Day 1’s of conventions usually means preparation and heading out early to make sure you don’t miss any of the action. Unfortunately, this year, I was stuck with work in the morning and could not make it until later in the evening. On the bright side, I managed to get my photographer to head in earlier in the day to cover the first part of the day.
Needless to say, my expectations when I got there was most people would have already entered the convention centre. Later, as I got there, I noticed people cosplaying and also this line. I should have known the line would still be ongoing as people came in from work, school, and other responsibilities as well. The bright side is the press badge line was shared with the VIP badge line. It took me less than 5 minutes to grab my pass and get going.
This year, they used the newer Vancouver Convention Centre side. Not only does this side look better, it also provides a lot more space. One of the complaints of previous years is it quickly becomes hallway con as there is one major hallway which connected all the rooms. This year, using the larger convention centre space, they were able to alleviate this concern.
Not only was the hallway traffic better, even the dealer’s hall was larger. One section was used for artists, while another section was for dealers to sell their goods. There was also a large section for AniRevo goods as well. The back area was used for autographs, photos, and the gaming area. This area was more than large enough to cover all their needs. Not to mention, they did not even use the entirety of the space, so there is certainly room to grow into the future.
As you can see, the area they used was quite large and also allowed for more space to hang out without blocking the entrances. Not to mention, no long crowded hallways. I took this time to meet up with friends who were already there. My crew this year included:
- Andro
- Enzo
- Mike
- Alpha
- Tim
- TheBlackTac
Alpha quickly had to leave as he had other responsibilities, but I met up with Andro, Enzo, and Mike to grab dinner.
After dinner, we headed back to the convention centre for a bit more exploring in the dealer’s hall. After some time there, we looked at the schedule and decided to head out for the day and get some rest for day 2. Day 1 shaped up as a good beginning although I had to work for most of the day. I was really excited to experience the rest of the con and spend a good weekend with friends.
Here are some cosplay photos from day 1 as well:
Last but not least, one of our friends was quite happy about this one.
I always wanted to attend Anime Revolution. I have a lot of relatives in Vancouver, so I’ll definitely visit them when AR is happening one year!