The benefits of virtual conventions.

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2020 has been a very tough year. Covid-19 has made many sci-fi and anime convention either cancel, postpone to a future date or go virtual. While a virtual convention is nowhere as exciting as attending an actual one, there are a few benefits of attending one. Here are few benefits of attending virtual conventions that I personally believe in.

1. Virtual conventions are free to visit and attend. When one of my favorite conventions I have attended for the last few years, Momocon at the World Congress Center in Atlanta, Georgia went virtual this year, I, like many other congoers, was disappointed. However, checking out some of the panels and chatting with members of the convention and other congoers was a lot of fun. One panel I watched and chatted in the chat room was really fun. I actually talked with the host of the panel, and me and her was talking about japanese kit kats and even horror stories and urban legends.

2. You can host a panel from the comfort of your home. This one of my favorite benefits. For example, let’s say you can’t attend physically attend a convention but still want to be a panelists. With virtual conventions, you can still host your panel online from the comfort of your own home. Also, you have access to materials you might not be able to bring with you to an actual physical convention.

3. You can save yourself lots of money. Attending physical conventions can be expensive. I know from personal experience that the biggest expenses from physical conventions are hotel rooms and parking fees. If you can room with several friends, then the cost of the hotel room can be greatly reduced. However, usually people bail out of attending cons for several reasons. The less of your friends or roommates paying for the room, the more you will have to pay out of your pocket (or credit card). Parking fees can also add up real quickly, especially if you are attending a convention for several days. With a virtual convention, you have no parking fees to worry about.

4. You don’t have to worry about hygiene issues or getting sick from virtual conventions. I have attended physical anime and sci-fi conventions for over twenty plus years. There has been several times I have gotten sick from attending a physical convention, especially the late fall year conventions. Con crud is a real thing, and it’s no fun. With a virtual convention, you don’t have to deal with con funk and germs.

These are the few benefits I can think of about virtual convention off the top of my head now. I’m sure there are plenty more. I would love to hear your own opinions about what do you think are the benefits of virtual conventions. Hopefully 2021 will be a better and safer year for physically atttending anime and sci fi conventions.