Sakura-Con 2017

This past month was Sakura-Con, an anime convention held at the Washington State Convention Center in Seattle, WA, USA.

Being the largest anime convention in the Northwest, Sakura-Con gained an attendance of an estimated 23,000 attendees in 2016. It’s a convention that can be considered on the same level as Fanime in San Jose, CA or even Anime Los Angeles when it was held at the hotel.

At Sakura-Con 2017, all of what they provided for its attendees was free. There was a room that provided free gameplay of their arcade, and a convention-wide scavenger hunt with QR codes that gives the participant an exclusive pin.

There were multiple autograph signing opportunities for the well-known special guests. The convention provided a smaller exhibit hall and a bigger artist alley, so there was more to look at. You could easily plan your day and get the most things done.

If there was something Sakura-Con could improve on, it’s having more control over its staff. The autograph and panel lines had no control. To compare, Anime Expo and Comic Con have lines to tell people where to stand and have people to control the line. Sakura-Con tries to create the lines with no setup. Thirty minutes before the panel/autograph, you would line up and they will not let you be near so everyone runs to the line when it opens.

Also, the location of the artist alley and exhibit hall was questionable. They were held in opposite buildings, and unless you know the locations beforehand, it’s tiresome to get to and from each location.

Sadly, there was not a lot of diversity between exhibitors and what they offered, but that’s not Sakura-Con’s fault at all.

Sakura-con was ultimately a fun experience with a lot of beautiful scenery. I can see why it has stayed strong for the last 20 years and honestly I would recommend the convention for those who are new to anime/comic conventions and those Veterans from out of state.