June 15, 2009
News for EXP Convention 2009:
EXP Con announces dates and TC Carson, voice of God of War's Kratos
St. Augustine, FL - June 14, 2009 - EXP Con announces Guest of Honor Terrance "TC" Carson, voice of Kratos from God of War series and more updates.
EXP Con: North Florida's Video Game and Japanese Animation Convention
The convention's second year is currently scheduled to return to the St. John's County Convention Center and Renaissance Resort at World Golf Village during the weekend of October 9-11, 2009 and we are determined to raise the bar for what our attendees should expect from a convention. We are going to continue to bring you the best convention possible at a price that won't leave a gaping hole in your wallet. You can pre-register for this weekend-long event at our website for $25 until July 1, 2009 and $30 until September 27, 2009. There are also more expensive packages with eve more EXP perks and merchandise so "level up" to the package that is best for you. Attendees are also rewarded for staying at the convention hotel, which supports the convention. The rate is $99 per night for EXP Con attendees. For each night you stay at the Renaissance Resort, you get a free weekend pass. Those who wish to acquire a pass this way must understand that spaces are limited, so you should definitely book your room soon. After you have booked your room you name will be added to a list and tickets will be available when you bring your check-in receipt to the registration area.
EXP Con has been determined to bring the fans of video games and Japanese animation some of the biggest names from the industry, and so far this year is no exception. We are proud to announce as a Guest of Honor for EXP Con 2009 Terrance "TC" Carson. Among other acting and voice over roles, EXP Con attendees will recognize him for his role as one of the most prolific characters in video game history, Kratos of God of War. For the first time at a video game or anime convention attendees will be able to meet the man who brings to life the video game personification of revenge.
Other guests whom we will be honored to have in attendance are artists Ashley "AnimeBelle" Clark and Heather Scott of Dragonmun Studios, cosplayer CJ "Kefka" Collins, comedy troupe aniRAGE, and bands The Man Power and Random Encounter. The guest list is in for many more exciting surprises in the near future.
This year we will be returning such popular events as our stage show EXP Con Night LIVE, our interactive event The Con Ends With You, The Cosplay Café, The Cosplay Rock Band Showdown, The EXP Con Anime Music Video Contest, Costume Contest, Cosplay Skit Contest, Live Concerts from bands inspired by anime and video games, and The Power of Underground Dance Party. As well as these fan favorites, we will be introducing new events in future as we try to keep EXP Con consistently moving forward toward our goal of providing the best possible fan experience.
Another popular aspect to EXP Con's first year success, the 5,000 square foot 40 console EXP Con Video Game Lounge will also be returning in triumphant fashion. With even more games and tournaments, the Video Game Lounge at EXP Con will definitely be a site to behold. The tournaments will take place on our prominent Tournament Stage while the rest of the room's consoles will be available for free play. New and used games will also be available for purchase in this area.
In addition to guest and event announcements, we are also announcing the open call for panelists, volunteers, AMV Contest submissions and the releasing of spaces in the EXP Con Dealer Room and Artist Alley for purchase. Information regarding all of these announcements is available in detail at our website.
The event will be occupying the entire St. John's County Convention Center, and will be running 2 panel rooms, a viewing room, a main events room, a video game lounge, a photo shoot room, a hall for amateur artists to promote and sell their works, and a genre specific merchandise vendor room. T he doors will be open Friday from 12 pm till 2 am, Saturday from 10 am till 2 am, and Sunday from 10 am till 8pm.
About EXP Con: EXP Convention is a weekend long all ages event to be held at the Renaissance Resort at World Golf Village's St. John's County Convention Center. The main purpose of EXP Con is to celebrate and promote American and Japanese video gaming, Japanese animation also known as anime, manga which are Japanese graphic novels, cosplay which is the act of creating and modeling costumes based on characters from Japanese and American media, and other facets of Japanese culture.
The first EXP Convention which carried the tagline of "North Florida's Video Game and Anime Convention" was a weekend-long event which occupied all of and took place in World Golf Village's Renaissance Resort and St. John's County Convention Center during the weekend of October 17-19 2008. Last year's participants were given the opportunity to meet popular industry guests such as Steve Blum, Beau Billingslea, and Johnny Yong Bosch, take part in fun and informative industry and fan driven panels related to their interests, free play and compete in tournaments in our 5,000 square foot video game lounge filled with 40 consoles and 40 high definition televisions, view both old and new Japanese media screenings, and attend multiple fan and industry driven events such as stage shows, fashion shows, contests, and live music. In the event's inaugural year an attendance of close to 1,000 was achieved, which was no small feat for a first time event.
