Super Dimension Convention - Saturday, October 3, 2020

[sh9000]

Torrance Cultural Arts Center

October 3, 2020

10 am to 7:30 pm

https://facebook.com/SuperDimensionConvention/photos/gm.4085241801501748/1222525664608949/?type=3&source=44

https://superdimensioncon.com/index.html?fbclid=IwAR0C2yjCZiBurM3nbYSfIiaJES2Yi-QZie6Uq5oMDvkh0Wj83g-aLtc6dDs

[Bolt]

Nice artwork 

[sqidd]

How big is this event? How many sq ft? How many in attendance? Anyone have pics from previous years?

Here is the $64,000 question. Am I going to fly in for this? Is it a pretty big deal? What is the "party" scene like? I don't party/drink but a few times a year. Generally when I'm out of town at things like this. It would be nice if there is a fun party scene that revolves around the event. Is that a thing?

Thanks!

[Seto Kaiba]

Well those are some unexpectedly specific questions... I'll do my best to help.

 

4 hours ago, sqidd said:

How big is this event? How many sq ft?

Approximately 23,300 square feet, I believe... probably slightly more.

https://arts.torranceca.gov/venues/meeting-rooms-and-banquet-facilities

Assuming the layout won't be changing this year, SDCon is spread out across three areas of the Torrance Cultural Arts Center: the Toyota Meeting Hall, Torino Festival Plaza, and Ken Miller Recreation Center.  Check-in is in the Toyota Meeting Hall lobby, and the Meeting Hall itself is the vendor hall and artist booths.  The Torino Festival Plaza is where they do the group events like the art contest, karaoke, and the auctions, as well as where the concession stands and cosplay cafe set up.  The Ken Miller Recreation Center auditorium holds the panels, cosplay contest, and concert, with autograph sessions with the convention guests being held in the lobby and the memorabilia museum in the adjoining assembly room.

 

4 hours ago, sqidd said:

How many in attendance? Anyone have pics from previous years?

It's a smallish convention, usually a couple hundred people.  I have some photos from previous years I can share, though I believe the con's facebook page has some good pics from previous years taken with cameras better than my humble POS cell phone camera.

 

4 hours ago, sqidd said:

Here is the $64,000 question. Am I going to fly in for this?

Well, that's up to you isn't it?  

Speaking as a fellow Michigander, that flight from Detroit Metro to Los Angeles International can be a bit of a bear if you're not used to long flights.  It's approximately 5 hours if you fly direct.  More like 7 if you take a connection through Salt Lake City or Minneapolis/St. Paul.  That said, I've found the con enjoyable enough to fly out for the last four years and I'm planning to do it again this year.  I usually try to take a few extra days and do some tourist-y stuff in the area to get the most out of the airfare... side trips to places like the USS Iowa, the Aquarium of the Pacific, or the La Brea Tar Pits Museum.

(It's pretty easy to game the system to get cheap airfare, though the hotels are on the expensive side since the venue is near the fashion district and the hotel restaurants are on the expensive side too.)

 

4 hours ago, sqidd said:

Is it a pretty big deal? What is the "party" scene like? I don't party/drink but a few times a year. Generally when I'm out of town at things like this. It would be nice if there is a fun party scene that revolves around the event. Is that a thing?

It's a smallish con, so I'm not sure I'd say it's a "big deal".  There's usually at least one high profile guest like Mari Iijima (Minmay), Run Sasaki (Vanessa Laird), or last year's coup double-feature of Tsutomu Takeyama (Hibiki Kanzaki) and Takumi Yamazaki (Isamu Dyson).  One year they got the US Renditions crew who did Macross II's dub, including several of the key voice actors.  Usually most of the "big name" fans who run the major English-language fansites are there, like MW's Shawn, the Speakerpodcast guys, Richard from Gubabablog, etc. (not sure if I count in that, for M3?) and the auctions invariably have one-of-a-kind collectibles like original sketches from Tenjin Hidetaka or other artists.

The "party scene" is pretty laid-back.  The afterparty was made an official event last year, and it was a pretty relaxed event in one of the Torrance Marriott's ballrooms.  Light social drinking, music, that kind of thing.  Nothing I'd characterize as a wild party, TBH.

[jenius]

I feel like it makes a great addition to a planned trip to Los Angeles more than the kind of thing that is it's own trip (for anyone more than a long drive).

Like I have family in LA so I would suggest that be the weekend we visit family and then I could cruise off for a few hours. The negative of my doing it this way if I don't get to attend the after events usually. Maybe this year will be different since I'm moving to LA.

[sqidd]

Yeah, unfortunately it seems like a really long climb for a short slide. I'd like to go. But it doesn't seem worth the time off work and the probable $1500 (minimum) cost. 

Too bad. I'd like to go.

I'll go to Whistler in British Columbia and do some world class downhill mountain biking instead.

[Master Dex]

I might plan ahead more and actually go Delta level, maybe even stay for the after party. I like calmer things myself, plus except for Seto I've never been able to really get to know anyone there. But I've only been twice. 

[100mega]

Figures that my lease is up this very same weekend as the con and I’ll be having to move. I’m just sort of realizing that Macross is my fandom home and I’d love to go and make some friends.  See y’all in 2021!

[Bolt]

I've been planning on going this year , it was guaranteed.. not sure what the state of affairs will be by then, but I'm not sure it's gonna be possible now, due to the obvious.. I want to support this community anyway and may just buy the pass for the sake of support.

[Master Dex]

41 minutes ago, Bolt said:

I've been planning on going this year , it was guaranteed.. not sure what the state of affairs will be by then, but I'm not sure it's gonna be possible now, due to the obvious.. I want to support this community anyway and may just buy the pass for the sake of support.

It's far too early to tell if this virus will still be as big a problem by October. It might be, it might not.. for now I think it's easier to assume the con will go on and they can cancel closer to the date if they have to.

[Seto Kaiba]

13 hours ago, Master Dex said:

It's far too early to tell if this virus will still be as big a problem by October. It might be, it might not.. for now I think it's easier to assume the con will go on and they can cancel closer to the date if they have to.

Current projections are that it's supposed to burn itself out before Autumn.

[jvmacross]

2 hours ago, Seto Kaiba said:

Current projections are that it's supposed to burn itself out before Autumn.

They probably also said the same thing after the first wave of the Spanish Flu....

[Bolt]

I'm buying the Delta pass. Gonna show my support now. And hopefully it's on later.

[sh9000]

[sh9000]

[Bolt]

Thanks for passing that along amigo.

See you next year 

Edited August 20, 2020 by Bolt

[Jasonc]

Obvious things haven't gotten to the point where we can have things like this, especially in CA, but after a lot of thought, we believe it is just safer to not promote an event that can potentially put people at risk. Also, the registration was reflecting a lot of people being worried as well, so with all that in mind, it was a painful, but right decision.

At least we have a good jump on next year, and some great ideas to already move forward with. Dates for next year are being worked on now for next year, and that will be coming very soon.

[RDX17]

Thanks for the update on this year's Super Dimension Convention. Bummed that it won't be happening, but obviously understandable. Here's to next year!

[Jasonc]

On 9/3/2020 at 11:30 AM, RDX17 said:

Thanks for the update on this year's Super Dimension Convention. Bummed that it won't be happening, but obviously understandable. Here's to next year!

We're going to try to go all out next year to make up for it.