - I will not only provide pros/cons, but I will also discuss their improvements from the previous year because they improved exponentially. They accomplished this despite the issues they already knew they would face this year.

                The major issue faced this year was due to them being unprepared for the amount of growth last year. Due to that, they booked the same venue for two years. Unfortunately they outgrew the location last year, yet had to remain there another year. That caused an issue with limited space for panels and events. They will be relocating next year to a convention center. Since these issues were already expected, I will avoid judging them too harshly on lack of certain activities and focus more on the quality of what they did have.

                The first benefit of Anime Blues Con this year was their staff. They were under a lot of pressure due to crowding, yet they handled themselves in a friendly and professional manner when interacting with attendees. Staff made sure to socialize as well as assist the congoers, which made all the attendees feel comfortable. They felt more like friends and seemed to really give off the positive impression that they enjoyed their job.

The lovely girls of the Maid Cafe room.

The staff assisting the Registration line which ran smoothly.

                Even though I just boasted about their staff, the first issue I witnessed at ABC this year also had to do with their staff. They did indeed do a great job running the convention and handling convention goers, but they apparently alienated and fought between themselves. Although that's expected at any convention, it became a slight problem. The few that were being ignored or alienated chose to discuss their situation with anyone who would listen. The halls began to buzz about the drama and attendees either chose sides or complained about how unprofessional the behavior was. I will deduct 2 points from the final score due to this.

                Another plus about Anime Blues Con 2013 was how they handled the crowd control despite the space situation. They made a room with nothing in it just for people to hang out that worked perfectly to limit major crowding in the halls. They managed to control lines as well. Registration even went smoothly. I seriously don't know how they pulled it off, but they did. Bravo, Anime Blues Con, bravo.

                A major disadvantage this year that had several attendees talking was the limited amount of panels and activities. Unfortunately, they had no choice this year because of space, but several attendees who were looking forward to several new things quickly became bored and complained about it. This will most likely be repaired next year with the new location.

                Last year organization and convention layout were a major problem. It was hard to find things, booths were scattered in no particular order, the game room was pitiful, dealer room was dreadful, and an entire room was wasted on registration for a convention that wasn't large enough yet to need one. After the convention I had a discussion with the con chair and offered some critique and suggestions for improvement. He took it quite well and actually used a few of my suggestions. This year - layout and organization improved drastically and became a benefit.

                The room used for registration last year was changed into the game room. Last year the game room was so small people avoided it like the plague. The game room being larger made it a complete success this year.

                Last year the dealer room was also an issue. There were only a few vendors and things were basically just scattered about the floor in piles. It looked boring and there wasn't much diversity either. This year that greatly improved. The variety as well as quantity of vendors increased. From the doctor who booth, the comic booth, and the poster booth to the Little Kuriboh booth and figurine booth - the vender hall was always full of people. They completely turned that around for the better this year.

                The next problem for ABC this year was the green room. Green rooms are meant to be a relaxation place for guests, staff, and press and are expected to be stocked with food. This year it was dismal - there was almost no food. The staff running it would offer to cook you something if you arrived - but the problem with that is that guests, staff, etc. don't usually have a lot of time to wait on food. That's why green rooms are usually with stocked with pre-made food. The con should make note to fix that problem next year.

                An additional benefit of ABC this year was the variety of cosplay. There were so many amazing costumes and they were from several different shows - the con for once, wasn't over-run by an overwhelming amount of costumes from the top popular shows. The costumes that made my weekend were the Inspector Gadget group and Megara from Hercules.

This photo property of a photographer that I'll be linking to his stuff at the bottom

This was also provided by the photographer I'm crediting at the bottom

Aren't they just perfect?

Megara being her sassy self! Her wig was AMAZING.

                Another Issue came up after the convention. People quickly took to the forums to discuss opinions, and one made quite a stir. Apparently some panelists were comped badges, but others were not. This caused quite some bad PR issues that are still in the process of being resolved.

                Something that impressed me at ABC this year was the two raves Saturday night. One rave was for all ages like usual, but there was a second one known as the PJ Party that was for 21+ guests with complimentary drinks. As an older congoer, the normal raves are usually too active and crazy for me to handle - this adult one was just my style. It was an excellent addition to the Adult Track.

