This was my first year at Otakon Vegas and my feelings are mixed. The convention feels incomplete and while there were some good parts overall the event was pretty weak. One of those problems was the demographics of the event being set with people of 14 and 40 with nothing really in between. There was little to appeal to the 20-30 crowd and that can be a show killer. However, you can tell the staff is putting their heart into the event and the younger demographic really did seem to enjoy themselves during the event. Despite everything you can see the potential in this event, but that doesn’t mean everyone will appreciate that potential.
The location has both good and bad parts. The convention area is great. It has a nice open space for table top gaming and the artist alley while everything else is in the convention center. The center has a simple layout that is easy to navigate and has enough room for expansion. There was a decent sized dealer hall for this size of a convention and the three panel rooms had plenty of space for the attendees. Also the hotel rooms are all movie themed and make the convention a very unique experience. On the downside, navigating Planet Hollywood isn’t easy, especially when you need to traverse the casino floor to reach the mall where the less expensive restaurants are located. Parking can be a hassle as well, but at least it is free. Of course most of these problems would happen at any Vegas strip hotel.
For the most part the panels were pathetic. There were far too many ‘in character’ panels and very few informative or celebration panels, with the expectation of Sailor Moon who had four. The lack of programming won’t bring in new attendees and the lack of attendance at most panels does not inspire panelists to want to come back next year. Programming needs a shot in the arm either draw in better panelists or trim down to two rooms and cut out redundant panels. The guests were great and helped fill panel time, but they only really appeal to the Adult Swim crowd and the lack of Japanese guests really holds this convention back. American guests aren’t necessarily a bad thing, however you can draw a bigger crowd if they are themed to a specific series or video game. More than that, there were no bands this year nor was there much nightlife at the convention.
One of the better parts of Otakon Vegas was the dealer hall and artist alley. Most small conventions have pitiful dealer halls, but Otakon Vegas had a nice set up with a good mix of kitsch, weapons, apparel, and figures. One of the booths that caught my eye was the Question Box booth where you buy a mystery box that comes with a large amount of merch, but you won’t know what it is until you open it. I thought it would be a quick way to get easy birthday gifts for friends, but sadly I did not pick one up due to leaving my wallet in my luggage. The artist alley was unique as it was located in a common area where regular hotel guests could shop as well as those who were attending the convention. This likely led to higher sales for some booths and helped entice some people to give the convention a try. This went well beyond the standard way that small convention run things and it is one of the aspects of Otakon Vegas that will keep it going for years to come.
The vibe of the convention was laid back, but almost to the point of being malaise. This was due to the odd demographic of this convention. As I told my friends it feels like everyone here is 14 or 40 and that is a problem. The teens were fine, in fact better behaved than any con in memory, but they do not have interest in panels or events. The older people are often parents with more interest in panels, but don’t really bring an exciting energy to a convention. The group in the middle, my group, was almost nowhere to be seen. This is the group that makes the convention livelier and spends more at artist alley and the dealer hall. This is the group that will keep the convention alive, but despite the proximity to UNLV there wasn’t much interest from the 20-30 crowd. This was likely due to a lack of interest in the guests and lack of nightlife. If this can’t be fixed then Otakon Vegas will be facing some major problems in the future because it doesn’t matter if you get new attendees if you cannot keep your current attendees.
I enjoyed myself at Otakon Vegas, but not because of the convention as there wasn’t much for me to do and even less to interest me. There were a few good panels and events were fine, but it was the night life of Vegas that kept me feeling like I made a good decision. Otakon Vegas isn’t a bad event, per se, but it is a diamond in the rough that really needs some polish. You can see the potential, but potential isn’t enough to keep a con alive. However, if some of the issues with this event can be solved then this could become one of the best west coast events. The staff does seem to care and I want to like this event, but as it currently stands I cannot recommend Otakon Vegas. However, I will not determine whether or not I will return until I see a guest list and event line up for next year.
As always there are plenty of people who made my stay in Vegas awesome and they all deserve some thanks. The special thank you replies go to: Stan, Deb, the Otakon Vegas staff, those who hit up my panels, the chocolate people, Richie, Craig, the RPG guys, and Evan Mapoy. It will be interesting to see what next year has in store. I sincerely hope that this diamond gets polished and Otakon Vegas becomes the premiere anime convention that Las Vegas has needed for a long time. Until then, I leave you with my list and ask that you give my love to the UNLV girls who decided to stay home.
The List
- Woo, Vegas!!!
- Working on Friday
- Four panels
- One figure
- Did I mention ‘woo, Vegas’?
- Two Mexicans and a guy with no nose
- All New, All Different
- Butt statues?
- Four panels
- Soul Eaters
- Next Cosplay: Gender Bend Ooyodo
- Note to self: Don’t forget the charger
- Forgot the charger
- Question Box?
- RE: 14 – Question Box!
- I need to get my sword back
- Costume falling apart
- Chocolate!!!
- One down, so many more to go!
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