Otakon is a convention focusing on the art of anime and its fandom. Otakon is traditionally held during the month of August in Baltimore, Maryland at the Baltimore Convention Center. Otakon is one of the largest and longest-running anime conventions in the United States.
Otakon 1994
Otakon started in 1994 at the Day's Inn hotel located at State College, Pennsylvania with an attendance of 350 with 4 dealers, 9 American guests, and 16 staff members.
Otakon 1995
In 1995, Otakon moved to the Scanticon hotel in State College, Pennsylania and hosted 450 attendees, a 29% increase from 1994 with 25 staff members, 15 dealers, 2 Japanese guests, and 14 American guests. It was Otakon's first and only 4 day convention. This was the first year to have an live-action video track and the first year to have a LARP.
Otakon 1996
In 1996, Otakon moved to the Hunt Valley Marriott hotel in Hunt Valley, Maryland and hosted 1,000 attendees, a 122% increase from 1995 with 35 staff members, 20 dealers, 1 Japanese guest, and 9 American guests. Otakon had a official Doom level called Otakon Doom created by one of the staff members of Otakon 96. Otakon 96 had a impromptu rave.
Otakon 1997
In 1997 Otakon remained in the Hunt Valley Marriott hotel in Hunt Valley, Maryland and hosted 1,750 attendees, a 75% increase from 1996 with 45 staff members, 22 dealers, 3 Japanese guests, and 15 American guests. It was the first year for Otakon's massively popular event, Mystery Anime Theater 3000. Also the domain name www.otakon.com was offially registered and the impromptu rave of Otakon 96 became an official event for Otakon.
Otakon 1998
In 1998 Otakon moved to the Hyatt Regency hotel in Arlington, Virginia and hosted 2,500 attendees, a 43% increase from 1997 with 60 staff members, 25 dealers, 2 Japanese guests, and 22 American guests. This was the 5 Otakon held. Otakon 1998 was the last Otakon convention to be held in a hotel and this Otakon had female characters on every membership badge given out to Otakon 98 attendees.
Otakon 1999
In 1999 Otakon moved to the Baltimore Convention Center in Baltimore, Maryland which will remain it's official venue for the next 5 years and hosted 4,500 attendees, a 80% increase from 1998 with 80 staff members, 30 dealers, 5 Japanese guests and 22 American guests. Otakon 99 began Otakon's tradition of inviting musical guests to Otakon with Yoko Kanno.
Otakon 2000
In 2000 Otakon remained in the Baltimore Convention Center in Baltimore, Maryland and hosted 7,500 attendees, a 67% increase from 1999 with 114 staff members, 45 dealers, 6 Japanese guests, 20 American guests, 6 British guests, and 1 guest from Hong Kong. Otakon 00 was host to Bôa.
Otakon 2001
In 2001 Otakon remained in the Baltimore Convention Center in Baltimore, Maryland and hosted 10,275 attendees, a 37% increase from 2000 with 180 staff members, 65 dealers, 4 Japanese guests, and 14 American guests. This was the first Otakon to have the Otachan event, which is a children's programming track. The memorable event of Otakon 01 was the late-night, early-morning "explosions" along Pratt Street due to the July train fire that occurred just weeks before Otakon 01 that caused the BCC to be evacuated and all of the Otakon attendees poured out onto Pratt Street and played in the gushing stream of water.
Otakon 2002
In 2002, on July 26, 27, 28th, 2002, Otakon hosted 12,880 attendees, a 25% increase from 2001, 6 Japanese guests, employed a staff of 285 (mostly volunteers), and attracted over 130 vendors from all over the world inside the Baltimore Convention Center. This is the first year that Otakon utilized the entire Baltimore Convention Center.
Otakon 2003
In 2003, on August 8, 9, 10th, 2003, Otakon hosted an estimated 17,000+ attendees inside the Baltimore Convention Center, its major musical guests for 2003 was Kristine Sa and Takanori Nishikawa also known as T.M.R., two extremely popular musical people in the Anime world.
Also in 2003 Otakon hit a major milestone, Otakon 2003 was the 10th Otakon held.
2003 also marked the last year of a popular fan event, MAT3K, (Mystery Anime Theater 3000 based on Mystery Science Theater 3000).
A new event that occurred at Otakon 2003 was Thursday Night Pre-Registration pickup where an estimated 1,000+ of people who pre-registered for Otakon 2003 lined up at the Baltimore Convention Center on the night of Thursday, August 7th, 2003 and went into the Baltimore Convention Center to pick up their materials for Otakon 2003. It was extremely successful and Otakon had announced that they will be having Thursday Night Pre-Registration pickup in 2004.
Otakon in 2003 has become officially the largest anime convention in North America, Otakon 2003's official attendance count was 17,338. The formerly largest anime convention, Anime Expo in 2003 had 17,000. (Source: Anime News Network)
Otakon 2004
Otakon 2004 is expected to be held in the Baltimore Convention Center on July 30th, 31st, August 1st, 2004, online pre-registration is expected to come online for Otakon 2004 sometime in early 2004. More details on Otakon 2004 can be expected to be found on Otakon's official forum (link found in "External Links" section).
