By: Peggy Sue Wood | @pswediting

TL/DR: Overall, Yama-Con is a solid convention. It’s a small to mid-tier convention in terms of size and scale for the South and well managed given the size of the location. Outside the convention there is also lots to do. Maybe not worth the travel if you dislike mountain driving though…

Last weekend, I attended Yama-Con in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. This year marked the convention’s 12th anniversary, celebrated with a zodiac theme. Like many conventions I’ve attended this year, Yama-Con focused on anime, manga, video games, cosplay, and other Japanese pop culture.

Size and Scale + Food Alley

As I learned there, the event is typically held in early December at the LeConte Center, which hosted it again this year. Similar to other smaller conventions I’ve attended since relocating to South Carolina, Yama-Con offered a cozy, family-friendly atmosphere that welcomed fans of all ages and experience levels. Its inviting vibe made it equally enjoyable for both seasoned convention-goers and newcomers.

One standout aspect of this year’s Yama-Con was the comfort and convenience it provided. Thanks to the spacious venue and manageable crowd size, it was one of the most pleasant convention experiences I’ve had. There were plenty of outlets available for recharging devices, ample seating for downtime, and—most importantly—clean, well-maintained facilities, including restrooms.

The convention center also featured several food stalls, each specializing in a different main dish. For under $15, I could get a personal pizza, a water bottle, and a soda—reasonably priced for a convention setting.

The game room was a highlight, staying open the longest and buzzing with activity. It even had a sword-fighting area near the middle/back that seemed perpetually in use, adding a fun and dynamic touch to the space.

Moreover, while I attended the convention alone, I never felt isolated. Many attendees were friendly and open to conversation, and I even managed to get some work done after indulging a bit too much in the vendor area!

Organization – Layout, Management, and Media Use

I found the layout of Yama-Con to be well-suited for its size and scale. It was also impressively managed in terms of organization and security, which added to the overall positive experience.

That said, the convention’s use of media and communication could use some improvement. While it was great that attendees had access to Wi-Fi (a definite plus), the convention website wasn’t updated as the event date approached. For instance, I only discovered on the first day that there was an app featuring the schedule and updates—something that would have been incredibly helpful to know in advance. A newsletter, email, or even a website announcement would have made a big difference, especially since the website is often the first place people look for information.

The information on the website could also use better placement. For example, if you did not know, or were not interested in looking at the hotel block, you likely would not have known that all of the 18+ panels were at one of the hotels.

Given their twelve years of experience, I feel the main website should have been a higher priority. However, this choice to not update it as quickly may stem from the assumption in the hosts that regular attendees are already familiar with the convention and know where to find information.

Despite this hiccup, the convention was well-planned and well-maintained, which is ultimately what matters most.

Vendor Hall / Artist Alley

The Vendor Hall and Artist Alley were fantastic. Due to space considerations, the two areas were combined, creating a unique mix of talent and exhibits. The setup featured wrapped cars displayed alongside vendor booths and artist tables, with a dedicated aisle for the talent lineup. While this combination might seem unconventional, it worked exceptionally well. The layout allowed for easy movement, gave the space a fuller aesthetic, and maintained a lively atmosphere despite the smaller crowd. This thoughtful arrangement is what truly contributed to the space’s cozy and welcoming vibe, avoiding any sense of disorganization or haphazardness.

Entertainment – Attendee Experience

I attended a few panels during Yama-Con, and they were excellent. I especially appreciated the more inclusive panels, as they highlight how welcoming anime conventions and their communities can be—a quality I truly love. One standout was the Cross-Play panel, which I thoroughly enjoyed, even though I only caught part of the end of it before having to step out.

Another favorite was the “How to Create Webcomics” panel, hosted by Robert Pryor (@DoodleRobCosplay on Instagram). I enjoyed it so much that I invited Robert to join my own panel on the same topic on Sunday, and he agreed! For more details, check out Vivian Scheibelein’s blog, Anime Observations, where they shared their own insights about Yama-Con. As it turns out, they were in attendance to my panel too (and wrote about it)! I wish I had known—I’ve been seeing their content for the last year since I read a post recommending them on Crow’s World of Anime‘s 5 Favorite Anime Blog Posts from 2023 Week 43. They seem to have been checking us out too, since I’ve seen their icon pop up under our likes over the last few months or so. I would love to connect with someone who blogs about conventions and anime as well, so maybe we’ll meet at another convention soon!

Actually, Vivian’s post inspired me to write this one in a much more timely manner, so—thank you, Vivian!

Hosting Panels

I hosted three panels during Yama-Con, which earned me a half-price refund on my ticket. This included “Creating Your Own Comic: Idea to Draft to (Indie) Publishing,” “Black Butler: Aestheticism, the Gothic, and Foreshadowing,” and “Virtual Tourism with Anime”—all of which you can view in our pinned post, “TAV: The Editor’s Presentations.” That shameless self-promotion aside…

This arrangement of panels for partial refund felt a bit underwhelming, to be honest. Don’t get me wrong—a discount is always appreciated, but the trade-off didn’t feel entirely worth it. At Yama-Con (and other conventions in the area), it seems common to either discount your ticket at purchase or offer a refund system where the discount isn’t applied upfront. Instead, you receive cash back at the end of your last panel. The refund system is what Yama-Con used and I think it is a system that has its pros and cons. On the positive side, it’s nice to get the refund in cash at the end, so there’s no temptation to spend it all during the weekend. On the downside, it can feel like you’re not entirely trusted to fulfill your panel commitments and it left me feeling a bit conflicted.

For cost comparison, it was $65 for a weekend badge at the door (no discount).

I loved hosting panels at this convention. The one critique I have is that there were no moderators and even though there were people that would walk around with signs telling you if you have 15 or 5 minutes left, people would still go over their allotted time and mess up the flow of for the other panel’s start time by a few minutes frequently. The lack of buffer time or moderators even affected me and I ended up accidently broaching the start time of a panel set right after mine, which was unfortunate.

Comparison with Other Conventions

Overall, Yama-Con is a solid convention. It’s small to mid-tier in terms of size and scale for the South and well managed given the size. That said, since I now live in South Carolina and dislike driving through the mountains, I’m not sure the convention alone was worth the trip for me.

Next year, I might skip presenting panels and attend purely for fun, if I attend at all. That would give me more freedom to explore the local area, which has so much to offer outside the convention. I definitely felt a bit of FOMO when I left the convention space at the end of the day. I would see attractions like indoor snow tubing and roller coasters, all happening near the time things would close for the night. It would be nice to experience more of what the area has to offer.

Final Judgments

Venue: 5/5

Staff: 4.5/5

Organization, Layout & Management: 4/5

Organization, Media Use: 1/5

Attendance: 3/5

Affordability: 3/5

Overall: 3.75/5

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Copyedits by: Krow Smith | @coffeewithkrow