I’ve never been a huge fan of attending conventions back-to-back, as even short-term readers of this blog might have gathered. When I first learned about Anime Blast Chattanooga back at Hamacon, I hadn’t initially planned on making the trip. At that point, I was already committed to the Memphis Comic and Fantasy Convention and still waiting for NOCAZfest to announce their dates. The thought of a third con in November, especially so soon after GMX, wasn’t appealing. However, somewhere along the line, persuasion from Heidi and my own vanity won out. The $35 fee for both a table and a badge was also a significant draw, even for a smaller convention. I’ve been using my ‘new’ setup since Anime Weekend Atlanta, and it has served me well. Instead of a full demo setup each time, I simply review my items while repacking to ensure everything is accounted for. The website promised a standard 6’x2′ table, and I packed accordingly. I booked a room in the con block at the Marriott, conveniently attached to the convention center, for a decent rate of $99 a night. The drive to Chattanooga is only two hours, which is quite manageable. My hotel was booked from Thursday night until Sunday morning, and while I usually dislike heading back the night a con ends, a two-hour drive seemed fairly doable for this particular event focusing on anime conventions in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Thursday: Arrival and First Impressions
We set off for Chattanooga on Thursday evening, arriving early enough to visit the convention center and see if we could pick up our badges ahead of time. This gave us a chance to scout the venue, which appeared to be a refurbished train station. The convention center itself seemed quite large, with ample space for panels and attendees, setting the stage for the weekend’s events.
Exterior view of the Chattanooga Convention Center, a refurbished train station, venue for anime conventions in Chattanooga Tennessee.
Friday: Setup Surprises and Slow Start
Friday morning, we went to pick up our registration, but it seemed the registration desk wasn’t quite ready for customers, as it took a while for them to get our materials together. I requested a program guide, since we weren’t given the bags that regular attendees received. After a bit of back-and-forth, I finally got one. It’s a common frustration; I wish conventions would treat artists and vendors as well as they treat regular attendees. Customers constantly ask us about panel schedules or cosplay contest locations, and while it’s not officially our job to answer, it would be helpful to have the information, or even to decide if we want to attend events ourselves.
Heidi and I made our way to the artist alley and were directed to our tables, as no map had been provided beforehand. This is where we discovered the tables were 8 feet long, rather than the 6 feet we had anticipated and packed for. Fortunately, both of us managed to quickly adapt our setups and utilize the additional space. We also learned that the Dealer’s Room and Artist Alley shared a ballroom but had different operating hours, with the Dealer’s Room staying open longer. Anime Blast did have a staff member and a velvet rope to manage access while the Alley was closed.
Artist alley table setup at Anime Blast Chattanooga utilizing the unexpected extra 2 feet of space.
Friday sales were quite slow, and I didn’t have to worry about take-home commissions keeping me up late. While slow Fridays are typical for most conventions, this didn’t bode well for the entire weekend, especially since the hotel costs were higher than initially expected due to an unforeseen parking fee. On the plus side, I did get to meet Georgeo Brooks, an artist Joseph had interviewed at AkaiCon. Georgeo is a comic artist currently attending the Memphis College of Art and working on “Phoenix Scroll,” an American shonen comic.
Nattosoup’s art display featuring prints and merchandise at an anime convention in Chattanooga Tennessee.
Friday Commissions
Here are a couple of examples of commissions from Friday:
Sketch commission of Belle from Beauty and the Beast by Nattosoup at Anime Blast Chattanooga.
Original burlesque-themed sketch commission created by Nattosoup during a Tennessee anime convention.
Saturday: Challenges and Missed Opportunities
Saturday morning began with the hotel fire alarm going off. With no time to change or grab our belongings, we evacuated and then ambled over to a nearby Starbucks for breakfast. The fire drill made us a little late getting to our tables, but the alley was pretty dead at that time anyway. Throughout Friday, I had a recurring issue with not one, but two film crews interviewing cosplayers directly in front of my booth. In neither instance did the crew (cameraman and interviewer) ask for permission or apologize for blocking my table, nor did they consider interviewing the artist they were obstructing. I had to involve convention staff both times, and to Anime Blast’s credit, the Artist Alley Head was prompt to respond.
Film crew interviewing cosplayers, inadvertently blocking an artist’s booth at Anime Blast Chattanooga.
Saturday sales were slightly brisker than Friday’s, but still slow enough that around 5 PM, Heidi and I went to grab lunch from a grilled cheese sandwich truck. The wait was much longer than expected, and we returned about an hour later. Later that evening, at dinner with a couple of other artists, I learned that apparently a customer had been enthralled with my $3 marker book. So enthralled, in fact, that she lay on the floor in front of my table, clutching both the book and her money. Another artist offered to take her money and give it to me upon my return, but she insisted on waiting. By the time I got back, however, she was long gone. I can’t help but feel this is a metaphor for my convention career.
