AVCon is an annual Anime & Video Games Festival held at the Adelaide Convention Centre. Run by Team AVCon Inc., a not-for-profit organisation, AVCon strives to celebrate the world of anime, gaming, cosplay, pop culture, art and more in one big community-based event.
History
AVCon began in 2002 as a joint convention supported by volunteers from the University of South Australia’s Adelaide Japanese Animation Society (AJAS) and the Adelaide University Video Gamers Association (AUVGA). Originally known as the A/V Connection, the event was held annually at the University of Adelaide.
After four successful annual conventions, Team AVCon Incorporated was established as an independent entity in order to run and sustain the annual convention.
In 2008, owing to continuing growth in attendee numbers, the event outgrew its convention status and became a festival.
Dates | Venue | Theme |
July 2002 | University of Adelaide | |
19–20 July 2003 | University of Adelaide | |
17–18 July 2004 | University of Adelaide | |
16–17 July 2005 | University of Adelaide | RPG |
15–16 July 2006 | University of Adelaide | Pirates vs Ninjas |
21–22 July 2007 | University of Adelaide | Rock Show |
26–27 July 2008 | University of Adelaide | Space Opera |
24–26 July 2009 | Adelaide Convention Centre | Heroes and Villains |
23–25 July 2010 | Adelaide Convention Centre | Into the Woods |
22–24 July 2011 | Adelaide Convention Centre | Retro |
27–29 July 2012 | Adelaide Convention Centre | Neon Future |
12–14 July 2013 | Adelaide Convention Centre | School Days |
18–20 July 2014 | Adelaide Convention Centre | Fantasy RPG |
17-19 July 2015 | Adelaide Convention Centre | Detective Agency |
15-17 July 2016 | Adelaide Convention Centre | Mecha vs Magica |
21-23 July 2017 | Adelaide Convention Centre | Winter Festival |
20-22 July 2018 | Adelaide Convention Centre | Evolution |
Dates | Venue | Theme |
5-7 July 2019 | Adelaide Convention Centre | Join the Party |
9-11 July 2021 | Morphettville Racecourse | Ultimate Fighter |
Team AVCon
Team AVCon Incorporated as a not-for-profit organisation whose aim is to keep AVCon as a fun, open and accessible event.
AVCon is organised by an elected team, who manage and work within an organising committee. The elected members are voted in by the Team AVCon Incorporated Membership at the end of each year.
The membership of the organisation consists of a group of past and present volunteers who have shown their dedication to making AVCon a success. The members of Team AVCon Incorporated have a great interest in anime, video games and Japanese culture. This interest drives them to make AVCon the best it can be, and ensures that AVCon remains a festival for the fans.
The Elect
The Team AVCon Elect is a four member team elected at the Annual General Meeting by the membership of the organisation. The Elect appoints the Committee and guides the overall direction of the organisation and Festival.
Convenor | Emily Franzon |
Vice Convenor | |
Secretary | Lauren Cronin |
Treasurer | Thomas Birdseye |
The Committee
The Team AVCon Committee is responsible for the running of the Festival. The structure of the Committee is determined by the Elect each year. Each role on the Committee is responsible for a particular facet of the Festival.
Community Events Coordinator | |
Design Coordinator | Rae Harris |
Events Coordinator | Matthew Owen |
Marketing Coordinator | Georgia Halliday |
Sponsorship Coordinator | Thao Vuong |
Tabletop Coordinator | Clare Edgecombe & Tyler Brown |
Technical Officer | Daniel Mawson |
Ticketing Coordinator | |
Venue Coordinator | JP Franzon |
Games Coordinator | Adam Henderson |
Volunteer Coordinator | Kingsley Symonds |
The Membership
Application for Team AVCon membership is open to any member of the general public who has demonstrated their dedication to the success of AVCon.
Successful applicants will require sponsorship of an existing member of the Team AVCon Elect, Committee or a sub-committee.
Membership requires all members to have volunteered for the event in a previous year or to currently be a standing committee member.
If you’re interested in becoming a member, we recommend getting involved with the festival through volunteering this year.
The Team AVCon Rules of Association are available here and the Membership Forums here.
Volunteers
The AVCon Invaders
Each year AVCon enlists the help of over 400 volunteers to assist the Elect and Committee with delivery of the festival. Our volunteers range in age from 16 to 60, and help all over the festival, to ensure our attendees have an amazing weekend. Positions include: set-up, ticketing, events, games, crowd management and many more fun and exciting roles.
Easily identifiable by their striking red shirts, the Invaders are here to assist you during your visit. AVCon would not be a success without these dedicated volunteers.