METROCON is a for fans, by fans anime convention featuring celebrity guests, exhibitors, and the most unique and exciting convention entertainment in the multiverse! We pack four days full of anime, video games, 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. Our History:
METROCON started as an idea by the founders of AnimeMetro.com. AnimeMetro.com was an online anime community with over 5000 members. Over time, it seemed only natural for the members to want to meet each other in real life. People meet, form attachments, and naturally, want to meet each other. And what better place than at an anime convention? Starting off at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Tampa, FL in 2003, METROCON quickly outgrew its first venue. In 2005 METROCON was held for the first time at Tampa Convention Center in the heart of Downtown Tampa, where it is still currently held. The first year at the Tampa Convention Center also marked the convention’s first year as Florida’s Largest Anime Convention. Since its inception, METROCON has continuously evolved, blazing the path for events like the Anime Human Chess Match, the Fantasy Masquerade, and the METRO Fire Show. METROCON has continued to grow not only in popularity, but also in space, with the Main Events Room moving upstairs to the Tampa Convention Center’s West Hall (a whopping 75,000 square feet!) in 2007, and the East Hall (100,00 sq ft) where Main Events currently resids. By utilizing innovative new ideas and acquiring some of the best staff in the industry, METROCON has set the bar for anime convention operations and entertainment around the country. Who We Are Today:
In 2010, METROCON, LLC (the company that brought forth the event) merged into the company Team Dynamite Productions LLC, an entertainment and event production company founded by Alex Craddock and one of the other core staff members who had helped bring METROCON to the community since 2007. The year 2015 marked the very first four-day METROCON, taking place in over 600,000 sq ft. of convention space, and encompassing over 200+ hours of entertainment in a single venue. In late 2018, Alex Craddock became the sole owner of the company and CEO of METROCON – with a focus on fun and exciting entertainment in an inclusive and immersive environment, he hopes to take METROCON to new and exciting places while ensuring that the sense of family and community never diminishes. Starting in 2021 based on input from fans from all over the world, METROCON has returned to its roots as a 3-day event to focus on quality over quantity, promising 3 fully-packed days of anime and fandom entertainment. METROCON exists and thrives because of the amazing anime fans from around the world that have made this convention home – we love you! Attendance (as of METROCON 2021)
Unique - 10,405
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 our “attendance”, this is the number we answer with. Passholders - 12,153
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). Turnstile - 25,259
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.
