INSiGHT: Glasgow Anime and Gaming Con

Situated close to the bustling city centre of Glasgow, the Hilton Double Tree Hotel provided an ideal venue for an event such as this. It was very easy to travel to, and being close to the main train stations it was comfortable to travel to even for people coming from further away. From there it is just a short walk to the hotel. 
Upon arriving at the event, the already established queue outside hinted at the popularity of the con. Differently coloured paper wristbands allowed everyone to come and go at their own leisure. The venue itself was a little difficult to navigate at first, but a lot of friendly volunteers, signs and a map in the con book were a massive help. It was a relatively small event compared to similar events in places such as London or Frankfurt, but this is understandable. It made everything feel even more homely and friendly. In fact, the organisers did a great job of filling the program with interesting ideas and performances throughout the two day event. Not everything worked as intended, but the love and hard work poured into Glasgow Anime and Gaming Con was tangible throughout, and everything worked out in the end.

The main hall was housing a variety of merchants selling gaming and anime related merchandise, mystery boxes and more - it was the place to spend all the hard earned money! A small stage was set up in here, as well, on which several performances took place, including the opening ceremony. It was great to hear from the organisers, and a handy presentation about surviving a convention was part of it. This was a great idea as it helped to remind people to stay safe and healthy, which can easily be forgotten.
Other performances included music performances and the cosplay masquerade, which was definitely one of the highlights, as well as the big geek raffle! Tickets for the raffle were available to buy at the merch stand that also sold the official con merchandise.

In the hallway and the panel room were stands from artists selling their own products, such as knitted pokémon or beautifully stylised fanart. The panel room also housed a large screen and chairs to watch anime, an ideal setting to take a rest and enjoy a good show for a bit. At the other side of the room, visitors could find another screen and more chairs for other events, such as 'Guess the Anime Opening'! It was a great idea, and while our Cubed3 correspondents did absolutely terrible, they had a great time guessing and a good laugh at the end!

Leaving the ground floor and taking the elevator (or the stairs) all the way up to the 8th floor, visitors could have a go at a variety of video games, both modern and classic. While this was a great feature, it would have been nice to have these games set up in an even bigger room. It all felt a little cramped, which was due to the limited amount of space. As part of the event, a variety of video game competitions were held for which participants could sign up for in advance. In the room next door, visitors found an area with tables and board games. This felt very inviting but again risked feeling very packed very soon, as the room was also rather small. While it was possible to just sit down with friends or strangers and have a go at different types of board games, there were also organised events one had to sign up for, such as Dungeons and Dragons or Werewolf. This was a great idea and will hopefully be done on an even bigger scale in future events!
Also highly appreciated were the water dispensers that provided visitors with free iced water - it did get rather warm and especially some cosplays were warm and risked their wearer's health.

Speaking of cosplays, it was amazing to see what people came up with! Demon Slayer and Spy x Family were especially popular this year, not only with adults but children as well. Indeed, it was incredible to see how many children attended the event, excitedly waddling around in their costume and pointing to all the plushies and other merch they were interested in. It is great to see parents attending events with their children like this, and seeing little girls dressed up as Anya Forger or siblings dressed as Tanjirō and Nezuko was surprisingly heartwarming.

The Cosplay Masquerade was a highlight for all cosplayers and those enjoying seeing incredible costumes. Many brave souls made their way onto the little stage to show off their cosplay, some doing a little dance, others a quick trick, and others again just a little turn and shy bow before running off again. Applause to everyone again for being brave enough for this, especially all the children that were both excited and nervous to show off their amazing cosplays. It was truly a sight to behold!