Convention Fans

Hello con-goers! It’s time for the tenth installment of the Cons from A to Z series! I have been working with fellow convention attendee Nathan Lilly, who is the genius behind the Green Tentacles Convention Finder website (that’s his green banner down and to the left), to bring you this informative series of articles.If you want to find a convention that is near you, Nathan’s Con Finder website offers searches via zip code and content tags (such as “steampunk”), so it is super easy to find a convention nearby, which is why he’s the perfect partner for this series. Together, Nathan and I will be bringing you “Cons from A to Z” which will go through the entire alphabet and highlight a handful of conventions for each letter. This is a great way to bring some attention to some of the more unique conventions out there. And the letter for today is “J”!

J is for JACON, John Levique Pirate Days, and JordanCon
courtesy of the Green Tentacles Convention Finder

JACON: http://www.jacon.org/
May 22nd, 2009 - May 24th, 2009 in Kissimmee, FL 34747

JACON celebrated it’s tenth and final year this past May. The con was known for bringing Japanese animation to the Greater Central Florida Area. This Japanese Anime convention hosted a full schedule of events and activities dealing with anime, manga, and other aspects of Japanese sub-culture, such as video games.

Continue Reading »

First of all, I apologize for the lateness of today’s posting. I sort of spent a rather obscene amount of time writing my Sims 3 Legacy Family blog this weekend, and got a little carried away/distracted.

Today’s post is dedicated to Shore Leave 31, which I will be attending! My photographer and I are very excited about the convention and we hope to see some of our readers there (so if you’re going, post a comment!). It has been a while since I attended a dedicated sci-fi con. These days I’m pretty used to the mutli-genre mega-conventions like Dragon*con. It will be nice to head off to a actual sci-fi convention for a weekend, and not be surrounded by 40,000 of my peers.

To refresh your memory: Shore Leave is a fan-run science fiction convention that is taking place at the Marriott’s Hunt Valley Inn, in Baltimore, Maryland, on July 10 - 12th, 2009. The convention is hosted by STAT (The Star Trek Association of Towson, Inc.), and it is one of the largest fan-run science fiction conventions in the United States.

Continue Reading »

I have to admit, I really wish I lived on the west coast (or had tons of money) so I could attend Steamcon this year! Steamcon (as the name implies) is a Seattle convention dedicated to steampunk. It is taking place October 23 - 25, 2009 at the Seattle Airport Marriott hotel. (And as a side note, I absolutely love the look of the website! Kudos to the web designer, who really did a wonderful job.)

Here are some of the events and activities currently in the works: a vendor’s bazaar “packed with exotic wares”, an art exhibition, “The Perpetual Teatime and Hospitality suite”, The Magic Lantern Theater, discussions on all things steampunk, gun modification demonstrations, lessons in etiquette, steam technology exhibitions, games and “diversions of a role playing nature”, as well as cabaret acts presented by “the esteemed Mr. Bodewell”.

Continue Reading »

I realize a LARP is not a convention, and this is a conventions blog and all… but one of my good friends is behind a brand new LARP-style event, and they are having their “beta test” this weekend. I know LARPs have really become a fixture for a lot of conventions these days, so if you’re looking to keeping LARPing after the con, consider Seventh Kingdom IGE in New Jersey. Their official press release is below:

 ——————————

Seventh Kingdom IGE Offers “Interactive Gaming Environment” to New
Jersey LARPers

Mt. Holly, NJ, April 27, 2009 – Building on the concept of LARP (live action role play), the Interactive Gaming Environment allows players to create and choose a character,  dress as the character, and fulfill quests and adventures in the game.

Seventh Kingdom IGE is open to players age 16 and above, and is run by the staff of seven, known as Venture Crew 1337. Players can pre-register via the Seventh Kingdom IGE Web site at http://www.seventhkingdomige.com.

Seventh Kingdom will run an open beta event on June 26-28 and its first full event on July 17-19. Both events are held at Camp Amity Acres in Waretown, NJ. Events start at a weekend pricing of $45.00. Pre-registration opens today. Military (active, reserve, and Guard) and those who pre-register will receive discounts.

More comprehensive than LARPs, Seventh Kingdom operates specifically as a business, existing to satisfy the needs of the players. President and CEO Matthew “Bizkit” Hoerter hand-selected the six other staff members: a logistics director, event coordinator, scheduling/photography director, rules director, propmaster/environmental director, and marketing director. Hoerter’s staff holds over 40 years of live action gaming experience.

Seventh Kingdom IGE also offers special instruction classes for new players, during which players can receive assistance in making their first character and safety-approved weapon.

Hoping to capitalize on recent appearances of LARPs in mainstream media, Seventh Kingdom IGE targets LARPers, video and tabletop gamers, but specifically reaches out to new players.

Seventh Kingdom IGE conducts in-person demos at local conventions, universities, and events and is actively seeking cross-promotion on the Web. For further information, contact Marketing Director Tara Meacham at tmm@seventhkingdomige.com and view the online press kit at http://www.seventhkingdomige.com.

ABOUT SEVENTH KINGDOM IGE

Seventh Kingdom IGE takes gaming to the next level. Reaching out to new and experienced gamers, Seventh Kingdom IGE offers its branded “Interactive Gaming Environment,” promising to provide a constantly-engaging live action game environment to players.

Anime Festival Orlando 10 Completes RPG Trilogy

Orlando, FL (June 25, 2009) – Anime Festival Orlando is excited to announce the exciting conclusion of “The Swords of Orlandia”. “Swords of Orlandia” is the story behind AFO’s Interactive Convention Experience. The talented writing staff has crafted an original story/game in which attendees can voluntarily participate all weekend long. Throughout the event there are “character cut scenes”, side quests and plenty of leveling up that even casual fans of Live Action Role-playing will enjoy. “With the popularity of role playing games such as ‘Kingdom Hearts’, ‘Final Fantasy’ and ‘World of Warcraft’ we’ve found this theme to be an overwhelming success for the past two years,” states event coordinator Karen Trudeau.

This year, Anime Festival Orlando has the privilege to announce their guests of honor: Reuben Langdon, Vic Mignogna, Aaron Dismuke, Chris Sabat, Colleen Clinkenbeard, Sonny Strait, Doug Smith, Jason David Frank and Robert Axelrod. “One of things that makes AFO ‘Florida’s Favorite Anime Convention’ is that many of our guests take an active role in our theming and events throughout the weekend,” said Karen Trudeau. “We’re really excited about the panels and workshops that have been suggested by the guests themselves.”

New events for Anime Festival Orlando 10 include Whack-a-Nerd for Charity and Wasabi Anime’s Cross Play Rally Race. There will also be fan favorite events such as Happy Happy Cosplay Go Go Go and the traditional fare offered at anime conventions.

About Anime Festival Orlando
AFO is a multi-day celebration of all things related to Japanese animation and pop culture held at the Wyndham Orlando Resort July 31, August 1 and August 2, 2009. Ticket prices are only $45.00 for an adult 3-day membership badge, $25.00 for a Friday or Sunday Only wristband and $30.00 for a Saturday Only wristband.

Growing in attendance nearly 20% each year since its inception in 2000, Anime Festival Orlando has earned the title of “Florida’s Favorite Anime Convention” as well as being voted one of the “Top 10 Things To Do In Orlando” by DK Publishing’s Travel Guide.

For more information about Anime Festival Orlando, please visit http://www.animefestivalorlando.com/