[Report] Clermont Geek Convention: geek culture in Auvergne – 2018 edition!

This weekend, March 17 and 18, 2018, took place the Clermont Geek Convention (CGC) in Clermont Ferrand! Justfocus participated for the third consecutive year (see CGC 2017) and we offer you a complete feedback on the event! 

Clermont Geek Convention:

The rendezvous of different universes!

Whether you are a fan of manga, anime, video games, music, theuniverse s team punk or series, there was something for everyone this weekend in Clermont Ferrand!

Exhibitors from all universes were available to present their passion and their work. Cartoonists, cosplayers, youtubers, professional players, associations or authors were scattered in the different floors of the polydome. The opportunity to meet new artists sometimes unknown to the general public.

Entertainment was also organized throughout the weekend. Cosplay competitions, conferences on far-fetched theories or questions and answers with videographers were organized. You could also immerse yourself in the world of video games with arcade machines, consoles of all ages or the test of virtual reality. You could also, at your own risk, participate in the inflatable turnstile, enough to test your reflexes.

For all tastes!

From Pikachu to Harley Quinn, from the famous Deadpool to the Doctor (Doctor Who), you could meet cosplays from all universes in the aisles of the convention. Young and old came dressed up this weekend to show their passion and proudly display the cosplay that some had taken months to make.

Two competitions were even organized for the occasion! The regional selection for the Cosplay France Cup and group cosplay contest on Saturday and an individual and group cosplay contest on Sunday. The opportunity to admire magnificent cosplays for a few hours. A dance and singing contest has also been set up on Sunday, enough to discover new talents and admire dances straight out of our favorite anime and games!

On the food side too, we were spoiled! And we had the pleasure of (re) discovering flavors straight from the land of the rising sun! From mochi (glutinous rice cake) toramune (Japanese soft drink with different tastes) or different flavors of kit-kat!  Enough to make us salivate just thinking about it. You could also find all kinds of sweets by moving from one stand to another, which delighted the greediest among us! And for those who were a little hungry during the event, several stands were there to delight you! Whether you want to eat a bowl of ramen (noodle dishes of Chinese origin) or sautéed noodles at Goramen, an ice cream at the "Les glaces de Nicolas" stand, or taiyakis (delicious traditional Japanese filled cakes), you could fill up at any time of the day.

A repetitive convention…

However, the Clermont Geek Convention is a convention that repeats itself. It is almost always the same people who are invited. Indeed, for the third consecutive year, you could find, among others, Kayane, the team of Noob or Didichandouidoui. The fact that it's always the same guests doesn't make this convention "original" in the sense that if you've been there once, you've seen it all.

This is a real shame since this convention attracts more and more people, in a nice setting, which would allow it to develop from year to year. Different guests each year would bring back new visitors and spread the word about the convention to a wider audience.

In addition, the guests are not the only elements that are repeated since in this convention, you could find different stands selling figurines. Unfortunately, all the stands presented you with the same figurines, only the prices could vary from one stand to another. This point is also regrettable since in the end, some of the stands were similar and, for this category, did not stand out from each other. Dragon Ball, One Piece, Sword Art Online, always the same characters, always the same figurines, which did not give visitors much choice to do their shopping. shame! 

The Clermont Geek Convention can become the annual meeting of the geek community in Auvergne, but for that, it will take a few more years for it to develop a little more! However, you will have a great time in March on your way there.