FAQ

Why should I want to go to a convention?

There are many reasons people enjoy going to an Anime convention such as A-Kon. If you like to watch Anime movies, television shows, read manga or comics, or play games, you would probably have a great time at A-Kon. According to our survey, most people who come to A-Kon like to meet the creators of their favorite Anime item, but other reasons include meeting other fans, shopping in the dealers room or art show, meeting writers & artists, taking workshops and more.

Is it safe for children? What age groups should come?

While most events at conventions are for general audiences of all ages, there may be a few Adult-themed or oriented events (we designate these at A-Kon® by calling them "Adult" such as our Hentai Video Room). This may be due to skimpy costumes that tend to be worn, or language or themes. Conventions that have such events take care to keep minors (those under 18 in Texas) from attending these events so you don't have to worry about your teenager sneaking in if you are not with him or her. There are many more events, however, that are great for all ages and we get a wide-range of attendees - from babies to grandparents.

What about role-play & other gaming? Is it safe to let my child play?

Several games have had negative press over the years, one of the most infamous being Dungeons & Dragons. Only you know your child and his or her level of maturity. While there are a few that can become obsessive about games (or anything else for that matter), it is definitely the rare exception rather than the rule. Unfortunately, these rare exceptions get the attention from the press rather than the millions of gamers that have gone on to become authors, artists, actors or just regular people. If you are concerned, we suggest you sit in with your child and watch the games he or she plays. If they begin showing signs of being unable to separate fantasy from reality, you should be concerned. Otherwise, it is all in good fun and just a game - as long as they realize that and it doesn't consume their lives or cause them to ignore the important things such as their grades or family, we feel you don't have to worry. As gamers ourselves, we've seen both types and we tend to shy away from those types.

What does it mean that Project: A-Kon® is a "fan-run" convention?

There are many types of conventions (Anime, Star Trek, media, literary, relaxacon's, etc.), but generally they fall into two categories: Professional - one run by a business as a business (such as Creation Con, Slanted Fedora). These usually have a few, big-name (and expensive) guests other cons cannot afford, are run in multiple cities, but have very limited programming, hours, dealers, etc. They are generally also run as a business for a profit. They tend to be rather cold, and impersonal. They rarely have an Art Show, Gaming Rooms, KonSuite, 24hr Video Rooms, or any events that do not give them a chance to make a big profit. While some on staff may be science fiction fans, all staff members are paid employees. Fan-Run conventions are those run by fan clubs or other groups of fans (such as Phoenix Entertainment). Many have very few guests (or ones from their local area) but have a lot of programming, parties, a wide variety of events, and other pluses. They are usually run with the goal of breaking even or making a small profit instead of a big one. Every bit of money made usually goes back into the convention (such is the case with A-Kon) and few staff members, (if any!) Including the chair people, are paid.

Project: A-Kon® is in the process of evolving into a strange mix of these two (I'm starting to think of it as Semipro). Though it will always have the strongest fan-run influence, rising costs of airfare, hotels and guests have made it necessary to find ways of funding such as sponsors and somewhat increase our profit margin. We will always maintain our philosophy of creating first and foremost a fun event for fans by fans, but it is now impossible for the convention chair people to pay for the convention (or many of it's costs) from their personal bank accounts and allow the convention to follow it's natural growth and development. We were faced with holding the development back and keeping A-Kon very small, or letting it lose to grow into what has been evolving as it's fans and attendees have wanted over the past few years. We decided to give you, the fans, what you want - a great, multimedia show with great guests but still all the fun of it's smaller days. We are working hard to keep the con friendly and fun and not charge and arm and a leg, yet not go broke in the process. We think we have been succeeding in this so far and promise you we will continue to do everything possible to insure we do. Of course, we do expect some "growth pangs" over the next few years and there are always problems that crop up from time to time. We hope you'll stay with us as we feel our way.

When do I get my tickets? What does a membership mean?

Convention attendees are considered members of the gathering. When you purchase your membership, you are entered into the list of registered members. When you arrive at the convention, you will be able to pick up your membership materials at our pre-registered table if your tickets were purchased in advance (which we strongly recommend as it speeds up your arrival and are less expensive), or purchase one at the at-the-door rate (if available). Usually, a photo ID or confirmation card are requested to pick up memberships.

Your membership at A-Kon includes a program book, your convention membership badge, and pocket program (Insert Page w/ updates), as well as a bag of goodies such as assorted freebies, fliers, toys, etc.

