LeftField Media, producer of Awesome Con and Play Fair, will launch Anime NYC at the Javits Center in New York in November 2017, the company announced today. The show will be "presented by" Crunchyroll, and initial sponsors Funimation, VIZ Media, and Kinokuniya Bookstore have been announced. Crunchyroll will present screenings and guests at the show, and Crunchyroll Premium members will receive “exclusive benefits."
LeftField President Greg Topalian started New York Anime Festival in 2007 in his role running pop culture shows for Reed Exhibitions, with then ReedPOP International Director, Content and Marketing Peter Tatara running content (see "NY Anime Festival Names Programming Manager"). Now the pair are re-united at LeftField (see "NYCC Content Director Goes to Company Started by Former Reed Exec") and starting up a new stand-alone anime show.
New York Anime Festival had a solid three-year run at the Javits, kicking off with attendance over 15,000 unique attendees in 2007 and growing 24% the second year (see "NYAF Books 24% Increase"), and finishing up in 2009 with 16% growth to over 21,000 attendees (see "NYAF Up 16%"). The show was merged into New York Comic Con the following year, and since then there has been no major stand-alone anime show in New York City.
Topalian pointed out that anime conventions in other cities have up to 100,000 attendees. "Yet while New York City is the largest city in America, no large event championing Japanese pop culture calls it home," he said. "Anime NYC will change this and once established, we believe Anime NYC has the potential to become the largest anime convention on the East Coast."
LeftField Media was acquired by Clarion Events division Urban Expositions last month (see "Owner of Awesome Con, Play Fair Acquired").
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With Crunchyroll
Posted by Milton Griepp on September 21, 2016 @ 2:47 am CT
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