Con Recap: Ai-kon 2016

Tis the season, folks! Tis the season for cosplay conventions!!

I have been cosplaying since 2013 and have been attending conventions since then so I've happily experienced my fair share of cosplay conventions. Despite the fact that I don't cosplay outside of conventions anymore, I still love attending and dressing up at local cons.

So since Ai-kon 2018 is just around the corner, I thought I'd share my experience at Ai-kon 2016 with you!

Ai-kon is a Winnipeg convention that takes place at the RBC Convention Centre every July in Winnipeg, MB. As the years have progressed and the convention centre has expanded, this convention has definitely grown.
I remember that at my first few Ai-kons, Homestuck, Vocaloid, Sailor Moon and Black Butler cosplayers roamed the halls. Now, Ai-kon is packed with Love Live idols and furries (if you don't know what furries are, you have a grand discovery ahead of you).

DAY 1

Wanna know an insider tip? If you're old enough or you're attending the con with a responsible adult, I highly recommend staying at a local hotel.
Ever since I became an adult (barf), I've been staying in a hotel room with my best friend - it's so much more convenient than driving back and fourth to your house.
We always fortunately get to stay at the Delta hotel attached to RBC Convention Centre so getting to and from the room/con is a breeze.

So Friday of Ai-kon we got to the Delta hotel, dropped off our bags, and made a mad dash for the con. Our friends were taking impromptu photoshoot pictures in the Japanese Gardens across the street so we joined in on the fun.

Le best friend as Lightning (Final Fantasy)

Day 1 of conventions are usually slow-paced since the con itself usually only starts at 3pm. Not a lot goes on during these days. Nevertheless, this is okay because you need time to pay for your ticket (if you haven't pre-paid), get your badge, and check out the vendors room/artist alley anyway.

*Tip: I recommend showing up an hour after the con has opened. There's usually a long line prior to the convention opening to get your badge. SO, if you want to avoid lines as much as possible, don't show up for the convention opening. Unless of course you want to be there for the Opening Ceremony. 

Day 1 Cosplayers
(if you're in one of these pictures and you'd like your image to be removed, please let me know):

Chat Noir and Ladybug

Caveman Sponge!

McHanzo~

Sailor Moon (angel)

D.Va!

Sailor Neptune

DAY 2

Day 2 of cosplay conventions are without a doubt the busiest days of the entire convention. Not only is it the longest day, it's also the day with the most activity. The whole day usually closes out with a cosplay competition and rave so prepare yourself for a very long but very fun day.

I cosplayed as Ladybug from Miraculous Ladybug that day and boy was it eventful.
For starters, I ran into a Chat Noir cosplayer!

"Pound It!"

Prior to the con, my group and I discovered that a very popular anime/cartoon voice actor, Bryce Papenbrook was coming to Ai-kon. So naturally, we made sure we were there to get in line and get a FREE picture with him!

Bryce voices Adrien/Chat Noir from Miraculous Ladybug so after we talked to him, we exchanged a Chat/Ladybug Fist Bump™ and I did a mental backflip.

Bryce was VERY friendly, kind and humble and didn't mind at all that we were uber starstruck.

Bryce aka "Adrien", in the flesh!

But here's the cherry on top. Near the end of the day, I met an adorable little girl who came up to talk to "Ladybug" and show her her stickers on her badge. She even gave me one of her stickers.
It was a dream come true interaction for me - kids at cons are so fricken precious.

I believe we did end up staying for the rave that night. Keep in mind that they don't tend to allow backpacks (no matter how small they are) into the rave itself BUT we did get lucky this time around. I'm a type one diabetic so I need to be able to keep my supplies with me at all times soooo I was thanking the con gods for the good fortune. The rave usually stays open until midnight/1pm so yes, twas a long day indeed. 

Day 2 Photos:

Ahri aka Jasmine (@fire204 on Instagram)

DAY 3

Day 3 is usually a duplicate of Day 1 - not as huge as Day 2, but still eventful nonetheless. Day 3 always seems to fly by and before you know it, the con is over.

My group and I usually spend Sunday shopping in the vendors room (since many items are on sale by then) and just soaking up the majority of our time there.
When you cosplay, you don't really tend to take the time to observe the vendors' tables. So since everyone is getting ready to go home on Day 3, it's the perfect opportunity to window shop.

We were so busy all weekend that we didn't even notice this free Project Diva booth!
FYI - Project Diva is a Dance Dance Revolution game, Hatsune Miku edition.

ALSO Alyssa, the sweetest bean in Winnipeg, surprised me and a few other ladies at the con with sparkling roses. My heart melted, she is so dang lovely.

What a sweetheart she is~

And that's about it! This con was fantastic and I cannot wait for Ai-kon 2018. Despite the fact that I won't be attending all 3 days, I'm VERY excited to get back into cosplay, meet up with my group and meet new people/stare in awe at beautiful cosplay(er)s.

-Rach