Heyy!! I was the purple Viktor cosplayer, honestly thank u for getting a cool video of me, this con was the first one i had genuine fun with people at, And I feel you on the "rediscovering that i love being around people" thing cus being stuck at home as an artist myself, makes you think ur a hermit LMAO. Also!! Idk if youve come to AWA alot but yeah this year was strange, for Momo and AwA, alot changed for both and as a local / someones whos gone to both cons for YEARS, this year was such drastic changes to both that it made it really hard for people financially and like, effort to go- wise. I think this con is def fanart / exclusive item (toys ,trinkets) focused item-wise because people are mainly going to this con to party and hang out! Awa at the old venue was VERY adult focused and party and get togethers and all that, this year it was still partyish but since the venue was so massive and alot of blockades, people were sorta roaming and lost - especially when the dealers room would close SOOOO early. Every person I met at the con was very upset about the dealers room closing early, many people got to the con around 4-5 and wanted to shop all evening and couldnt :( I hope AWA maybe does stay in the colder / fall season for the guests and artists sake because it can be horribly hot in GA, but the bad signage, weird times, weird blockades and staff being confused or shrugging at questions made this AWA feel somewhat empty of life. It seemed like it was only fun for late night attendees and photo ops in the grand halls. But that all being said, all the additions to the dealers room, (like artists, the new NSFW section of artist alley, and other free to do things in the AA was very enticing to many con goers and locals. I do think it'll be growing pains so its sad to hear alot of artists wanting to not come to this event again when it was such a banger at the old location, but its totally understandable with this Baddd economy and Con Makers throwing attendees and artists in the wind when they plan things very suddenly last minute. I hope you come back to GA again !!! People love demon girl art, i think people were just overwhelmed by choice and the large walks to even get into the venue sadly.
Thanks for letting me film you for my vlog! I think your cosplay was my favorite one all weekend! And these thoughts and observations are all super insightful, thanks for sharing. I will definitely come back for Momocon if they'll have me! I love ATL
You exude BIG extrovert energy! And while all the other things were unfortunate, it was great to hear you were in your element being with others! It's a great lesson to rediscover about yourself and I'm happy for you.
Incredible insights, I feel bad for everyone who had to endure a tough weekend financially 😭 your vlog should def be a bookmark for anyone interested in doing AWA in the future
Congrats on finishing the year with a banger…not in sales but in vibes outside of the con. Rediscovering independent Kelsie, solo traveling, new art, creating a clearing goal for yourself for next years booth setup. Guuuurl, so proud of you. I’m excited for your next blog. I want ALL THE DETAILS 🤣🤣🙌🙌
It was amazing meeting you! Thank you for featuring me in the video. Atlanta was an interesting experience and comparable to a European con for me. Especially considering the costs (3k) I was very nervous in the end and thankful it worked out. The team was very kind in communication and helped me with a lot of questions I had. Talking to other artists and visitors (some artists even came up and excused how the con was for artists) . Many did not know we were open to sales on Thursday, which explains the sales and not many people there. 30k is a nice number and generally the sales were better than in some European countries for that number of attendees, but things in general are more expensive in the US. The date change and being so close to Christmas and the other con for Christmas, people often mentioned that this was an issue as this was too close. Knowing that it is a week before Christmas next year, I won't re-apply as this is too risky. There were a lot of artists, the back was very liverly going from left to right, left was crowded, middle row where we places was empty most of the time as the space was so huge and nothing placed for people to walk trough, looking behind got frustrating at times as it was crowded, but dead on our side. Really looking forward to your vlogs!
It was so nice meeting you too! Thank you for all the insight into international shows, it was fascinating to hear about. I hope to see you at more US based cons!
AWA has been my FAVORITE convention since i was super little as a georgia local, but this year just... wasnt it. new location AND new dates was a death sentence like you said, and i heard a LOT of people saying they were snubbing AWA because holmat in orlando is so soon. i showed up super early saturday to beat the crowd, but then there like... never really was one LMAO. all the vendors i talked to were fantastic, but the crowd was just pretty dookie this year. didnt help that the layout was super weird - i couldnt really tell where artist alley started and dealers room began??? whatever. so glad you got to check out the aquarium, it is just the best part of georgia hands down. hope to catch you at next momocon!!!! :)
your point of view is whats so important to me. I do original stuff and books and accessories and cons are way too expensive. 800$ tables? no thank you. I did AWA when I lived in atlanta 15+ years ago and yes had the same issue, people just pass by like I'm invisible.
