Antwerp Convention 2015
Every year, we visit some of the conventions that Belgium has to offer and Antwerp Convention is no exception. It is the fifth time that this event is held and it seems that there were a few small changes. Let us take you on a trip to a world of sci-fi, fantasy, anime and cosplay.
The changes were already noticeable when you wanted to get into the convention. There were two entrances: one where you could buy a ticket and one that was foreseen for visitors that already had one. This is a great way to divide the attendants and cut the waiting lines. Also, this means that there were more ticket boots available to handle the mass that wanted to get in. The alteration wasn’t that clear though.
There are also some things that didn’t change. The overall layout of the event was still the same. One hall was filled with quite some shops, a cosplay stage and the ‘star area’ where you could get a glimpse and autograph of one of your idols. The other area had a gaming Walhalla and a bit more alternative shops. Every area had its own food and drink stands so you could easily quench your thirst or get a snack or lunch. There were a bit more possibilities than the previous years though. You could get a nice sandwich and hot dog or if you wanted to stay in the theme, you could get Korean meals like fried chicken and rice or noodles with spring rolls. The organisation decided to place the food and drink stands together so it would be easier to find, although it was overcrowded. One of the food areas was next to the cosplay area, so it was hard to find a spot where you could dine without being trampled. The same counts for the other hall. There were limited seating possibilities although the organisation foresaw a rather big rug to sit on. This was an alternative, but it wasn’t that practical to eat. It would have been better if there were more seats or picnic tables.
Enough said about the nomnoms, let’s take a look at the available merchandise. There were quite some different stock to venture. Next to the familiar statue merchants, you also could take a peek at several comic stands, get a nice poster or delve into the magical world of retro and newer games. It has to be said though, the quality of the sellers and the goodies seemed to deteriorate. Some stands gave you the feeling that you were on a flea market rather than on a convention. The gaming hall had some dealers as well but they mostly sold clothing or homemade items.
The organisation also foresaw some room at the entrance hall for some activities and it reserved a lot of room for it in one of the halls. Next to the cosplay show, you could watch wrestling matches and you could visit the revival of the one of the most popular activities at the convention: the controlled robot fights. These events were held at certain hours, so you had to be quick if you wanted to get a glimpse of the action. During the waiting time, you could enter a Smash Bros tournament, relive your past on the old consoles and there were also loads of arcade cabinets like Time Crisis. Some of the newer games were available as well.
When you think about an anime and sci-fi convention, you immediately think about cosplay. It has to be said, it seems like there were fewer candidates this year but the quality of the costumes seemed better. There wasn’t that much room to take great pictures though and overall the passages were quite small.
Conclusion
Overall there weren’t that much waiting lines, except at certain points like crossroads or at certain shops. It is great to see that the organisation wants to improve and that they want to change some of the negative points. The available room was put into good use, although it would be nice if there were more tables to enjoy your lunch. If they keep this up, this event will certainly grow and thrive.
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The shops did offer a lot of ‘vintage’ toys though I suspect it was because the Toyhunter was there. Bad choice overall since I know plenty who came home with a whole lot less because of this. Slightly surprised you didn’t mention the ever-growing crowd. The pushing and shovelling became incredibly annoying to a point where you couldn’t even inspect the stands up close, and anything in your back-bag would be crushed.