Kate and I balance each other out in our convention reports. When we both attend a convention it is not just an incremental improvement in the coverage but an exponential one. With two of us at an event we can cover more ground, view the same things at different times, and run in different circles of the attendees. But it is more than just having two sets of eyes. A good example is the fact that Kate is far more insightful on Artist Alley. While Artist Alley tends to blend all together to me, Kate has a trained eye thanks to her education and profession that sees a good deal of nuisance in what people are selling and how it stacks up to other offerings at previous years or other conventions. But even when we attended the same things we usually have similar but distinctly different perspectives on panels, guests, concerts, and events. I have done convention reports on my own. I think my coverage of Castle Point and Providence Anime Conference was solid but both of those reports could have been even better had Kate been there as well.

I’m going to bookmark that thought as I think it says a lot about Anime Fan Fest as well. But let me talk about the convention first and then I think it will all make much more sense.

Anime Fan Fest is the latest anime convention to pop up in the North East. Since AnimeNext has gown to a size that it could no longer be held Garden State Exhibit Center it seems that a new convention felt that the old venue would make the perfect area for a new convention to make its debut and fill a niche. I have talked to several people who have not been thrilled about AnimeNext’s move to Atlantic City. While I understand, and even support the move, it leaves a fairly sizable hole in landscape of the Tri-state area convention scene. Anime Fan Fest clearly hopes to step in and make a name for itself thanks to this opportunity.

While it seems like an open and shut matter of a new convention soothing an old itch it is not that simple. It is not like AnimeNext gave up the ghost, is being held during a completely different time of the year, radially changed what sort of convention it was, or moved to another state. If anything given that they are only a month apart so it seems more like they are in some degree of competition. It is not a crazy Anime Expo vs. AM² head to head contest but they are close enough in time and geography that while a lot of people can easily go to both some people are going to have to choose which of the two they will be able to attend.

Can New Jersey support these two anime conventions right next to each other? Will AnimeNext feel a pinch during their critical move to Atlantic City? Will there even be an Anime Fan Fest 2017? These are all questions I don’t have the answers to. But I feel the roots of all of the answers will be 100% visible with hindsight. Lets examine these roots, make some predictions, and then see how many of them are accurate.

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