Kogaracon  is a small convention that has experienced exponential growth. Despite the con’s three year hiatus, there were many new offerings, and a unique approach to their cosplay walk-ons which even as a long-term attendee, were quite innovative.

Kogarcon took place in Edison, New Jersey and held the event at Middlesex County College on Saturday, May 6th.

I stopped by a day before to pick up my badge. This was the first time  Kogaracon offered pre-registration prior to the convention and badges were $10 for the main event. It was tough to find the pre-registration area and I tried looking for signage on campus to find the correct place. But once I did, it was smooth sailing! Pre-registration wasn’t busy at all–with a quick and easy run to the table for a signup.

Kogaracon 2023 Highlight

Day one began early in the morning! I went straight to the panel I was assisting with. I  helped a fellow moderator of our Meetup Group with intentions on just setting up, but stayed for moral support! The complexities of hardware set up and then getting ready for public speaking did make getting settled challenging. But a staffer came in and helped us get situated with the hardware. Feedback from attendees was also great. I am not really a panel presenter by nature but my Meta Knight cosplay also played a part in getting through the presentation.

Friends and mutuals in the con space know me as a huge Kirby fan. One of the biggest highlights of this event was after the panel, where I met Ted Lewis, who voiced King Dedede and Escargoon in the English dub of the Kirby anime. I got an autograph on my Kirby DVD.

I want to get as many signatures as I can for folks involved in Kirby media due to really enjoying the franchise and its overall themes.Getting this signed was much like going back in time to great memories of my childhood.

In between events, I went to the exhibitor hall, enjoyed games in the gaming room, and made sure to make time to stop for bubble tea at a food truck.

The exhibitor hall had good options despite its small size. I, of course, had to get a Re-Ment figure! I ended up getting a second figure and gave it to an attendee who was having a bad day. I was very happy to cheer them up. 

Additional highlights came one after another. Kylie McNeill, the voice of Belle and Suzu from the film, BELLE, held a fantastic concert. She performed all of the songs from this film, in addition to her own music. Hearing her sing live gave me chills. Despite me being very introverted and quiet, I was so close to singing along, which is a really huge feat.

The great convention day was topped off with  what  many smaller events call ‘cosplay cat walks!’ Cosplayers walked on stage and showed their costumes to judges and the audience. I loved that the judges gave attendees in the audience their own time to walk on stage, too! 

Although I didn’t walk on stage myself, I saw the energy in this room build and cosplayers were thrilled. It meant a lot to me. 

My main feedback for the event is getting signage on the convention floor , schedules on doors for events such as panels, and directional signage outside areas. The convention is limited to the campus space (many campuses do have unique layouts), but signs can guide the attendees towards the con’s offerings. 

I am looking forward to attending Kogaracon in the future, and thank the staff for making this day truly special.  

Cinnaknight

A grad school student and librarian who seems to run solely on espresso and sweets, Cinnaknight has been going to conventions for about eight years. In her free time, she loves to bake, cook, as well as write!

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