dannngg you got this out fast!!! this was my second ever event. i drove here so my expenses were more like 600 (i shared a booth with a friend). i made a little more than double that so I was happy about that... but ive heard in the past people made 10k from this con... 💀 i was honestly worried that we would get swamped and i wouldn't have enough inventory because i only even heard about AWA from a cosplayer i met at the airport after anime expo who said it was a really lit con, so i expected it to be like ACEN (which is my favorite con as an attendee). at acen i literally avoided the artist alley until last minute because there were too many freaking people I couldn't shop in peace. but here, i would say it was almost relaxing to just chat with attendees, and we could literally walk around during open hours and not worry about customers. for me, i think the lack of people was great for my second con 🤣because im still a mess at organizing my small stock. i got the con vibes - like you said its so easy and fun to talk to people at cons, people came back to my booth to buy or show me their cosplays they told me about the day before, another artist GAVE me their art book, we got drinks with our stamp rally mate who was super freaking cool. so it was fun but i was expecting a bit more than that. i saw someone walk by with one of your bags on sunday and i was so surprised you were here!!! so obviously it has a good reputation but yeah they expanded wayyy too much and too fast this year. i would do awa again tbh but again i don't have to fly. loved your video, you express yourself super clearly and i hope your next event blows your bank account up in a good way!!!!
I’m glad to hear it was a relatively good experience for you! I do think locals with low costs and who sell fanart can still benefit from this show. Thanks for watching and being here!
Glad you made the most of the situation by being productive 🙌🏽 Sounds like too many variables changed and now it's a whole new event. Hopefully they can build it up to what it once was 🙏🏽
Hopefully! I won’t be a part though LOL. I think even if it had went well, it doesn’t seem to be a crowd that’s interested in my kind of work. I’d rather focus my efforts on people who appreciate my art.
@@kelsiekishidraws it is truly unfortunate if thats the case, but definitely understandable that you need to hit up the places where you get the most response, whether its all financial or just feedback, or a combination of the two. Best of luck~~
That sucks the convention didn't go so well but I'm glad you were able to have some fun in the end. I'm looking forward to seeing your finished filipino goddess drawing!
I currently can't watch RUclips much because I need to study but I'm happy to see that you still had fun despite the rough convention experience profit-wise!! 😄😁 💖💝 now that I think about it this is your first time selling solo! I didn't realize until you mentioned it!
ATL native who attended here! From someone who's been going since 2021, AWA has always been 4 days, i had too look it up just to be sure i wasn't misremembering anything and they all went Thursday to Sunday, so whoever said it was 3 days was wrong. The other thing is, as my friend and i preped for the con and found out about the changes, the main thing everyone actually complained about was the date change. Some were worried about location but since it was the same area and slightly bigger (Last location was a lil tight), some were happy for the extra space and a few said it may be like them starting over completely. Almost everyone i saw talk about it prior tho, said it was the date change that made them not want to go bc it was super close to christmas which i totally got. I noticed after that my friend and i didn't do our usual of walking through the entire alley at some point. We spent a lot more time at events and panels this year. Everyone was definitely ready to leave the previous place tho, as the last year there was full of odd and kinda invasive rules, not from AWA itself, but the venue. No one liked them and plenty got mad at AWA themselves for it before everyone realized it was the hotel we were in. It They were basically kicking us out so everyone was ready to leave aand many even suggested the GWCC as a replacement. The location change did affect how things went tho, as someone who also went to momo, i expected B building, as i had never even seen C like that prior and staff had trouble even telling people where the photoshoot locations were bc there wasnt a real map. On top of that, i noticed the map of the inside they did have was wonky so we had to learn the layout ourselves and base everything off that. We even asked for directions for a couple places and even staff was confused as to where things were, we helped guide another photoshoot group to where their location was because they said they were getting turned around by staff bc staff was confused. I def feel they could've done better with learning the layout and providing an actual proper map bc it def took my friend and i walking by like twice before we found the entrance. In terms of the artist alley, my friend and I spent a lot of time planning around panels and then when we did have time to come look at/buy, we had like an hour? 2 maybe before it closed at 6 and we were shocked it was closing so early when panels went on for the same times as last year. we rushed on sunday just to be able to buy a few things and get business cards and give away candy before it ended. Didnt get to come on thursday (which we'd normally walk around the alley but our hotel check in sucked) and we totally would've stopped by bc we always stop by the OG art booths bc we know people mostly like fanart (i do too but it's nice to show OG art creators they're stuff is cute) so we missed a bunch and didnt even get to see every artist in a walk around. All in all, i did have fun exploring panels more this year but i def missed spending like a full day dedicated to just walking around the alley and taking vids of cool art. The venue, the hours, the time of year all affected how different it felt but i want to chalk it up to venue changing pains and hope they change the date back (bc i couldn't find anything going on that would've blocked them from the halloween weekend is was before) and listen about the maps. I think the GWCC was a great recommendation and is a viable venue, i will be going again next year so i can only hope they do better.
