The bad
There’s no such thing as a perfect convention, and here’re a few things we didn’t find too cool about VAX.
Panels weren’t as comprehensive as last year’s
The panels and guests that swung around this year weren’t as interesting as the last round; which had guests like Ladybeard and industry professionals all the way from Japan. They were still pretty good no doubt; we particularly liked the demonstrations and presentations, but I guess they weren’t all to everyone’s tastes.
Location had much to be desired
While the STARXPO Center wasn’t a bad hall, the building it was set in was clearly something else. The parking was stuffed to the brim, with the traffic leading up to the mall very congested. The lifts were also incredibly slow, and they shut down at 7-ish, save for a few key lifts going up and down. Personally. We liked the previous location a lot more, even if it was more out of the way.
Seems somewhat disorganised
The panels weren’t all that well organised as compared to last year’s do. Like the change of panel, venue wasn’t handled all that well, resulting in people waiting in line for the wrong panels or fan meet and greets.
Also, a lack of signage caused a fair bit of confusion as people weren’t entirely sure where to go, despite there being some volunteers actively directing people.
Was the point lost?
This one is a bit more of a personal gripe. When VAX started off last year, it was quite a lot about the industry, meeting people from the animation and design field and such. It was a place where you could show off your skills to prospective employers and find potential new hires. This year’s VAX felt more like your generic anime convention. Sure, some industry names were around, but they didn’t feel nearly as prominent as last year.
We understand that certain needs have to be met to bring in the crowds, like cosplay personalities, concerts and the like, but I feel that the thing that made VAX special this time around is quite lost. It doesn’t feel like it quite lives up to its name.
All in, VAX is nowhere near a terrible convention though it did have some odds stacked against it. However, we’re looking forward to seeing what they can pull of next year.
If you have any personal input on the convention, do let the organisers know here!
Also, check out our gallery below!