                A final good thing about this year was the attendees themselves. They were quite the friendly bunch. Always willing to talk with anyone, whether in costume or out of costume. You really felt like you were part of a large family at Anime Blues Con.

                At this point, I've run out of pros/cons to discuss and it's time to determine whether this convention is one worth traveling to like with all small conventions I review. Even though I said it was the largest in Memphis, it's still fewer than 5,000 attendees qualifying it as a small convention. If you're a local to Memphis, you should definitely attend Anime Blues Con. If you're within a 4-5 hour drive, it's still worth it. If you have to fly to attend this, for the first time ever I'm going to say - it's still worth it. Despite being a small con it has everything people like about conventions and is constantly active around the clock. It would not be a waste of money to attend.

                So let's rack up the points now and give this convention its rating. Small conventions are rated a bit differently than large conventions so some categories have changed. Guests' rating has been removed because small events have more limited funds and it would be unfair to judge them on the amount and variety of guests that big conventions should be rated on because they have more funds to spread. Con Space Utilization has been added because smaller events usually have smaller locations, less space, and are new to organizing a convention floor and thus they should be rated on how they handled that hurdle. Without further ado...here's the rating:

Convention Staff and Security: 9.5/10

Cosplay Variety Range:  10/10

Convention Activity Level: 10/10

 Convention Panels Level: 9/10

Registration Line: 10/10

Attendance Growth: 9/10

Convention Uniqueness: 9/10

Convention Layout: 7/10

Convention friendly level: 10/10

Convention Space Utilization: 10/10

Other Issues and problems worthy of point deduction: -2

Total Points: 91.5/100 Points
Overall Rating: 91.5%
Convention Grade: A-

Congratulations Anime Blues Con for being the first convention I've attended to score an A!

Review written and conducted by: Abra Gauthier (Warkified Chocobo) of NerConEct

Some photos supplied by the awesome photographer EuphoriaCosplayStudios

Convention Reviews: OMGCon 2013

Registration at 9 a.m. friday.

                OMGCon is a small con held in the convention center in Paducah, Kentucky. It's widely known as Relaxacon to the people who attend. It's a really mellow type of convention. If you enjoy hanging out and discussing fandoms more than just going for cosplay, this is a convention that you'd enjoy. Due to it being small and mellow, this will probably be my shortest convention review. So let me just cover the pros and cons. 

                First pro is the staff. They're nice, friendly, and extremely helpful in a personal manner. They don't feel like staff - which in a con setting this small, is very welcoming. They're not intimidating or overwhelming like staff at other cons. They seem to really enjoy their jobs. Attendees having a good time is their top priority. I'm giving their staff a 10/10. 

                Now the first and biggest disadvantage isn't the convention's fault, but it should be mentioned so that those reading this review and plan to attend will know what to expect. OMG Con is held at the only convention center in Paducah - but there's no attached hotels - most places to stay are 1-3 miles away. This isn't their fault - there used to be a hotel connected to the convention center but it was torn down about 4 years ago. This makes for room parties and costume changes to be a bit of an inconvenience. Unfortunately, they can't do anything about it. So if you enjoy everything being in one place and intense room parties - this is probably not a convention you'll be interested in. Though despite this blip, the con has continued to grow over the years. 

                Another good thing about OMGCon is how relaxing it is. If you are wanting a convention that breaks from the hustle that most cons have - this is a convention for you. Most of the attendees are extremely friendly and everyone hangs out with everyone. It's a great convention for making new friends. I consider it my "break" convention cause of how relaxing it is. And nobody judges anyone at this convention, you can be out of costume and still have a fantastic experience. 

This cosplay made my entire weekend. Ed, Edd, and Eddie.

                A slight disadvantage this year was that a lot of the vendors and activities that used to be there every year - did not return this year. I don't remember exactly what had happened last year - but several refused to return and it seemed to upset quite a few attendees to realize their continuous favorites were gone. Also artist alley was banned from selling fanart so it seemed a lot less active. Several attendees said this year was really lacking in the department of activities and panels. I personally enjoyed the panels this year though. Yet, this review is unbiased and not my personal experience, so it was necessary to mention this. 

