Matsuricon Meets the Metro

August 21, 2014

8:40 AM

By Stephan Reed

This weekend, downtown Columbus will get a heavy dose of the Japanese culture as Matsuricon comes to town.

The three-day anime convention, housed at the Hyatt Regency, has been going full-speed since 2006 and, this year, they look to continue their cultural celebration with appearances by big names in the community, including David Brehm (producer and animator of the Jimmy Neutron Movie), Johnny Yong Bosch (actor from the Power Rangers) and Stephanie Young (jazz ensemble vocalist and voice actor).

Matsuricon has and will likely always call Columbus home.

“As a city, it has a lot to offer to both in state and out of state attendees,” says Jack West, the convention’s public relations director. “Hyatt Regency has been nothing short of accommodating for us and our attendees since moving downtown in 2011. We hope to start a similar relationship with the Greater Columbus Convention Center when we start expanding for 2015.”

Other facets of the city embrace the convention and its attendees with open arms.

“The local businesses and eateries, like the North Market and the Arena District, gives our attendees a multitude of food and entertainment options when they need a break from our event,” West says. “Couple that with the airport close by and an easy destination for drivers, Columbus is like the best city to make Matsuricon its home.”

Since the cons’ conception, the event has undergone significant change, adding attendees and a message along the way.

“Our convention has dramatically changed over the last several years – not only in size, but scope and attention,” West says. “Our cancer charity efforts are very well received by the members of the American Anime Industry and local businesses. We are also expecting anywhere from 5000-6000 unique people this year. We also enjoy a growing relationship with parents and fans alike.”

Convention passes for the entire weekend are available for $45, but the sights are free. Keep your eyes open for people dressed in their favorite characters’ outfits.

For more information, visit http://matsuricon.org/.

For anyone stepping into the anime realm for the first time, West offers up a few tips:

Be prepared to meet new people!
We also recommend coming early so that you can pick up your badge and schedule early so you can plot your weekend early.
We always recommend bring extra money for our Vendors Hall and our Charity Drive, which showcases unique, one of a kind items. For this year, we have 3 electric guitars, autographed by different musical acts, animators and voice actors.
Make sure to eat and drink regularly. There is a lot of things happening at the same time.
When you arrive, take a moment to look at the schedule and plan out what you want to see.
You should not miss the concerts, the charity auction, and the cosplay masquerade this year!

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