I appreciate your in-depth review! It sounds like there were some growing pains that AWA needed to work out and I hope that they listen to feedback and make the necessary changes!
I’m so sorry that happened to you. I was waitlisted for the show but it seems like I dodged a bullet. I have a ton of artist friends who were there and didn’t do well financially. They said the vibes were shaky too. It sucks you all went through that.
dont forget that the date was changed to a period where many companies have black out dates. so lots of people probably couldn't get off to go. also the cold can deter people from going and youre right the holiday times makes it harder for people to justify spending money when they probably already spent money on gifts. i will say that advertising was awful. access to infop was hard to find hours. there was an app with the schedule but it was not advertised at all and i only knew because a friend i was lodging with told me. as an attendee the extra space was nice bc it didn't feel too crowded but even to me it felt like TOO much space
@@kelsiekishidraws np im so sorry as a vendor/artist it didn't work out but I hope it doesnt discourage you from considering coming again! maybe like a like 2 more awa cycles so they figure out the new setup
I heard this con fell SO short from previous years in terms of sales. I hope AWA takes the feedback they get seriously because I doubt they will have the same caliber of artists applying next year if nothing changes! Love that you searched for the silver lining because sometimes it takes a bit of fake it til you make it to keep from falling apart fr.
I loved when you were talking about your anxiety and doing things alone because I feel the EXACT same way. And you don’t even think it’ll be as bad as it is until right up until it. Anxiety sucks sometimes and I know AWA didn’t treat any of you as it should but I’m glad you still made a video! 🩵 I’m about two hours away from Atlanta but I also host kpop cupsleeves in Atlanta and I’ve noticed everyone is so competitive about being the best of the best host with their event being the best so it’s sooo saturated between smaller anime and kpop weekend events versus like momocon. Momocon seems to be the only worth it for out of town people. It’s the biggest con around here! All of the others just aren’t worth it if you’re local.
While I definitely agree, I’ve also been a part of cons that have taken steps for expansion and while the sales were not as good as previous years, they weren’t nearly as bad as AWA. I think they could’ve taken smaller steps to lessen the risk on vendors and artists. I don’t mind growth or expansion, but I can’t get on board with extreme steps that leave their vendors and artists in the dust completely.
I'm sorry you had a terrible experience. I've been going to AWA for the pass 20 years, but I skipped this year. They definitely needed to move from the Cobb Galleria but Hall C was too much for them. The timing sucks and a lot of my friends skipped with the Holidays. Plus AWA can't compete with Holiday Matsuri. I really hope in 2026 GWCC allows them to be around Halloween again. However AWA is very much an anime con that wants fanart. Idk why but more people are open to original art at DragonCon and MomoCon. As someone that got into AA in 2021 but has been waitlisted the last 2 years it's disappointing to hear they doubled the size and I still didn't get in. I even know some artists who dropped out for other events since the vibe among many in my con circle was skip AWA this year. I'm glad you found some positives though. The GA Aquarium is amazing!
I heard the crowd was actually bigger than previous years by a few thousand! But 33k at the GWCC just doesn’t look the same as 33k in a much smaller convention center doesn't
I was another artist at AWA and it was my first time doing an anime con in Atlanta! I had a similar experience you did! Costs were high and it was pitifully slow! :{ My stuff is mostly fanart too, and I don't think I talked to a single artist who had a good show! I didn't know they doubled the AA this year, that would definitely add to the changes that were made that would have affected our weekend. Bummer. (I also got sick (not Covid) from someone on the plane ride over so I had to do the whole con wearing a mask and hopped up on cold medication. Would not recommend.)
I got waitlisted to table at AWA, and after hearing of your experience there this year I feel like it was a blessing in disguise. I'm sorry it wasn't the optimal experience, I hope you make up for it at another con soon!
