Here’s my review of Kogan Con. Enjoy.

Convention Type
Anime/Fandom

When and Where
July 6th at Central Park Place, in Grand Haven

Things to Do/See
Attend panels, cosplay, artist alley and vendor room, cosplay contest, gaming area with video games and table top games, video game tournaments, tea ceremonies, manga library, Tanabata wall

Guests
Christy McCulfor, Jean Davis, Scott Rosema, Bryan Donihue
Pink Opal Cosplay, Pink Petal Cosplay

Pros
Held in one central area. Panels, events, and artist alley/vendor room were on the lobby floor while gaming took places in the basement level.

There was a mix of about 20 artists and vendors combined, in their respective areas.

Very extensive and impressive gaming area with a wide variety of consoles ranging from retro to current systems. There were rhythm games, fighting games, shoot ’em ups, racing games, and more. Numerous gaming tournaments throughout the event. If video games were not your thing, there was an area for table top gaming, as well.

The Main Events were held in an air conditioned auditorium with plenty of comfortable seats.

Colorful program booklet that featured a grid style schedule in the back. Each event type was color coded to denote what type of event and who was running it. The grid schedule would tell you when and where events were taking place.

Plenty of signs directing you to the various happenings throughout the convention. A few signs featured detailed descriptions of the panels and events, too.

A section of tables were dedicated to a “Drawathon”. Attendees could either color print outs of Kogan Con’s mascot. Also, they could create their own art to be featured on Kogan Con’s social media pages, too.

A Tanabata wall where attendees can write their wishes on pieces of paper and hang them on display.

Tea ceremonies where attendees attendees would be guided through 4 different tea and tea related drink experiences. Ceremonies were held through out the event.
On a personal note, I did enjoy the Game Chops Lo-Fi VGM playlist from the Steampunk Iroh’s booth. It created a very chill and pleasant experience walking by that booth throughout the event.

The Cosplay Contest Plaques were a tribute to the late Keith Lehmann. Keith was a fixture in the West Michigan convention scene. It is nice to see that Kogan Con is honoring his memory by naming the award after him.

The winner of the Cosplay Contest won a free sewing machine as the grand prize. Runner ups would win gift certificates to Joann Fabrics.

Cons
The artist alley, in the hallway, was a little cramped during high traffic periods. The space between tables (facing each other) did not have enough space between them, depending on their location.

I wish that the paper of the badges were a little thicker/sturdier or tear proof. My badge broke, twice, at the top where the hole was punched for lanyards. While more expensive, a laminated plastic badge or a tear proof/resistance paper stock would remedy that problem.

Do I recommend attending the event?
Yes, Kogan Con is a pleasant experience. Plenty to see and do while you are there. Feel free to check it out, when 2025 rolls around.