Animecon (Netherlands)
AnimeCon (Netherlands) is a yearly Dutch anime convention. The festival is officially called Anime <Year of edition> but is called AnimeCon by visitors. AnimeCon is a non-profit organization organized by the J-POP Foundation (Dutch: Stichting Promotie Japanse Popcultuur).
AnimeCon is a 52-hour non-stop fan convention; featuring Japanese movies (animation and cinematic), video games, competitions, concerts, theatre performances, workshops, presentations and the selling of art and merchandise. The doors open early in the afternoon on Friday and stay open until the end of the afternoon on Sunday.
AnimeCon is a fan convention for people who enjoy the elements of Japanese common popular culture and who want to find out more. AnimeCon is the largest Japan-oriented fan convention in the Netherlands, with just over 14.500 visitors in 2015.
International Cosplay competitions
There are six renowned international competitions in the cosplay scene, and the AnimeCon organization is the only one in the world hosting preliminaries for all of them. Also they hosted their own international competition for the second time in 2016: Clara Cow’s Cosplay Cup is now the seventh international cosplay competition!
World Cosplay Summit, WCS (attendance not measured), Nagoya, Japan, for pairs
CICAF, China International Cartoon and Animation Festival (attendance 2.000.000), Hangzhou, China, for teams from the Benelux
Yamato Cosplay Cup, Anime Friends Festival (attendance 150.000), Sao Paulo,. Brazil, for individuals from the Benelux
Euro Cosplay Championships, MCM London Comic Con (attendance 120.000), London, UK, for individuals
ECG (European Cosplay Gathering), Japan Expo (attendance 250.000), Paris, France, for pairs and individuals
Cosplay World Master, Iber Anime (attendance 25.000), Porto, Portugal
Clara Cow’s Cosplay Cup (C4), AnimeCon (projected attendance 15.000), The Hague, The Netherlands, for pairs
Clara Cow’s Cosplay Cup
This international cosplay event started in 2015 is named after the mascot Clara Cow. In Clara Cow’s Cosplay Cup, or C4, teams of two cosplayers from different countries compete for the Golden Marieke statue and a week long all expenses paid trip to Japan. C4 is a relaxed event: the World Forum Theatre offers ample space backstage to relax, top notch facilities, a hotel on top of the venue, and all judging is done by veteran cosplayers from non-competing countries.
UK: MCM London Comic Con since 2001, attendance: 120.000
Spain: Salon del Manga since 1991, attendance: 130.000
France: Mang’Azur, attendance: 20.000
Germany: Animuc, attendance: 20.000
The Netherlands: AnimeCon since 1999, attendance 15.000
Poland: Japanicon since 2009, attendance: 10.000
Denmark: J-Popcon since 2000, attendance: 7.000
Romania: Otaku Festival since 2001, attendance: Not measured
Portugal: Iber Anime, attendance: 25.000
Switzerland: Japanimanga Night since 2001, Attendance: Not measured
Russia: Hinode Moscow, attendance: 80.000
USA: Omni Expo, attendance: 40.000
Belgium: F.A.C.T.S, attendance: 40.000
History
| Date | Location | Visitors | Theme |
|---|---|---|---|
| February 1999 | Holiday Inn, Rotterdam | 208[1] | AnimeCon 1999: |
| February 2000 | Koningshof, Veldhoven | 300+ | AnimeCon 2000: |
| February 2001 | Koningshof, Veldhoven | 382 | AnimeCon 2001: |
| February 2002 | Koningshof, Veldhoven | 524 | AnimeCon 2002: |
| February 2003 | Hotel Haarlem-Zuid, Haarlem | 770 | AnimeCon 2003: |
| May 2004 | Theaterhotel Almelo, Almelo | 1043 | AnimeCon 2004: |
| May 2005 | Theaterhotel Almelo, Almelo | 1157 | AnimeCon 2005: Magical Mystery |
| June 2006 | Theaterhotel Almelo, Almelo | ± 1300 | AnimeCon 2006: Romance |
| June 2007 | Theaterhotel Almelo, Almelo | ± 1300 | AnimeCon 2007: Fun and (Video) Games |
| 2-4 May 2008 | Theaterhotel Almelo, Almelo | ± 1300 | AnimeCon 2008: 10th anniversary |
| 1-3 May 2009 | Theaterhotel Almelo, Almelo | 3.700 | AnimeCon 2009: Mental Maniacs |
| 21-23 May 2010 | Theaterhotel Almelo, Almelo | 3.750 | AnimeCon 2010: Masters & Servants |
| 6-8 May 2011 | Theaterhotel Almelo, Almelo | 4.900 | AnimeCon 2011: Children of the Night |
| 18-20 May 2012 | Theaterhotel Almelo, Almelo | 4.900 | AnimeCon 2012: Apocalypse Cow |
| 31 May - 2 June 2013 | World Forum, Den Haag | 8.700 | AnimeCon 2013: To Udder Worlds |
| 13 - 15 June 2014 | World Forum, Den Haag | 11.000 | AnimeCon 2014: Summer Games |
| 12 - 14 June 2015 | World Forum, Den Haag | 12.700 | AnimeCon 2015: Do NOT try this at home! |
| 10 - 12 June 2016 | World Forum, Den Haag | 14.500 | AnimeCon 2016: All aboard! |
| 9 - 11 June 2017 | World Forum, Den Haag | 15.000 | AnimeCon 2017: Marieke's Magical Miracle |