Frequently Asked Questions
General
IKKiCON is a Japanese Animation and Pop-Culture Convention held annually in Austin, Texas. IKKiCON traditionally runs for three days near the beginning and/or end of the calendar year.
IKKiCON will have a number of events to enjoy, including but not limited to, karaoke, gaming, anime music videos, dances, live music, cosplay contests, a dealers’ room, an artists’ alley and art show.
We will be using the current CDC guidelines as of the date of the event. This can fluctuate up until the day of the event, so please refer to the CDC guidelines on masks and the spread of Covid-19. If nothing changes, masks will be optional.
IKKiCON registration begins at 9 am in the morning with content starting around 10 AM and running late into the night. Our dances typically go until at least 2 AM.
IKKiCON was originally in February and then transitioned to New Year’s weekend ever since… Now, IKKiCON will be January 20-22, 2023.
There are a few places you’ll need your photo ID while at IKKiCON. If you do not have a photo ID we suggest you get one as it will make attending this convention a much smoother process for you.
- Registration
- If you’ve pre-registered you’ll need to bring either your e-mail confirmation, your photo ID, or a school ID with your name that matches the system information on it to pick up your badge. If your parent(s) are attending IKKiCON with you they can present their ID in order to claim your membership badge if they purchased the membership(s).
- Checking into the Hotel
- The Hotel requires a government-issued photo ID when checking into your room. The name on your ID must match the name on your reservation.
- Attending 18+ Programming
- We will have safety team members at every door for our 18+ programming. They will check to see that you have a valid badge, as well as a photo ID proving you are 18+.
Our primary demographic is the 15 to 25 age range, but we’ve seen anime fans of all ages attending IKKiCON.
Dropping your kids off is your choice as a parent or guardian. We have our own safety staff and hired out security at various times but are not responsible for the well-being of any attendee on-site at IKKiCON. In short, IKKiCON, its staff, volunteers, and affiliates are not babysitters. Children 11 and younger with a children’s membership badge will not be allowed in convention areas that require a membership badge unless they are accompanied by an adult that also has a membership badge.
While inside the Hotel, there is no specific curfew, but once outside of the IKKiCON floor plan, you must abide by Austin, TX’s juvenile curfew. For more information, visit: http://www.ci.austin.tx.us.
Cameras are typically allowed all throughout IKKiCON with the exception of the video rooms. If this policy is changed, you will be informed in the program guide, as well as at the event.
We’re always looking for more folks that want to help us put together this amazing Japanese Culture and Animation Convention. There are two options for getting involved.
- Volunteer
- To see more about volunteering opportunities visit our volunteer page.
Prepandemic we ran AnimeCTX in the summer and have been on hiatus since 2019 after canceling the year’s event. Now that things are picking up we are looking to bring it back or a different event in its place.
IKKiCON will be held at the Kalahari Resort and Convention in Round Rock, Texas.
You can park at the Kalahari Resort for FREE!
You can CLICK HERE for all hotel room booking information.
You are not required to book a hotel room at the Kalahari Resort but it would be extremely beneficial if you did. When hosting a convention at a location with hotel rooms the convention is typically required to reach a certain number of room nights. The bigger the convention the more room nights you’re required to fill. By reserving a hotel room at the Kalahari during the convention dates you’re helping IKKiCON! Plus if you can’t sleep you are a very short elevator ride away from a ton of late-night events, such as our dances, panels, and more!
Also, rooms are heavily discounted for the convention and come with 4 for passes for the waterpark at the resort.
Yes, Kalahari is an advance deposit Resort requiring the first night’s lodging plus applicable taxes and resort fee to be charged at the time of reservation.
It’s highly unlikely with the number of rooms the Kalahari has, but in the event, the hotel sells out we will post overflow hotel information.
Sleeping in inappropriate areas like hotel staff rooms or panel rooms is grounds to be ejected from IKKiCON. Similarly, the hotel will not tolerate IKKiCON attendees sleeping in the lobby, stairwells, or floors. If you are attending IKKiCON make sure you have a place to sleep!
