Orlando Anime Day January 2011
As 2011 moves along, the convention scene begins to churn on the horizon. I attended my first event of the year with Orlando Anime Day. The event was held at the Ramada Celebration Resort in Orlando. This was the third of these one day anime celebrations that has been put on. It was the first I was able to attend. The event was a good time. At the same time though, it could have been better. I preface my words by saying that none of this is meant to throw this event under the bus. I only want to encourage the event and to see it grow. I only offer my personal opinions and try to offer constructive criticism for an event that I see potential in.
The day started with me arriving at around 10:30 am. The line to get in was a good length. Probably at least 100 people waiting in line. As I got closer I realized their was only one person managing the line. The guy was very nice but with the line that size and quickly growing, another volunteer or two at the gate would be much appreciated. But now let me say that the event was doing a good thing with their line. They did offer a reduced entry price with a food donation. It is very good to see the geek community come together and help make a difference for some needy people.
With that, I moved on into the dealer room. The selection of dealers was a good variety. Japanese music, manga, DVDs, figures, swords, and snacks were among the products available for purchase. The room was very cramped as more people arrived for the event. It would have been nice to have had something maybe more the size of the room Jacon used for their dealers room. It may have just been an underestimation of the expected crowd size, soI can forgive that. Being cramped at an event can be a good sign though. Hopefully the huge turnout will allow some extra space to be allotted for the next Anime Day.
There was also a viewing room screening various anime throughout the day. I did not personally go in the room, but a nice quiet viewing room is always welcome for quick rest.
I did get a few good pictures. There were plenty of cosplayers available with great costumes. A very common theme was Scott Pilgrim cosplay. I have a feeling Ramona Flowers will be among the most popular costumes on the convention scene this year. I think I saw at least 6 Ramonas, 3 Scotts and every evil ex except the Katayanagi twins.
The dealers room and the viewing room were the main entertainment beyond hanging out in the hallways. I personally think a little more variety would be good for these events. The feel to me was to be like a small scale convention. Perhaps future events can acquire a couple of conference rooms to allow for panels or workshops. This would add a little diversity. To me, the day kind of stalled after a while. Perhaps, that’s a bit of ADD kicking in.
Small events like these are always a good way to promote local artists and talents. I did not see any of that at this event. A couple of tables to set up a small artists alley would be a nice touch.
Of course, the main thing about an event like this is the people you meet and share the experience with. The atmosphere was a friendly one and it was good to see crowd of people sharing a common interest. The day was enjoyable and I came home tired but in good spirits.
I hope my experience can be used as feedback for future events. I would love to see this event grow and succeed. I like the concept of a mini convention. MegaCon did this a couple years ago with Mini MegaCon and that turned out very well. I hope Anime Day can be a thriving concept in convention going. A few tweaks and room for growth can make this can’t miss event for years to come.
I wish nothing but the best to the promoters of Anime Day and look forward to the next one.
Geeks Unite
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