CONQuest 2023: A lot of fun, but a crowded nightmare
CONQuest 2023: A lot of fun, but a crowded nightmare
The experience at CQ is a mix of happiness and some regret.
One of the most promising conventions of this year is CONQuest 2023 by AcadArena. Literally a lot of gaming, anime, and cosplay conventions with a ton of merch and exhibits all in one package.
Last year’s CONQuest is definitely a best experience for me, because you can literally roam in on the event, up and down. Now that this CONQuest is bigger than ever, because it has 5 different event places to get in, this will be a fun experience on the whole 3 days… right? Sadly, that’s not a great time.
Day 1: the most chill part of the event.
Day 1 of CONQuest is on a light mood, it is like I'm on Day 2 of ESGS for example, just a right amount of people inside the convention, and just on the right track.
I've met a lot of people in the process, some on the gaming side, and the streamer side. I've targeted the entire quest logs and stuff, and I'm contented to make that far.
My questlogs are done I have a lot of fun on that night.
My only regret on that day is “Why I'm not staying on the convention until 8PM?!”
Day 2: Oh boy, how do I start?
This is what happened in Day 2.
At around 9am, the line is just fine, no internal stress whatsoever, but when it goes to like 12pm, oh dear. We’re like a sardine on a can. The ground floor of the entrance building is so packed. The announcers be like: “Please be encouraged to go to other events such as Conrad, NU MOA, atrium, etc. etc.”
When I go to 2nd floor, I noticed that the guard says “Cut the lines, we're full”. Yes, basically a lot of people want to go to the second floor, not just to go to community stage, just dance booth, etc.; but some of these people’s minds are “Yes, I can take a pic on my favorite streamer/cosplayer/voice actor/actress!” or just want to go to specific merch stores. I've noticed while I'm eating, I've felt the shaking floor, and I'm technically scared of the entire floor collapses on me, or my other gaming peeps.
I didn't go on 2F again, and just stuck on 1F because they just want to go upstairs. On the bottom, it is still not full enough because some people are probably not for gaming exhibits, but just for the cosplays.
Not gonna lie, this is my first time on super congested lines, and this is the “so ok” experience on me.
I went to NU after 4pm, because it is a train wreck to go and fall in line again, and probably I'm into cutoff after that.
The NU MOA when I went there is on a low attendance territory. The only thing that you've be doing on this event is either quest logs, Fan of the team, classmate, and staff, organizers or crew. I left the event shortly after to prepare for the last day.
Day 3: same stuff, same lines
Day 3 is just the same, but they've barricade the lines after the fiasco. We are forced to run because idk why, they are like cutting off a single file and just doing the best they can to monitor how would they go, which that’s why the line is on the back of the SMX Convention Center.
Also, the problem for this is when you go in, you can’t go out (unless you have passes) because you will fall in line again. So you are forced to buy foods outside or on the stall inside to get some food.
It is so hassle to fall in line just to eat some rice meals which is obviously sold out, welp.
But at least, we have some great encounters with other streamers as well! The one and only fishing panel of GLOCO, and other PR members are also there as well.
We have the Garena Undawn booth which is somewhat a great experience to mess with other people in the game,
And the encounters with the great cosplayers inside CONQuest, it was a blast.
Conclusion
It will be preventable if the ticket is on a limit and it's on the capacity of the convention center. The estimated people went on the event is like 70-80,000.
Also, they have plans on not doing CONQuest Festival again for some reason. The organizers knew what happened on the event, so it is postponed.
But at least I have some fond memories this year. I have won a full day ticket, the fact that I don't have a ticket bought on that day and don't have plans to go to CQ to experience it; it is great that Globe Gamer Grounds pick me as their winner. and it paid out, in my opinion.
Also, I didn't attend meet and greets this year, because of the ticket selling is on MOA atrium, and if you did get one, you cannot go in to the event premises again. so… screw that.
And that's it for my experience, I'll cover ESGS if I have time and a decent vlogging equipment if I have it, so… if you want to support me on that journey, I guess. See ‘ya!