#quadcon peoria

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QuadCon Peoria September 2021

On Saturday, September 25, we went to QuadCon Peoria. The event was running both Sat and Sun at Northwoods Mall, but we chose to just do the one day. And that was probably for the best.

Since the con was at Northwoods Mall, which is open to the public, attendance was free and there was no need to check in anywhere and get a hand stamp. Vendors were spread out through the upper level of the mall, as well as one of the empty storefronts near the food court. Card game tournaments were set up in the mall’s new comic store. There were video game tournaments scheduled for the same area, but they weren’t taking place while we were there (as far as I know, anyway)

.We wandered around a couple of times, saying hi to vendors that we knew, and browsing. We’d gotten to the con approximately 12:15 or so and planned to stay until the cosplay contest was over. Well before then, we were bored.

QuadCon attracts a great variety of vendors. It’s fun to browse and shop! But that can only entertain @lechevaliermalfet​ and I for so long. The card gaming tournaments weren’t of interest to us and there were no panels at this particular QuadCon. We were with friends, so we were able to pass the time by just talking/getting coffee/etc. Had we been on our own, we probably would have either gone home until the cosplay contest or gone to the Round One arcade on the lower level.

When the cosplay contest began, it was held on the lower level in the center court, so that it was visible from the upper level as well. Contestants were asked to strike a pose or two and then join a line for photos and a cosplay parade while the judges deliberated.

 We were on the lower level for this portion, and so it was easy to see and hear. We ventured to the upper level as the cosplay parade set off through the mall.

When awards were announced, we simply watched from where we were upstairs. However, it was very hard to hear who was winning what award over the general background noise of the mall on a Saturday.

In all honesty, I’m not sure that the mall is the best venue for QuadCon. On the one hand, having the empty storefront was a nice way to gather several of the vendors together - but an empty storefront isn’t exactly a welcoming environment. And while having people set up along the regular mall walkways was also a nice idea, I’m curious to know how well those vendors actually benefitted from the regular mall traffic. I almost feel like there were two crowds: mall shoppers and con attendees. And that the two didn’t overlap much. But maybe I’m wrong, who knows?

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QuadCon Peoria November 2023

Honestly, this is one that we weren't planning to attend. We sort of forgot it was going on both days at the mall. We were there to meet some friends at the Smo-King Pit for lunch on the Sunday of QuadCon. Once we remembered the con was going on, however, we wandered around and did some shopping. And that's really about all there is to do at the mall QuadCons. I believe the geek store in the mall may have had a Pokemon tournament going, but I couldn't say for sure. And there were very few cosplayers, since the cosplay contest would have been on Saturday.

We did end up with some nice merch and I do like that the vendors are spread throughout the mall and that QuadCon will rent out empty store spaces for the weekend. But I also feel some vendors probably don't get much traffic, depending on where they are assigned - especially anyone who was stuck down by the old Sears location, since Sears hasn't relinquished the lease on that space for anyone else to move in (as I understand it, anyway).

Oh, and yes, there was Pokemon Go. I actually have been playing less of it since my pregnancy, but I definitely still make sure to have it out if we're with friends and doing some event. Because there's likely to be plenty of people, which means more Pokemon spawning. And the mall has some Gyms/Pokestops.

It was a nice way to kill an afternoon. I really don't have as much in paying to attend QuadCon anymore, but it's fine when I can attend for free at the mall.

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QuadCon Peoria, Dec 2021

Whoo, 3rd QuadCon of the year for @lechevaliermalfet​ and myself! This one was held at the Peoria RiverPlex, which is where the 2019 events were held. Like the one we attended in September, this one was basically mostly a dealer event. A cosplay contest and gaming tournament were on offer, but no panels. Unlike the one in September, this one cost admission - $3 each.

Like they’ve done in the past for the paid events, we received stamps as proof of paid admittance. This time, they actually placed our stamps on the inside of the wrist - not a bad idea, since it meant the stamp didn’t wash away as quickly.

One thing that the RiverPlex offers as a venue is a fair amount of space for spreading out attendees/dealers.

