Cygames Goes Abroad to Anime Expo and Japan Expo!
In July of this year, Cygames set up booths at two major conventions: Anime Expo in Los Angeles, USA, and Japan Expo in Paris, France. In addition to looking back on how each event went, we asked the booths’ organizers what they learned and how they plan to organize future events.
What is Anime Expo?
One of the biggest anime conventions in North America, Anime Expo is a world-famous celebration of Japanese anime and pop culture that attracts nearly 400,000 attendees annually. This year it took place from July 4 to 7, and was the sixth time that Cygames has had a booth there.
What is Japan Expo?
Attracting over 250,000 visitors per year, Japan Expo is one of the largest European exhibitions highlighting Japanese cultural exports, from anime and video games to food and traditional culture. This year it was held from July 11 to 14, and the Cygames booth was planned and operated by Cygames Europe.
Cygames’ Biggest Titles Assemble! An Overview of Each Booth
This year’s Cygames booth at Anime Expo featured playable demos of Umamusume: Pretty Derby (Umamusume), Umamusume: Pretty Derby – Party Dash (Party Dash), Granblue Fantasy: Relink (Relink), and Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising (GBVSR), as well as a Shadowverse: Worlds Beyond-themed photo area. There was also a store where visitors could purchase merchandise from several of Cygames’ titles, including products made in collaboration with skateboarding brand The Berrics. The result was a lineup that managed to be even more exciting than last year’s.
Meanwhile, visitors to the Cygames booth at Japan Expo had the chance to play demos of Party Dash, Relink, and GBVSR, as well as to peruse some art curated from the Cygames Exhibition: Artworks collection, which first went on display at the Ueno Royal Museum in 2023. A photo area and a store were also available, rounding out a diverse and engaging series of experiences.
Excitement on the Convention Floor—An Interview with Our Organizers in Los Angeles and Paris
We sat down with the respective organizers of the Anime Expo and Japan Expo booths to get their insight on the conventions.
What areas did you focus on when planning your respective booths?
Anime Expo Organizer (AXO): Naturally, our goal was to provide a range of attractions for fans to see and enjoy. But we also paid special attention to specific things like crowd management and properly prepping the on-site staff, making sure to improve the booth experience as much as possible.
Japan Expo Organizer (JEO): We thought about what Cygames content our pop culture-loving French visitors would enjoy most, and opted to create a booth with as much variety as we could. By providing multiple ways to enjoy our booth, including game demos, art and video displays, and merchandise, we were able to learn what sort of products and exhibition formats appeal the most to our French fans.
This was Cygames’ sixth time exhibiting at Anime Expo. Is there anything that you’ve noticed or felt doing this over the years?
AXO: I’ve noticed that Cygames is becoming more and more well known in North America. Just a few years ago I found that many of the con-goers hadn’t even heard of our company, but this year I regularly overheard people talk about Cygames as I walked through the convention floor. Looking at the popularity of the playable demos of Relink in 2023 and Party Dash this year, I feel that little by little, the fan base for the Cygames brand as a whole is growing.
How was visitor response to your respective booths over the four-day exhibition period?
AXO: I was particularly struck by the passion shown by the Umamusume fans. There was one group in particular, a community of Umamusume fans who visited us in full group cosplay. At one point, the Party Dash demo area was occupied entirely by Umamusume cosplayers, which I was very moved by.
JEO: We had a steady stream of visitors the entire time we were there. By the end, more than 5,000 people came to our booth! I often hear that there are many people in France who are enthusiasts of Japanese culture, but to actually see their dedication and enthusiasm in person was a happy surprise for me.
What are your goals for organizing international events in the future?
AXO: There are lots of people in North America who have been fans of Cygames titles for many years now. As a way of showing our appreciation, I’d like to try including attractions that so far have been exclusive to our events in Japan, and exhibiting at other locations in the North American region. I think it’s important to cater to our communities in many different places.
JEO: Events like Japan Expo are vital opportunities for us at Cygames to boost our still fledging presence in Europe. Of course, they also provide an important chance for us to rekindle the enthusiasm of our established fan base on the ground. Cultures in Europe can vary heavily across countries, so I feel it is essential to continue exhibiting in different regions so that we can provide as many opportunities as possible for people to discover and try out Cygames content.
Read more about Cygames’ global initiatives:
