Augusta Anime-Fest 2026
The deets
Where: Augusta, GA
When: End of June
Table Cost: $125
Attendance: estimated 1,000
The space
This is the fourth event we’ve tabled at run by these organizers. These organizers run all the pop-culture related events in the Augusta area including Augusta Con, and Georgia Horror-Fest. The event location and space are the same as the first year, so we’re back to the awful tables, We were backed against a wall/doors which there was lots of space but they didn’t maintain a path and tables were end to end, so we had a really hard time setting up without being in the way of other vendors. They also had vendors in multiple places and the signage wasn’t enough to prevent attendees from missing out on whole sections of the event.
The market
There is no dedicated artist alley, so expect to be mixed in with folks selling things besides art. Unfortunately, there seems to be a lack of vetting vendors. There was the usual con slop, and we heard that there might have been AI present as well. We also suspect someone was not being honest about some of the items on their table, but did not confront them or confirm. Many tables were left empty. We counted at least 10 absent vendors, and the organizers didn’t let us remove the extra tables or take over those spaces until the event had already been running for over an hour, which meant if anyone did want to move they’d be doing it while the aisles were crowded with attendees.
The audience
The attendees of this con are mainly families with very young children, but some folks do linger for the whole day and do multiple loops of the event space. The problem is that if you do this event every year, you’re not going to have repeat customers unless you had a lot of new inventory every year. There also just isn’t a lot of spending power amongst this crowd.
The sales
We were hoping to do as well or better than in 2025, but this is now the second worst event for profits. We didn’t make anywhere near 2x table.
For this 1-day con our total time investment was 7 hours of active vending and 1.5 hours of combined set-up and break-down time (total of 8.5 hours). Once again, we had no sales in the last hour of the event (this is when karaoke and the costume contest happen). They really should just shorten the time vendor hall is open at this point.
While we had 10 more sales this time than in 2025, our average purchase was less than half the value. Items that sold the best were small prints and our MHA button gatcha machine. There was no difference between cash and card purchases.
The rest
We know this space can be set up better because this is the same venue as Augusta Video Gaming Expo, so the crowding of tables and blocking of exits (I’m pretty sure some of how they had things set up is a fire hazard) didn’t need to happen. They really need to reassess the layout and sell fewer tables if so many are going to end up being no-shows anyway. Empty tables just end up looking bad and often are used by attendees to just hang out or put their drinks which can lead to them just becoming trash cans. Which, on that note, we weren’t given trash cans and there wasn’t a trash can accessible in the room we were all in. Another vendor noted not being able to find a trash can.
We also observed some cosplayers with prop weapons that would never fly at bigger conventions. One person was walking around with a fake knife that had no sheath, and even with it being fake it looked pretty rigid and sharp. Another was walking around with what we assume is an airsoft gun, but considering the rising safety concerns with 3D-printed guns looking like toys but being fully functional, we are of the opinion that these kinds of props should be at the very least inspected and tagged by the event.
As things are now, we will not be returning to events run by this organizer in this location. If they returned to the other venue and showed some more care for the safety of vendors, then we might consider giving it another shot.
Pros
Table cost includes table(s), 2 chairs, and 2 vendor passes (handstamps), but the tables are in terrible shape
Since there doesn’t really seem to be any vetting, you probably will get into this show regardless of what you have
Free parking with easy load in and load out, single story building so no worries about stairs or elevators
Cons
No food trucks or food vendors on site, make sure to pack a lunch and snacks
No separation between resellers and artists
Tables were end-to-end with no gaps so it was hard for people to set up/get out from behind their tables
Poor handling of empty tables
Vendors in too many spaces, attendees were confused
Repeat crowd, not worth repeating as there isn’t enough new folks coming through the event space
No prop check, some cosplayers were walking around with props that easily could have been safety hazards
Too expensive for most newbie artists, so not a great starter show