COLUMBUS - A long line twists and turns around the halls of the
Hyatt-Regency Hotel in Columbus, Ohio and into the attached Columbus Convention
Center. It zig-zags its way through the large open area just inside the
building, snakes its way through the food court, and down a hall, only to
abruptly turn and line the opposite wall. Those in line are varied in height,
weight, age, race, culture, creed, and even language. Some are dressed
casually, in t-shirts and jeans. Others are dressed more formally, in button-down
shirts and even ties. Still others are dressed in lovingly hand-crafted
reproductions of seemingly impossible clothes, with a veritable rainbow of hair
and hairstyles that seem designed to poke an eye out if one gets too close.
Occasionally a spandex-clad superhero or a caped supervillain makes their
appearance. They may have all come from different cities, different states, or
even different countries, but as these strangers stand in the line and make
conversation with each other, they find that they all have one thing in common:
They are here to buy a ticket to explore Ohayocon.
Ohayocon is one of the largest annual conventions for the appreciation
of Japanese animation in the midwest. The name "Ohayocon" comes from
the state that the convention is held in and the romanization of the Japanese
word for Good Morning, "ohayo". Indeed, it's certainly a good morning
and perhaps even a good day and night for attendees, the staff, and the guests.
Since 2001, people from all over the state and even the country have been
flocking together to participate in a weekend of festivities, entertainment,
shopping, costumes, and fun.
The original Ohayocon was held in the Sheraton Airport Hotel in
Cleveland, OH, with a paid attendance of 654. As of 2012, Ohayocon has not only
changed regular location, but attendance has skyrocketed to 12,198 paid, over
eighteen times the original attendance.
Since 2004, Ohayocon has been held in the Hyatt-Regency Hotel in
Columbus and has been growing larger by the year. "We were sold out all
weekend," Hyatt-Regency Director of Rooms, Mike Kiesel, said. "And
that was just the people who stayed in the hotel." In 2004, 3042 people
attended. The year after, the convention expanded to take place in the Columbus
Convention Center attached to the hotel, and it was a good thing too as over
1000 more people attended than the previous year. Since then, attendance has
been growing exponentially, with more and more guests attending, panels being
run, and attendees filling the building to its limits. "It's basically all
hands on deck all weekend," Kiesel said. "It's very busy."
Every year at Ohayocon, special attractions called "panels"
are scheduled around-the-clock, taking place in various rooms in the convention
center and the hotel. Panels are timed blocks hosted by those who set one up
and can range from an in-depth look at Japanese culture, cultural music
appreciation, something focused on a specific genre such as horror or comedy,
or even a place to sit around and chat about your favorite series for several
hours. However, one of the biggest attractions when it comes to panels are the
celebrity guests. Celebrities from all walks of life come to Ohayocon to host
panels - voice actors, artists, musicians, translators, chefs, and much more.
"There are a lot of events every year," regular con-goer Alex
Timmons said. "I used to try to go to every one, but I quickly tired
myself out." Indeed, with events scheduled around the clock it's easy to
get overwhelmed. Luckily, there's something for everyone. "I try to go to
the voice acting panels," Timmons said. "I like to know what's coming
up in the world of voice acting."
Of course, a convention is nothing without the attendees, and this year
had them in spades. From pillar to post, the convention center was full of
excited congoers, and early estimates claim that it was the biggest Ohayocon
yet. "I'd say there were about 14000 attendees," Kiesel said.
"People stayed up from noon until 4AM." with so much to do at
Ohayocon, it's hardly a surprise that so many guests would stay for so long
three days in a row. "It's a really interesting weekend," Kiesel said.
"I don't personally attend conventions in my free time, but there's
nothing like seeing all the costumes and attractions at Ohayocon."
San Khon is a regular Ohayocon attendee, and has been attending
Ohayocon since 2008. He is also a regular "cosplayer" - the term for
those who attend conventions in costume. "It's a social experience,"
Khon said. "Cosplay is a talking point, whether it's going up to people to
tell them you like their costume or the character they're portraying, or taking
pictures of them." It's hard to argue with that, considering the amount of
professional and amateur photographers that crowded the event, taking pictures
of the costumes. "Asking someone why they cosplay is a lot like asking an
artist what art means to them," Khon said. "Everyone does it for a
different reason, but at the end of the day it's all part of the
experience."
For thirteen years, Ohayocon has been held, growing larger each year.
It raises the question of what could possibly be in the future for the
convention, and indeed other conventions of this type. "I work at FYE when
they have something called Anime Days," Timmons said, "and each one
is bigger than the last. I've been going for six years and every time I see
more and more people who have never been to a convention or Ohayocon
before."
Says Mike Kiesel, "I think that there's always going to be demand
for conventions like this. They're even thinking of doing a second round next
year just because the demand is so high. I've seen these conventions happen all
around the country as this subculture slowly starts to infiltrate the
mainstream."
It seems that these anime conventions and Ohayocon itself is growing in
fame and importance, bringing more and more traffic to the Hyatt-Regency and
the Columbus area each year. As long as there is Japanese culture to appreciate, it seems that these conventions wil be around for a long
time to come.
In conclusion, Ohayocon has been a Columbus staple for many years and
looks like it will be for years to come. With guests, costumes, and
attractions, it is an experience unlike many others. From the long discussions
on horror-themed Japanese music, to the bright costumes and smiles found around
every corner, to the music and products found in the vendor's area, to the
constant photoshoots and posing, Ohayocon and the experience thereof has carved
its own niche into Columbus, a niche that doesn't seem to be fading any time
soon.
Sources:
http://animecons.com/
Mike Kiesel, Hyatt-Regency director of rooms
http://ohayocon.org/
http://columbusregency.hyatt.com/
Alex Timmons, congoer
Joe Ferretti, congoer
San Khon, congoer
