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metrocon 2011 wrapup

Metrocon 2011 Wrap-Up

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Metrocon held it’s successful year nine this past weekend from June 17th-18th 2011.  The largest con in Florida (fluttering around 7,000 attendees, official numbers have yet to be released but if past trends hold true it should be in that ballpark) Metrocon certainly does not disappoint.

While it admittedly lacks some of the charm which smaller cons possess such as the luxury of time with guests, the ability to walk the narrow corridors without bumping into props, and not having to walk into the dealer’s room with earplugs Metrocon is the pinnacle of the biggest and the best in Florida.

Metrocon is unafraid of throwing it’s weight around when it comes to getting guests.  This year there were a gauntlet of top-bill names such as voice actor Crispin Freeman and the author of Zombie survival series Max Brooks.  Where some large cons rest on their laurels Metrocon keeps raising the bar for who they can get and delivers year to year.

Another area which Metrocon has put a lot of hard work and time into is their events.  From contests such as the AMV Contest, the Picture This photo contest (which Kimiko won an Honorable Mention in), the singing competition known as Anime Idol (Kimiko and Chiaki won Best Technical), and of course cosplay competitions this con has no shortage of passing out prizes.  The Addicts ran our own contest in which the winner will be announced on episode 89 to be aired on Sunday the 26th. But the contests are not their only events.  Those things many conventions posses some variety of.  Metrocon has a yearly fire show, yes we said fire, where people put on a show involving all kind of combustion and flames.  The Chess Match is also a big hit, with human chess “pieces” battling it out for some kind of overall story domination.

The one event which was, in our opinions, a bit of  a letdown was the Masquerade.  We were sold on the promise of ballroom dancing as it was said in the program, thinking this was supported by the program we paid the $10.00 fee to get into the event.  When we got there it was, unfortunately, a paid rave.  There was no ballroom, or even ballroom-esque music.  Other conventions which have a paid masquerade justify the cost by supplying food to guests, or offering something exclusive.  Oddly, not the case here.  We were told there was eventually a pretty good show,  but we didn’t stick it out to see it.  We wondered how Metrocon justifies charging money to see a show when they offer all other shows and their rave for free.

But, many people like the masquerade, and if that was the only point at which we were disappointed with the events it should really go to show you how high-quality the programming is at this convention.

Speaking of programming we held four panels which all went awesome.  The Metrocon staff was amazing.  Checking in before and after every panel making sure we had everything we needed.  Though we were still surprised to find that they still had only one panel room with technology for projecting a laptop and it was a relatively small flat-panel TV, rather than upgrading to projectors on at least two rooms like most larger cons have.  It was still nice to have and to have it working right.  Better some technology that you’re sure works than technology which fails.

Overall, we can’t stress enough how much fun we had.  This convention is really at the top of as good as conventions get.  Every year we go we severely enjoy ourselves and we can’t wait to see it grow in the future.

If you can only make it to one convention in Florida I would put Metrocon right at the top of the list.  Ample hotels in the surrounding area within walking distance makes it a great location.  Plus the convention center can handle the size of the con with room to grow.  There are TONS of stuff to do which will please everyone, a huge dealers room, massive artists alley (by comparison to most cons), and great guests.  Just remember to eat, sleep, and drink lots of water (it’s free at the water fountains) to avoid collapsing from exhaustion due to the massive amounts of fun you will have.

 

Check out our Episode with convention coverage as well: Episode 88 (Right Click and “Save Target As” to Download)

Also don’t forget to enter our competition if you were in attendance at Metrocon.

 

Information on Panels we Held:

Link to the “Traveling to Japan Panel” Information here, feel free to e-mail with further questions via our contact form!

Anime which was shown at “The Best Anime You’ve Never Seen, Or Heard Of!” panel: My Neighbors the Yamadas, Comedy, Magnetic Rose, On Your Mark, and Denpa Teki Na Kanjojou

Some photos from the convention:

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The Florida Anime Experience 2011 in Review

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I debated titling this post “The Florida Anime Experience 2011 – The best con you likely didn’t go to” but I decided that would be too long.

The convention finished up this past weekend (May 27th-29th 2011) at the Ramada Celebration Orlando Resort near Disney World.  There were about (from my estimations) somewhere between 200-500 people who attended.  It’s hard to guess without the ticket numbers but the con was unarguably small.  The dealers room had about nine vendors, give or take, and the artists alley was somewhere between 5 and 6 strong.

Normally, the bigger the con the better.  We talk about Otakon and Anime Expo for their sheer numbers and the power that cons like this can harness in the way of content and bringing in guests.  This con completely shattered that opinion for me.  Created by our friends over at Wasabi Anime they told us that their goal for the con was always to have a con for the fans, not to be the biggest show on the block.  At that, they really delivered.

