As you may know, I went to SakuraCon and Kumoricon this year. SakuraCon rocked and Kumoricon, well, quite frankly sucked. I have had a few friends request that I let them know how SteamCon, a new steampunk-themed convention in Seattle, was compared to the other two I have been to. Here, for those interested, is my 'review' of SteamCon.

First off, the event lacked an online schedule showing panels and such so I thought there wouldn't be any. This was false. At badge pickup, we received delightful newspaper-style programs with clearly labeled maps and lists of events. The panels my husband and I went to were actually very well presented with lots of fascinating information shared. The down-side to the panels was simply room size. It felt like the rooms were bedroom-sized at best with each one crammed full to the point many people were stuck standing all around the room. I was lucky to get a seat and I guarded it like a desert creature guards their waterhole, lol.

The venue, a Seatac hotel, had a much more logical layout than Kumoricon's scattered design. The bright and lively hotel spaces helped make up for the cramped panel rooms somewhat and food was available in the hotel, not blocks away. I still would like to see it moved to an actual convention center to help with the cramped issue. It would also make it easier to get to since having the airport right there causes some traffic issues.

Costumes were a huge attraction in themselves with a huge array of styles and it seemed every demographic was represented. There were lots of costume supplies in the vendor hall, which was NOT in a dark, smelly parking garage...YAY! But, the prices were a bit too high and I ended up not spending a dime, though I wanted to get a number of cool items. The art show was fascinating, with not just 2D works, but 3D crafts like steampunk-style weapons made from candlesticks and unidentifiable things that lit up and spun, including some of the 2D art! Again, even the prints were expensive so I settled for just looking.

The major issue I had with the con was parking. The hotel had very limited parking for the size of the con and though the website claimed it would be $10/day which is still quite high, we ended up paying $12 for just a few hours! Another issue was the fact many events were additional costs. For a first-time con, I don't think limiting events with added costs is a good idea, but since many sold out anyway, I guess I'm in the minority on that. Still, I would've like to have attended the concerts and tea party/fashion show had they not been extra.

All in all, it was a very nice con compared to my last one, though it really isn't worth the 3-day pass, at least not until they find a better location. I think they made out well, considering they had a much larger attendance than expected, with passes selling out and such, so hopefully they'll take the hint and pick a larger venue for next year. If Seattle is too pricey, there's a lovely convention center just down the road from me in Lynnwood, hint hint, lol.

Hope that is an indepth enough review of SteamCon for all of you. If not, just comment with questions and I'll answer them as best I can. I probably will go again next year, though I hopefully will have a less thrown-together costume with a cool prop or two.

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October 23rd-25th: SteamCon

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