Otakon is an annual three day anime convention held during July/August at
the Baltimore Convention Center in Baltimore, Maryland's Inner Harbor
district. The convention focuses on East Asian popular culture and its fandom.
The name is a portmanteau derived from convention and the Japanese word otaku.
Otakon is one of the longest-running Anime conventions in the United States,
and the 2nd largest North American anime convention as of 2014.
Otakon announced that an additional new convention would be created in Las
Vegas, Nevada starting in 2014. It was announced at Otakon 2013's closing
ceremonies that the convention will be moving to Washington, D.C. and the
Walter E. Washington Convention Center starting in 2017 and continuing until at
least 2021. Programming
As one of the longest running and largest conventions of its type, Otakon
offers a very broad range of programming, exhibits, and other events.
Typical Otakon programming includes: Multiple video rooms in which anime and
live action East Asian films are shown on big screens throughout the
convention. Fan-produced content including fan-parodies and anime music
videos are also shown. For several years, Otakon had a dedicated 35 mm film
theater, but replaced it in 2008 with an HD theater to take advantage of the
wider array of offerings in that format. Panels and workshops on subjects such as
voice acting, how to draw manga, Japanese culture, and a variety of other
topics. Industry professionals announce new acquisitions, and expert guests
discuss or show tricks of their trade and field questions from the audience.
Many panels and workshops are conducted by fans rather than pros. Cosplay and a
skit-based Masquerade show, which in recent years has taken place inside the
Royal Farms Arena. History
= Event history = = 1995 Four-day convention =
While the idea of a four-day convention has some support among the general
membership, the idea has been summarily dismissed as unworkable by Otakon staff.
It was attempted in 1995, over a holiday weekend, back when Otakon fit
comfortably in a small hotel, and even then it was an exhausting prospect that
didn't pay off. In those days, the entire convention could be set up in a
matter of hours, while it currently takes two full days to prepare the site.
At its current size and functional requirements, Otakon would face a
significant additional expense in running an extra day, and both industry
and dealers have said that it would not be worth their time and money to attend
a fourth day. Finally, it is clear that few staffers would be able to afford the
extra day. With almost zero support from staff, industry, or dealers, there is
virtually no chance that Otakon will ever attempt a four-day convention
again. = Otakon 2010 fire alarm incident =
During Otakon 2010, at approximately 2:00 PM on Saturday, the entire
Baltimore Convention Center had to be evacuated due to a fire alarm, although
there was no fire. Hours of certain events and rooms were adjusted
accordingly to accommodate for lost time.
This was only the second safety incident of this sort to take place during
Otakon. Nine years earlier, in 2001, the convention center was evacuated due to
after-effects of the Howard Street Tunnel fire. Residual tripropylene from
an earlier train accident reacted with electrical sparks, and the resulting
explosions launched manhole covers 4 feet into the air on Saturday, August
11, 2001 25 days after the Howard Street Tunnel fire, very early in the morning
of Sunday, August 12, 2001 city workers opened 48 fire hydrants in downtown
Baltimore for approximately 1 hour to 90 minutes in an attempt to flush out and
recover the remaining traces of tripropylene, as a result, the Baltimore
Convention Center was evacuated during this recovery effort causing thousands
of attendees to leave the convention center to encounter inches of water
rushing down Pratt Street. This incident was spoofed in Otakon's 2008 Opening
Animation: in the video, one of the convention's mascots causes a barrage of
manhole covers to strike a giant robot menacing the convention center.
= Otakon Vegas = Otakon has announced that in 2014 a new
convention would be held at the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino in Las
Vegas, Nevada where they hope to create a smaller convention and test new ideas.