Your badge is your pass to convention events. It identifies you as a member and must be worn visibly at all times in convention areas. Badges are not sent out in advance as, historically, this has allowed counterfeiting (and, believe us, it does happen). Badges are released at the discretion of the convention committee and can be withdrawn at any time for any reason--however, short of illegal activity, considerable or repeated breach of the peace, or violation of reasonable standards, this is unlikely.

Lost badges must be replaced at a fee to be determined later. Most likely Grovel Cam!!

The program book is a keepsake item which features bios and photos of guests, art done especially for the program, convention rules, description of the main events, and the like. The program book is generally limited to about 17000 printed copies which go first to pre-registered members (which is another reason to pre-register!) And then to the first attendees until copies run out.

The Schedule Flyer/Insert is the schedule for the weekend which is usually exactly what will take place at A-Kon®. Changes are occasionally made at the last minute--these are announced and posted at various points of the convention. Check with the 'Info Desk' for latest details.

What should I wear or bring?

Dress is casual (jeans & tee shirt for example) or you might want to wear a costume. We give prizes for the best costumes worn to the convention! Remember all costumes should cover the vital areas and not be considered inappropriate for children to see! There should be no exposed nipples or other private parts. If in doubt, bring a cloak, other covering, or alternate costume you can change into. We also suggest you wear comfortable shoes! Nonfunctional weapons may be worn or carried as part of your costume (such things as knives, swords, etc.) but will need to be checked by security before it may be carried throughout the convention and may be subject to other restrictions depending on the item. Be prepared to leave it in your room or car if needed.

We suggest you bring any items you'd like our guests to autograph for you (books, photos, etc.), as well as a bag to carry your purchases. You might also want to bring a camera or a video camera (though some events may be restricted from filming depending on arrangements with our guests). If you are a gamer, bring your favorite characters, dice, decks, etc. Many hotels may not allow you to bring in outside food or drink - you might want to check with them first.

When will such-and-such be? What are the details of so-and-so?

Programming is a complicated process. It takes many months to assemble, and involves managing time, numerous people, and finite space and equipment. As such, it usually does not come together until just a few months before the convention and may change up to the day of the convention. However, the programming schedule will be posted (within feasible limits) on this site (subject to change) as it becomes available. Please continue monitoring this site, or join our E-mail update list for notifications of updates to this site as well as special announcements.

Are the advertised guests guaranteed to be there and will they be there all days of the convention?

Confirmed, advertised guests will generally be at the convention barring any unforeseen circumstances. Please bear in mind the guests are people too subject to illness, personal or family emergencies, or unexpected job offers (especially for actors and actresses), so they do occasionally have to cancel. A-Kon® always announces this as soon as we know it by posting it here on the web site, on our flyers and advertising, and to our E-mail update list. Guests listed as "Tentative" are in the process of finalizing arrangements with us to appear. Often they have given a verbal confirmation but have not yet returned their signed appearance agreement. Again, the status of these guests will be updated on this site, on our flyers and advertising, and to our E-mail update list as soon as we know for sure.

Because A-Kon® is a 3-day convention and because we strive to bring you the best variety of guests while staying in our budget, we may occasionally have a guest that does not appear all three days of the convention. This will be stated on our flyers and advertising, on this site, and announced to our E-mail update list. Many guests (especially actors) charge appearance fees. Some charge for the weekend, others charge per day. We always work with our guests to get them here as long as possible, but our budget it limited. If you would like us to have a specific guest (especially one that charges a large fee), please consider helping us sponsor or find a sponsor for that guest.

What is there to do?

A good convention has things going on all (or almost all) the time. Some of these things include: Art show, where talented artists exhibit & sell works of art, sketches, sculpture, etc.. Dealers Room selling all manner of relevant merchandise. Video Rooms) - to see your favorite shows & movies or rarer, weird things you may never have heard of before. Guest Appearances and autograph stinginess (note: not all guests sign autographs - it will be noted in our advertising if a guest does not - also some guests charge a small fee [many going to their favorite charities] for their photos or their signatures. Some guests even have nothing to do with Anime but want to come and are fun to have around.) Room Parties hosted by clubs, other conventions, etc. Hospitality or KonSuite, where you can sit down, have a complementary soda or some food and socialize with your fellow fans or guests. Parties! Where you can dance and have a good time. Discussion panels on many different subjects of science fiction, fantasy, writing, costuming, art, etc. Workshops where you can learn about writing, art, costuming, etc. Gaming Rooms) where you can play various role-play, card, video or computer games. CosPlay/Costume Contests where you can show off your talent with a needle and thread, perform a skit, and maybe win a trophy! Games like scavenger hunts, Anime Match Game, Japanimayhem, game shows or other fun activities. Contests and other Fun Things to do.

