Akumakon

Started in 2011, Akumakon is one of the longest running and most successful animation and culture events in Ireland, taking place in the National University of Ireland Galway over a 3 day period almost every January. The event invites international special guests related to animation, gaming, cosplay, and popular media, as well as hosting panels, competitions, cultural events, and even concerts. Starting as an event with a budget of €500 and about 300 attendees, we grew and thrived, eventually having over 1300 attendees annually and raising over €15000 for charity between 2011 and 2017. Akumakon won the Best Event award from the National University of Ireland 3 separate times, going on to represent the university at a national level. The event even had international appeal, with attendees traveling from a variety of countries, and an article being written detailing the event in Newtype magazine, a major anime magazine in Japan. We worked with local and international businesses to organise events and sponsorship, and also communicated with local and international government groups.

I was a Founding Director for the first event and worked as either Director or in an advisory capacity until 2017. During the hundreds and even thousands of hours I worked on the event over those years, I gained a lot of experience in event management, leadership, team building, public speaking, and public relations. Having to lead a team of up to 20 volunteer organisers and over 50 volunteer staff at the event is no easy task, but it’s something I enjoyed enough to stay involved for a long time.

After a temporary hiatus due to COVID-19, Akumakon is scheduled to be back in January 2023, so if you are in Ireland it’s definitely an event worth going to. Here are some pictures from over the years I was involved to show some highlghts of the event.

Currently In Progress