Frequently Asked Questions
General
When and where is the con? The convention will take place at a hotel soon to be named in a suburb of St. Louis, Missouri. The dates are March 11-13, 2011.
What is your convention about? We are a convention about Japanese animation, run for fans, by fans. We also include events and panels that focus on manga, video games, costuming, Japanese culture, and other fandoms (i.e. Star Trek, comic books, etc.).
I want to bring my boyfriend/girlfriend/mother/father/distant relative, and he/she/it doesn't like anime. Is there something for that person there too? There's not a lot at our convention that doesn't have something to do with anime, but we will have some panels that focus on other fandoms or Japanese culture instead. Still, anime isn't a genre. There are plenty of shows out there, and your friends or relatives who want to come to the con should explore the different types of shows out there. The genre and rating of each show played in the anime viewing rooms will be listed this year, which will help those new to anime find something they might enjoy. There will also be an Anime 101 panel at the beginning of the con and a vernacular guide in the program book to help new fans and the families of fans. Of course, if your friends or family who come with you don't want to go to any panels and events and would just like to hang out in the hallway, they don't need to have badges. Badges will be checked at the doors of all of the panels, events, and dealers' room.
When will your schedule be up? It will be up about a month before the convention.
Do you have a group rate? We do! In fact, we have a special method of registration just for groups. Check it out on the Registration page.
What are the forums? Forums are a place for congoers to hang out and talk about anime, video games, the con, and other topics. You can post without joining, but we encourage you to join (which is FREE) so that you can get private messages and e-mails from other forum members.
Back to TopGuests
Who are your guests this year? Our guests will be announced over the course of the year. We'll post more information as soon as each is confirmed.
Why don't you have Greg Ayers, Vic Mignogna, Psycho le Cemu, Gackt, Tetsuya Nomura, Shinichiro Watanabe, Nobuhiro Watsuki, God... etc.? We ask for suggestions for guests on the forums before we start getting guests for the next year, and we do our best to get guests we think our attendees will like. We try to balance musical guests, voice actors, and other guests, and we DO have a budget. Right now, Japanese guests aren't in our budget range. Likewise, some guests charge large appearance fees, and we can't afford them either. Other guests just aren't available or don't reply to our inquiries. In the end, though, we have to decide between the guests who DO agree to come because we obviously can't have everyone.
I know that guest! Can I be his personal escort? We have staff members that will already be in charge of escorting guests to and from events. I know that a lot of voice actor guests have some friends in the anime fandom community, but we ARE the ones paying for the guests and would like to make sure that they attend everything they are supposed to. Also, we can't let just one congoer be a guest's personal escort because everyone else will want to do it as well. We'd like to avoid messy fangirl fights, thank you.
Can I pet them? We will have autograph signings. You may pet them if they give you permission.
Are the guests going to do panels? Keep checking back for a panel schedule which will include at least one panel for each guest.
Back to TopStaff
Why won't the staff answer my questions within an hour after I ask them? I'm busy, and I need to know NOW! You'll most likely get an answer within a couple of days. If you don't, feel free to ask on the forums in case your e-mail didn't make it to us (that does very occasionally happen).
I know one of the staff people. Can I get in for free? No, I'm sorry, but we're a small convention. We wouldn't make any money if we let everyone in for free. You CAN, however, volunteer. Information on volunteer registration is on the Volunteers page.
How do I get on staff? At the beginning of each new planning year (around May or June), we will have a meeting to find new staff members. You MUST attend that meeting if you want to be considered for a staff position. We will interview you and generally get to know you at that meeting, and you will be notified soon afterward whether you will be on staff this year. For 2010, we have all of the staff we need, but you are welcome to volunteer, which is a great first step to becoming a staff member.
Back to TopGaming
What types of gaming will there be? There will be video gaming (including DDR, Super Smash Bros., and other multiplayer games), tabletop role-playing, miniatures games, card games, board games, and live-action role-play. If you want to suggest a game or volunteer to run one, contact our gaming director.