The downside to this is that when attendance is lower, it really stands out. QuadCon has said before that their events usually draw between 600-1000 attendees. From what was overhead at the event, attendance this time around was under 400. It’s possible that pandemic concerns played a factor, of course. We wandered the event, shopping, and saying hello to folks we knew, including our friend @artbyquinton​​ 

The cosplay contest was held on the risers, as they’ve done in the past. On the one hand, this means that most people watching from the surrounding area have a good chance of seeing the participant. On the other, it can be a crowded space.

There were no judges this time around, so winners were chosen via random number. At the end of the contest, all participants - and any other cosplaying attendee - were asked to participate in a group photo.

The cosplay contest area was also the same area being utilized for the video gaming - they just paused during the contest.

Other than that, not much to say about this QuadCon. And it was Pokemon Go Community Weekend, so there were definitely gym battles, etc.

The first QuadCon event in Peoria for 2022 is slated to be at the mall again, so I imagine that one will be a shorter recap as well.

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QuadCon Peoria, June 2021

So. One weekend, two conventions. Just a nice boost of escapism and fun that I have sorely missed in the last year and change.

So once I was done viewing the Cogs & Corsets panel that I attended on Saturday, @lechevaliermalfet​ and I headed out for QuadCon Peoria, June 2021 edition. 

Let me begin by saying that I would really love to see more conventions use the Civic Center. I don’t really know what kind of costs that would entail – QuadCon said the Center essentially donated the day to them. But it really can handle crowds, has an excellent space for a vendor area, etc. I think the one issue would be panel rooms, though I’m pretty sure there are conference rooms in the center somewhere. And parking. That could be an issue. We actually ended up parking on the far side of the building and had to walk all the way around to the entry we needed.

Still, though. Having to walk around the building to get in and to get back to the van when we left made me notice all the various places that I’m sure cosplayers would love to get their photo taken. And spaces where people would just hang out.

Maybe someday…

Once we got to the entry, we noticed that QuadCon had changed things up a bit. In the past, we paid our fee ($5 or less) and got a handstamp, and were good to go. This year, they were selling actual tickets and insisting on a wrist stamp. So you could be verified either way. And with the new placement of the stamp, mine was still going strong by the end of the day. Or, at least, still visible.

QuadCon adhered to CDC guidelines, recommending masks, but not requiring them of anyone fully vaccinated. They did not insist on seeing anything to verify vaccination status.

We did go maskless, but it was honestly a little more unsettling doing so at QuadCon than at Cogs and Corsets, because there were greater opportunities for crowds to gather for events.

Once we walked in, it was a little overwhelming, in a good way. Cogs & Corsets vendor selection had been extremely small – QuadCon, on the other hand, is a very vendor-heavy event, and this time was no exception. A few of our friends were vending, so we made sure to visit their booths during the day.

What I hadn’t expected – probably because the last QuadCon had been at the local mall and was more of a nerd market – was for the day to be an actual con. I never saw a posted schedule, but there were panels, a charity auction, gaming tournaments, costume contest, and cosplayer parade.

It was all being held in one of the Civic Center’s Expo Halls. On the one hand, that was great – these halls often accommodate car shows, home improvement expos, etc. So there is more than enough room to spread out and allow people to browse and practice social distancing. And it really made QuadCon feel almost like wandering around a much larger event, like ACen or Otakon in that sense – though both of those would probably be far more packed. But the feeling was nice.

The downside is that, with everything in one room, they ran into the same issue as PeoriaCon. How do you isolate a panel area? Gaming? Cosplay?

Not entirely well, as it turns out. We did not attend any of the panels – in part because we didn’t know when they were happening, and in part because there weren’t many chairs set up. And the panes were just at the end of a row of vendors, so there was noise from foot traffic, etc. Though it did look like the panelists at least had a microphone.

We also didn’t participate in the gaming area at all. To be honest, I’m not 100% certain which corner of the room it was in? We may have passed it by and literally not noticed it. My guess is it was a smaller area.

We caught the last bit of the charity auction as we waited around for the cosplay contest.  We did attend the cosplay contest, but the stage was probably only about a foot high. So if you were a shorter person (like me), the odds of actually seeing what was happening or getting a decent photo were sort of lousy. I have a lot of photos like the one below, sadly.

I don’t recall them making this clarification before, but QuadCon’s cosplay contest is largely a craftsmanship contest. There were several accomplished cosplayers acting as the judges for the event. I checked QuadCon’s site but it also isn’t mentioned there. So just a heads-up if you plan on participating in one.

