When you hear that a convention adjusts from an anime focus to a general nerd focus it should bring some worry to the con goer. After all, the more focused events tend to be better than a jack of all trades event. Yet, ConnectiCon was able to have a multi-thematic event that did not feel like anything was shoehorned into the mix. From classic cartoons to anime to d20 to movie riffing was all present at the event. If there was a standard that other multi-genre events should aim to be ConnectiCon is very close to that paragon.

One of the first things that hit me when I arrived in town is that this area of town wasn’t all that great. You could tell that the city had seen better days, but it did not feel dangerous by any means, just a little dirty. On the good side, the shuttle comes by at a decent interval and it did not take too long to get to my hotel or from the hotel to the convention center. There are several different hotel options in the area, as well as many different food options as well, all of whom are off of the bus line so they are easy to get to at almost any time. As for the convention center, it was nice and connected to one of the hotels, which is convenient for those who can get a room there. There is plenty of room for everyone as well as enough panel rooms for everything. However, the video gaming area not being at that area is a weakness as I did not want to take the trip to see it and I heard that many were in that mentality. All that being said I do like the general location.

One of the best parts of the convention is the variety of programming and the great guest lineup. Panels range from fan panels based on a popular series to crazy nastolgic panels. In addition to that there are plenty of panels featuring the guests and the autograph area of the dealer hall is well set up so that lines do not get out of hand. There is something for everyone and that is one of things that makes hitting this event so great. In fact, I found myself so distracted by programming that I missed out on gaming in the table top gaming area, which was one of my plans when I was heading to the convention. If you like panel hopping or meeting voice actors and internet personalities then this is a must for those in the New England area.

Beyond the basic programming there were plenty of events and gaming zones to entertain just about any nerd. While I chose to not visit the video gaming area, I did have some fun in the arcade which featured mostly rhythm games, but was still a well set up area that did not build up much funk smell. The board game area was great. There were plenty of tables for both free play and preset games. In addition they had scheduled times for specific games so if you have interest in different types of pen and paper or card based games there was an opportunity to try and learn different games. Beyond that there were some great events like Cosplay Deathmatch that really get the crowd fired up.

Finally, there is the dealer hall and the dances. The dealer hall was in a large room that also included the artist alley and autograph/guest booths. The good side is that this makes it a one-stop place for goods and handshakes. However, it felt like there were not that many dealers, but what was there did offer a good variety of goods. The aisles were well sized and the hall was large enough so that even on the busiest times you never felt trapped or stuck. As for the dances they are one of the most popular parts of the con and get filled up fast. Sadly,they have very little competition from the late panels because the convention center closes at midnight cutting off most of the late night entertainment.

When I was on the bus back to Boston I thought long about my experiences at ConnectiCon and I found myself with a mixed feeling about the event. There was nothing that stood out as bad, but nothing that really blew me away either. The event is well above average when compared to many of the conventions I have attended on both coasts. However, nothing felt special or unique that would be the selling pont for the average convention attendee. That being said, I really do want to go back. There ere plenty of panels to keep my interest, the location has some nice restaurants, and I liked how laid back everything felt. It also helps that some of the staff showed interest in my panels and I’d love to run some panels next year.

I am not sure what criticism I can provide for next year. The guest line up was great, the panel line up was interesting, and there isn’t much that can be done about the limitions for the convention center hours. All I can say is that if there could be more panel rooms in the hotel that could lead to more late night panels and it would be nice if the video game room was more convenient rather than being off at the Hilton, unless I room there next year then by all means keep it at the Hilton. As for new guests, tt would be nice to see more local comic book talent or New York voice talent, but this year was strong and might be hard to match in the future. Finally, keeping the dealer hall open a little longer would be nice as I heard several people complain about the short hours.

While I might not be over the moon when it comes to Conneticon, I did enjoy myself at the event. Multi-genre events are not easy to pull off and yet this convention brought in some great guests, fun panels, and kept me entertained the whole time. I am looking forward to next year and I hope that I will be able to run some of our classic Scarlet Rhapsody panels. Until next time I’d like to thank the following: the Signal Crash guys, the That Guy team, everyone who street passed me, Burger Baby, my roommates, Alena, all the great panelists, the press staff, the guy at Ops that helped me, the Deathmatch warriors, and Mario.

As always if you have any questions or comments feel free to (not) email me (Jared-at-Scarlet-Rhapsody.com) and until we meet again give my love to that cute Sakizou cosplayer.

The List
1 Stimpy and the Brain
2 Honor the man, it’s what I chose to do
3 Pizza Party.. sort of
4 Stupid hotel internet
5 Dave Matthews Band in town?
6 RE: 5- Why didn’t I get tickets?
7 RE : 6- Wait, that implies I’m a fan…
8 The party doesn’t stop, until everything closes at midnight
9 Everything reminds me of food
10 Arrg, allergies
11 The A-Team theme!
12 New figs, same characters
13 Missed the ‘Tales of’ box
14 No panels = freedom
15 No panels = I wanna do a panel
16 Next Cosplay: Defenders of the Earth
17 And another one rides the bus
18 Science Rules!
19 Sigh… Starbucks
20 Burgers!
21 Living in the Fridge
22 Ran out of Power
23 Let’s rock some 3DS
24 Post-con Migraine
25 Note to self: Don’t forget the meds
26 Met Todd 4
27 One more state on my list visited

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