Every so often, frequently when I’m hungry, I get in the mood for adventure. I’ll be on the road, my tummy will rumble and I’ll decide to sample the local fare. A lot of the time I won’t know any of the restaurants nearby and fast food doesn’t sound too tasty, so I’ll turn on the GPS, hit the food option, and wait for the fates of electric maps to take me somewhere. Normally I’ll settle for a mediocre diner or an expensive café, but once in a while I get lucky. My GPS will lead me to a place where the food is unbelievable, reasonably priced and the people serving are as excited to seat me as I am to eat. A gem in the middle of nowhere, I’ll stumble into this place, feel relaxed and accepted and wonder how it was I’ve not been aware of it all my life.
That’s exactly how I feel about OMG Con.
Last year The Enthusiasts made the trek to Paducah, Kentucky, at the urging of one of our own members and we did not regret the decision for a moment. It was only natural that we would return, but this year we brought along a large addition. The Enthusiasts premiered a huge change at OMG 5 for the enjoyment of our beloved southern fans and began the weekend with our first ever photo booth. With the support of the OMG staff, this was to be our first convention as official vendors. And we were stoked.
Due to some wardrobe malfunctions, half of the Enthusiasts team were unable to attend the convention until Saturday afternoon, but what we did get to experience was naturally awesome. Some conventions are nervous to outsiders, but OMG seems to adore when new people discover them. It should be no secret that this is the con to attend. While not as big and flashy as other Midwestern conventions, OMG has a heart to it and a real appreciation of everyone who makes the trip out to them. I love the setup of the prize room in conjunction with contests and panels available to con-goers. Any time a participant wins a contest, they are awarded the ability to go the prize room and pick out something for their win. Really, how awesome is that?!
The Artist’s Alley was small and located on the upper hallway of the main hall but had innovative items. One booth had crocheted L4D toys and various Mario paraphernalia. Another booth sported Pokemon fanart which we squeed over. For the tiny selection available, everything was really well made and adorable. The Dealers’ Room was set up similarly to last year with many of the same booths. While the selection isn’t spectacular it is certainly size efficient for the convention. The gaming community expanded this year, as nearly every time I entered a game room it was packed. Something new we ventured into this year was coming into contact with smaller conventions who share the same openness of OMG. We met with two con representatives who want the same feel for their convention as OMG. Hopefully things will work out and we’ll be able to work with them as well.
The photo booth was a lot of fun. It gave us the chance to interact with cosplayers and give them a photo that really demonstrated all the work they put into their costumes.
Nearly everyone we came into contact with at the photo booth was appreciative and excited about the prospect of getting their pictures. Such a satisfying and nice feeling to give these hard working fans a chance they may not have had previously! Thank you for your warm words! And on the subject of thanking, the staff was incredible by sharing their hospitality room with our hungry stomachs. That Mountain Dew was a lifesaver!
I know I mentioned this of last year’s OMG, but another significant difference between them and other cons is the guest relations. Everyone, including staff, guests, and fans, seem so relaxed; everyone mingling and wanting to share their stories. Greg Ayers routinely DJ’s the Rave and honestly interacts with the con-goers. Chris Ayers is known to sit at the entrance of the convention hall and share stories for hours. It’s a remarkable interaction, one unique to Paducah.
Speaking of the rave, the staff deserves a round of applause. The room selected for the rave was large, surprisingly cool and offered plenty of room for people to dance. Personally this was my favorite rave ever and easily beats out the hype of Acen’s notorious Soap Bubble. Coming down to pure enjoyment, I had a blast at the OMG rave and have nothing to complain about, something I cannot say for other convention dances I’ve attended.
That being said, the room was not a good choice for a main events hall. The newly added section of the hotel provided a new series of rooms for the convention but unfortunately the room did not loan itself well to photography and video. The lighting was difficult to work around, making crisp shots more difficult even with external flashes set up. The masquerade suffered from poor acoustics and those sitting in the audience had trouble understanding some of the skits. While better than the off-then-on-then-off again lighting of the Masq last year, the improvement was not significant.
The closing ceremony of OMG communicates the feeling of community and friendship con participants have. It has the feel of a graduation ceremony where friends tearfully must say goodbye and go into the real world. It is not without some good news however, as participants are reminded to return next year for another weekend of cosplay madness and gaming glory. We know we’ll be there, will you?
When you get the chance, follow the country road down to OMG. You won’t regret it.
Tags: Awesome, Convention, Cosplay, OMG Con 2010
