Thank you to our attendees, volunteers, and staff for making Kumoricon 2007 the most exciting year yet. From the new registration system, to the wonderful support we received from the Hilton, to our larger gaming room and new manga library, we’ve come a long way in five years.

A few facts demonstrating our growth:

Paid attendance: 3003 (up 33% from last year)
Charity auction money raised for p:ear: $2776 (up 13%)

In 2008, Kumoricon will be returning to our most popular past hotel: The Portland Doubletree at Lloyd Center, our home in 2005. You, the attendees and staff, asked for this, and we heard you. We were very happy with the Hilton in Vancouver this year but we’ve already outgrown it and the Doubletree will nicely accommodate our expected growth for 2008.

General elections for the 2008 officers will be scheduled and announced shortly on the front page right here, and the nominations will be posted in the forums.

Look forward to the Kumoricon 2008 website, opening in less than a month featuring a new design and our 2008 mascot as voted by the staff and announced at closing ceremonies.

Kumoricon will have a booth at the Uwajimaya Festival Japan this weekend, located at the Beaverton Uwajimaya store. This festival runs for two days: Saturday and Sunday, September 15-16, from 11am to 5pm each day.

We’re selling registrations for 2008 at the lowest pre-reg rate of $25! If you register at this event, we’ll mail your badge no later than just after the end of the first tier of pre-registrations (roughly the end of 2007).

A-Key Kyo, a guest of honor at Kumoricon 2006 and 2007, will be performing here. Come see them again! Their two performances are scheduled for Saturday, Sep. 15 at 3:15pm, and Sunday, Sep. 16 at 1:45pm. Each is about one hour long.

The festival also features Japanese cultural activities including taiko drumming, koto, martial arts, and Japanese children’s games.

We need volunteers to help with this! If you are interested in volunteering, please post in this forum thread, and please specify which days and times you are available.

We’ll see you there!

If you lost (or found) any items at Kumoricon, please email lostandfound@kumoricon.org with a description of the item. We have several items, many with no personal identifying features, waiting to be claimed. If you found any items and didn’t turn them in to Lost and Found at the convention, please let us know with a description of the item as soon as possible so we are able to confirm to the owner that we can return it to them when they inquire. Thank you!

Update: An itemized list of the lost and found items will be available at the next three general meetings.

Just in time for the con, we have the second and final issue of KumoriContent—the Kumoricon newsletter—for con year 2007.

Download it here [PDF], and browse past newsletters here. This issue features tonight’s kickoff party at Backspace, a sampling of Kumoricon 2007 expectations, a look back at Mini-con (with photos!), and, of course, news on our favorite snack—and more! Enjoy it while you wait the remaining two days for Kumoricon to start!

With Kumoricon check-in starting in just three days (four days for at-the-door registration), please be sure you have everything you need when you arrive at the con.

If you pre-registered, and opted to have your badge mailed to you, then you need to bring it! We will charge a fee for replacements.

Regardless of whether you already pre-registered, or are registering at the door, you need:

• Government or school issued photo ID
• Signed parent permission form [PDF], if you are under age 18. If you have already mailed this, then you don’t need to bring it. If you have not already mailed it, or if you aren’t sure, then please bring it with you!

If you are under age 13, then you must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian who is also a paid attendee of the convention.

We’ll see you in a few days!

Kumoricon and Backspace have teamed up to put on a special party the Thursday night before the con!

Backspace, Portland’s entertainment hub, presents a night of nerdcore, with performances by three local artists featuring techno and hip hop set to otaku and Japanese themes. While there, check out previews of Kumoricon content playing on a large screen along with open Wii gaming—plus the usual LAN gaming and cafe at Backspace.

See performances by Ultraklystron featuring otaku ryhmes, Rai with nerdcore/electro in Japanese, and Gradual Meltdown featuring Wii-mote/Guitar Hero-controlled techno.

The party runs from 8:00pm to around midnight, and is open to the public with free admission. Kick off Kumoricon early at this special party. For con staff who will be showing up for prep on Friday, this party is the perfect gathering the night before. We’ll see you there!

As a special incentive, we’re offering one last opportunity to pre-register for Kumoricon. From 8:00pm to 10:00pm only at this party, you can pre-register for a weekend membership at Kumoricon for the $35 price.

Please refer to the entry on the Kumoricon calendar for full details, performer details, and maps.

With the con approaching, we’ve now posted the full schedule online, plus details on nearly all events, including registration, con, and room hours! Plan out the three days of your con in advance, and no longer lament “I would have attended that if only I had known…” With that said, schedule changes can and will occur, but they will be updated on the web, even during the con if possible, so keep checking back.

On the schedule page, you will find: A download of the pocket programming guide; con hours for each day; a list of always-open rooms (things to do between scheduled events); Exhibitors Hall and Artist Alley hours; a quick reference for times for major events and concerts; the entire event and video schedule; a hotel map; and descriptions of nearly all scheduled events. These pieces of information will be in the program book and pocket guide, but the latest, most up-to-date information will always be on the web site.

Important check-in information, including registration hours on Saturday-Monday, and pre-registration check-in hours on Friday, has been added to the registration page.

We’ve also posted a map of local restaurants including approximate open/close times for some of them. See the hotel page for this information. It will be included in the printed pocket guide for your convenience, so you don’t need to print it out.

We promised the galleries for the mascot and cover contests before the con, and here they are! Mascot, program cover, and pocket cover. Staff have voted on the entries in all three contests. The cover winners are revealed; the mascot is still shrouded in mystery until Closing Ceremonies. View the gallery, get your hopes up for your favorite, let the suspense build, and find out if your favorite won on the last day of Kumoricon 2007!

We’ll see you in 9 short days. And the clock is ticking down…

Kumoricon pre-registration is officially over 1500! We look forward to welcoming all of you, including the 34 members who’ve opted to attend as VIPs.

There’s still time to register! You can do so online until 11:55 PM tonight, or at the Kumoricon Minicon Event tomorrow. If you register now, you can receive your badge in the mail next week!

VIP slots are limited, so be sure to act now if you’d like to receive your invitation to the guest dinner, free tee shirt, priority seating, and NO LINES!

The official end count will be posted shortly after pre-registration closes to give us time to count the remaining mail-ins.

Mini-con, our one-day event on Saturday, August 11, is now starting at 10 AM. It was previously scheduled to start at 8 AM, but this was too early for most people and especially the staff who would be setting up. Full details are further down on the main page and in this forum thread.

Note: Staff or volunteers involved in Mini-con setup or the envelope stuffing may still need to arrive earlier.

Pre-registration is still open, and we are now just past the 1200 mark! If you haven’t pre-registered yet, you still have time! Pre-registration closes this Friday, August 10th, at 11:55 PM. Anyone who registers before this time can receive their badge via mail. The final tier mail out is scheduled for this Saturday, so if you purchased your badge at the $35 price, you should receive it the next week. Don’t delay! The con will be here in 24 days!