                The final good thing about OMGCon is their organization. They found a system that works, and have kept it consistent every year. It makes it so you always know where stuff is and you know what to expect each year. It's very spacious and they know how to keep things flowing. 

The large open game room

Vendor hall

The nicely organized lines for pre-reg and at-the-door registration

One of the most popular panels at OMGCon - Mock Combat with Christopher Ayres.

                Now to cover the part I enjoy discussing when it comes to small conventions. The part about what distance the convention is worth traveling for. If you're a local to Paducah, then definitely come and attend - you'll make several new friends which is hard to do in a small town. Distances of up to 3-4 hour drives is where I begin to waver on whether to attend - if you have friends that will be there - then the distance is worth traveling because you'll get to spend a lot of time with those friends. If you don't know anyone and are expecting a decent and active convention, I wouldn't recommend driving 4-5 hours for this convention. This is a convention that is for relaxing and paying homage to your favorite fandoms. It's a great convention, but it's probably not worth the drive if you don't know anyone.

                So let's rack up the points now and give this convention its rating. Small conventions are rated a bit differently than large conventions so some categories have changed. Guests' rating has been removed because small events have more limited funds and it would be unfair to judge them on the amount and variety of guests that big conventions should be rated on because they have more funds to spread. Con Space Utilization has been added because smaller events usually have smaller locations, less space, and are new to organizing a convention floor and thus they should be rated on how they handled that hurdle. Without further ado...here's the rating:

Convention Staff and Security: 10/10

Cosplay Variety Range:  7/10

Convention Activity Level: 8/10

 Convention Panels Level: 9/10

Registration Line: 8/10

Attendance Growth: 5/10

Convention Uniqueness: 7/10

Convention Layout: 9/10

Convention friendly level: 10/10

Convention Space Utilization: 10/10

Other Issues and problems worthy of point deduction: 0

Total Points: 83/100 Points
Overall Rating: 83%
Convention Grade: B

Convention Review: Hamacon 4 (2013)

Main convention floor for Hamacon

                Hamacon is a small convention tucked away in the city of Huntsville, Alabama. This was the convention's fourth year and the best one they've had so far. This is my first small convention review, so I'm excited. Yet since it's a small convention, the review will be shorter. Overall I had a very fun time at Hamacon 4. Without further ado, here's the pro/con style of review you've all grown accustomed to from me. 

                First advantage of Hamacon is their staff. This was quite a relief after dealing with Anime Central. Their staff wasn't overwhelming to be around nor were they offensively large in numbers. You felt you had your freedom around the convention, but when you did need a staff member - you knew exactly where to find them. They were very enthusiastic, helpful, considerate, and knew how to handle themselves as well as situations that arose. I had mentioned to one of the staff members doing registration about my long drive and how the last event I went to was less than satisfactory in just general conversation. Yet it blew me away when that same staff member found me later that night to check up on me and make sure I was having a good time - they had no idea I was a reviewer either so they just thought they were checking on an attendee. That's the kind of dedication you can expect from the staff at Hamacon. I'd rate their staff a 9.5 out of 10 on the scale.

                The first problem I'd say that Hamacon had was the convention layout. It wasn't a huge problem, but the layout was confusing despite mostly all being inside one room. They had signs hanging from the ceiling to announce where things were - but unfortunately most attendees didn't think to look up. That made it difficult for Artist Alley the first day because they were tucked away behind a wall of black cloth that most attendees mistook for a barrier that meant the con space was over at that mark. Luckily for the event, attendees that found where things were would tell others where everything was and by Friday night the layout confusion was reduced and activities flourished.  

Layouts. Main convention hall (pic 1). Dealer room (pic 2). Main Events room (pic 3). Event circle (pic 4).

 Even so, the fact most events were all inside a large room divided by fabric walls made the convention seem a lot smaller than it actually was - especially because a large portion right in the middle of the room was set aside for these character battles that when the battles weren't happening just made the event look empty and bland. The battles were quite distinctive though and actually got featured on the local news. It was a unique layout though, so if you like cons that are completely different from all the rest - you'd probably really enjoy this layout. I'd give their layout and utilization of space a 5 out of 10. 

