Wai-Con
Encyclopedia
Wai-Con is an annual anime convention
held in Perth
, Western Australia
. The convention is held over two days and aims to promote Japanese culture (especially anime
and manga
) to the general community. Wai-Con was created by and is run by the non-profit incorporation Perth Anime Convention (PAniC).
On the 11th-12 December 2004 at the Arts precinct of the University of Western Australia
, the first Wai-Con was held. Fans were treated to a two-day cosplay
competition, artwork displays, many traders selling Japanese goods, anime music video
s, as well as the latest anime screenings. Over two days approximately 400 people visited the convention, greatly exceeding the expectations of the organisers.
Due to renovations at the previous location, Wai-Con 2005 was held at the Economics/Commerce/Law (ECL) precinct of Murdoch University
on the 10th-11 December. New events at Wai-Con 2005 were the introduction of videogames
to the roster, as well as the anime game show "PANIC Button". Approximately 700 people turned out over the entire weekend.
After the sharp increase in attendance the previous year, Wai-Con 2006 left the university venues and was held at Arena Joondalup on the 9th-10 December. Wai-Con 06 added new con-day entertainment such as the Sumo suits and martial arts demonstrations, and introduced the Fund-raising Auction as part of the Closing Ceremony. This was also the first year an Official Theme was introduced, which was Space Cadets . Perhaps owing to the venue being more remote from the city centre, Wai-Con 06 boasted only a moderate increase in numbers, with official attendance figures at 850 people.
Bowing to the combined pressure from fans and traders for a closer venue, Wai-Con 2007 was held at the Perth Convention Exhibition Centre
on the 15th-16 December with a theme of Spies. Official estimates for Wai-con 07 gave a total weekend attendance of over 1600 people, almost double the attendance in 2006. Over 450 people waited in line for the con to open on Saturday morning, and a total of approximately 1200 people had stepped through at day's end. Sunday saw an estimated total of 1000.
Throughout 2007, PAniC polled their members in a general survey. One of the questions asked members what month they preferred to have the convention. One of the reasons was due to the organisational issues involved for holding a convention in the December period. The outcome of the survey resulted in the decision to move the convention from December to January, and no convention being held in 2008. The next convention would then be held in January 2009.
On the weekend of the 31st of January, Wai-con 2009 was held. The theme for that year was Steampunk
. Due to the efforts of the committee in promoting the convention, the attendance rose to 3190 people, an almost 100% increase from the previous year. This marked increase in attendance showed, with massive lines at the entrance before the con opened, and the vendors' hall and the main theatre being filled to the hired capacity.
The 2010 convention was held on the 23rd and 24 January. The theme was Angels and Demons, and a total of 3442 people attended the convention over two days. The convention was marked by a performance from seven members of the Eminence Symphony Orchestra
, an anime and videogame themed orchestra. Eminence also brought with them Yasunori Mitsuda
, a videogame composer famous for his work on such titles as Chrono Trigger
, and several of his pieces were played during the concert.
Anime convention
An anime convention is an event or gathering with a primary focus on anime, manga and Japanese culture. Commonly, anime conventions are multi-day events hosted at convention centers, hotels or college campuses. They feature a wide variety of activities and panels...
held in Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
, Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
. The convention is held over two days and aims to promote Japanese culture (especially anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
and manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
) to the general community. Wai-Con was created by and is run by the non-profit incorporation Perth Anime Convention (PAniC).
Programming
A variety of events are run at Wai-Con, including:- Several rooms set up for AnimeAnimeis the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
screenings - Panels on a wide variety of topics, related directly and indirectly to the target audience's interests
- Traders, selling relevant goods
- Two CosplayCosplay, short for "costume play", is a type of performance art in which participants don costumes and accessories to represent a specific character or idea. Characters are often drawn from popular fiction in Japan, but recent trends have included American cartoons and science fiction...
competitions (one per day) - Anime Music VideoAnime music videoAn anime music video is a music video consisting of clips from one or more animations set to an audio track ; the term usually refers to fan-made unofficial videos. An AMV can also be a set of video game footage put together with music which is known as a GMV...
competitions - Art competitions
- Videogame competitions
- Trading Card Game tournaments
- Card Trading
- Cosplay Photos taken
History
In September 2003, a group of fans and representatives from the three major Perth anime clubs assembled to create the beginnings of the first convention under the working title "WestCon". As the idea developed and PAniC became incorporated, the Wai-Con name was formally adopted. While the prefix of WAI was never officially given a meaning, fans have come up with their own interpretations such as "Western Anime Insanity" or "Western Anime Invasion". Unofficially, it was chosen to pay homage to the Japanese shout of joy.On the 11th-12 December 2004 at the Arts precinct of the University of Western Australia
University of Western Australia
The University of Western Australia was established by an Act of the Western Australian Parliament in February 1911, and began teaching students for the first time in 1913. It is the oldest university in the state of Western Australia and the only university in the state to be a member of the...