The con had three voice-actor guests: Brett Weaver (See Episode 83), Brittney Karbowski, and the guest of honor Steve Blum.  They also had other guests such as the Anime World Order Podcast, and of course the A.A.A. Podcast.  The con-goers were given ample time with the guests to go and get signings, have Q&A panels, and voice actor panels with all three every day.

The con also had this thing that for some reason even much larger cons cannot get down: PANELS!

I always say that panels can make a con, but for some reason so many cons just can’t get their act together and have them, or have them run smoothly.  There were no such problems at the Florida Anime Experience.  From a technical side as a panelest their setup was simple ans easy to manage which meant from the con-goers side everything was on-time and running smoothly.

This con had everything an anime fan could want from a con in just the right amount.  If you were there don’t let the first year’s small number of attendees discourage you, this is a con that has its stuff together so I doubt it’s going anywhere.  If you missed this year, or were skeptical, you really missed out.  The small numbers made things feel cozy and you had ample time with people like the voice actors that you just can’t expect at a larger convention.  Even the large main events panels sported small numbers, which allowed everyone to get in any questions they wanted.

We at the A.A.A. Podcast would also like to say a big “Thank You!” to the staff of the Florida Anime Experience.  All the staff seemed to be well trained, clued into what was going on, and genuinely helpful.  Yet again, something which seems so easy but so many cons lack.  Without the help of the staff and people running the convention we would not have had the opportunities we had.  So thank you, and we look forward to next year.

This was truly a great con that we are already looking forward to and planning for next year.

Multimedia from the convention:

Steve Blum’s one-on-one A.A.A. Interview and More Coverage: Episode 85

FAE Facebook Page

FAE Twitter

Photos from the Convention:

See more photos on the FAE Facebook Page

Steve Blum interview

Steve Blum Interview!

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The Addicts are more than pleased to announce that we will soon be interviewing Steve Blum in person at the Florida Anime Experience.  Steve has agreed to sit down with us for a forty-minute interview.

Steve has lent his talents to more anime than we can count.  Most well-known as the voice of Spike Spigel in Cowboy Bebop he’s also played: Rodger Smith in Big O, Eikichi Onizuka in Great Teacher Onizuka, Orochimaru in Naruto, Shishio in Rurouni Kenshin, Mugen in Samurai Champloo, and more!

He has also voiced dozens of characters in famous games such as Dragon Age:Origins, Call of Duty, and Metal Gear Solid. Steve is among the few who makes his full living as a voice actor.

If you’d like to submit questions for Steve let us know on Facebook, our Forums, or in the comments below.

We’re very excited and how you are too!

 

Metrocon Banner

MetroCon 2011

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Metrocon is in it’s 9th year and is the largest anime convention in Florida.  Sporting a massive dealers room, artists alley, rooms of panels, human chess tournaments, and past events like fire jugglers this is one con you do not want to miss.  This is our second year of attendance and we couldn’t be more excited.  Check out there website for continuing updates on guests and  events.

 

We’re looking forward to being in attendance and will have a booth which will have various contests and events throughout the weekend.  Some of these will include raffles and prizes.  Stay tuned for more information on dates and times for events at the booth.

 

Find out how you can Win this prize pack!


 

The Panels We will be doing include:

 

Girl’s Guide to Con Going: 2pm Friday in Panel Room 18

Chiaki and Kimiko sit down and go over their no-holds-bar Girl’s Guide to Con Going.  This panel has been informative, funny, and sometimes ending in a conga line throughout the convention.  What is on the Girls Guide?  Well we can’t tell you! But it’s definitely something for the ladies, and maybe even the guys.
The Cosplay Dating Game: 12pm Saturday in Panel Room  22
Three lucky girls and three lucky guys will compete in the traditional speed dating Q&A style for one lucky bachelor and one lucky bachelorette!  But here’s the catch, they’ll all be in Cosplay!  You don’t want to miss the questions, the responses, and the reactions this panel is going to bring out.  Prizes for the winners!  Sign-up for the bachelors/bachelorettes will be 30 minutes before the panel so don’t miss out if you want to participate.

 

Traveling to Japan: 12pm Sunday Panel Room 19

If you want to someday go to the land of the rising sun this is not a panel you want to miss!  Hosted by someone who has not only traveled extensively through Japan on multiple occasions (most recently this year) but has lived there as an exchange student with a host family for 6 months.  This panel offers a good rundown on everything from the culture, things to see, and how to make a budget.  Get an insider’s look at Japan and get the insider scoop before planning your trip.
The Best Anime Never Seen or Heard Of!: 3pm Sunday in Panel Room 19

So much good anime goes unwatched because it never makes it over to America.  Or, even if it does make it to America, it’s unsung and found collecting dust in the back of the store.  If you’re a new anime fan or an old veteran this panel is almost certain to expose you to at least one thing you’ve never seen, or even heard of!  This panel is new and improved, so kick back, relax, and get a sampling of some great anime.