Hong Kong Ani-Com 2023: comics, gaming fans form 300-metre queue outside convention centre as annual festival opens
- Vendors expect brisk business, noting much larger turnout than in previous years
- Priority ticket holders also have to queue up according to numbers allocated in their raffle tickets
Hundreds of comics and gaming fans converged on the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai on Friday morning for the annual Ani-Com show, with the queue outside the venue spanning 300 metres in sweltering heat.
The line for Ani-Com and Games Hong Kong 2023 snaked from the convention site to the Great Eagle Centre as enthusiasts vied to be among the first to snap up event exclusives on opening day, with temperatures reaching 33 degrees Celsius (91.4 Fahrenheit).
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Henry Lai Chun-hang was first in line, as he had won a priority ticket through a raffle held by organisers. “I was shocked when I got the No 2 priority ticket,” the 18-year-old fan said.
Priority ticket holders are allowed to enter the venue in sequence according to their ticket numbers, but the No 1 holder did not show up, making way for Lai.
The priority tickets allowed holders to grab limited-edition products before others.
“I just wanted to play around or be the first to rush into the hall,” said Lai, a student who just finished his university-entrance examination.
The 24th edition of the four-day festival drew 122 exhibitors and 589 booths. The event will feature overseas Cosplayers, figurines and toys.
Lai said he planned to spend about HK$1,000 (US$128), much like on his previous visits.
Another priority ticket holder, Evelyn Ng Yuen-yan, said she joined the raffle for the first time. “I thought priority tickets are about not needing to queue. I did not expect we still needed to queue here,” she said.
The 23-year-old university student said she budgeted about HK$2,000 for products for herself, and had on hand another HK$6,000 for goods for her friends.
Convention vendors said they expected brisk business.
Gary Hui Wai-kit, marketing manager of local vehicle product designer and retailer Tiny, was eyeing a 30 per cent increase in sales.
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“As we observed at around 10am, when the event just started, there had been more people than in previous years and the venue was busier than before,” he said.
Carol Wong Ka-lo, marketing director of comic product distributor Mighty Media, expected a 15 per cent increase in both footfall and sales.
“We have more Japan-imported products this year, and Conan products will be popular,” she said referring to the Detective Conan manga series by Japanese artist Gosho Aoyama.
The show came hot on the heels of the first post-pandemic Hong Kong Book Fair, which wrapped at the same venue on Tuesday. The week-long fair, one of Asia’s largest, recorded almost 1 million visitors, marking a return to pre-pandemic levels.
