No Brand Con, part 1: Behind the Convention
Many people attend and know of the anime convention run by the Anime Appreciation Society. They know the finished product of venders and a game room, the yearly cosplay contest and foam battles. They know the fun, the excitement, the recollection of time spent with friends and neighbors and fellow anime buffs. But what they do not see, though (and hopefully so) maybe comprehend, is the time spent in producing and maintaining this yearly anime confection that is the NBC.
Speaking to the current Proprietor of the convention, Mike, I learned more about what goes into making No Brand Con (NBC) work.
Me: So Mike, why and when did you join No Brand Con?
Mike: This is my fourth year with NBC, [He had volunteered before he became treasurer] I started in 2005 as the treasurer, and I was treasurer for two years. I really just love anime and enjoyed being apart of a convention.
Me: How do you invite and get in touch with the many guests NBC has?
Mike: We attend other conventions and invite different speakers through them. We tend to ask several months in advance if at all possible to give enough leeway.
Me: What do you enjoy the most about NBC?
Mike: I like that it brings so many people together that share common interests.
Me: What is your favorite costume of all time from No Brand Con?
Mike: “That’s a tough one, probably Duct Tape Boy” Another NBC junky Tofur speaks “Keep in mind that’s his real skin.” Mike replies “You better note that.”
Me: What are some of the up and coming guest speakers for NBC?
Mike: We have the Kyle Hebert, the announcer voice actor for DBZ. [He could not think of any of the others that are attending, which include; Johnny Yong Bosch, Sonny Strait, The Slants, and Randy Milholland.]
Me: What is the biggest challenge with No Brand Con? Second biggest?
Mike: The turn around, each year the first semester we have to train new people. NBC is completely run by students and often they leave after one year.
Tofur remarks: Also knowing where we’ll be, for awhile we were the only convention in the area, which is why NBC was started, so we could go to a convention.
Mike: Originally we had maybe five hundred people coming, that was the earlier years, but recently the last few years have had more and more people coming. Upwards of a thousand, making space and resources an issue.
Me: Has NBC in the past or now, worked with local businesses to promote? Possibly with other student organizations like English Festival?
Mike: Not really, we did connect with a few businesses like Fountain of Youth [a local game shop now on Water Street] and a few restaurants. We started NBC bucks which are redeemable at the few locations we’ve hooked up with.
Mike: Unfortunately no, English Fest tends to occur after No Brand Con and is in our down time.
Speaking to the current Proprietor of the convention, Mike, I learned more about what goes into making No Brand Con (NBC) work.
Me: So Mike, why and when did you join No Brand Con?
Mike: This is my fourth year with NBC, [He had volunteered before he became treasurer] I started in 2005 as the treasurer, and I was treasurer for two years. I really just love anime and enjoyed being apart of a convention.
Me: How do you invite and get in touch with the many guests NBC has?
Mike: We attend other conventions and invite different speakers through them. We tend to ask several months in advance if at all possible to give enough leeway.
Me: What do you enjoy the most about NBC?
Mike: I like that it brings so many people together that share common interests.
Me: What is your favorite costume of all time from No Brand Con?
Mike: “That’s a tough one, probably Duct Tape Boy” Another NBC junky Tofur speaks “Keep in mind that’s his real skin.” Mike replies “You better note that.”
Me: What are some of the up and coming guest speakers for NBC?
Mike: We have the Kyle Hebert, the announcer voice actor for DBZ. [He could not think of any of the others that are attending, which include; Johnny Yong Bosch, Sonny Strait, The Slants, and Randy Milholland.]
Me: What is the biggest challenge with No Brand Con? Second biggest?
Mike: The turn around, each year the first semester we have to train new people. NBC is completely run by students and often they leave after one year.
Tofur remarks: Also knowing where we’ll be, for awhile we were the only convention in the area, which is why NBC was started, so we could go to a convention.
Mike: Originally we had maybe five hundred people coming, that was the earlier years, but recently the last few years have had more and more people coming. Upwards of a thousand, making space and resources an issue.
Me: Has NBC in the past or now, worked with local businesses to promote? Possibly with other student organizations like English Festival?
Mike: Not really, we did connect with a few businesses like Fountain of Youth [a local game shop now on Water Street] and a few restaurants. We started NBC bucks which are redeemable at the few locations we’ve hooked up with.
Mike: Unfortunately no, English Fest tends to occur after No Brand Con and is in our down time.