I recently got to visit Anime CTX in Round Rock, Texas. It was lots of fun to visit a newer and smaller convention than what I’m used to. Here I’d like to lay out what I think the organizers of the con did right and what they did wrong.

Con: First up is the size. Due to it being hosted entirely in the first floor of a normal sized hotel, this con doesn’t cover much area and leaves everyone a little cramped. Plus it means there aren’t as many events or vendors as there are at the larger conventions.

Pro: Thankfully, this means that pretty much all the vendors and artists can be visited in one day. This makes it a great con for just a day visit. Whereas at some you can’t even check everything out in three or four days.

Con: The vendors and artists are minimal and slightly overpriced compared to many cons I’ve been to.

Pro: Despite the limited number of them, they were quite varied and had lots of fun, nerdy products.

Con: The events and panels were few and the rooms they were held in were small.

Pro: The variety of panels was good and run well.

Con: The staff didn’t have many places to stand out of the way or remain inconspicuous.

Pro: They were well staffed with volunteers ready and willing to help anyone with anything.

Overall, I really feel these organizers of this con did the best they could with the resources they had. They set up a welcoming environment for all attendees. I certainly hope I have a chance to return next year. And I hope Anime CTX will grow and continue to host such excellent conventions.