Facilities Otakon has been located in the Baltimore
Convention Center at least in part for every year beginning in 1999, though it
soon expanded to require the entire convention center and more recently,
other buildings as well. Events such as the masquerade now place in the Royal
Farms Arena, located one block away, and at least some programming takes place in
the Hilton Baltimore Convention Center Hotel, connected to the Convention
Center by its skybridge, since 2009. Since 2014, Otakon began to utilize
meeting space within the nearby Hyatt Regency Baltimore hotel which is
connected to the Convention Center via a skywalk that also connects the
Convention Center with the Sheraton Inner Harbor hotel, McKeldin Square and
the Harborplace Light Street Pavilion. Otakon 2016 will be the final year for
the Baltimore facilities as Otakon 2017 will be held in Washington, D.C. at the
much larger Walter E. Washington Convention Center allowing Otakon to
return to having every event under one roof in a single venue which was the
idea of moving to Baltimore in 1999. = Royal Farms Arena =
As Otakon has outgrown the convention center alone, it has increasingly made
use of the Royal Farms Arena for large events, most notably for the Masquerade.
= Hilton Baltimore Convention Center Hotel and Otakon =
The Hilton Baltimore Convention Center Hotel opened on Friday, August 22, 2008.
In 2009, Otakon had been promised a minimum of 30,000 square feet out of a
total 45,000 square feet by the Hilton Baltimore. and had confirmed that they
would use the Hilton for the convention itself; however only a limited number of
events and panels took place at the Hilton with the major of events taking
place in the more-spacious Baltimore Convention Center.
On February 7, 2009, Otakon posted information on its panels for Otakon
2009, confirming that panel space will be in the Baltimore Convention Center
and will be expanded into the Hilton Baltimore. Otakon 2009 utilized in the
Hilton, the Poe meeting room for its Manga Library and the Key Ballroom for
two additional panel rooms and one additional autographs room.
Otakon 2010 further expanded into the Hilton, using not only the space used in
2009 but also what essentially amounted to all of the convention space on the
second floor of the Hilton. Otakon 2011 further expanded into the
Hilton, using the entire space on the second floor, and one room on the first
floor of the Hilton for the first time. Otakon 2012 continued the trend of
utilizing the convention space at the Hilton Baltimore, using the entire space
on the second floor and two rooms on the first floor. Otakon 2012 utilized on the
1st floor Peale for Jamspace and Johnson for the Maid Cafe and utilized on the
2nd floor, Poe for the Manga Library, the entire Holiday Ballroom for a video
room, Calloway for a panel room, and the entire Key Ballroom that was divided
into three separate rooms, Key 1-6 combined was used as a panel room, Key
8, 11, and 12 combined into a single room also was used as a panel room and
Key 7, 9, 10 combined was also used as a panel room.
Otakon 2013 continued the trend of utilizing the convention space at the
Hilton Baltimore, using the entire space on the second floor and only one room on
the first floor. The 2nd floor layout changed between 2012 and 2013 with the
Holiday Ballroom being split into two separate rooms, Holiday 4-6 was used for
panels, Holiday 1-3 used for videos, Poe was used for the Manga Library, Calloway
was used for the OtaMuseum, and Key 1-6 was used as a panel room, Key 8, 11 and
12 was used as a video room and Key 7, 9, 10 was used as a panel room.
Otakon 2014 continued the trend of utilizing the convention space at the
Hilton Baltimore, again using the entire space on the second floor and using two
rooms on the first floor. The 2nd floor layout remained the same between 2013
and 2014. Otakon 2015 continued the trend of
utilizing the convention space at the Hilton Baltimore, again using the entire
space on the second floor and using three rooms on the first floor. The 2nd
floor layout remained the same between 2014 and 2015.
There is a third level of meeting/convention space at the Hilton
Baltimore but it has never been utilized by Otakon between 2009 to 2015.
= Hyatt Regency Baltimore and Otakon = Otakon 2014 utilized for the first time
ever, convention space at the Hyatt Regency Baltimore for a new event called
Hiro's Lounge held in the 2nd floor Constellation Ballroom. The Hyatt
Regency Baltimore hotel is connected to the Baltimore Convention Center via a
skywalk system that connects the Convention Center with the Sheraton
Inner Harbor hotel, McKeldin Square and the Harborplace Light Street Pavilion.
