Otakon

Otakon (/ˈoʊtəkɒn/OH-tə-kon) is a fan convention in the United States focusing on East Asian popular culture (primarily anime, manga, music, and cinema) and its fandom. The name is a portmanteau derived from convention and the Japanese word otaku. Otakon is traditionally held on a Friday, Saturday, and Sunday in late summer at the Baltimore Convention Center in Baltimore, Maryland's Inner Harbor district. Otakon is one of the longest-running Anime conventions in the United States, and the second largest, averaging over 22,000 paid attendees since 2005. Even so, the convention has expanded since then, with attendance above 26,000 in both 2008 and 2009 attendance surpassing 29,000 in 2010 and attendance officially surpassing the 30,000 mark in 2012.