Every year, we have numerous activities running all around the clock during the weekend in between big events and panels. Check them out below!
Keep an eye out on our social media to see more announcements leading up to the festival weekend.
Artist Alley
The Artist Alley is an area within the AVCon exhibiting floor where artists can display and sell their work. Artist Alley is designed to give both emerging and established artists a platform to sell their work and meet the public for an affordable price. AVCon prides itself on the quality and community of its Artist Alley.
The Artist Alley is open to any sole trader (or partnership) who creates their own creative artwork pieces, whether illustration, photography, or sculpture of crafts.
For any queries relating to artist alley at AVCon, please contact [email protected]
Panels and Workshops
Every year, AVCon hosts an array of exciting community and industry-led panels and workshops for all interests. Check out below to learn a little bit of what panels and workshops AVCon 2021 will be bringing you.
For more details regarding when panels are running, check out our social media pages and Our Events page for schedule details.
For more details about our Guest panels and workshops, check out our Guests page.
People, Stories and the Crafting of Words– A Writer’s Panel
10:00 am to 11:00 am during Saturday’s Morning Session
Before the wonders of film, TV and streams of data directly into our eyeballs, the written word was how you dived headfirst into great adventures. Some of the most thrilling tales of all time, stories that even Hollywood struggles to portray on the big screen properly, came from simple words laid out on paper. Writing a story is something that literally anyone can pick up and do no matter who you are or what your situation is; with a little inspiration and patience, writing can put your mark on the world. But how do you even get started? Do you have an idea in your head but no idea how to get it out? Fancy trying your hand at a short story, or feel you have a multiple novel epic in you? Are you already in possession of a manuscript but have no idea how to get it into a publisher’s hands?
Retrospekt Presents – Retro Games Against Humanity
4:00 pm to 5:00 pm during Saturday’s Afternoon Session
There’s a good chance you have come across Retrospekt before, especially if you have attended AVCon and played one of the many old school video games at their Interactive Retro Museum. Retrospekt is an association dedicated to allowing people to get their hands on games (both the old and obscure), providing information on gaming, exploring its history, and delving deep into the culture and enjoyment of nostalgia. They also put on live music and gaming events that always amuse and entertain!
Retrospekt is hitting the World Warrior stage at AVCon 2021 with their live game show ‘Retro Games Against Humanity’, where they will test the minds of their fellow Retrospekt team members on a wide variety of topics to see if their knowledge is up to par….only there is a twist. In true ‘Against Humanity’ style, the answers will not always be what anyone would expect; specifically, the answers cannot be correct! What kind of mayhem will play out as those most passionate about preserving the past are forced to spew lies and deceit for the benefit of our funny bones? What sort of tall tales can they spin while at the same time screaming on the inside for the inaccuracy of their devilish responses? We doubt they can keep it straight for long enough to not educate about the true nature of the questions and answers.
For those ready to learn about the many facets of video gaming’s long and complicated history, be prepared to learn a lesson or two…even if you have to laugh your way through Retrospekt’s twisted sense of humour first! Grab a seat and take in Retrospekt’s live, informative and hilarious stage show, in between heading to their gaming area and playing their wide array of retro games for yourself
Ichigo Ke-Ki Café
Be our guest! Inspired by the maid cafés of Akihabara, Ichigo Ke-Ki Café (いちごケーキ) is AVCon’s premier otaku dining experience. Escape the hustle-bustle of the busy convention atmosphere and join us for a bite to eat. Our cute and courteous maids and butlers are ready to entertain you, whether through their dance performances or by sitting down and playing a game.
This year’s service will be a pre-set menu with dietary options available – with one cover charge for your meal and drink. We look forward to serving you~
Exhibitors
From anime to video games, cosplay items to collectibles and more – our exhibitors bring the best of them all to AVCon.
As a large and established annual event, AVCon provides high-traffic exposure to an exhibitor’s target audience. Exhibitors receive a constant stream of traffic from festival attendees.
AVCon offers a variety of exhibitor packages to cater to all levels of business and provide great value in effectively reaching your target audience. AVCon can customise exhibitor packages to suit your needs.
For a full list of attending exhibitors, check out the digital Program closer to AVCon 2021.
