All in all, I had a fantastic time, as did my partner, who attended CONvergence for the first time this weekend. Hats off to everyone who made this convention happen, and I can't wait to return! #cvg2025

The badge ribbon trade was brisk and enjoyable, too. I gathered a bunch without even really trying to, and they brought a smile to my face. #cvg2025

I also loved how many creative activities there were for families and kids. Early in the convention, a bunch of people built a giant cardboard city so the next day kids could pretend to be kaiju and wreck it. There were also giant Minecraft blocks in a hallway for kids to play with. #cvg2025

And need I say "cosplay"? Though my internal thermostat will not allow me to comfortably cosplay at this stage in my life (I get overheated soooo easily), I really enjoyed seeing so many amazing cosplays throughout the weekend. #cvg2025

I also really love the mainstage comedy shows, of which there are several. Smackdown is a can't-miss, and PowerPoint Karaoke is always a treat. This year they added their own version of Taskmaster, and the production values were really impressive. I also really loved Rev. Matt's lecture on non-human playable characters in tabletop RPGs. All of these are available on their YouTube channel if you want to check them out: https://www.youtube.com/@CVGTelevision #cvg2025

Not to mention the party scene! Though it's not quite what it was 12+ years ago (and, in fairness, neither am I), I was still impressed with the commitment by attendees to throw parties with fancy decor, free snacks and drinks, and commitments to themes. We especially enjoyed the Jasmine Dragon, a party room open in the mornings where you could get coffee (even Swiss Water Process Decaf!) and tea while watching episodes of Avatar: The Last Airbender. #cvg2025

My other favorite thing about this convention is its commitment to casual hangout opportunities. At most conventions, you're either going to panels, participating in some kind of gaming tournament, or shopping; CONvergence has a huge number of tables and a tabletop board game library of 1100+ titles you can try out at any time; they also had a massive arcade this year with both popular and rare older titles; and they had two big rooms that just showed movies/anime the whole time. #cvg2025

One of the best parts was the enthusiastic commitment to inclusion. It's one thing for a convention to have anti-harassment statements in the program; it's another entirely for them to plaster posters everywhere reinforcing the culture they are trying to build. I especially appreciated the signs outside the bathrooms, signs reminding people of invisible disabilities, & the fact that inside EVERY restroom they had free menstrual supplies and a few different kinds of condoms. #cvg2025