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ABOUT METROCON

Annual Theme, Attendance, History, and more!

Upcoming METROCON Dates!

July 5-7, 2024

July 25-27, 2025

METROCON is a for fans, by fans anime convention featuring celebrity guests, exhibitors, and the most unique and exciting convention entertainment in the multiverse!

At METROCON, we strive to bring you the best convention experience possible. We pack three days full of anime, video games, cosplay, comic books, sci-fi, fantasy, film, and more at the Tampa Convention Center every summer, with a focus on our roots – anime and video games.

We work hard every day, all year round, to create unique and exciting experiences for fans in an inclusive and immersive environment. We are always aiming to take METROCON to new and exciting places while ensuring that the sense of family and community never diminishes.

METROCON exists and thrives because of the amazing anime fans from around the world that have made this convention home – we’re grateful every day for the opportunity to put this event on, and we look forward to many more years of METROCON with you!

2023 ATTENDANCE

14,082 Unique Attendees

Unique Attendance

Unique Paid Attendance includes all purchased tickets from a particular year – pre-registration and at the door, and all types of tickets purchased. This has always been the go-to leading indicator for METROCON’s success, and when asked about our “attendance”, this is the number we answer with.

15,902 Passholders

Passholders

The Passholders, or “Warm Bodies” count, includes staff, cast, volunteers, exhibitors, and anyone with a METROCON pass of any kind, whether they paid for it or not. This number is important for overall crowd maintenance, fire codes, and a general idea of who has access to the areas of the convention center that require a pass to access (which is most of them).

31,156 Turnstile

Turnstile Attendance

Turnstile attendance is often used by sporting events or other large entertainment venues. Turnstile attendance is calculated by marking one “attendee” for each day of attendance. A single day pass counts for one, whereas a three-day pass counts for three – this is used to indicate exposure potential for sponsors and exhibitors.

ANNUAL THEME

Every year at METROCON, we choose a “theme” that we use to inspire our events, guests, and the overall vibe of the convention.

Year 21: Legacy of Dreams

YEAR 21 – LEGACY of DREAMS

The theme for METROCON 2024 is “Legacy of Dreams”METROCON started off as just a dream, like so many other creative and community endeavors. After twenty years of METROCON, we want to do everything we can to leave a legacy of dreams made into reality for our whole community. Whether it’s a dream cosplay you’ve always wanted to make, a dream event you’ve wanted to attend, or a dream guest you want to meet – we hope we can be a small part of helping your dreams come true this year!

“Wait – what happened to the “Versus” theme? Why change the way the theme works? I thought it was cool!”

Read our blog post here about our new theme format, and why we changed it!

 

HISTORY

2003 – The very first METROCON is held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel as Tampa’s first anime-focused fan convention, and a meet-up for members of the early-2000’s forum community, AnimeMetro.com

2004 – The first Anime Human Chess Match is held, signaling METROCON’s move towards entertainment-focused fan events!

2005 – METROCON moves to the Tampa Convention Center, and claims the title of “Florida’s Largest Anime Convention”

2010 – METROCON is acquired by Team Dynamite Productions, the production company founded by long-term core staff members, and ownership changes hands.

2014 – METROCON attendance breaks 10,000 for the first time!

2015 – The first 4-day METROCON is held, as expansion continues to cover over 600,000 square feet of convention space, and 200+ hours of content

2018 – Alex Craddock, long time Director of Operations, assumes the role of CEO and becomes the sole owner of Team Dynamite Productions

2021 – Based on input from fans all over the world, METROCON returns to a three-day event to focus on quality over quantity

2023 – METROCON celebrates their 20th Anniversary, including a record-breaking convention year, and a dedication from the City of Tampa