A Pokemon fan convention in the Philippines ended in major disappointment for fans of the highly beloved franchise with some even comparing it to a scam event known as the Fyre Festival.
This is a fan-run convention that was supposed to bring Pokemon fans together, which on paper, seems like a very normal event. It also promised that there would be big guests, activities, and "officially licensed" merchandise available for purchase.
Pokemon Fan Convention Fail
(Photo : Behrouz MEHRI, AFP, Getty Images / Screenshot taken from official website)
While there were some people who attended who praised the convention on its official social media accounts, there were others who complained. They talked about poor organization, communication, and feeling underwhelmed by the event as a whole.
The event, known as Pokeverse, took place from May 31, 2024, to June 2, 2024, and was held at SM Megamall, Megatrade Hall in Mandaluyong. The fan-made convention's biggest draw was that it would have two important guests.
These are Veronica Taylor, who is the actor voicing Pokemon anime protagonist Ash Ketchum for the first eight seasons, and James Paige, who is the vocalist for the first season's English theme song. They allegedly would have been available for panels and meet and greets, according to Kotaku.
However, when attendees of the convention arrived at the site, they found out that there were multiple inconsistencies between the promotional material and the actual event.
They described it as "barren" with large areas of convention space being dedicated to one of the event's sponsors, Frigga, which is a Zodiac-themed charm company.
They also saw inflatable activities such as a basketball arcade game and others that were set up in the area but had no Pokemon branding. Some people also reported several instances of poor communication and management from the event.
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These include areas being poorly labeled, Pokemon-themed events turning out to be ads for completely unrelated services, and artists looking to take part in the artist valley dealing with consistent miscommunication and high prices for participation.
There was also a case when a person, who is being called "Ravioli Man," caused disturbances on the grounds before he was later escorted out of the event area. However, this was after he took a sponge and started rubbing it on one of the sponsor booths, said IGN.
Miscommunication and Failed Promises
Pokemon fan and cartoonist on X, formerly known as Twitter, @BintuRita, said that the convention seemed to have been "extremely downsized" from what the organizers initially promised to deliver.
Fans were also disappointed as another promised convention activity, a "Pokemon-Themed Baking Session (DIY Event)" was later found to be just a promotion for a cake and drink printing service.
The situation was made even more chaotic as the prices for the tickets to get into the fan-made convention were priced at $17 for the standard and $102 for the VIP access. One of the people who operated a booth at the event, Marie Angelique, also took to Facebook to share her experience.
She said that the Pokeverse fan convention did not acknowledge its non-sponsored artists and there was little focus on the artist valley. The only redeeming factor was the stage segment but the special guests were not even paid for their appearance, according to Geek Culture.
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