They run their contests in two divisions: Kids and Adult.

As is normal for QuadCon, after the cosplay contest, they issued a call for all cosplayers to participate in one giant photo together. There was unfortunately no way I was able to get a complete photo of everyone, due to being short and the area being crowded.

After that, they led the cosplayers in a cosplay parade, as an additional chance to show off.

By the end of the day, we left with a fair number of purchases, footsore and hungry, but happy. That really felt like a con. Oh, and yes, there was Pokemon Go.

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QuadCon Peoria: Halloween 2019 edition

Tumblr already ate this post once during posting, so we’ll see what happens this time around. 

QuadCon came to Peoria once already this year, in the spring. Last month was the Halloween edition, though it was actually mid-October (10/19/19). 

As with the spring edition, this was a one-day event. But there was a little more on the schedule this time around.

Unlike in the spring, we didn’t see any signs of the Ghostbusters vehicle when we pulled up to the Riverplex. Parking was still in the visitor lot, which is actually divided from the main lot by a set of train tracks. At one point during the day, this became an entertaining issue. 

When the train came in, it didn’t actually fully block the access to that lot - it was a minor inconvenience at best, actually. But it was kinda funny to have happen.

Admission to get into QuadCon was still low -$3 each for @lechevaliermalfet  and myself, since we hadn’t shared anything on social media this time. Hand stamps were still being utilized as the indicator of paid entry.

There were piles of bags at the counter when we arrived and we later learned that if we had been part of the first 100 at the door, we would have received a goody bag with cards, a coupon for the next quadcon, a comic, and possibly one or two other small items. It was not something that QuadCon did during the spring event, and I don’t recall seeing it advertised via the Facebook event page. Time will tell if this is something they will repeat again - the QuadCon events are fan-run and they admitted during their charity auction that they mainly just break even on these cons. 

The room arrangement was the same as the Spring con - Panels in a RiverPlex classroom, and vendors/cosplay/gaming in the gym.

Once inside the gym, I noticed that at least once change had been made to the layout:

Tabletop gaming had been given more space, in an area that had previously held a row of vendors. Whether this meant that fewer vendors signed on for the October event or whether QuadCon simply restructured their tabling layout, I couldn’t say. There was still a wide variety of merch on hand, from hand-crafted to old toys to local authors like @fullofworlds to items that I thought were likely ordered via Wish. 

Just a sampling of items for sale - and yes, I absolutely bought that Snoopy WWI Flying Ace plush. He shakes, laughs, and makes flying noises!

Video gaming was still right next to the cosplay area. 

The panelists for the October event were largely the same as at the Spring event - which I thought was cool. These guys are big on audience participation - their panels work best as an interactive discussion between themselves and attendees. And since participation means entry to win a book on nerdy stuff, there is incentive to interact.

Both @lechevaliermalfet and one of our friends won books during the panels. 

During the cosplay contest, there appeared to be more competitors than at the Spring event, which was awesome to see. As before, the charity auction took place while the judges deliberated on scoring. I was eager for scoring, since I knew a few of the participants in the contest (I myself did not cosplay that day). @el-draco-bizarro was one of the participants I knew, and she received an Honorable Mention from the judges for her Scorpia cosplay. 

There was one thing I wish QuadCon had done differently, however. During the judges’ deliberation - and prior to the Charity Auction - the event organizers called for a group photo of all cosplayers. It did not matter if you were part of the costume contest or if you were just observing - if you were in cosplay, you were encouraged to come up for the photo.

Here is the problem I had:

That’s @el-draco-bizarro​ talking to the judges about her cosplay, and 2 more participants still waiting for their final discussion with the judges. I overheard one of the event organizers telling the Depressed Thor cosplayer to join the group photo, only to have the contestant remind him that he still wasn’t done with being judged!

Don’t do this! Wait until the line of contestants has cleared the judges’ table! Maybe I’m just persnickety, but it seems rude to call out for a full group photoshoot and still end up potentially excluding people because they chose to participate in the cosplay contest. I’m sure it was a timing mixup, but I really hope it doesn’t happen at the Spring 2020 event.

Since we were at a 230 panel right after the cosplay contest, we missed the Halloween parade that QuadCon offered its younger attendees. I know that several of the vendors had candy on hand for the parade participants.