I think that for the past 2 years a lot of new anime events have popped up and organizers try to take advantage of the anime hype to host these events but they don't organize it well. Especially with advertising. Unless the organizers truly care about the theme of the event and the community ex anime community, as long as they make a profit they believe it to be successful even if the vendors didn't do great and there wasn't a big crowd. Also unless absolutely necessary I don't think they should expand as quick as some have been. It's disappointing as an attendee to go to a con that isn't very interactive for the attendees. Some of the just have vendors/exhibitors and VA signings. No actual activities or events within the event.
Yes, it's a bummer for sure. I hope in the future they learned to prioritize vendors and artists. Also I agree with your other point! I think cons should offer more than just shopping experiences.
@@marcusice5400 the con drew around 33,000 which is up around 3000 people according to closing ceremonies, but it is a significantly larger space than the Galleria. Just one of the exhibit halls in C is bigger than multiple halls combined in the galleria. Also, there's alot more walking traffic space in the GWCC. Both of those things would make someone who had attended last year and was used to always bumping into people think to themselves that it was empty by comparison....
Nails in coffins for events- changing location, changing dates, and doing both is a death sentence. I hate when events do this. Because people get use to a certain time of year for the event.. and sometimes when they move it, they don't think about it conflicting with other events and attendees may have to pick n choose. Dec events are never really good because everyone is broke, same with January ones sometimes cuz after holidays people be broke.
Being super honest-it just didn’t feel like the organizers cared about the artists and vendors. If they did, I feel like they wouldn’t have so many drastic changes at once 💀💀💀
It's a shame because AWA was always my favorite convention. It was my first ever convention back in 2005 and I always looked forward to going back whenever I could. But I have noticed that there have been a lot of changes lately to many conventions around the country where they haven't been performing as well as they used to in the past. Sometimes new locations haven't been the best, and in other times (as you mentioned in the video) there is a lack of proper promotion/marketing/advertising etc., and sometimes even bad management, which leads to a lot of people being uninformed and/or having a bad experience. Momocon was also one of my hometown conventions in GA, and just like AWA it has since blown up into a much bigger con. I remember attending Momo back at GA Tech on it's 2nd year operating and now it's so big that it can compete with cons that have been around for way longer. lol I just hope that going forward conventions take all of the feedback from artists, dealers, and attendees so that they can make the necessary changes to improve the events for the future. Honestly, I hope AWA works hard enough on it's own growth and development to one day be able to convince you to give them another chance. But I guess the ball is in their court. 😆
That's crazy that you were around when Momocon was still small! Yes, hopefully they learn from this. I think local artist could still benefit from this show, and anyone who can keep their expenses down to virtually nothing.
Heyy!! I was the purple Viktor cosplayer, honestly thank u for getting a cool video of me, this con was the first one i had genuine fun with people at, And I feel you on the "rediscovering that i love being around people" thing cus being stuck at home as an artist myself, makes you think ur a hermit LMAO.
Also!! Idk if youve come to AWA alot but yeah this year was strange, for Momo and AwA, alot changed for both and as a local / someones whos gone to both cons for YEARS, this year was such drastic changes to both that it made it really hard for people financially and like, effort to go- wise.
I think this con is def fanart / exclusive item (toys ,trinkets) focused item-wise because people are mainly going to this con to party and hang out!
Awa at the old venue was VERY adult focused and party and get togethers and all that, this year it was still partyish but since the venue was so massive and alot of blockades, people were sorta roaming and lost - especially when the dealers room would close SOOOO early. Every person I met at the con was very upset about the dealers room closing early, many people got to the con around 4-5 and wanted to shop all evening and couldnt :(
I hope AWA maybe does stay in the colder / fall season for the guests and artists sake because it can be horribly hot in GA, but the bad signage, weird times, weird blockades and staff being confused or shrugging at questions made this AWA feel somewhat empty of life. It seemed like it was only fun for late night attendees and photo ops in the grand halls.
But that all being said, all the additions to the dealers room, (like artists, the new NSFW section of artist alley, and other free to do things in the AA was very enticing to many con goers and locals.
I do think it'll be growing pains so its sad to hear alot of artists wanting to not come to this event again when it was such a banger at the old location, but its totally understandable with this Baddd economy and Con Makers throwing attendees and artists in the wind when they plan things very suddenly last minute. I hope you come back to GA again !!! People love demon girl art, i think people were just overwhelmed by choice and the large walks to even get into the venue sadly.