                Another big pro of this small convention would be the one of their kind activities they had for all different ages. They really thought about accommodating activities that would be appropriate for several different age groups. This was the first convention that I went to that actually had a coloring book area set up to give young attendees something to do during down time. Although, hilariously - most of the time the people taking advantage of the coloring books and etc were us adults. It was probably my favorite spot to just chill and relax with other attendees at. They also respectfully had areas set aside for older attendees as well. They had a giant battle arena set up where you could make certain people in character outfits duke it out sort of like a live-action Yu-Gi-Oh battle. Even the anime viewing rooms had a unique twist to them. Not only did they show anime, but they'd have discussions about the anime episodes afterwards. This is a great way to get people to start participating and socializing. The favorite battle monster was usually the Dalek from Doctor Who. They knew their audience quite well when organizing this event because there was definitely a large variety of age groups. I'm going to give their panels and activities 10 out of 10. 

Activities: Chalk drawings (pic 1), Coloring book tables (pic 2), I suck at coloring LOL (pic 3), Battle Arena (pic 4)

                Another small disadvantage that was somewhat related to the first one was that the space they had for the convention was huge. Usually this would be seen as a good thing, but because of the way the convention was laid out, the fact that it was in such a large space made the convention appear to be a lot smaller than it actually was. When you'd enter the main con space - which was just one giant room, you'd see groups of people in only two of the sections. My initial impression upon walking into the con space was that the event was extremely small and that most people were bored out of their minds and just sitting around because they ran out of things to do. Yet upon further observation I quickly realized that this was how the convention was laid out, and that the attendees were having a ton of fun and had chosen those two areas as the peak points for socialization and that there was much, much more going on at the convention than what it appeared. Even so, because they had so much space, it still gave off the appearance that the convention was much smaller than it really was. This could also be an advantage if you're the type of congoer who enjoys a lack of crowding at an event. If the event were to grow by 2,000 attendees for next year, there would still be a lack of crowding. I give space utilization for this con a 6 out of 10. 

                Another benefit of Hamacon was the attendees themselves. Every con I run a test where I take a good amount of time off from cosplaying and roam around in normal clothing to see how attendees react to a non-cosplayer. Most of the time when I do this, I get disapproving stares from attendees and get avoided simply because they assume I'm not a cosplayer which makes me feel alienated. At Hamacon that was not the case. Attendees were friendly to everyone - I was approached for conversations even when I was just walking around in a T-shirt and jeans. My level of fun at Hamacon didn't decrease just because I wasn't in cosplay. That tells me that the attendees are more interested in making new friends, discussing fandoms, and having fun rather than putting all their focus towards cosplay. It was a nice change of pace and made me feel the way I did when I first began attending conventions - which was a long time ago and back then there were a lot less cosplayers at events. Yet even the cosplayers were extremely friendly, helpful, and supportive of each other. Cosplay bullying was almost nonexistent at Hamacon 4. I give the attendees friendliness and respect for one another a 10 out of 10. 

                I've basically run out of disadvantages for this convention at this point, but I will mention a slight disruption that limited activities for a while. Saturday night a severe thunderstorm overtook the convention within minutes. It came out of nowhere so quickly that a lot of cosplayers and attendees that were outside chatting or doing photo shoots at the beautiful location were unable to make it back inside before it started pouring. Tons of people got drenched and I'm guessing at least one person's costume got ruined. They had to shuffle everyone inside and keep people away from the doors for about an hour. Even so, there was so much stuff going on inside that it did not halt the convention or cause any true issue. Everyone pretty much went inside and went into the dealer room, panel rooms, or the coloring book area. This was an unforeseen disadvantage and thus I can't with good conscious deduct points from the convention on this because it was completely out of their hands and their amazing staff handled the situation beautifully. There are two more good things I wish to mention after this, but I've run out of issues to discuss - which as a reviewer who likes to see a convention do well - it is a very good thing when I run out of issues to mention. 

                Another really good thing about the convention was the location. The hotel and convention center as well as the surrounding flora and decor were amazing for photo shoots. There were lakes and even a paved stream with a fountain that stretched under the skywalk like the rivers in ancient Italy that were absolutely breathtaking. The cosplays at this convention were also extraordinary. Usually at smaller conventions you expect to see more average level costumes, but at Hama the costumes were intricate, diverse, and extremely detail orientated that even the judges for the costume contest were boasting about how difficult judging was going to be because the costumes were so well made. 

