One of the most promising conventions of this year is CONQuest 2023 by AcadArena. A lot of gaming, anime, and cosplay conventions with a ton of merch and exhibits all in one package.
Last year’s CONQuest was the best experience for me because you can roam in on the event, up and down. Now that this CONQuest is bigger than ever because it has 5 different event places to get in, this will be a fun experience for the whole 3 days… right? Sadly, that’s not a great time.
Day 1: the most chill part of the event.
Day 1 of CONQuest is in a light mood, it is like I'm on Day 2 of ESGS for example, with just the right amount of people inside the convention, and just on the right track.
I've met a lot of people in the process, some on the gaming side and the streamer side. I've targeted the entire quest logs and stuff, and I'm content to make it that far.
My questions are done I had a lot of fun that night.
My only regret on that day is “Why I'm not staying at the convention until 8 PM?!”
Day 2: Oh boy, how do I start?
This is what happened on Day 2.
At around 9 am, the line is just fine, with no internal stress whatsoever, but when it goes to noon, oh dear. We’re like a sardine on a can. The ground floor of the entrance building is so packed. The announcers are like: “Please be encouraged to go to other events such as Conrad, NU MOA, atrium, etc., etc.”
When I went to the 2nd floor, I noticed that the guard said “Cut the lines, we're full”. Yes, a lot of people want to go to the second floor, not just to go to the community stage, just dance booth, etc.; but some of these people’s minds are “Yes, I can take a pic on my favorite streamer/cosplayer/voice actor/actress!” or just want to go to specific merch stores. I've noticed while I'm eating, I've felt the shaking floor, and I'm technically scared of the entire floor collapsing on me, or my other gaming peeps.
I didn't go on 2F again and just stuck on 1F because they just wanted to go upstairs. On the bottom, it is still not full enough because some people are probably not for gaming exhibits, but just for the cosplays.
Not gonna lie, this is my first time on super congested lines, and this is the “so ok” experience for me.
I went to NU after 4 pm, because it is a train wreck to go and fall in line again, and probably I'm into cutoff after that.
The NU MOA when I went there was in a low attendance territory. The only thing that you've been doing at this event is either quest logs, Fan of the team, classmate, staff, organizers, or crew. I left the event shortly after to prepare for the last day.
Day 3: same stuff, same lines
Day 3 is just the same, but they've barricaded the lines after the fiasco. We are forced to run because idk why, they are cutting off a single file and just doing the best they can to monitor how would they go, which is why the line is on the back of the SMX Convention Center.
Also, the problem with this is when you go in, you can’t go out (unless you have passed) because you will fall in line again. So you are forced to buy food outside or at the stall inside to get some food.
It is so hassle to fall in line just to eat some rice meals which are sold out, welp.
But at least, we have some great encounters with other streamers as well! The only fishing panel of GLOCO and other PR members are also there as well.
We have the Garena Undawn booth which is somewhat of a great experience to mess with other people in the game,
And the encounters with the great cosplayers inside CONQuest, it was a blast.
Conclusion
It will be preventable if the ticket is on a limit and it's on the capacity of the convention center. The estimated number of people who went to the event is 70-80,000.
Also, they have plans on not doing the CONQuest Festival again for some reason. The organizers knew what happened at the event, so it was postponed.
But at least I have some fond memories this year. I have won a full-day ticket, the fact that I don't have a ticket bought on that day and don't have plans to go to CQ to experience it; it is great that Globe Gamer Grounds picked me as their winner. and it paid out, in my opinion.
Also, I didn't attend meet and greets this year, because the ticket selling is at MOA atrium, and if you did get one, you cannot go into the event premises again. so… screw that.
And that's it for my experience, I'll cover ESGS if I have time, I guess. See ‘ya!
