Hi, I’m Ryan, president of AnimeCon.org, and part of my job is making sure our conventions bring real Japanese culture and community experiences to anime fans. One of the coolest things we offer at our conventions is the Con “Sweet”—a place where attendees can recharge with unlimited free rice, instant ramen, and soda.
When I first started attending anime conventions at 16, I had a limited budget. I wanted to spend my money in the dealer’s room on anime merch, not on overpriced hotel food. Back then, some conventions had a Con Suite, a hotel suite stocked with snacks for attendees. The name came from “suite,” as in a hotel suite, but it also felt fitting for the sweet drinks and snacks they provided.
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At our conventions, we improved on that idea. Instead of using a cramped hotel suite, we negotiated with venues to get a full meeting room dedicated to the Con Suite. We kept the name but gave it a new twist: Con Suite (S-W-E-E-T). It’s bigger, more accessible, and a better experience for attendees.
Right now, I’m pretty sure AnimeCon.org conventions are among the few that still offer this. Some big conventions used to have a Con Suite, but they dropped it, often claiming the hotel wouldn’t allow it. Funny enough, we use the same hotels, and they let us do it just fine. Sure, some hotels charge extra fees, but if you’re willing to work with them, it’s doable.
It disappoints me to see conventions taking away perks like this. Anime conventions should be about community and taking care of the fans, not just maximizing profits. That’s why our Con Suite exists—to make sure you can grab a snack, stay energized, and keep having fun all weekend without worrying about food costs.
So next time you’re at Anime Midwest, Anime Minneapolis, or another AnimeCon.org event, check out the Con Suite. Grab some ramen, drink a Mountain Dew (unless I beat you to it), and keep your energy up. Anime conventions run from early morning panels to late-night dances—you need fuel to keep going! Just don’t forget to hydrate too. See you at the next con!