Emerald City Comic Con Does Not Disappoint
We recently journeyed up to Seattle for Emerald City Comic Con which took place on March 1-4, 2018. This is one of the Pacific Northwest’s largest conventions and it typically draws over 80,000 people. Located in the middle of downtown Seattle, and held in the Washington State Convention Center, it offers a unique layout that is not typical to most cons. The entire convention center is utilized as well as nearby hotels. With programming, exhibit hall, gaming, and photo ops being held on many separate floors and buildings, the convention has a small con feel with a mass appeal. I was curious if having things so spread out and disjointed might mean less attendance in some areas, but from speaking with vendors, artists, and industry professionals, it seemed like the attendance was great in all the different areas.
We arrived just in time for our photo op on Friday. Photo ops are located at the Sheraton next to the convention center. Overall it is a smooth operation and we were in and out of there in about 20 min. Word of caution not to get there too early because it is very crowded and they do not let you line up until it is time for your photo session. (It is also very warm and stuffy with so many bodies in the room.) You can purchase photos onsite, however many of the popular ones sell out quickly online weeks before the convention. I was one of the lucky few to score a photo op with David Tennant and I was over the moon excited about it. We hopped in and out of the picture very quickly, but I cherish our silly picture and feel it was worth every penny we spent on it.
We spent the remaining days roaming the exhibit hall, looking at amazing art work in Artists Alley, enjoying the incredible Cosplay, and soaking everything all in. Some highlights for me was watching the 501st march in a huge line up the escalator, meeting new friends after hours, taking home some exclusive merchandise, and spending time with the one I love.
I love how ReedPop runs this show. They have a great attitude and are a lot of fun. It sets a great vibe throughout the convention and I feel makes it feel easy going and a little more enjoyable. When waiting for our panel to start we got to jam with a DJ. What a great way to warm up the crowd and stir up even more excitement. They also added a music alley section to the hall this year that featured amazing artist from all over.
Have you been to Emerald City Comic Con? What was your experience? Share with us below!
Emerald City Comic Con 2019 will take place March 14-17, 2019. Tickets go on sale October 17th at noon PST. See you there!