By the last hour, attendance in the vendor area was getting sparse. Things had emptied out quite a bit around the various tables. 

But gaming was still going! 

Just like in the spring, we stayed until the event closed. 

QuadCon is definitely a nice, low-key entry to the convention scene if you’re new. If you’re experienced, I feel that smaller cons are a good “breather” entry in your calendar - you get a bit of that con atmosphere and activity, but it’s over in time to allow for a decent meal and sleep. I’m looking forward to their Spring 2020 event at the Peoria Civic Center.

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Cosplay at QuadCon Peoria - Spring 2019 Edition

The following cosplay photos are from QuadCon Peoria, Spring 2019. Enjoy!

Here’s my review of the actual event.

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QuadCon Peoria - Spring 2019 edition

Cosplay photo gallery is here.

So, QuadCon Peoria happened yesterday. The first one for this year, anyway, as an October event has also been announced. QuadCon is run by a fan group that is hosting many conventions in the region, and it was held at the Peoria Riverplex Recreation and Wellness Center. 

Pulling up, we were greeted by the Ghostbusters theme, as our local Ghostbusters group were on scene with their vehicles.

We went inside to join the line, which was not too bad at all.

Admission was cheap - just $3, until the final hour and half, when it became free. There were opportunities to get coupons and discounts before the con - @lechevaliermalfet​ and I brought our $6 fee down to $4 for having shared the event on Facebook. 

We got our hands stamped and in we went!

So, I’m going to admit something straight up: I don’t hate the idea of cons taking place in a gymnasium or similar large, open space. I really don’t. But those types of cons do have a drawback: noise. 

At a con that’s a bit more spread-out, like Anime Zap, or one that’s really super sparsely populated at any given time, like HPLD Nerd Con , noise isn’t an issue. But for a decently popular event in a large space with bad acoustics (like a gym), the noise becomes just a cacophony, as @lechevaliermalfet​ put it. Myself, I called it a wall of sound, since to me it’s more of a uniform mush of noise. Either way, you get the gist.

We ran into that a few times, and that made it super hard to hear any of the announcements that were being made via either PA system or megaphone throughout the day. 

But aside from the noise, there was plenty to take in, as evidenced by the schedule:

 There was, of course, cosplay to see...

I’ll create a separate post of the cosplay photos obtained, like I usually do.  There was a cosplay contest, but the location didn’t serve them well for this. They didn’t have the area separated from the rest of the gym, and it was very hard to hear what was going on. As a result, I was confused by the mob in the sign-up area, as half were for the video game tourney and half were for cosplay, and I got discouraged. The winners of the cosplay contest for the age/skill levels got $50 to spend at any of the vendors in the hall. 

Panels to attend...

These were actually pretty interesting. I think both panelists are professors? But these were more of an informal, academic discussion session than what I’ve become used to from panels. And they were awarding books on characters like Wonder Woman for participation. 

Pokemon to catch...

Not really much to say here. But PoGo has become sort of a background activity now for me at almost every con I attend. So I feel the need to comment on it. 

Gaming...

We didn’t partcipate. To be honest, we overlooked that there was a gaming area the first time around the hall. And also, as you can see, there wasn’t much space. 

Video gaming existed too, but that was even harder to determine the where/how.

And merch to buy...

(that’s our friend @quart09​ there, and we got some awesome art from him.

In addition to art, @lechevaliermalfet got a Destiny figure, I got an Animal Crossing backpack buddy, and we got ourselves a book by a local author.

Fanartists and dealers weren’t segregated from each other, which was awesome. They also had a couple of tables representing other cons from the area.

The event ran from 10:00-16:00, so six hours total, and I think we were there for roughly 5.5 hours of it. For $4, we got our money’s worth. We hung around with @someoldmemory , @quart09, and @el-draco-bizarro, as well as a few other friends who don’t have Tumblr accounts to tag. 

I think the Riverplex had a snack bar, but it may or may not have been limited to actual members of the complex. There were vending machines, and no one stopped us from bringing in our own snacks.

Also, there was a Girl Scout there, selling cookies. I had to get a photo with her, since I was a Night Vale Scout (carrying Glow Cloud).

QuadCon Peoria was a fun way to spend the day, and I look forward to the October event!

I do hope, though, that they find a way to better organize both the cosplay contest and the video game areas.