, the first Wai-Con was held. Fans were treated to a two-day cosplay
Cosplay
, short for "costume play", is a type of performance art in which participants don costumes and accessories to represent a specific character or idea. Characters are often drawn from popular fiction in Japan, but recent trends have included American cartoons and science fiction...
competition, artwork displays, many traders selling Japanese goods, anime music video
Anime music video
An anime music video is a music video consisting of clips from one or more animations set to an audio track ; the term usually refers to fan-made unofficial videos. An AMV can also be a set of video game footage put together with music which is known as a GMV...
s, as well as the latest anime screenings. Over two days approximately 400 people visited the convention, greatly exceeding the expectations of the organisers.
Due to renovations at the previous location, Wai-Con 2005 was held at the Economics/Commerce/Law (ECL) precinct of Murdoch University
Murdoch University
Murdoch University is a public university based in Perth, Australia. It began operations as the state's second university in 1973, and accepted its first students in 1975...
on the 10th-11 December. New events at Wai-Con 2005 were the introduction of videogames
VideoGames
VideoGames may refer to:*VideoGames, a mid-1990s magazine about video games.*Video games in general....
to the roster, as well as the anime game show "PANIC Button". Approximately 700 people turned out over the entire weekend.
After the sharp increase in attendance the previous year, Wai-Con 2006 left the university venues and was held at Arena Joondalup on the 9th-10 December. Wai-Con 06 added new con-day entertainment such as the Sumo suits and martial arts demonstrations, and introduced the Fund-raising Auction as part of the Closing Ceremony. This was also the first year an Official Theme was introduced, which was Space Cadets . Perhaps owing to the venue being more remote from the city centre, Wai-Con 06 boasted only a moderate increase in numbers, with official attendance figures at 850 people.
Bowing to the combined pressure from fans and traders for a closer venue, Wai-Con 2007 was held at the Perth Convention Exhibition Centre
Perth Convention Exhibition Centre
The Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre is a convention centre located in Perth, Western Australia. It was opened in August 2004.-History:The Centre was built by Multiplex and it opened on the 24th August 2004....
on the 15th-16 December with a theme of Spies. Official estimates for Wai-con 07 gave a total weekend attendance of over 1600 people, almost double the attendance in 2006. Over 450 people waited in line for the con to open on Saturday morning, and a total of approximately 1200 people had stepped through at day's end. Sunday saw an estimated total of 1000.
Throughout 2007, PAniC polled their members in a general survey. One of the questions asked members what month they preferred to have the convention. One of the reasons was due to the organisational issues involved for holding a convention in the December period. The outcome of the survey resulted in the decision to move the convention from December to January, and no convention being held in 2008. The next convention would then be held in January 2009.
On the weekend of the 31st of January, Wai-con 2009 was held. The theme for that year was Steampunk
Steampunk
Steampunk is a sub-genre of science fiction, fantasy, alternate history, and speculative fiction that came into prominence during the 1980s and early 1990s. Steampunk involves a setting where steam power is still widely used—usually Victorian era Britain or "Wild West"-era United...
. Due to the efforts of the committee in promoting the convention, the attendance rose to 3190 people, an almost 100% increase from the previous year. This marked increase in attendance showed, with massive lines at the entrance before the con opened, and the vendors' hall and the main theatre being filled to the hired capacity.
The 2010 convention was held on the 23rd and 24 January. The theme was Angels and Demons, and a total of 3442 people attended the convention over two days. The convention was marked by a performance from seven members of the Eminence Symphony Orchestra
Eminence Symphony Orchestra
- Piano Stories :Alexey Yemtsov performed the first Piano Stories concert on 15 April, at Verbrugghen Hall. Featuring work from Studio Ghibli, Yoko Kanno and Shirō Sagisu, Piano Stories marked the beginning of a series of concerts celebrating piano scores from a selection of anime and gaming...
