[June 30, 2013] OMGcon moving to city in 2014 [Messenger-Inquirer, Owensboro, Ky.] Tweet (Messenger-Inquirer (Owensboro, KY) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) June 30--OMGcon, a convention for fans of anime and video games, will be moving to Owensboro on June 13-15. Global Spectrum, which manages the new Owensboro Convention Center, and the Tri-State Anime Promotional Society made the announcement Saturday morning in Smothers Park surrounded by several costumed characters. Dean Dennis, general manager of the convention center, said OMGcon, which began in Paducah in 2006, attracted more than 1,600 people two weeks ago. Daniel Dodd, co-founder of OMGcon, said people came from more than 30 states. The gathering has drawn people from Canada, Japan and the Caribbean through the years, he said. "We wanted to keep it in western Kentucky," Dodd said of the convention. "We think it can grow to the next level in Owensboro." The gathering began with 250 people in 2006. "In the beginning, we didn't expect it to grow as large as it has," said Dodd, who was 21 when he helped organize the first gathering. He said he expects attendance to top 2,000 within two years. The Owensboro contract is for 2014 and 2015. "It's a unique group that has a lot of fun," Dennis said. "There are definitely a lot of people interested in this event." The annual gathering brings together anime and video gamers for a weekend. It also brings in voice actors and artists, dealers of hard-to-get merchandise and stages events such as cosplay and video game tournaments. Cosplay -- "costume play" -- is defined as a type of performance art in which participants wear costumes. Anime refers to Japanese animated productions featuring hand-drawn or computer animation. Mayor Pro Tem Deborah Nunley welcomed the convention to Owensboro. And Sean Dysinger, sales and tourism development director for the Owensboro-Daviess County Convention & Visitors Bureau, said, "This is going to be a lot of fun." Dodd said the convention is a nonprofit organization that pumps all of its profits back into the next year's gathering. The Owensboro Convention Center will feature a 45,000-square-foot exhibit hall and an additional 47,000 square feet of meeting and banquet space. Keith Lawrence, 691-7301, [email protected] ___ (c)2013 the Messenger-Inquirer (Owensboro, Ky.) Visit the Messenger-Inquirer (Owensboro, Ky.) at www.messenger-inquirer.com Distributed by MCT Information Services [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]