Similar to last year, attendees were given cloth shoulder bags to hold their program guides and any other miscellaneous items that they acquired during the duration of the convention. As we mentioned previously in our article from last year’s Gencon, this sponsor bag is a better idea than the flimsy plastic bag from the previous years. It is a fantastic marketing tool and an item that simply won’t be tossed to the side after the convention. Gen Con also continues to have its show coupon book that showcases various exhibitors in the hall and promises some discounts or free swag in return for visiting certain booths.
This year the exhibitor’s hall boasted over 350 different vendors who sold wares ranging from LARP weapons and armor to board games. Gen Con’s exhibitor hall has always been a main attraction of the convention, perhaps more so than the guests, as attendees get the chance for exclusive releases and playtests of upcoming games from publishers such as Paizo Publishing (creators of the Pathfinder series), Mayfair games, and Dungeons and Dragons. The exhibitor’s hall was more difficult to maneuver through this year as the attendance increased about 9% from the previous year. Bushiroad happened to be a sponsor this year and had a large booth promoting their card games along with several tables where you could learn and demo Cardfight Vanguard, Weiss Schwarz, and their newest game Future Card Buddy Fight. During the show, Bushiroad also debuted the newest booster series to the English version of Weiss Schwarz, Attack on Titan. Interestingly enough, the English expansion booster set was released earlier than its Japanese counterpart, signifying the importance that the company places on their English customers.
Even though the convention is considered to be mainly a TCG, board game, and “pen and paper” RPG focused convention, I was surprised to find that there were more anime goods vendors than last year. However, in comparison, the anime section of the convention was lacking. This year there was no Anime Artist Alley and overall the hotel that was used to host the majority of the events seemed rather empty. The other hotels and the main convention center used for Gen Con, however, were very crowded.
As with every year, Gen Con continued to host a costume parade and costume contest. However, as the convention has grown, it is obvious that the costume contest’s popularity had soared and spots were filled by early Friday morning; with only seventy open spots and perhaps one or two additional entries for participants from the waitlist. Gen Con might benefit from pre-screening entries (e.g. having entries be submitted before con with pictures and descriptions) instead of continuing its first-come, first-served only policy. Although many of the cosplays were fantastic, there were a few that were store bought or simply were not of the same caliber of the quality of the other costumes on stage. While some individuals with lackluster cosplays managed to get in due to submitting their entries early around Thursday, the first day of the convention, others who were on the waitlist with handmade, fantastic cosplays were denie
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With the rising amount of attendees each year, Gen Con is sure to get more and more attendees who are interested the niche markets such as anime and pop culture. Hopefully next year, the staff will have a stronger idea of what they want to do with the anime section of the convention and continue to bring voice acting guests. Overall, Gen Con continues to be a strong convention for those with a passion for anything in the realm of tabletop gaming and proves to be a fun time for all.