July 5, 2005

Ai-Kon moves to the Winnipeg Convention Centre

Winnipeg, MB - July 5, 2005 - Ai-Kon, Manitoba's largest Japanese animation event, will be held August 12, 13 & 14, 2005 at the Winnipeg Convention Centre to meet the increased capacity requirements of the annual convention.

In 2004, more than 1,000 people attended Ai-Kon, and organizers anticipate attendance numbers of 1,200 to 1,500 for this year's convention. By holding Ai-Kon 2005 at a larger facility, organizers hope to increase the comfort and enjoyment of those attending.

The increased space available through holding Ai-Kon at the Winnipeg Convention Centre will more comfortably accommodate the convention's activities, including 24-hour anime showings, panels, video games, contests, fan art, a vendor's room, and cosplay ("costume play" - dressing as an anime/video game character).

Ai-Kon weekend passes are available through TicketMaster and are $29 plus agency fees until July 31 or $39 plus agency fees after August 1. Individual day passes will be available only on their respective days.

ABOUT AI-KON: Ai-Kon is Manitoba's largest and longest-running anime convention. An all-ages event, the goal of Ai-Kon is the promotion of Japanese/Asian animation and culture to the public. Started by the University of Manitoba Japanese Animation Club (UMAnime) in 2001, Ai-Kon took a reorganizational hiatus in 2002, returning in 2003. Ai-Kon has since become an autonomous event, run by an independent volunteer board. "Ai" means "love" in Japanese, hence Ai-Kon's slogan "For the love of anime".

ABOUT ANIME: Anime is Japanese animation, and is known for its wide range of styles and genres. Anime has grown exponentially in popularity in North America in the last 10 years, with an ever-increasing list of titles licensed for North American distribution. Popular anime titles include Naruto, Yu-Gi-Oh, Cowboy Bebop, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Full Metal Alchemist, and Sailor Moon.