Orobouros.net Convention Reports and Photos

AwesomeCon 2023

AwesomeCon in 2023 celebrated it's tenth convention and tenth anniversary (the 2020 convention was cancelled due to covid lockdowns). Billed as the biggest fandom convention on the east coast, the convention is a general pop culture convention featuring comics, movies, scifi/fantasy, cosplay, horror, video games, and similar overlapping hobbies. Held at the DC Convention center (which is also home to Otakon), the event draws around 50,000 attendees, though this count may include each day as a separate attendance. The convention aims to draw in the same attendees as DragonCon (Atlanta, GA, in September) and San Diego Comic Con (San Diego, CA in July).

AwesomeCon brings in some pretty big name guests as headliners and the main attraction for the convention. This year's biggest names (among a long list of guests) included Karen Gillian (Guardians of the Galaxy, Doctor Who, and many others), fellow Doctor Who stars Christopher Eccleston and Billie Piper, LeVar Burton (Star Trek: The Next Generation, Reading Rainbow, and many others), and Lord of the Rings stars/hobbits Sean Astin and Elijah Wood. Many of the guests hold autograph and photo sessions over the course of the weekend where attendees can get to know them personally, though very briefly.

The other big draw of the convention is the large dealer's hall, which is also where guest autographs are done. The convention uses all of the center's lowest floor (exhibit hall area) and features a number of different sections. The convention has always had close ties with Washington, DC, itself, and invites in local organizations like the National Science Foundation (more on this below) and both the FBI and Marine Corps recruiting office had large booths near the entrance to the halls. The other sections of the exhibit hall had large sections for independent artists (in essence, the "artists' alley" was combined into the main hall), scifi/fantasy novelists, general merchandise (toys, plushes, etc), cosplay props, and of course, comics. The "everything together" approach works well for the convention, as it gives attendees plenty of opportunity to walk through and window-shop for things they might not normally come across. It can easily take you two hours to walk through all the aisles.

Beyond the two physically biggest (by far) parts of the convention, most of the rest of it is fairly small and somewhat limited. The game room is one of the smaller side halls near the main entrance and combines card, board, tabletop and video games together. The board game library has probably around 100 different games to try and the video game side had probably 20 different options (including a pinball machine). Many of the video games were by indie developers showcasing their upcoming titles and getting testing feedback. Though small in the overall context of the convention and convention center, the gaming area was always busy and lively.

The convention features a number of smaller panels with a variety of topics. One great "panel" option is the cosplay meetup room, which is cleared out save a huge AwesomeCon backdrop, so that large groups of cosplayers and photographers can meet up without interruptions to get photos. The schedule is provided by the convention, though applications and recommendation to the convention ahead of time seem to be welcomed. Other panels included a number of expected fandom oriented panels as well as some science oriented ones. The National Science Foundation had a clear presence at the convention both in the exhibit hall and in panels. Topics in the science tracks covered space exploration, biology, chemistry, geology, and all kinds of other things. While such panels are uncommon at the more niche-focused conventions, AwesomeCon seems to be a great home for them since the attendance demographics are very broad.

Another clear plus for AwesomeCon regarding the convention center is the newly renovated lower food court. The center now has, in addition to the fast-food style vendors in the exhibit halls, two dedicated restaurant areas. The upper food court is anchored by Ben's Half Smoke and a variety of other offerings (typically pizza, burgers, and Caribbean fare). Though seating is limited, it didn't get so busy that you couldn't find a place to sit and eat with a bit of patience. The upstairs food court is located directly outside the main hall on the upper level, whereas the lower food court is located directly below the south entrance. The lower food court area is set up for temporary restaurants; it's intentionally flexible to meet changing interests and clientele. The seating appears to be expanded and the stands separated out more to allow better flow of traffic. Windows now also allow a view of the main exhibit hall from the eating area. Other conventions will likely see huge amounts of traffic here. While the surrounding area has a number of good eating options, many of them have either long waits or hefty prices, as to be expected at downtown restaurants on the weekend. Combined with the intense heat that's common in the late summer, it won't be surprising to see a preference for the convenient option.

Overall AwesomeCon is very successful for what it has set out to do. It's a general pop culture convention drawing in both dedicated fans and casual families alike. While not quite as known as similar, larger conventions, the big name guests that come certainly give AwesomeCon a level of impact other fandom conventions in the area lack. At the same time, it's also clearly aimed at commuter attendees. (Metro access is very easy.) While hotel rooms are available and nearby, there's much less reason to stay for the whole weekend compared to other conventions. Most events are between 10 am and 6 pm, though the convention does run later into the evenings and does offer quite some entertainment for those either staying out late or staying locally. Unless you want to see guests on all three days, it's entirely possible to commute in for a single day for the guests of interest. Much of the rest of the convention can easily be experienced in a single day. That all said, if you have the time and interest, going for the whole weekend and staying on site would be a lot of fun. The convention is slow-paced enough that stepping outside to eat at a nice restaurant or visit a nearby attraction is easily possible.