So before and after the A-Kon26 convention, I decided to join some Groups on Facebook for Anime fans in my area.
I've learned and continue learning quite a bit about some of our anime friends.
First of all these are facebook groups, and these people all have one thing in common and its anime. So basically these groups seem to branch out from the main convention group page and then they make their own.
These groups are actually very accepting of people, no matter of your age, race, religion, socioeconomic status, etc. As long as you like anime you join the group.
These groups are a great way to meet people if you are the shy type and unable to approach people at the con, you can friend them online and just chat with them and then at the con you can arrange to meet with the whole group so the pressure of one on one will be less.
I've also seen a lot of these groups are also trying to arrange meetups outside of conventions.
Bottom line is if you have trouble meeting people, join an online group and meeting new people on there will be no problem.
A few facebook groups to check out. These are just a few, feel free to look for more!
The official A-Kon Facebook Group.
The Official A-Kon Cosplay Group.
The Anime Fest Group.
Animetroplex
All Things Anime(&Manga) (★^O^★)
Thursday, June 18, 2015
Monday, June 8, 2015
A-Kon26 Aftermath and Pictures!
So A-kon26 has come and gone, and I am exhausted. This year was fairly good in terms of crowd control and lines.
The first thing I noticed was that for registration, there is now only one line whether you are pre-reg or on-site, this year they only had one line for everyone.
QR codes where on everyone's receipts so they could check in faster, in theory. The regular member badges were made of a paper material and were placed inside plastic badge holders, lanyards were provided by Crunchyroll. The badges that were made of a more durable plastic were the volunteer badges, so it was very obvious to tell the difference between a volunteer and a regular attendee.
However, there was no distinction on badges if yours was a pre-reg or an on-site.
The group I was with was able to get badges on Thursday morning in less than an hour, Saturday seemed to have been the most crowded of the days with a line that expanded well past the area they had designated as the line area.
Thursday was fairly busier than in the past, it seems now that A-Kon Thursday has become Day 0 and more activities, including the introduction ceremony are now taking place on Thursday. The Masquerade put together by Mu Epsilon Kappa is also on Thursday night at 8pm. with dance lessons at 4pm before the dance.
Friday was probably the best day in terms of breathing room and activities. There were a lot of people yes, but the crowds were not awful. Panel lines were fine as long as you got there at least 30-40 minutes before your panel was scheduled then getting in line was fine and most made it inside. The dealers room lines are awful right before they open but give it a couple hours and there is no line to the dealers room anymore its just a constant flow of people in and out.
Food was available throughout the convention with food trucks and meal spots that the hotel had made possible, including burgers in the courtyard.
I went to the dance on Friday night where I discovered they were live Instagraming with #Akon26. So I started uploading to Instagram pictures from the dance and some that were already on my phone. It only took about 2-3 minutes to see your picture on the screen.
Saturday was the most crowded day in the entire convention. I even overheard some people later on saying that they got anxiety and panic attacks due to the high number of people and the hall being so crowded. However on Saturday I started seeing a better way of getting people to wait in line for their panel. The crowd control people were handing out tickets to people guaranteeing them a spot inside instead of having them take up space in a line. I think that is a genius idea. Come early, get your ticket and wait out of the way.
On Saturday I tried looking for the infamous KonSuite, the suite that has free food for con-goers. The very well hiddlen Kon-Suite may I add. Since the convention moved to the Hilton Anatole, the Suite had always been in the Atrium on a high floor, this year it wasn't there are I couldn't find it anywhere. Saturday I turned to Facebook and found out that it was in the Tower on the 15th floor of the Anatole.
I didn't get to go to the dance on Saturday because I fell in a hole and sprained my ankle. But at least I found out that the first-aid staff is absolutely superb!
Sunday, the last day of the con. Everyone rushing to the dealers room for any last minute deals, people packing, and every elevator is full of people trying to check out. I went to a couple of things. Made it to the KonSuite, a DBZ Game panel, and did some Para Para with the Eks-D Para Para group.
