Introduction to Awesome Con 2019
Awesome Con is an annual event where people with like interests converge upon the Washington Convention Center in anticipation of the fun to be had. Some come as they are -- dressed casually; while others may choose to dress up as their favorite movie, tv, comic book, video game or other character/hero. Awesome Con carried on this tradition in 2019.
Fun Atmosphere at Awesome Con
As a recap -- Awesome Con is a three day event that occurred April 26 - 28, 2019. It seemed like it was only yesterday that I had one of my best times ever at last year’s event. They say that time flies when you're having fun -- which is the signature stamp of Awesome Con. There seems to be something magical about a group of people getting together to celebrate and enjoy some of the things that they may have a passion for or are interested in.
Creativity of Cosplayers at Awesome Con
I did not have to walk far to come across some of the most creative cosplays I’ve seen in quite some time. One of the cosplayers that stood out to me was Silver Surfer who was carrying a silver surfboard (of course), but even more interesting -- he was completely covered in silver paint -- including his face. Now that's what I call pure dedication to bringing a character to life at Awesome Con.
On the more subdued side of creativity when it comes to cosplayers, there was an interesting take that I noticed of Wonder Woman. Have you ever seen Wonder Woman while she's enjoying a relaxing evening -- taking a break from saving the world? Well I did at Awesome Con 2019, and I must say this was something I did not expect.
That is the draw of Awesome Con. Unless you actually go and participate or just be present at some of the events -- you never know what you may see, learn or experience.
Administrative Aspects at Awesome Con
Now let's talk about how organized Awesome Con 2019 was. I think this year there may have been more staff involved in organizational activities of Awesome Con. I say this mainly because I saw plenty of people who wore “Awesome Con” staff shirts or attire. This of course is a good thing since the more staff available, the more likely event-goers have someone to turn to if they have questions, inquiries etc.
However, I think some of the staff (not all) may have been over zealous about making sure everyone was out of the convention center by closing time -- at least on Saturday, April 27, 2019. I saw some exhibitors on the main floor start covering up their displays as early as 7:00 p.m. This put a damper on things to me mainly because i had become accustomed to taking my time at previous Awesome Cons -- trying to cover as much as I could in the time available.
However, on Saturday I was informed that a whole section of the exhibit hall was “closed” even though the event had at least 45 minutes before actual closing time. I know it takes time to close down -- but I think that some of the staff may have been overly focused on making sure everyone one was out -- way before the event was scheduled to close. Lessons learned for future Awesome Cons -- get there early and plan to leave at least an hour or so before closing time.
On the plus side, there have been improvements on how the media personnel obtain their press badges. The process was seamless with me this year. I went to a particular room at the Convention Center, my name was checked from a list and pronto, I was given my press badge and a convention book in probably less than 5 minutes. I think this may have been the easier registration I've experienced since I’ve been covering Awesome Con for Allgames.com.
Lineup of Guests
I did not get a chance to check out the guest line up in person due to the rush to close down the event on Saturday. However, I did review the list of guests and they were varied -- but unfortunately, no really big name stars that i can recall. There was the usual Artists row with noted graphic designers, etc. and others. There was also some actors from the cast of The Princess Bride movie which is one of my favorite movies of all time; but the absence of Robin Wright as a guest to stand alongside Cary Elwes did not quite cut it for me. I know everyone has busy schedules -- so maybe for some reason the organization could not make this happen.
Here’s hoping next year’s event include even more bigger name stars to raise Awesome Con to another level.
The Main Exhibit Floor at Awesome Con 2019
The main exhibit floor is where most of the people congregate, even though events are held throughout the building and even in the building across from the Convention Center. Awesome Con provides a handy-dandy booklet to help steer you through the exciting events scheduled. Of course there was the usual stands with merchants selling their wares including comic books, t-shirts, grab bags and other articles of interest.
I always seem to notice something unusual on the exhibit floor. Check out my Awesome Con 2018 report from last year to find out what it was at that time.
During Awesome Con 2019 -- I was not disappointed with the array of exhibits. An unusual one that stuck with me this year had to do with mousepads. I saw an exhibit where the mousepads were being displayed as art. Some of the mousepads were small in size, while others were as large as a small painting. I thought that this was an interesting, creative take on mousepads.
Assessment of Awesome Con
If you plan to attend Awesome Con -- I think you have to be in a mindset to have a fun time -- as I was. As soon as I got near the convention center and saw the cosplayers and others with their Awesome Con badges, Awesome Con bags, etc., I could not wait to join the fun. That being said, my advice to anyone planning to attend is to allow enough time early in the day to experience as much fun as you can before you are literally ushered and herded out by the staffers. In fact -- my advice to the exit staffers is to “Lighten up.”
Now that Awesome Con 2019 has come and gone -- I’m even more anxious to see what’s in store for the next Awesome Con. As the saying goes -- Onwards and upwards!