Pacific Media Expo 2007
Convention Report
by Pedro Rodriguez
It's been a while since I've covered this convention. The last time that I went to PMX was their first year in 2004. Back then, I was intrigued by their declaration to be more than just an anime convention by promoting the various forms of pop-culture and entertainment within Asia and the Pacific Rim. On the positive, they showed how much they meant business by kicking things off with live performance with T.M. Revolution the night before the con, and by the live movies in the video room. Unfortunately for attendees who had been there almost a year go at a much bigger convention, things like the dealer's room felt smaller, and there was a sense of confusion as to how much of the convention center was dedicated to the con itself.
So now here we are three years later. The con has slowly shifted down the calendar from May to November, and while I was familiar with the theme, I haven't been well acquainted with the current state of programing, the quality of the staff, or the overall attendance. This is the second year it has been held at the LAX Hilton and seeing as this this was where I experienced my first convention, almost ten and a half years ago, it was a bit nostalgic coming back here. So as I ventured towards the con to see how things has changed, I started to think about what I should consider when giving it an honest critique.
There is something about going into a room and hearing a group of curious anime fans laugh at a Korean Drama. One of the conventions strongest points is how well it has stuck to its guns by thinking outside the anime box, and being more diverse. So while you had the usual suspects like cosplaying, character designers, and voice actors hosting panels, there were also groups like LiN CLOVER talking about their upcoming concert, or Collin Chou talking about his performance in movies from both Hong Kong and the US, or James Kyson Lee in his role to save the cheerleader. Another event, which I totally regret not covering this year, was Angelic Pretty’s Magical Boutique. Angelic Pretty is a well renowned fashion company in Japan that specializes in lolita fashion. Despite the growing popularity in here in the US, they currently do not ship here to the US. Given the modest size of the line outside the entrance, I'd have to say it was pretty popular. Despite a few flubs and frowns that I encountered, I was rather impressed with the level of courtesy and professionalism in the staff. Having been to events and conventions where EVERY major program was delayed by over an hour, the Saturday concert had a reasonable setback. And despite whatever pressure they were facing at any given time (or lack of sleep), I was always able to find someone that was willing to answer my questions and direct me the right way.
On the down note, there were elements of the convention that I felt could've been a bit bigger or longer. Thankfully one of those was not the lines for registration. Judging by the size of the line outside the registration room, the wait time was a lot shorter than the three hours I spent all those years ago. Unfortunately when I looked inside the arcade room just down the hall from registration, I couldn't believe how few machines there were, or the amount of people playing for that matter. The location had its good and bad points. On one hand, because the convention was held in a smaller area compared to previous years, attendees had a better sense of the convention's boundaries. On the other because most of the area around the convention was closed for the weekend, the convention felt distant from anything else, so if you wanted do things like to eat at a reasonable cost, and avoid having to pay for parking (...again), then you would either have to walk a few good blocks, or bring your own food.
Despite the fact that I haven't seen much growth since the first year, I did like what I saw that weekend. Even though it's not very big, there are a lot of topics covered. I also think they have a lot to offer for yearning members of the press who are serious about getting some good material about a member in the industry. Finally, while the numbers aren't as high as other cons, they didn't face many of the screw ups that bigger and more 'successful' cons try to brush off. If there is one thing (okay two things) that I wish could change is having things like parking and food more affordable and available; while its something that might not seem like much I think the staff might have to take that into consideration if they would like to get the expo to grow. If an anime fan asked me what is the best way to get the most out of this convention I would tell them this: If you're curious enough to go but don't want to risk wasting a full admission, go for just a day. If you don't want to drive and pay for parking then try other methods of transportation. If you're worried about the price of hotel food, bring a lunch. When you go to the panels, go and try to keep an open mind about experiencing things other than anime. See if there is a comical K-Drama and just enjoy it; who cares if they aren't speaking Japanese, and have natural hair color?
So welcome to the next generation of conventions.