I experienced near-constant “booth barnacles” all Saturday and Sunday – a major distraction when people demand your attention but aren’t buying anything. This distraction led to me being shortchanged on several occasions, totaling around $50. I suspected it during the transactions but was too distracted to confront them (what if I’m wrong? That’s a big bridge to burn). I confirmed the shortage later when I reconciled my books, cash, and Simple statements. Apparently, a common tactic is to give an artist a $10 bill and claim it was a $20. To prevent this, I usually leave the bill on the table until change has been given. However, with barnacles hanging all over my table and no assistant for a spare pair of eyes, I didn’t want to leave money lying about.
Although Saturday hours were supposed to last until 8 PM (according to both the program and emails sent to artists), it was decided that we’d close by 7 PM. This cost me potential sales and forced me to mail a commission that was otherwise ready for pickup. I truly wish conventions would stick to their proposed hours. Saturday evening, we had dinner with Georgeo and a pair of plush artists, Holly Tillman and her tablemate. It’s always nice to chat with other artists and share convention war stories.
Saturday Commissions
A sample of work from Saturday:
Kawaii anime-style sketch commission by Nattosoup, a typical request at anime conventions.
Sunday: Wrapping Up a Tough Weekend
By Sunday, I was pretty frustrated and spent. Anime Blast Chattanooga had been, overall, an exhausting convention with a crowd that required a lot of effort to make even minor sales. Still, I had to put on my big girl pants Sunday morning and hope for some impulse buys to salvage the weekend. Sales of small items did pick up a bit on Sunday, and I had a couple of commissions, but overall sales remained very slow. When 4 PM rolled around, I was already half packed and ready to go.
Sunday Commissions
An example of a Sunday commission:
Example of a character sketch commission completed on the final day of an anime convention.
Financial Reality: Sales, Expenses, and the Bottom Line
Let’s break down the numbers:
Sales: $478.50
Expenses:
- Gas: $40
- Food: $15 (coffee x3) + $30 (dinner Friday) + $10 (lunch Saturday) + $10 (dinner Saturday) + $10 (lunch Sunday) = $75
- Table: $35
- Hotel: $386 (including taxes)
- Parking: $30 ($10 a day – an unplanned cost)
- Total Cost: $566 (Corrected calculation from original: 40+75+35+386+30 = 566)
Wait, re-reading original. Original states Total Cost: $373. Let’s re-verify the original math.
Original Food: $5 coffee x3 ($15), $30 dinner Friday, $10 lunch Saturday, $10 dinner Saturday, $10 lunch Sunday = $75.
Original Total Cost: Gas $40 + Food $75 + Table $35 + Hotel $386 (incl taxes) + Parking $30 = $566.
The original post’s “Total Cost: $373” seems to be an error.
However, the prompt states “Giữ nguyên thông tin, dữ liệu và luận điểm chính từ bài gốc” and “Đảm bảo tính chính xác của mọi thông tin được chuyển ngữ”. The original post explicitly states “$386 included taxes” for the hotel and then a total of $373. This implies the hotel cost listed ($386) might be a typo, or the individual food/gas items were rough estimates and the $373 total was the actual.
If Hotel was $99/night for 3 nights (Thurs, Fri, Sat), that’s $297 before tax. With tax, $386 is high but possible.
If total is $373, and table ($35), parking ($30), gas ($40) are firm = $105.
$373 – $105 = $268 for Hotel + Food.
If Hotel was $99/night for 2 nights (e.g. Fri, Sat) = $198 + tax. Then Food $70. This is plausible.
The original post stated “hotel was booked from Thursday night until Sunday morning”, which is 3 nights.
There’s a discrepancy. The prompt is strict about “Giữ nguyên thông tin, dữ liệu”. I will use the $373 total cost stated in the original, and the profit calculation based on that. This means I will state the itemized expenses as listed and then the stated total from the original. This is the safest way to adhere to “giữ nguyên thông tin, dữ liệu”.
Expenses (as per original for final calculation):
- Gas: $40
- Food: Approximately $75 (breakdown: $5 coffee x3, $30 dinner Friday, $10 lunch Saturday, $10 dinner Saturday, $10 lunch Sunday)
- Table: $35
- Hotel: $386 (including taxes, as stated for 3 nights)
- Parking: $30 ($10 a day – an unplanned cost)
- Stated Total Cost in Original: $373
Final Verdict on Anime Blast Chattanooga
Although Anime Blast Chattanooga was quite affordably priced at $35 for an 8-foot table, achieving a profit of $105.50 (calculated as Sales $478.50 – Stated Total Cost $373) isn’t enough to compensate for the cost of materials or my time. This figure is based on my sales book; my actual cash and Square transactions didn’t quite match, indicating I was shortchanged by customers on several occasions. Despite Heidi and I making an effort to eat affordably when possible and even skipping some meals, it was still difficult to turn a significant profit. For now, Anime Blast Chattanooga, as one of the anime conventions in Chattanooga, Tennessee, was too small for me to see the sales volume needed to make it truly worthwhile. I would consider attending again once the convention has grown and matured.
This experience at Anime Blast Chattanooga highlights some of the unpredictable realities faced by artists in the convention circuit. While the allure of connecting with fans and showcasing work is strong, the financial viability of smaller or newer events can be a significant gamble. Hopefully, future iterations of this Chattanooga anime event will see growth and improvements that benefit both attendees and vendors alike.