For any queries relating to exhibiting at AVCon 2021, please contact exhibit[email protected]on.org.au.
Gaming Freeplay
The Gaming Freeplay area is a great place to hang out, take a break from your busy festival schedule, meet new people and challenge them to a match in pretty much anything, from the newest games to the classics. If you want to check out a game you’ve not yet had the chance to play, warm up before a tournament, or sit down with your friends and game, then head over to the Freeplay area.
Come to the Gaming Freeplay area on the festival day, search for a game you want to play. Our volunteers will set up your console station and play to your heart’s content.
Handheld Lounge
Feet feeling sore after walking around the convention floor all day, or want to hang out with your friends and play some handheld games? The Handheld Lounge will be your go-to place – returning after its success in 2019.
The Handheld Lounge will have comfy seats to lounge around with, plenty of beats from our guest DJs, and feature a bar open all convention long.
Keep an eye out on our social media to see what events will happen in the Handheld Lounge over the weekend!
Retro Gaming
Continuing an almost decade long tradition, our friends over at Retrospekt will once again feature strongly at AVCon in 2021. Retrospekt will be bringing their ever-popular interactive retro gaming museum and their retro gaming tournaments over the weekend.
Retrospekt will be showcasing the best of the history of gaming at the Retro Game Museum. For AVCon newcomers, you are in for a treat! Expect to see different desktop and handheld gaming machines from all previous generations of technology from the 1970s through the 2000s. Check out the catalogue of several hundred games available for free play. The retro gaming area will cater to all your retro gaming needs. Want to chill out? We have got beanbags, handhelds, and old gaming magazines to peruse. Want to get your groove on? We have got DJs/playlists full of tunes from games, the 80s and 90s, movies, and more. Arcade machines? Do not forget the tournaments!
Indie Games Room (IGR)
The Indie Games Room (IGR) is an Australian and New Zealand showcase of independent games, providing a platform to put indie made games in front of thousands of players.
The IGR has run alongside AVCon since 2008. Starting with only a handful of games, the IGR has grown alongside AVCon to have a massive display of games by local, interstate and international indie studios. Some notable games that have been shown in the IGR include Antichamber, Assault Android Cactus, Crabitron, Hollow Knight, Monster Truck Destruction, ScreenCheat, Submerged and Xenoraptor.
Our 2021 Indie Games Room
Previous Indie Games Rooms
Check out previous years Indie Games Room showcases at AVCon through the Indie Games Room website.
Games Stage
The Games Stage is a vibrant hub over the festival featuring a roulette of different content and gives attendees the perfect opportunity to play and entertain audiences.
Check out the Gaming Stage schedule below for each session!
Tabletop Gaming
AVCon will be joining up with the Adelaide Board Game Group and The Lost Dice to host the tabletop gaming area and expansive Board Game Library. Our library is sure to include games for brand new players and material to keep even the most experienced community veterans happy.
Borrow a game from our collection to play with your friends, challenge all comers in your favourite card game, or join an RPG session run by one of our friendly volunteers. If you’re interested in trying out a new game but aren’t sure how to play, ask one of our volunteers, and they’ll help you figure out the rules and find opponents.
Keep an eye out on our social media for any future announcements for the Tabletop area.
Check out our Tabletop Gaming area schedule below for each session!
Tournaments
Speed-Painting Competition
Both Saturday and Sunday of the festival will have a miniatures speed-painting competition. For more details regarding registering and judging criteria, see our Register page!
Types of Games
Role-Playing Games
A role-playing game (RPG) is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting or through a process of structured decision-making or character development. Actions taken within many games succeed or fail according to a formal system of rules and guidelines.
Trading Card Games (TCG)
Welcome to the world of card games. At AVCon, we will running learn to play events for a multitude of games, including Yu-gi-oh, Magic the Gathering, and Cardfight Vanguard, to name a few. So have fun and test your mettle. Come down and learn a card game today.
Indie Table Top
If you love tabletop, come and join our local game designers as they show you finished and in-development games. From card games to miniature wargames, players of all kinds can experience
Australian made creations, presented by those involved in the development. Meet some of the people behind your favourite pastime, and show your support for our growing game design and publishing industry.