Kumoricon
| Convention | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Kumoricon |
| Dates: | 2003-ongoing |
| Frequency: | annual |
| Location: | Portland, Oregon (2004-2006, 2008-2010, Current), Vancouver, Washington (2007, 2011-2015)[1] |
| Type: | |
| Focus: | anime, Japanese culture |
| Organization: | Altonimbus Entertainment[2] |
| Founder: | |
| Founding Date: | 2003 |
| URL: | https://www.kumoricon.org/ |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
Kumoricon is an anime-focused convention held in the Oregon Convention Center in Portland, Oregon.
History
Named after the Japanese word for "cloudy" (kumori), Kumoricon was first held in 2003 in Springfield, OR at the Clarion Hotel.[2] There were 450 total attendees, with 22 staff members.
Kumoricon is a 100% volunteer-staffed event, run by Altonimbus Entertainment, an Oregon nonprofit mutual benefit corporation.[2]
Kumoricon has been held in multiple locations in the Pacific Northwest, including Springfield, OR, Portland, OR and Vancouver, WA. Kumoricon has also produced single day mini-events, including "Kumoricon Lite," a smaller version of the large-scale con.
Kumoricon is the largest anime convention in the Portland metro area and in Oregon.[1]
Attendance
- 2003: 450
- 2009: 4,800
- 2014: 6,650
- 2018: 9,086
Events
Typical events held at Kumoricon con include:
- Art show, artist alley, and fan art contest
- Anime Music Video contest, anime viewing rooms
- Cosplay contest, cosplay chess, cosplay lip sync showdown
- Exhibits hall, charity auction, small press room
- Fan panels, industry panels, guests of honor
- Formal dances, late night rave, late night lounge
- Tabletop gaming, video gaming, and a manga library
Con Reports
Kumoricon needs to move. It’s outgrown the Hilton/Red Lion. They’ve been there for four years already, since 2011, when they first moved to Vancouver, and their attendance has gone up 61% since then. There’s always that noble desire to stay a small con, as if small cons are completely free of the problems that larger cons have. That obviously isn’t true. Small cons just have different problems, and insufficient space for the event is one of those problems. 2014 was their twelfth year, so Kumori has been around the block a few things. A lot of their current issues fall frustratingly into the category of “they should know better.”[3]
The Good:Noting special stuck out but a big Bravo Zulu to tech department for a last few hour mike request. I also like Ninja of the night keeping thing going and defusing a attempt to bring back the char rave.
The Bad:
The dealers den, while I like the new layout, I was very disappointed there was only one manga seller. I was not interested in cheap looking plushies or high price famine figurines.
The Ugly:
Line management for main events: first there should have been a count and the cut off marked so people would not have to sand in a long line just to be turned away. Second the line outside was ok because the weather was fine, but it going to bite Kumoricon in the but if there was a heat wave or rain storm.[4]
It’s difficult to imagine some other type of convention where a big presentation ends in hugs. I mean, I don’t remember this happening at the Auto Show, or that show about sustainable building materials. But that’s part of the magic of Kumoricon. It brings out some great qualities in people: openness, sharing, and creativity. In the end it feels less like a group of strangers, and more like a large group of distant relatives who don’t see each other very often.[5]
External links
- r/kumoricon, subreddit
References
- ^ a b "Kumoricon » History". Archived from the original on 2019-09-18.
- ^ a b c "Kumoricon » About Kumoricon". Archived from the original on 2018-03-09.
- ^ "Con Report: Kumoricon 2014". Archived from the original on 2016-05-08.
- ^ "Kumoircon Con Report". Archived from the original on 2016-09-01.
- ^ "Convention Report: Kumoricon 2010". Archived from the original on 2018-04-05.