E-Guidebook

Welcome to Otafest Aurora!
What’s the big deal? Isn’t this just the
same event last year with a new name?
Absolutely... not!!
We’re thrilled to introduce Otafest Aurora, our
newest venture into the Western Canadian anime
convention scene.
At Otafest Aurora, we’ve enhanced our content
to provice a higher quality convention than other
conventions of its size. With staples like Cosplay,
Artist’s Alley, Vendor Rooms, Maid Café and more
returning from our main convention, there’s already
a fantastic amount of firepower in our lineup!
But most of all, you should be interested in our
newest panels, games, guests, and events!
Read on to learn more!
So what’s new?
Introducing Aurora, the Angel of Dawn,
Persephone’s friend and the namesake of our new
convention who will be doing her very best to
co-host Otafest Aurora!
MAIN EVENTS
In our A/V section, we’ve included many favourites
such as the high-octane AMV Room, filled with
the incredible works of fan-made music videos!
Combine those with a marvelous exhibition of
anime showings and a videogame room, there’s not
a moment left to blink!
Bento Banzai - Christmas Edition
Gingerbread Robot Building Competition!
It’s the return of Otafest’s infamous food-eating
challenge! We’re putting a holiday spin on this
Otafest classic!
Gingerbread + Robots. A match made in heaven.
Cosplay Pageant
To top it all off at the end of the afternoon, it’s the
debut of the inaugural Otafest Aurora Gala!
A twist on the immensely popular Cosplay Contest!
Cosplayers masquerade as their favourite
characters for prizes in a pageant-style contest!
What’s the Otafest Aurora Gala about?
Opening Ceremonies
It’s the grandest event we’ve premiered since
pioneering a new winter convention!
Come join us as we kick off our inaugural Otafest
Aurora!
Enjoy a catered buffet dinner and dancing with
your favourite selection of music, all while our
Special Guests Maryke Hendrikse and Sam Vincent
play MC at our exclusive holiday event.
Formal dress isn’t required for this event - cosplay
is always acceptable! But showing up in a formalversion cosplay sure adds an air of mystery and
prestige to your character!
GALA TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE FOR
PURCHASE AT THE DOOR UNTIL 7 P.M.!
Join us as we party the night away as only our
anime community can!
And what about Otafest 2013?
Provided the world doesn’t end in 6 days, our
Steampunk-themed Otafest 2013 will be held
at the University of Calgary Main Campus on
Victoria Day Weekend (May 17-19)!
Otafest Aurora Gala
Spend a magical evening with our keynote special
guests, dancing, and dinner at our premiere event!
Formal dress/cosplays are recommended but not
required!
Voice Acting Q&A with Maryke & Sam
Meet our special guests! Maryke Hendrikse and
Sam Vincent, veterans in Vancouver’s voice acting
scene, will be happy to entertain questions from
the audience!
PANELS
A Guide to Comiket
Hear about our experiences at Comiket 82 in
Japan, from August 2012. We’ll have tips to keep
cool in the heat of this very popular event!
A Study in Sherlock
Say wat, son? It’s a panel about Sherlock Holmes!
From books, films, TV, anime and manga, Sherlock is
one popular dude. Old fans will be entertained,
and those interested but less informed can see
what the buzz is about!
Anime Name That Tune - XMAS
It’s a sleighload of winter and holiday-themed
anime songs! Don’t expect things to get any easier,
though; there’ll still be plenty of B.S. rounds to go
around for all good little Ota-girls and boys - in
Anime Name That Tune: Xtra Monstrous Advanced
Songtime!
“Now that Se-chan’s out of the way, it’s time to play my way!!
M-my name’s Aurora! It’s nice to meet you...!!
M-maybe we can be friends?...Just don’t get the wrong idea, OK?!
They’re not the only big names we’ve brought for
this convention!
Please welcome two prominent Canadian voice
actors, Maryke Hendrikse and Sam Vincent!
They’ve done inspiring work providing voices to
series such as Mobile Suit Gundam SEED, Card
Captor Sakura, and Black Lagoon, plus local series
like My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic!
Get the latest news on Otafest via:
otafest.com
twitter.com/OtafestUpdates
In Panels and Events, we’re launching both new
events and putting on a show with revamped
holiday-themed content!
Follow our mascots on Twitter:
twitter.com/Otafest for Persephone
twitter.com/OtafestAurora for Aurora
Intro to Role-play
The basics of role-play and how to get involved
will be covered.
Japan: ‘Tis the Season
An informative look at Japanese culture in the
winter season: festivals, holidays, traditions, and
KFC...yes, that KFC!
Otafest Aurora - Feedback Panel
Come air out any concerns or accolades! We can
only improve if you let us know what we need to
work on!
Otafest Forum Meet-up & Gift Exchange
Come to the Otafest Forum Meet-up & Gift
Exchange and put a face to the username you’ve
been joking with all year long! Remember to
bring a nicely wrapped gift worth ~$15-$20 to
participate in the gift exchange!
Pokémon: Advanced PokéTraining
How do EVs, IVs, Egg Moves, Natures and more
work? It’s a class in Advanced Pokémon Training
and what it takes to make the best team ever.
Surviving the 2012 Zombie Apocalypse
Are you prepared for the Zombie Apocalypse?
Some people have a “zombie plan”, but how will
you carry out your plan? Expect the unexpected
and you’ll be prepared for the worst.
XMAS: Ultimate Cosplay Battle of Ultimate
Ultimateness
Cosplayers debate in-character through a series
of silly and strange categories! Come by and
watch the fun or enter yourself and argue to the
top!
OTHER FUN EVENTS
AMV Room
From made-up trailers to last year’s contest
winners, there’s an AMV for everyone!
Autograph Session with Maryke & Sam
Anime Viewing Rooms
Get your favourite Collector’s items autographed
for free by our fantastic Special Guests!
There’s nothing like watching your favourite series
with your friends, or pop by to discover something
new!
Creating a Winter Steampunk
Goggles: Home-made
Gears: Taken from a smashed up clock
Perfecting that Winter Steampunk look: Priceless!
Holiday Maid Station
Drop-In Japanese
Video Game Room
今日は~!! It’s time to learn and practice some
basic Japanese writing and words!
Come get your hot chocolate and holiday treats,
served to you by Otafest’s Maid Café Brigade!
If you find yourself just wanting some time to chill,
drop in and have some pixel-smashing fun!