Thanks for letting me film you for my vlog! I think your cosplay was my favorite one all weekend! And these thoughts and observations are all super insightful, thanks for sharing. I will definitely come back for Momocon if they'll have me! I love ATL
@@kelsiekishidraws OMGG THANK U SO MUCHHH im hoping to revamp it for Momocon and make it alot more detailed
You exude BIG extrovert energy! And while all the other things were unfortunate, it was great to hear you were in your element being with others! It's a great lesson to rediscover about yourself and I'm happy for you.
Sometimes it really is about the friends we made along the way lol
Always appreciate your hard work and honesty in these vlogs! The quality has been so good. 3:08 You look so pretty!!
Aww you're so kind. Thank you!
Ugh I feel for y’all 🥲😭 I saw all the AA stories and was so curious to see everyone’s AWA vlogs. Sorry this happened to you
It's alright. It's bound to happen when you do this often enough. At least I got content and another con to add to my resume lol
Omg I was sitting beside you and didn’t know you vlogged 😂 you were so sweet . This event definitely could have been better.
Hi neighbor! 👋🏽
Incredible insights, I feel bad for everyone who had to endure a tough weekend financially 😭 your vlog should def be a bookmark for anyone interested in doing AWA in the future
Come one, come all and lend me thine ear as I share the dreaded tale of Awa-geddon💀
they problem is they should have never moved it but the gallery kinda went woke with going casheless its was stupid
Congrats on finishing the year with a banger…not in sales but in vibes outside of the con. Rediscovering independent Kelsie, solo traveling, new art, creating a clearing goal for yourself for next years booth setup. Guuuurl, so proud of you. I’m excited for your next blog. I want ALL THE DETAILS 🤣🤣🙌🙌
Ending the year with the good vibes haha
It was amazing meeting you! Thank you for featuring me in the video. Atlanta was an interesting experience and comparable to a European con for me. Especially considering the costs (3k) I was very nervous in the end and thankful it worked out. The team was very kind in communication and helped me with a lot of questions I had. Talking to other artists and visitors (some artists even came up and excused how the con was for artists) . Many did not know we were open to sales on Thursday, which explains the sales and not many people there. 30k is a nice number and generally the sales were better than in some European countries for that number of attendees, but things in general are more expensive in the US. The date change and being so close to Christmas and the other con for Christmas, people often mentioned that this was an issue as this was too close. Knowing that it is a week before Christmas next year, I won't re-apply as this is too risky. There were a lot of artists, the back was very liverly going from left to right, left was crowded, middle row where we places was empty most of the time as the space was so huge and nothing placed for people to walk trough, looking behind got frustrating at times as it was crowded, but dead on our side. Really looking forward to your vlogs!
It was so nice meeting you too! Thank you for all the insight into international shows, it was fascinating to hear about. I hope to see you at more US based cons!
AWA has been my FAVORITE convention since i was super little as a georgia local, but this year just... wasnt it. new location AND new dates was a death sentence like you said, and i heard a LOT of people saying they were snubbing AWA because holmat in orlando is so soon.
i showed up super early saturday to beat the crowd, but then there like... never really was one LMAO. all the vendors i talked to were fantastic, but the crowd was just pretty dookie this year. didnt help that the layout was super weird - i couldnt really tell where artist alley started and dealers room began??? whatever.
so glad you got to check out the aquarium, it is just the best part of georgia hands down. hope to catch you at next momocon!!!! :)
Yeah being so close to HolMat is another reason I forgot to mention. Yes, hope to make it into MomoCon 2025 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽
it used to be like 45 dollare for the con
it used to be 45 dollars for thecon
omg i remember you i made it a point to visit every single table and so glad i did bc i almost missed your spider lily sticker.. i wish i bought more!
Thank you so much for supporting me in person and here on RUclips 🤗
your point of view is whats so important to me. I do original stuff and books and accessories and cons are way too expensive. 800$ tables? no thank you. I did AWA when I lived in atlanta 15+ years ago and yes had the same issue, people just pass by like I'm invisible.