Pools outside will most likely be closed due to weather, but if you have tickets to the water park you have plenty of options.
Yes. The Kalahari has a number of options for you to choose from. Please check out their website for more information. Also check out our merchandise booth, the OtakuMart, to fill up on Pocky, Ramune, and other Japanese treats!
Yes, it is VERY important to stay hydrated. The Kalahari will proved several water stations throughout the convention areas for your convenience and hydration.
While we understand that childcare would be extremely convenient there are two very big reasons why we don’t currently offer this benefit, liability and cost. IKKiCON works primarily on a volunteer basis and cannot afford to assume the liability of caring for your children or the cost of hiring experienced professionals with their own liability.
We do not sponsor any IKKiCON room parties.
Bathing suits are allowed in convention space. 60% of breast space must be covered regardless of gender orientation. Bathing suits are allowed in the convention space as long as they are not wet. We do not want any attendees to slip and fall, so please make sure to dry off before entering the convention space.
Live steel is not prohibited within the convention space. For more information, check out our Prop Policy.
Our safety team has the right to ask for any prop on the floor to be removed. You can get a definitive answer at our Prop Check station. If you are still unsure, check out our Prop Policy.
Guests
You can visit our Home Page for a complete list of confirmed guests.
Unfortunately, we’re unable to announce any potential guests. There are a number of reasons we feel this would be inappropriate, including potentially starting rumors or leading to confusion among the attendees. We do not want to disappoint anyone, especially our attendees!
We always want to know who you want at IKKiCON. Send us an email at info@ikkicon.com
It is equal parts magic and mayhem! Seriously though, we have a dedicated Guest Relations team!
There are a number of factors that go into choosing a guest. First IKKiCON decides who would be the best fit for the convention; we look at their body of work, their work at previous conventions, and how much the fans enjoy their interactions with the guest. At times, relevance to our “main” theme may be a factor, as well. Second, we look at our available budget; we typically invite Industry Guests, Musical Guests, Cosplay Guests, and Artists. Third, we look to see if the guest is available and if we have a direct way to contact them; availability is typically one of the more complicated factors since these awesome guests stay pretty busy!
We do not feel it is appropriate to discuss matters such as payment via any public forum. Information like this is strictly between IKKiCON and its guests.
If you’d like to volunteer, you’ll need to fill out our Volunteer Form. That being said, The Guest Relations Team is typically fully manned. There is a chance you will not be able to work Guest Relations the first time you request that volunteer opportunity.
Feel free to email our Guest Relations department at guests@ikkicon.com
Exhibitors & Advertising
While we tend to have more 15 – 25 year-olds at IKKiCON, we truly get a wide variety of attendees.
Check out our Registration Page and navigate to the Exhibitor section. Artists are chosen in a juried system and will be contacted if you’re chosen.
Check out our Registration Page and navigate to the Exhibitor section. Dealers are chosen in a juried system and will be contacted if you’re chosen.
Yes. We will be periodically checking the Dealers’ Room for items that are prohibited, which are:
- Food/Drinks
- Bootlegs, bootlegs, bootlegs
Please check out the Dealers’ Room page for that info.
Please email sponsors@ikkicon.com for advertising options.
We believe in supporting other events no matter the size. We’ll have at least one table near the Information Desk dedicated to flyers. Please ask permission first.
Only sponsors or affiliates can place flyers in bags. Please email sponsors@ikkicon.com for sponsor informaiton.
Programming
IKKiCON will have a number of events to enjoy, including but not limited to, karaoke, gaming, anime music videos, dances, live music, cosplay contests, and more!
Unfortunately, we have no plans or intentions to run events at the waterpark. Trust us, there will be plenty to do in the convention space.
You can always suggest any guests you want to see by emailing guests@ikkicon.com. Some guests are harder to get or even impossible confirm. In the end may be factors beyond our control.
You submit panels HERE.
You can fill out the form HERE.
No. 18+ content is for attendees who are 18 years old or older.
While it’s great that you want to attend both panels, unfortunately we cannot change the schedule once it’s been set.