A-Kon26 was pretty good. I look forward to another great convention next year!
 |
| Me (Bulma) and Girl Trunks |
QR codes where on everyone's receipts so they could check in faster, in theory. The regular member badges were made of a paper material and were placed inside plastic badge holders, lanyards were provided by Crunchyroll. The badges that were made of a more durable plastic were the volunteer badges, so it was very obvious to tell the difference between a volunteer and a regular attendee.
However, there was no distinction on badges if yours was a pre-reg or an on-site.
The group I was with was able to get badges on Thursday morning in less than an hour, Saturday seemed to have been the most crowded of the days with a line that expanded well past the area they had designated as the line area.
Thursday was fairly busier than in the past, it seems now that A-Kon Thursday has become Day 0 and more activities, including the introduction ceremony are now taking place on Thursday. The Masquerade put together by Mu Epsilon Kappa is also on Thursday night at 8pm. with dance lessons at 4pm before the dance.
 |
| Live Instagram at Dance |
Food was available throughout the convention with food trucks and meal spots that the hotel had made possible, including burgers in the courtyard.
I went to the dance on Friday night where I discovered they were live Instagraming with #Akon26. So I started uploading to Instagram pictures from the dance and some that were already on my phone. It only took about 2-3 minutes to see your picture on the screen.
Saturday was the most crowded day in the entire convention. I even overheard some people later on saying that they got anxiety and panic attacks due to the high number of people and the hall being so crowded. However on Saturday I started seeing a better way of getting people to wait in line for their panel. The crowd control people were handing out tickets to people guaranteeing them a spot inside instead of having them take up space in a line. I think that is a genius idea. Come early, get your ticket and wait out of the way.
On Saturday I tried looking for the infamous KonSuite, the suite that has free food for con-goers. The very well hiddlen Kon-Suite may I add. Since the convention moved to the Hilton Anatole, the Suite had always been in the Atrium on a high floor, this year it wasn't there are I couldn't find it anywhere. Saturday I turned to Facebook and found out that it was in the Tower on the 15th floor of the Anatole.
I didn't get to go to the dance on Saturday because I fell in a hole and sprained my ankle. But at least I found out that the first-aid staff is absolutely superb!
 |
| Eks-D Para Para group performing |
A-Kon26 was pretty good. I look forward to another great convention next year!
Below is a gallery of pics from this year!
Monday, June 1, 2015
A-Kon packing list!
The time has come, here in the Dallas area, the largest anticipated anime convention is A-Kon.
Known as the longest continually running anime convention in America, A-kon has also become one of the most attended Anime conventions in the state and in the country.
So here is a bit of a packing list to get you started when you're packing your bags to attend the convention.
This year A-Kon 26 goes from June5-7, 2015, with a pre-day on Thursday June 4th, where they will be hosting a Masquerade Ball with the help of Mu Epsilon Kappa.
Here is your list of essentials.
CLOTHES:
*Your COSPLAY(of course) and all pieces (You may want to make a list for your cosplay pieces if there are several)
*Your outfit for any fancy balls you will be attending (separate list of individual pieces if needed
*SHOES! don't forget your cosplay or fancy shoes. Plus make sure you bring a pair of comfortable shoes to wear on your down time and SOCKS/STOCKINGS if you need them too.
*UNDERWEAR, yes please don't forget to pack the essentials.
*Something to wear to sleep or on your downtime. Some people get so concertrated on what they are going to wear during the con that they forget to pack PAJAMAS!
*Pack at least two extra outfits of normal clothes
*WIGS - bring your wig cap, pins, everything you need to do your hair.
* A Laundry bag for your dirty clothes.
*Swimsuit if you plan to swim
HYGIENE:
*SOAP AND SHAMPOO
*TOOTHBRUSH - toothpaste and floss included
*Extra Toilet paper
*DEODORANT and body spray
*Hand sanitizer
* RAZORS - aftershave, shaving cream, and lotion
*Facial scrub and makeup remover
*CONTACTS and GLASSES - make sure you bring contact solution, and an extra case.
*(feminine hygiene products for the ladies)
*Febreeze
FIRST AID and EMERGENCIES
*First aid kit with bandages, antibiotic ointment, and essentials
*Emergency cosplay sewing kit
*Emergency eye glass repair kit
*Pain reliever
*Any medications you may be prescribed
*Allergy medicine
PERSONAL BELONGINGS:
*CELL PHONE CHARGER.