, an anime and videogame themed orchestra. Eminence also brought with them Yasunori Mitsuda
Yasunori Mitsuda
is a Japanese video game composer, sound programmer, and musician. He has composed music for or worked on over 35 games, and has contributed to over 15 other albums...
, a videogame composer famous for his work on such titles as Chrono Trigger
Chrono Trigger
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1995. Chrono Triggers development team included three designers that Square dubbed the "Dream Team": Hironobu Sakaguchi, the creator of Square's Final Fantasy series; Yuji Horii, a...
, and several of his pieces were played during the concert.
Event History
| Year | Dates | Venue | Theme | President | Attendance | Guests |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 11th-12 December | University of WA University of Western Australia The University of Western Australia was established by an Act of the Western Australian Parliament in February 1911, and began teaching students for the first time in 1913. It is the oldest university in the state of Western Australia and the only university in the state to be a member of the... |
Journey to the West | Justin Bairstow | 400 | |
| 2005 | 10th-11 December | Murdoch University Murdoch University Murdoch University is a public university based in Perth, Australia. It began operations as the state's second university in 1973, and accepted its first students in 1975... |
Fantasy | Wade Allen | 700 | |
| 2006 | 9th-10 December | Arena Joondalup | Space Cadets | Trina Tan | 850 | |
| 2007 | 15th-16 December | Perth Convention Exhibition Centre Perth Convention Exhibition Centre The Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre is a convention centre located in Perth, Western Australia. It was opened in August 2004.-History:The Centre was built by Multiplex and it opened on the 24th August 2004.... |
Spies | Hew Tromans | 1700 | |
| 2009 | 31 January & 1 February | Perth Convention Exhibition Centre | Steampunk | Mike Browner | 3190 | |
| 2010 | 23rd-24 January | Perth Convention Exhibition Centre | Angels and Demons | Mirai Raine | 3442 | Eminence Symphony Orchestra Eminence Symphony Orchestra - Piano Stories :Alexey Yemtsov performed the first Piano Stories concert on 15 April, at Verbrugghen Hall. Featuring work from Studio Ghibli, Yoko Kanno and Shirō Sagisu, Piano Stories marked the beginning of a series of concerts celebrating piano scores from a selection of anime and gaming... , Yasunori Mitsuda Yasunori Mitsuda is a Japanese video game composer, sound programmer, and musician. He has composed music for or worked on over 35 games, and has contributed to over 15 other albums... |
| 2011 | 29-30 January | Perth Convention Exhibition Centre | Sports | Wade Allen | 3679 | Spike Spencer Spike Spencer Charles Forrest "Spike" Spencer is an American actor best known for dubbing Japanese anime films. He is best known for roles in ADV Films dubs of Neon Genesis Evangelion , Martian Successor Nadesico , and Excel Saga . He has also performed voice acting for radio, especially commercials... , Donna Burke Donna Burke Donna Burke, a singer, narrator, and entrepreneur, was born in Perth, Australia, and moved to Tokyo, Japan in 1996. She lives with her guitarist and husband Bill Benfield and her three cats.... |
| 2012 | 28-29 January | Perth Convention Exhibition Centre | Invasion | Christopher Bobridge |
Organizers
The Perth Anime Convention Incorporated (PAniC inc) is the name of the group responsible for running Wai-Con. It was formed in September 2003, though it was only formally made into a non-profit incorporation a few months later.PAniC Honour Roll
PAniC officially recognises and honours those who have given a great amount of their time and effort for PAniC and Wai-Con.| Year | Name |
|---|---|
| 2009 | Wendy Chew |
| 2009 | Trina Tan |
| 2010 | Leah Crichton |
| 2011 | Wade Allen |
Mascots
The mascots for each year is decided through an open design competition based on the set theme for the convention, with the then current committee judging and choosing a winner.| Year | Theme | Artist | Mascot |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Journey to the West | - | - |
| 2005 | Fantasy | Min L | - |
| 2006 | Space Cadets | - | - |
| 2007 | Spies | Ken B | - |
| 2009 | Steampunk | Erry H | A boy and his pig |
| 2010 | Angels and Demons | Marie F | |
| 2011 | Sports | Erry H | |