Coming to an anime convention for the first time can be an exciting experience! All kinds of people attend conventions, even people who aren't super into anime. Many people love their characters so much that they cosplay and come in costume. No matter what you intend to do, going to a pop culture convention can be incredibly fun!
“Vintage,” historical, any non-current uniforms, and any military or police-style costumes may be addressed at the convention’s discretion (i.e., Resident Evil, Metal Gear Solid, etc.) Anime Expo® and the SPJA reserve the right to modify and/or update this policy at any time. These rooms will be checking badges upon entry.
The best ways to make friends at the convention include participating in our various panels and events and discussing cosplay and anime. Everyone attending already shares similar interests, so it should be easy to find people who like the same shows! 8. Have a great time! Make a lot of friends and buy a ton of anime swag!
Conventions that have a free ConSuite or ConSweet (TM) offer free snacks and sodas through the weekend so that you can recharge and save money. If you have to buy beverages from the hotel then expect prices to be higher than elsewhere.
Anime Expo Help Center The Los Angeles Convention Center has a number of restaurants available onsite, along with a variety of food trucks and other vendors. We highly recommend that you bring drinks and refillable water bottles to stay hydrated.
If you've never been to an anime con, they are typically multi day events over the course of a weekend. Anywhere from two to four days, fans gather together to indulge in all things anime. Cosplayers also gather to show off their costumes, meet other cosplayers, and participate in shoots together.
Ages 14-17: Anyone 14 and older must purchase a 4-day or 1-day general attendee badge. Attendees under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult to pick up their badge. We recommend attendees ages 14-17 have a parent or guardian close by for the duration of the event.
Smaller anime conventions usually cost around $30 for a pre-registered badge. Larger conventions can cost $50-$60 for a badge. You may also need to factor renting a hotel room or a home stay, as well as transportation, such as airplane tickets or parking and gas for a car.
Absolutely, in fact the majority of attendees don't do cosplay for the event. And if this is your first time, it may be for the best if you opt for comfort over creativity. If you have a relevant t-shirt, Comic-Con is a great place to wear it.
Here's some advice about cosplaying at an anime convention. Do I need to wear a costume to the convention? Not at all. You can definitely enjoy a convention without dressing up.
However, there is no age limit for cosplay. People of all ages are welcome to dress as their favorite characters. Because of this, many conventions have dress codes in place to protect younger guests and include programming and crafts for child attendees.
COSPLAY IS AN ALL-AGES EVENT. There will have one competition for children 13 and under and then a contest for anyone else entered. The Cosplay choice should be considered a PG-13 rated event at the most. The judgement of what is acceptable is left to the sole discretion of the Cosplay Director and Retropalooza staff.
At Anime Expo (“AX”), we celebrate the creativity of cosplayers and encourage everyone to cosplay whomever they wish–regardless of size, gender, age, religion, shape, color, or even species.
We are committed to bringing you the best of the best next year as we return to Los Angeles for our 30th anniversary on July 2-5, 2021! As I have said before, we are in this together. We love and support our community and know Anime Expo is an event like no other.
If you are going to an anime convention, you should plan to budget at least $500-$1000. The final cost can vary significantly based on the size of the event, the type of transportation you take, the hotel you stay at, and the number of people you share expenses with.
the Los Angeles Convention CenterAnime Expo 2022 Bringing fans and industry together for an annual celebration of Japanese pop culture. Join us for Anime Expo 2022 on July 1-4 at the Los Angeles Convention Center!
The skimpier costumes must follow hotel rules: Nipples and genitalia must be fully covered. The butt must be covered from the top of the intergluteal cleft (butt crack) to 2 inches bellow bottom of the cheek. The full curvature must be covered.
Convention Security. Security staff will be wearing distinctive badges and red T-shirts. If you need any assistance just ask, if you see any problems, report it promptly. If you can not find security, any Staff member will be able to help you, regular staff members will have a yellow t-shirt on.
Allowing minors to consume alcohol in your hotel room. Selling merchandise out of private hotel rooms. Engaging in any other behavior that is illegal or disruptive. This will result in loss of convention membership and possible legal action by the hotel.
AAC is a family friendly convention, so parents with young children will be present. Real weapons are NOT allowed as part of your costume.
General Rules. Outside Food and drink are not allowed into the convention center while the concession stands are open. Seating is first-come, first-served. Due to fire regulations, sitting in aisles and seating beyond the room's capacity are not allowed, and we are bound by law to strictly enforce this. Please remember talking during videos is ...
Another Anime Convention reserves the right to remove anyone in violation of these rules. No refunds will be given to anyone removed from the convention. And anyone we need to eject will also have their name reported to the hotel and they may determine if you will be allowed to stay on the premises.
Please no dancing, jumping or pushing all of the buttons in the elevators. Please remember to use your indoor voices when in the hotel, please no yelling or screeching. Remember to tip your maid if your in a hotel room, not only is it polite but it's common practice to tip. There is no hotel party block/quiet block.
The first thing to do when attending a convention is to learn what to expect. Some conventions are different than others depending on the size of the convention!
Sometimes conventions can be cheap, and sometimes they can be expensive. Conventions that have a free ConSuite or ConSweet (TM) offer free snacks and sodas through the weekend so that you can recharge and save money. If you have to buy beverages from the hotel then expect prices to be higher than elsewhere.
Costumes are optional! However it can be really fun to dress up as your favorite anime villain and terrorize the convention. Note that most conventions have policies against destructive behavior - actual villain behavior is not allowed.
It's super easy to get so caught up in convention events that you forget to eat and drink plenty of water. So remember to drink water and snack throughout the day so that you don't collapse. This is especially important if you go to the convention dance or if you have a heavy costume.
If you're younger, bring a responsible adult with you to the convention. Make sure that someone is reachable in case of emergency by programming the emergency contact in your phone or having it written on a card in your wallet. Also make sure that you can be reached in case a family member is looking for you.
Sometimes guests cancel at the last minute (flight cancellations are happening more and more frequently last minute). Or sometimes panels won't happen that you expected. Try not to plan your entire convention experience around just one event, in case something happens to that event.
Conventions are definitely social events! Dressing up in costume and hanging out with friends who like the same series is a huge part of the experience. If you love anime, video games, comic books, Disney movies, or anything else, enjoying it with others is more fun.
Cosplaying is synonymous with anime conventions. Yes, it is easy to put together a ragtag costume (it’s also very funny), or to buy one from a Halloween masquerade store, but many of these attendants pour thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours creating their own costumes. They use 3D Print technology for armor, or paper mache techniques, stencils, steel forging and welding, LED lighting, anything. The creativity and innovation is incredible. You’ll catch celestials with ten foot wingspans, enormous robotic suits, eyes glowing, bodies whirring with mechanical, moving parts. This community pours everything they have into an outfit that allows them to be the character they love the most. In essence, they are allowing themselves to be themselves through their characters. It is amazing and art in motion.
Yes, another TikTok failed. If you think painting your face blue will go unnoticed in your Zoom class, well, think again. If you believe that’s embarrassing, how about panicking and ranting on TikTok while thinking the mic is off?