*Hair straightnener or curler, blow dryer if you also prefer not to use the hotels
*Batteries if you have anything battery powered
*Camera
*Any items you wanted autographed with a marker
*something to write with
*Glowsticks for the dance
*Controllers for any gaming tourneys
*Extra pillows or blankets
OTHERS:
*Bring your MONEY and wallet with ID! - make sure you have cash
*Print out your registration e-mails, for hotel, badge, and anything else.
*Emergency contact info for your roomies
*Locks for your bags if you are paranoid
FOOD:
(I am not usually a big food packer, I mostly eat what the hotel offers but there are many who pack food and stuff to make food with like rice cookers, toasters, and some even bring their own microwaves and mini fridges or coolers)
If you don't have these just bring some of the below.
*Anything non perishable unless you bring a fridge (bread, crackers, chips)
*Something to snack on during the day (granola bars, snickers, pretzels)
*Water bottles so that you don't dehydrate
*cup of noodles (you can add hot water from the in-room coffee maker)
Known as the longest continually running anime convention in America, A-kon has also become one of the most attended Anime conventions in the state and in the country.
So here is a bit of a packing list to get you started when you're packing your bags to attend the convention.
This year A-Kon 26 goes from June5-7, 2015, with a pre-day on Thursday June 4th, where they will be hosting a Masquerade Ball with the help of Mu Epsilon Kappa.
Here is your list of essentials.
CLOTHES:
*Your COSPLAY(of course) and all pieces (You may want to make a list for your cosplay pieces if there are several)
*Your outfit for any fancy balls you will be attending (separate list of individual pieces if needed
*SHOES! don't forget your cosplay or fancy shoes. Plus make sure you bring a pair of comfortable shoes to wear on your down time and SOCKS/STOCKINGS if you need them too.
*UNDERWEAR, yes please don't forget to pack the essentials.
*Something to wear to sleep or on your downtime. Some people get so concertrated on what they are going to wear during the con that they forget to pack PAJAMAS!
*Pack at least two extra outfits of normal clothes
*WIGS - bring your wig cap, pins, everything you need to do your hair.
* A Laundry bag for your dirty clothes.
*Swimsuit if you plan to swim
HYGIENE:
*SOAP AND SHAMPOO
*TOOTHBRUSH - toothpaste and floss included
*Extra Toilet paper
*DEODORANT and body spray
*Hand sanitizer
* RAZORS - aftershave, shaving cream, and lotion
*Facial scrub and makeup remover
*CONTACTS and GLASSES - make sure you bring contact solution, and an extra case.
*(feminine hygiene products for the ladies)
*Febreeze
FIRST AID and EMERGENCIES
*First aid kit with bandages, antibiotic ointment, and essentials
*Emergency cosplay sewing kit
*Emergency eye glass repair kit
*Pain reliever
*Any medications you may be prescribed
*Allergy medicine
PERSONAL BELONGINGS:
*CELL PHONE CHARGER.
*Hair straightnener or curler, blow dryer if you also prefer not to use the hotels
*Batteries if you have anything battery powered
*Camera
*Any items you wanted autographed with a marker
*something to write with
*Glowsticks for the dance
*Controllers for any gaming tourneys
*Extra pillows or blankets
OTHERS:
*Bring your MONEY and wallet with ID! - make sure you have cash
*Print out your registration e-mails, for hotel, badge, and anything else.
*Emergency contact info for your roomies
*Locks for your bags if you are paranoid
FOOD:
(I am not usually a big food packer, I mostly eat what the hotel offers but there are many who pack food and stuff to make food with like rice cookers, toasters, and some even bring their own microwaves and mini fridges or coolers)
If you don't have these just bring some of the below.
*Anything non perishable unless you bring a fridge (bread, crackers, chips)
*Something to snack on during the day (granola bars, snickers, pretzels)
*Water bottles so that you don't dehydrate
*cup of noodles (you can add hot water from the in-room coffee maker)
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