This just seems to be a fan art heavy crowd! It’s a bummer but there’s definitely shows out there that appreciate original work
dannngg you got this out fast!!!
this was my second ever event. i drove here so my expenses were more like 600 (i shared a booth with a friend). i made a little more than double that so I was happy about that... but ive heard in the past people made 10k from this con... 💀
i was honestly worried that we would get swamped and i wouldn't have enough inventory because i only even heard about AWA from a cosplayer i met at the airport after anime expo who said it was a really lit con, so i expected it to be like ACEN (which is my favorite con as an attendee). at acen i literally avoided the artist alley until last minute because there were too many freaking people I couldn't shop in peace. but here, i would say it was almost relaxing to just chat with attendees, and we could literally walk around during open hours and not worry about customers.
for me, i think the lack of people was great for my second con 🤣because im still a mess at organizing my small stock. i got the con vibes - like you said its so easy and fun to talk to people at cons, people came back to my booth to buy or show me their cosplays they told me about the day before, another artist GAVE me their art book, we got drinks with our stamp rally mate who was super freaking cool. so it was fun but i was expecting a bit more than that.
i saw someone walk by with one of your bags on sunday and i was so surprised you were here!!! so obviously it has a good reputation but yeah they expanded wayyy too much and too fast this year. i would do awa again tbh but again i don't have to fly. loved your video, you express yourself super clearly and i hope your next event blows your bank account up in a good way!!!!
I’m glad to hear it was a relatively good experience for you! I do think locals with low costs and who sell fanart can still benefit from this show. Thanks for watching and being here!
While the convention sucked in sales I love that you were able to find positives and overall it was good! I can’t wait to see you at sacanime! 🥳
SEE YOU THEN!!!
Glad you made the most of the situation by being productive 🙌🏽 Sounds like too many variables changed and now it's a whole new event. Hopefully they can build it up to what it once was 🙏🏽
Hopefully! I won’t be a part though LOL. I think even if it had went well, it doesn’t seem to be a crowd that’s interested in my kind of work. I’d rather focus my efforts on people who appreciate my art.
@@kelsiekishidraws it is truly unfortunate if thats the case, but definitely understandable that you need to hit up the places where you get the most response, whether its all financial or just feedback, or a combination of the two. Best of luck~~
Going then into the new year while ✨ chaos ✨ love that!!
the Kelsiekishidraws way lol
That sucks the convention didn't go so well but I'm glad you were able to have some fun in the end. I'm looking forward to seeing your finished filipino goddess drawing!
Thanks for watching and for the kind words!
I currently can't watch RUclips much because I need to study but I'm happy to see that you still had fun despite the rough convention experience profit-wise!! 😄😁 💖💝 now that I think about it this is your first time selling solo! I didn't realize until you mentioned it!
Hope your studies go well! 🙏🏽
I love Meg. She is hilarious
she was so fun to edit lol
ATL native who attended here! From someone who's been going since 2021, AWA has always been 4 days, i had too look it up just to be sure i wasn't misremembering anything and they all went Thursday to Sunday, so whoever said it was 3 days was wrong. The other thing is, as my friend and i preped for the con and found out about the changes, the main thing everyone actually complained about was the date change. Some were worried about location but since it was the same area and slightly bigger (Last location was a lil tight), some were happy for the extra space and a few said it may be like them starting over completely. Almost everyone i saw talk about it prior tho, said it was the date change that made them not want to go bc it was super close to christmas which i totally got. I noticed after that my friend and i didn't do our usual of walking through the entire alley at some point. We spent a lot more time at events and panels this year. Everyone was definitely ready to leave the previous place tho, as the last year there was full of odd and kinda invasive rules, not from AWA itself, but the venue. No one liked them and plenty got mad at AWA themselves for it before everyone realized it was the hotel we were in. It They were basically kicking us out so everyone was ready to leave aand many even suggested the GWCC as a replacement.
The location change did affect how things went tho, as someone who also went to momo, i expected B building, as i had never even seen C like that prior and staff had trouble even telling people where the photoshoot locations were bc there wasnt a real map. On top of that, i noticed the map of the inside they did have was wonky so we had to learn the layout ourselves and base everything off that. We even asked for directions for a couple places and even staff was confused as to where things were, we helped guide another photoshoot group to where their location was because they said they were getting turned around by staff bc staff was confused. I def feel they could've done better with learning the layout and providing an actual proper map bc it def took my friend and i walking by like twice before we found the entrance.
In terms of the artist alley, my friend and I spent a lot of time planning around panels and then when we did have time to come look at/buy, we had like an hour? 2 maybe before it closed at 6 and we were shocked it was closing so early when panels went on for the same times as last year. we rushed on sunday just to be able to buy a few things and get business cards and give away candy before it ended. Didnt get to come on thursday (which we'd normally walk around the alley but our hotel check in sucked) and we totally would've stopped by bc we always stop by the OG art booths bc we know people mostly like fanart (i do too but it's nice to show OG art creators they're stuff is cute) so we missed a bunch and didnt even get to see every artist in a walk around.
