Anime Expo

• 1. Origins And Early Years

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  The first Anime Expo opened its doors from July 3 to the 6th of June 1992 at the Red Lion Hotel in San Jose, California. Many of its original staff came from a previous gathering called Anime Con that had been held in San Jose during 1991. This earlier event was later absorbed by the Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation in 1992. The convention made a strategic relocation to Southern California in 1994 and has remained there ever since. Attendance started small with just 1,750 people attending the inaugural year. By 2017, the crowd had swelled to over 107,658 attendees. It currently holds the title of North America's largest anime convention every year except 2003 when Otakon briefly took the lead.

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• 2. Organizational Turmoil And Leadership Changes

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  Chief executive officer Trulee Karahashi left the organization in March 2009 after serving in various capacities for 11 years. Former Universal Studios executive Michael Lattanzio was hired as the new CEO in September 2009. Eight members of the upper management team publicly resigned in January 2010 due to disagreements over the new direction. A significant point of contention involved Lattanzio's decision to restructure marketing efforts starting with the dismissal of a PR contractor they had worked with since 2004. Two other personnel had already left for different reasons leaving only the vice-chair and two others from the previous year's team. Lattanzio was released from his position in September 2010. Anime News Network reported that the event suffered a $1.2 million loss in 2010. The 2011 convention saw a $100,000 profit and reduced outstanding debt to $700,000. IDG World Expo began taking over several aspects of the organization while guest selection remained under SPJA control.

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• 3. Pandemic Response And Virtual Adaptation

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  A global coronavirus outbreak created concerns related to large gatherings like Anime Expo in early 2020. On the 17th of April 2020, the SPJA announced it was cancelling the live event citing health and safety concerns. They stated plans to hold the 2021 event on normal July dates initially. On the 27th of May 2020, they announced a two-day online convention titled Anime Expo Lite. This virtual event took place on July 3 and 4, 2020. On the 3rd of March 2021, the SPJA canceled the live 2021 convention again due to continued uncertainties surrounding the pandemic. The Anime Expo Lite would instead be held on the 2021 schedule. Despite these challenges, Anime Expo returned in-person in 2022 for the first time since 2019. The 2022 event began on July 1 and ended on July 4 as an in-person gathering.

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• 4. Operational Challenges And Overcrowding Issues

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  Anime Expo in 2023 suffered from serious overcrowding issues that affected the attendee experience. The event also occurred during a hotel staff strike which added logistical complexity. Layout and operational changes led to less crowding in 2024 but created new problems elsewhere. The panel ticketing system implemented that year proved not effective for managing crowds. Long lines for entry into the convention hall had been seen as attendance grew over the years. Organizers attributed these delays to safety and security concerns regarding large gatherings. These operational hurdles highlighted the growing pains of scaling up to become North America's largest anime convention.

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• 5. International Expansion Attempts

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  The Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation ran conventions outside California twice before stopping all efforts after 2004. Anime Expo New York took place in 2002 within the Times Square district of New York City. This event was originally a joint effort with Central Park Media and its industry event called Big Apple Anime Fest. Differences between partners caused them to run as separate entities sharing some resources while hosting different activities. The SPJA ran this event to demonstrate capability outside their home state of California. It served as a precursor to Anime Expo Tokyo which held its first event in 2004 at Sunshine City Convention Center in Ikebukuro, Tokyo. That convention attracted 4,249 attendees including approximately 300 who traveled from abroad. No plans to host another official Anime Expo outside California have been announced since then.

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