KyoKyo

It's funny, back in 1994 Otakon was probably viewed by the locals as some fringe gathering of geeks and weirdos. Now, when I walk into my local Five Below they have Miku posters and my local Target has Spy x Family manga right on the "featured" front shelf. By 2007, Best Buy had an entire aisle devoted to anime DVDs. It's crazy to think how quickly anime has become popular.

Agreed. I don't use social media but I usually get an email from Otakon saying when the hotel block goes up. Never got one this year and missed everything. Guess I'll have to wait until the middle of January to find a room like I did 2 years ago.

I forgot to add a big thanks to the "Fanservice" couple in the WEWCC line on Saturday morning. They were generously handing out small japanese-themed hand fans to people they passed in line, including the WEWCC and Otakon staffers. It was a nice gesture and helped keep things a bit cooler in the morning heat.

Most of the replies here have covered all the pros and cons but there were a few things that caught my attention: the high prices of scale figures in the dealer's room, the near lack of an industry presence and some panel issues. Figures- I collect scale figures and understand that the dealer's need to make a profit especially considering how costly it is to bring their inventory to the con. However, the figure aftermarket is oversaturated and has really tanked over the past year. Combined with a weak yen, I was still surprised to see markups approaching $200 over what I paid for a figure

Renaissance (soon to be Westin) which is Otakon's official co-headquarters hotel. Good The entire hotel is finishing a big renovation. All the rooms are brand new with new bedding, showers, furniture, ambient lighting, plenty of power adapters etc. Rooms came with a coffee maker, mini fridge and a very big 55 inch flatscreen. Second-closest hotel to the con if you couldn't get the Marquis Quiet- The main lobby is busy but the halls are quiet and free of late-night parties and cosplay photoshoots that make the Marquis noisy. Starbucks in the lobby The lower le

Slow as in speed or slow as in volume? As for the latter, as social media has taken off over the years this board has become a ghost town. I can still remember the good ol days in the mid to late 00s when this place was hopping. Could be worse. Nekocon's forums were constantly hacked by Brazilian porn sites until they eventually got rid of the boards entirely.

I like the lenticular badges but I miss the old mascots and the good 'ol days where you could pick your badge design from a variety of anime and game titles.

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The vaccines do not stop transmission, infection or sickness or provide long term protection. Like Attendee7000 said, if someone was vaccinated 2 1/2 years ago and that was it, they would still *technically* be allowed to go to a vaccine mandated event even though any vaccine-induced protection has long since worn off. What sort of protection is that even offering? What then would be the next step? Have Otakon mandate boosters? Then what timeframe do you use? Nekocon 2022 did this and mandated that people be vaccinated no longer than a week or so before the con. You would have some

With the COVID public health emergency ending in May, it seems like a moot point to mandate vaccines. The few places "mandating" masks aren't enforcing it and by this point if the 5th booster hasn't given any sort of meaningful immunity you have to wonder what the point is anymore. Hopefully Otakon drops the vaccine mandate but only time will tell.

Great thanks. I'll be sure to pass the word along.

Does Otakon have any information yet on their covid policies for 2023? According to the WEWCC website, they dropped vaccine mandates for indoor events in DC as of February 2022. I wanted to clarify the policies before I pre-registered. Additionally, I have a few friends that have pre-registered and were wondering if the convention will provide refunds for registration if their vaccination status (rather lack thereof) prevents them from attending.

At this point I would be surprised if Otakon suddenly dropped their vaccine requirement for 2023. Katsucon has already stated they are mandating vaccines for 2023and that con is 6 months away. I wonder how realistic such mandates are with the vaccines seemingly becoming less and less effective. Right now a friend of mine and my dad, both vaccinated, are sitting at home with covid and a high fever.

I'm more curious if these vaccine policies are going to exist for years to come or in perpetuity. At this point, covid is endemic and will be with us for a long time. With most places having returned to "normal" months ago, I wonder if Otakorp is going to require vaccines for Otakon 2035? Look at the National Aquarium in Baltimore. They were mandating vaccines and then suddenly did an about face after a few weeks after the decision and no longer require them. Anime conventions seem to be the outliers.

Not entirely. They recommended that people be vaccinated but didn't require proof nor state that you had to be.