All in all, i did have fun exploring panels more this year but i def missed spending like a full day dedicated to just walking around the alley and taking vids of cool art. The venue, the hours, the time of year all affected how different it felt but i want to chalk it up to venue changing pains and hope they change the date back (bc i couldn't find anything going on that would've blocked them from the halloween weekend is was before) and listen about the maps. I think the GWCC was a great recommendation and is a viable venue, i will be going again next year so i can only hope they do better.
I appreciate your in-depth review! It sounds like there were some growing pains that AWA needed to work out and I hope that they listen to feedback and make the necessary changes!
I’m so sorry that happened to you. I was waitlisted for the show but it seems like I dodged a bullet. I have a ton of artist friends who were there and didn’t do well financially. They said the vibes were shaky too. It sucks you all went through that.
It's a bummer, but it's part of business sometimes! Grateful to have been a part nonetheless, but yes you definitely dodged a bullet lol.
dont forget that the date was changed to a period where many companies have black out dates. so lots of people probably couldn't get off to go. also the cold can deter people from going and youre right the holiday times makes it harder for people to justify spending money when they probably already spent money on gifts.
i will say that advertising was awful. access to infop was hard to find hours. there was an app with the schedule but it was not advertised at all and i only knew because a friend i was lodging with told me.
as an attendee the extra space was nice bc it didn't feel too crowded but even to me it felt like TOO much space
This is good insight from an attendee's pov. Thanks for sharing!
@@kelsiekishidraws np im so sorry as a vendor/artist it didn't work out but I hope it doesnt discourage you from considering coming again! maybe like a like 2 more awa cycles so they figure out the new setup
I heard this con fell SO short from previous years in terms of sales. I hope AWA takes the feedback they get seriously because I doubt they will have the same caliber of artists applying next year if nothing changes! Love that you searched for the silver lining because sometimes it takes a bit of fake it til you make it to keep from falling apart fr.
Oh I was absolutely falling apart during the con HAHA but staying productive with artwork definitely helped! 💀😂
I loved when you were talking about your anxiety and doing things alone because I feel the EXACT same way. And you don’t even think it’ll be as bad as it is until right up until it. Anxiety sucks sometimes and I know AWA didn’t treat any of you as it should but I’m glad you still made a video! 🩵 I’m about two hours away from Atlanta but I also host kpop cupsleeves in Atlanta and I’ve noticed everyone is so competitive about being the best of the best host with their event being the best so it’s sooo saturated between smaller anime and kpop weekend events versus like momocon. Momocon seems to be the only worth it for out of town people. It’s the biggest con around here! All of the others just aren’t worth it if you’re local.
Life is hard for us anxious queens HAHA but thank you for the insight! It explains a lot.
The ancient Filipino goddesses in your style WOULD LOOK AMAZINGG🤩🤩
Oooooh yes I definitely want to do that!
@@kelsiekishidraws I’d buy your version of Hanan/Tala/Mayari in a heartbeat 🫶🏽
There's always growing pains when cons move times/places to get ready for expansions in the future. It's always going to happen.
While I definitely agree, I’ve also been a part of cons that have taken steps for expansion and while the sales were not as good as previous years, they weren’t nearly as bad as AWA. I think they could’ve taken smaller steps to lessen the risk on vendors and artists. I don’t mind growth or expansion, but I can’t get on board with extreme steps that leave their vendors and artists in the dust completely.
that doesn't excuse such an established con fumbling like this
I'm sorry you had a terrible experience. I've been going to AWA for the pass 20 years, but I skipped this year. They definitely needed to move from the Cobb Galleria but Hall C was too much for them. The timing sucks and a lot of my friends skipped with the Holidays. Plus AWA can't compete with Holiday Matsuri. I really hope in 2026 GWCC allows them to be around Halloween again. However AWA is very much an anime con that wants fanart. Idk why but more people are open to original art at DragonCon and MomoCon. As someone that got into AA in 2021 but has been waitlisted the last 2 years it's disappointing to hear they doubled the size and I still didn't get in. I even know some artists who dropped out for other events since the vibe among many in my con circle was skip AWA this year. I'm glad you found some positives though. The GA Aquarium is amazing!
Thanks for watching and for providing some good insight. Yes the aquarium is stunning!