Some of the fantastic cosplays at Hamacon. Picture credits go to Mage Teevee Sho.

The Cosplay Contest winners. They all really put in so much effort to their costumes. Lets give them and all the contests a round of applause.

                Lastly, the rave was handled superbly. The convention made good efforts to keep the convention center well air-conditioned which was fantastic since it was almost 90 degrees outside all weekend. The fact it was nice and cool inside made it so almost nobody left the rave. Usually at conventions the raves get so hot and sweaty that people are constantly shuffling in and out to get breaths of air - but not at Hamacon. People went into the rave and they stayed in it. I only saw about 10 people leave the rave and it was only to get water and go back in. The music in the rave was anime and video game based as well which kept people excited hoping that something from their favorite shows would be included in the lineup. 

                Overall Hamacon was a very well put together small convention. From the guests, the attendees, staff, activities, and the location - they did their convention right. Here's where I get to touch base on the segment that will be included in my reviews of all small conventions, and since this is the first small convention I've got to review, this will be a first time additional segment so I'm excited about covering it. 

                Small conventions are extremely unique from each other and so it's extremely hard to determine which ones are worth traveling out to - especially if you plan on traveling a very long distance to go to them. This next segment will be my opinion on whether a small convention is worth attending from local standpoints and for those who are planning to travel a far distance for the event to possibly either aid in your decision to attend and to give you a little preparation on what to expect. 

                Hamacon is a fantastic convention to attend if you live in the Huntsville area. If you're a local and an otaku, I highly recommend this convention. If you live at least a 2-3 hour drive away such as Nashville, Birmingham, Memphis, or Chattanooga and enjoy the smaller conventions, I also highly recommend this convention to be added to your list for future cons to attend. If you live a lot further away such as 5 hour drives or more my opinion starts to waver - it is an excellent event, but at that distance it's not as much worth attending unless you have friends that are going who you plan to meet up with. If you live far enough away that you have to fly to the convention and pay over $200 for the flight, I'd recommend waiting a few more years for the con to grow before spending that sort of money to attend Hamacon.  Also, if you're a big of wild and crazy small cons - usually referred to as "party cons" - then this convention is probably not the convention for you. Yes this convention is small, but it focuses more on the fandom than outrageous drunken fun because as I stated before, this is a convention for all ages so the crazy parties are limited. If you're more a fan of larger conventions with tons of rooms and a large number of attendees - this is also not a convention for you, at least not at this point in time. It will grow eventually though, so don't automatically write this convention off - just put it in the category of "has amazing potential, but it won't be my taste of convention for at least another two years" and keep your ears peeled for further statistics for Hamacon. 

                This concludes my first review of a small convention. There will be two more small conventions added to my list of reviews by the end of the month because my next two events are OMGCon in Paducah, KY and Anime Blues Con in Memphis. I'm looking forward to attending both events and I hope you all are looking forward to my future reviews. 

                So let's rack up the points now and give this convention its rating. Small conventions are rated a bit differently than large conventions so some categories have changed. Guests' rating has been removed because small events have more limited funds and it would be unfair to judge them on the amount and variety of guests that big conventions should be rated on. Con Space Utilization has been added because smaller events usually have smaller locations, less space, and are new to organizing a convention floor and thus they should be rated on how they handled that hurdle. Without further ado...

Hamacon 4 Convention Rating Breakdown:

Convention Staff and Security: 9.5/10

Cosplay Variety Range:  10/10

Convention Activity Level: 10/10

 Convention Panels Level: 8/10

Registration Line: 8/10

Attendance Growth: 6/10

Convention Uniqueness: 8/10

Convention Layout: 5.5/10

Convention friendly level: 10/10

Convention Space Utilization: 6/10

Other Issues and problems worthy of point deduction: 0

Total Points: 81/100 Points
Overall Rating: 81%
Convention Grade: B

Review written and conducted by: Abra Gauthier (Warkified Chocobo) of NerConEct

Several photos used provided by Mage Teevee Sho - Check them out or follow them on their facebook: Mage Teevee Show Facebook Page