Why so much to do?

A-Kon® is a multimedia convention that tries to cover many avenues of Anime, J-pop Culture, Pop Culture, Martial Arts, Fan Activities, Actors, Writers, Musicians, Bon Vionts. Not all things appeal to all people nor all guests. For example, we have a lot of people who enjoy playing games who come to A-Kon® and spend the entire time inside the Gaming Rooms. Other attendees and guests never even know where these rooms are. So we try to have a variety of programming at all times so you can choose the events you want to see. Some events repeat during the convention, others are held only 1 time. We strongly recommend you keep checking the programming schedule to decide what you want to do and what days you want to attend. Most people tend to attend on Saturday with Sunday a close second, but we do have events that only occur on Friday, so keep an eye on these! Due to our variety of programming, we strongly suggest you plan to come all three days of A-Kon and stay at the hotel to make it more convenient for you.

Why is the membership fee so much?

The price of your membership is designed to help cover the costs of hotel rental, equipment rental, airfare for guests, and their hotel accommodations. It also covers any fees guests charge for appearing, the vast costs of printing, postage, and logistics. Smaller cons (those which do not host media guests) are generally lower in cost as their guests (usually authors and artists, often those who live close to the convention site) normally do not charge appearance fees. Since A-Kon does combine Anime and media, art, gaming, and artists, Game Designers, Computer Artists etc.. The costs are greater, however, it should be pointed out that A-Kon's prices are not higher than average for media conventions--some media and Anime conventions can charge well over $100 for memberships, even at pre-reg rates. A-Kon® always tries to keep our ticket prices reasonable and still not lose our shirts paying for the convention!

Why should I stay at the host hotel if I live in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area? Why is the hotel so expensive? Are there other hotels I can stay at?

There are several reasons you may want to stay at our host hotel even if you live within 100 miles of it. First of all, A-Kon's programming runs around the clock, 24 hours a day. You may want to do something until the wee hours of the morning (or at the wee hours!) And not want to drive Home. Or you may want to party with friends and drink in which case you should not drive Home! Splitting a hotel room with friends is a great way to increase your enjoyment of the convention and can be a great vacation for you!

Also, staying at our host hotel really helps the convention. Many conventions have deals with the hotel to fill x number of sleeping rooms. If they make this total, they may receive a discount on the convention space rental, which allows them to pass cost savings on to you in terms of membership fees. A-Kon® always strives to negotiate the lowest possible room price with it's host hotel. You should bear in mind, however, that due to A-Kon®'s size and requirements for all the space we need for the great programming we offer, we cannot use bargain basement hotels. The hotels that have enough convention meeting room space for us generally have rates near or above $100 per night. We will get this as low as possible and will try to make some arrangement with lower-priced hotels in the area with shuttle service between them as well. Please try to stay at one of these hotels to help us out! And remember, you can have multiple people in your room to help split costs! This can be a great way to afford the host hotel with the convenience of not having to drive, wait for the shuttle, or walk to the convention location and have time to visit with your friends too!

How can I help?

If you want to help us fulfill our goals of creating a fun convention, there are several things you can do:

First of all, you can support us as early as possible by pre-registering for our upcoming convention. The advance sales help us better determine our budget and have funds available as early as possible to help get lower airfares, increase our advertising, print more flyers, etc.

You can also make your hotel reservation as early as possible preferably in our host hotel, or one of our secondary hotels. This helps us figure out as early as possible if we will meet our room block commitments with the hotel and perhaps, negotiate better some other points with them.

You might like to work on staff. There is no pay, but we do offer as many perks as we can to those who help us out!

You can distribute flyers or other advertising material in your area. Just E-mail us at info@a-kon.com and let us know the number of flyers per month you think you can distribute. Be sure to look for places like comic book or sci-fi stores, book stores, coffee shops, and other areas near you that might let you put them out. Some colleges and schools will also let you put out flyers.

Tags: community, info, registration, social