Thats insanely slow last time i went it was hella busy 24/7 that is crazy
I heard the crowd was actually bigger than previous years by a few thousand! But 33k at the GWCC just doesn’t look the same as 33k in a much smaller convention center doesn't
I was another artist at AWA and it was my first time doing an anime con in Atlanta! I had a similar experience you did! Costs were high and it was pitifully slow! :{ My stuff is mostly fanart too, and I don't think I talked to a single artist who had a good show! I didn't know they doubled the AA this year, that would definitely add to the changes that were made that would have affected our weekend. Bummer. (I also got sick (not Covid) from someone on the plane ride over so I had to do the whole con wearing a mask and hopped up on cold medication. Would not recommend.)
I’m so sorry you got sick! I hope your recovery process is smoother than the con was 😢😅
you should've masked up in the first place
The pattern in the course of the year has been at a extreme decline 😮😅 The con fees are so high that it doesn’t make any sense anymore
It's rough time to be a business for sure
@ when all the con attendees are now vendors it’s changed the whole game 🤔
The only artists that didn’t report underwhelming sales were the 18+ artists 😂 I guess people love their 18+ art regardless lol
HAHA I guess NSFW is the way to succeed at AWA 💀💀💀
at least it became good content 😅 hope the next event will do you well 😊
Girl it better or I’ll cry HAHA
I got waitlisted to table at AWA, and after hearing of your experience there this year I feel like it was a blessing in disguise. I'm sorry it wasn't the optimal experience, I hope you make up for it at another con soon!
Yes, you absolutely dodged a bullet 💀😂 thank you for the kind wishes!
I think that for the past 2 years a lot of new anime events have popped up and organizers try to take advantage of the anime hype to host these events but they don't organize it well. Especially with advertising. Unless the organizers truly care about the theme of the event and the community ex anime community, as long as they make a profit they believe it to be successful even if the vendors didn't do great and there wasn't a big crowd. Also unless absolutely necessary I don't think they should expand as quick as some have been. It's disappointing as an attendee to go to a con that isn't very interactive for the attendees. Some of the just have vendors/exhibitors and VA signings. No actual activities or events within the event.
Yes, it's a bummer for sure. I hope in the future they learned to prioritize vendors and artists. Also I agree with your other point! I think cons should offer more than just shopping experiences.
ALA did the same thing. I think it's starting to pick up again
hmmm so conventions can recover. Maybe AWA will then! given some time of course
Well, I heard the convention is not so much is this recommendation to go for the future you think?
It’s definitely not a show for me or anyone who makes work similar to mine
@ I heard it was empty all weekend not much of a big crowd attendance wise I wouldn’t never wanna go to a con that’s empty not really
@@marcusice5400 the con drew around 33,000 which is up around 3000 people according to closing ceremonies, but it is a significantly larger space than the Galleria. Just one of the exhibit halls in C is bigger than multiple halls combined in the galleria. Also, there's alot more walking traffic space in the GWCC.
Both of those things would make someone who had attended last year and was used to always bumping into people think to themselves that it was empty by comparison....
@ yeah well said at the end of the day it’s all about have good experiences depends on what con you attended it’s all about having fun really
Nails in coffins for events- changing location, changing dates, and doing both is a death sentence.
I hate when events do this. Because people get use to a certain time of year for the event.. and sometimes when they move it, they don't think about it conflicting with other events and attendees may have to pick n choose. Dec events are never really good because everyone is broke, same with January ones sometimes cuz after holidays people be broke.
Being super honest-it just didn’t feel like the organizers cared about the artists and vendors. If they did, I feel like they wouldn’t have so many drastic changes at once 💀💀💀
It's a shame because AWA was always my favorite convention. It was my first ever convention back in 2005 and I always looked forward to going back whenever I could. But I have noticed that there have been a lot of changes lately to many conventions around the country where they haven't been performing as well as they used to in the past. Sometimes new locations haven't been the best, and in other times (as you mentioned in the video) there is a lack of proper promotion/marketing/advertising etc., and sometimes even bad management, which leads to a lot of people being uninformed and/or having a bad experience.
Momocon was also one of my hometown conventions in GA, and just like AWA it has since blown up into a much bigger con. I remember attending Momo back at GA Tech on it's 2nd year operating and now it's so big that it can compete with cons that have been around for way longer. lol
I just hope that going forward conventions take all of the feedback from artists, dealers, and attendees so that they can make the necessary changes to improve the events for the future. Honestly, I hope AWA works hard enough on it's own growth and development to one day be able to convince you to give them another chance. But I guess the ball is in their court. 😆
That's crazy that you were around when Momocon was still small! Yes, hopefully they learn from this. I think local artist could still benefit from this show, and anyone who can keep their expenses down to virtually nothing.