Guest post by The Geeky Panda
As new conventions pop up and others die off, there have always been consistent conventions out there that thrive greatly or keep pace. Through all of it a lot of people like to attend big major conventions like Anime NYC, Otakon, and Anime Boston. But there are smaller conventions out there that are still going regardless of their numbers. Smaller Conventions at first glance might not offer as much as the bigger conventions do, but they still have good things going for them.
The first thing to consider is pricing. Smaller conventions usually won’t charge as much as bigger conventions out there. This will also include surrounding hotels in the area. Granted, their prices will increase, but only by a little. Let’s take for instance Another Anime Convention. It’s pretty much the only convention in New Hampshire but compared to other Conventions in New England it’s one of the smaller ones. The pricing for AAC is a lot cheaper than the pricing for Anime Boston, that’s for sure. The key factor of course is its location too. But that pricing is very tempting to fans because it’s cheaper and better for their wallets. If you can’t attend a big convention, there will always be smaller ones out there as options for you that fit your budget better.
Smaller Scale conventions shouldn’t be a weakness, one of its greatest advantages is having a better connected community. From the past conventions I have attended, I noticed that, at smaller conventions like AAC, the community is small but it’s much more connected. You get to see more of the same people at the convention, manage contacts more easily, and meet up friends. Plus the experiences and bonds you make are much stronger. At bigger conventions, you are bombarded by so many people that trying to meet up with your friends is like going through a checklist.
Most of the time smaller conventions will have the same offerings as major convention programs. This will include content like panels, game rooms, AMV contests, cosplay masquerades, and more. There will still be content to enjoy and do during these conventions. Whether you are attending with friends or by yourself, you can still have fun. Also a major plus to this does not have to go through the insane long lines just to get to a panel or event.
Of course some folks might say that those small conventions might become big conventions. We shouldn’t worry about what might happen in the future. All we should worry about is what is going on now. Enjoy your time at a convention. If it becomes bigger, know that you contributed to its success in growing and you made some great friends and memories along the way. Conventions like Anime Boston weren’t just big conventions when they first started. They were small conventions too. If you don’t like attending a convention because it got too big, just remember there are always other conventions out there for you.
Small conventions are very important to the convention scene. They give a lot to the community as a great meeting place to socialize and have fun. Whether you an anime fan, gamer, etc., these conventions are great options to attend if money is tight. They also add variety and options if you have a hard time choosing which ones you want to go to. Plus most of the time they still offer the same consistent content from other conventions. Even if the convention grows to a bigger one or stops, you still made some great memories from it. At the end, we still need small conventions.