Otakon 2015 continued the trend of utilizing the convention space at the
Hyatt Regency Baltimore by using 2nd floor meeting rooms Maryland Suites and
the Constellation Ballroom. The Constellation Ballroom again was used
for Hiro's Lounge and the Maryland Suites was used for autographs.
= Walter E. Washington Convention Center and Washington D.C. =
At Otakon 2013's closing ceremonies, the convention staff officially announced
that Otakon will be held in Washington D.C. at the Walter E. Washington
Convention Center, citing overcrowding of the BCC. This new venue will be used
starting with Otakon 2017 and will last until at least through Otakon 2021.
Otakorp Otakon is run by the Pennsylvania-based
non-profit organization Otakorp, Inc. whose primary purpose "is to promote the
appreciation of Asian culture, primarily through its media and entertainment."
Otakon is the annual meeting of Otakorp, Inc. Otakon attendees do not purchase
"tickets" to Otakon; they actually become a member of the non-profit
organization that runs Otakon with their paid attendance to the convention.
Everyone who pays the annual membership fee to attend Otakon is also a
supporting member for Otakorp and is able to participate in sanctioned
events, contests, or giveaways that might occur during the year.
All staff are unpaid volunteers of Otakorp, Inc. voted on the issue of
whether to remain in Baltimore after Otakon 2016 or to move to Washington
D.C.), although registration tasks are supplemented by temporary workers
provided by Visit Baltimore, and certain services such as legal and accounting
work are by contract. Otakon also enlists the help of non-staff
assistants, who are referred to as gofers. Otakon 2006 listed over 500
staff on its roster, though not all work the convention directly, though in a
similar count, at the time immediately following Otakon 2013, Otakorp listed
861 staff on its online roster. Otakorp, Inc. also sponsors film
screenings as part of the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington,
DC, and assists with programming at other film festivals.
Otakorp, Inc. also operates Otakon Vegas, a spin-off convention of Otakon
held in Las Vegas, Nevada and the Otakon Matsuri.
Economic impact on Baltimore As of July 30, 2010, Otakon has had a
great economic impact with its host, the City of Baltimore. Otakon has had the
highest economic impact in Baltimore for 2009, 2008 and 2007 and has been a top
convention for Baltimore since 2003. Otakon 2009 had an economic impact of
$12.5 million in direct spending and booked over 4,500 hotel rooms. Otakon
2010 had a great impact in terms of food vendors. According to the Baltimore
Business Journal on December 10, 2010, Otakon 2010 had 4,575 booked hotel rooms
and an estimated economic impact of $15.3 million, up from $12.5 million the
year before. Otakon Awards and Recognition
In 2011, Visit Baltimore awarded Otakon with a "Customer of the Year" award for
"hosting their annual tradeshow and convention in Baltimore since 1999. They
have demonstrated ongoing commitment to Baltimore, bringing more than 27,000
attendees to the city every year, a much-anticipated event by the local
community and media" and that Otakon "have also selected Baltimore as the
host destination through 2016." Crisis Heart Brawlers
At Otakon 2012 Otakon officially announced a partnership with indie game
development studio, Studio Nasu, to develop an official video game, Crisis
Heart Brawlers: Clash at Otakon! to be released to celebrate the 20th
anniversary at Otakon 2013. The game was successfully funded on Saturday,
September 22, 2012 with 531 backers and a total amount of $33,642. In March
2013, the game had missed its deadline of release and in August 2013 failed to
fulfill a promised Thursday release party before Otakon 2013 with the
developer gone silent about the status of the game.
On July 30, 2014, Otakorp, Inc. terminated the business relationship
with Studio Nasu and revoked all intellectual property rights. At the
convention feedback panel of Otakon 2014, the president of Otakorp, Jennifer
Piro said that there cannot be any more comments on the subject as it has become
a pending legal matter. References
External links Official website
Otakon Vegas website