How do I get to be a GM (Game Master)? If you have a game that you want to lead at Kawa Kon, you can volunteer to be a GM. You must be at least 16 and have GM experience with that game. E-mail either the gaming director or volunteer liaison. Volunteers who GM can get free memberships by working a certain number of games.
Can I let you borrow my awesome new Wii, PS3, or X-box 360 for the convention? We're sorry, but we cannot be held responsible for attendees' systems. Please keep them in your rooms if you do bring them to the con. We will be providing our own systems for gaming.
Back to TopEvents and Panels
What main events will you have? We're bringing back the masquerade (costume contest), Bishounen Date Auction, game shows, and dances. We'll also be adding some new events to try out, including several events specificially for this year's theme.
What are you showing in the anime room? The anime room schedule should be up within a week of the convention.
What panels do you have? We will have a variety of panels that will run until at least 1:00 in the morning on Friday and Saturday and until after closing ceremonies on Sunday. Panels will be on a variety of topics, from specific shows to Japanese culture, even things like Star Trek and American comic books.
Why aren't there enough/any panels on [blank]? Because either no one has suggested them yet or no one signed up to run them! We try to gear our panel programming toward everyone, but we obviously can't fit every topic into one weekend. If you want to run a panel or have a suggestion for a topic, either post about it on the forums or contact our panel programming chair. Let the programming chair know what your idea is, whether or not you want to host it yourself, how it should be presented, and why other congoers will want to attend the panel.
Can I run a panel? Head over to the Panel Programming page to sign up! You'll even get some of your registration money back!
My friends and I are hot stuff! We want to host a panel about ourselves! Can we do that? Er... no. A lot of people think they're hot stuff, but we can't let all of those people host panels about themselves. If you belong to a recognizable area group (like the Costumers Guild or FantAsia), then you and your group members can apply to have a panel. If you are working on an interesting project (such as a film or video game), you can do the same. We may or may not be able to give you a panel. If we turn you down, you may NOT create your own panel at the convention and have it "unofficially".
Back to TopCosplay
What is cosplay? Cosplay refers, basically, to wearing a costume. That costume can be anything from a full character costume from your favorite show to a generic witch costume you decided to wear to a convention. In order to get the cosplay discount at registration, that must be FULL costume, not just a wig or pieces of a costume. It also can't be an "original character" who just happens to wear normal clothing. But basically figure that whatever would get LOTS of looks on the street is most likely good enough. If you're not sure whether something you're wearing will be accepted, bring a reference picture.
Is there a cosplay contest? Definitely! Check out the masquerade section for more details!
Can I dress up as ANYONE I want to at the convention? If your costume follows the rules of our convention, you may wear anything you want. Darth Vader is more than welcome at an anime convention!
I just bought an awesome new sword in the dealers' room! Can I use it with my costume? No. Please take all metal weapons, live or dull, to your hotel room or car and LEAVE THEM THERE. We WILL confiscate dangerous weapons.
Can I sword fight in the hallways? No. We're sorry, but we cannot allow fighting in the hallways. It's dangerous, and the hallways tend to get very crowded during the convention. Dueling may be allowed with BOFFERED (foam) WEAPONS ONLY outside in NON-CROWDED AREAS or in designated boffered weapon areas. If you are asked to move or to stop, move or stop immediately.
I'm in costume! Do I get a discount? Yup. If you wear your costume when you register at the con, you get $5 off your admission. If you pre-register, please mark on your form that you are planning to cosplay. If you mark it on your form but do NOT cosplay at registration, you must pay the extra $5.
Back to TopTheme
What is this year's theme? For Kawa Kon 2011, the theme is "Taking it to the Streets". It will focus on Japanese youth culture of the past and present, including street fashion, otaku culture, cosplay, and the kawaii (cute) aesthetic. More about our theme will be announced soon.
Do I have to dress up from the theme? Not at all. Some people will, but all costumes are still welcome.
What does the theme mean for me? Basically, it means that we're having a few events, panels, and shows (in the anime room) that feature the theme. Other events may include special sections regarding the theme. The hotel will be decorated with paper lanterns and banners, and we will have fun t-shirt designs incorporating our Matsuri! theme. The themed events will be announced soon.
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