# Animecon (Netherlands)

AnimeCon (Netherlands) is a yearly Dutch anime convention, officially called Anime year of edition. It is a non-profit organization of the J-POP Foundation (Dutch: Stichting Promotie Japanse Popcultuur). For 52 hours, it features Japanese movies, video games, competitions, concerts, theatre performances, workshops, presentations, art and merchandise. The doors open Friday afternoon and close Sunday afternoon. It is the largest Japan-oriented fan convention in the Netherlands, with just over 15.000 visitors in 2018.

## International cosplay competitions

There are six international competitions in the cosplay scene, and the AnimeCon organization is the only one in the world hosting preliminaries for all of them. Also they hosted their own international competition for the second time in 2016: Clara Cow's Cosplay Cup is now the seventh international cosplay competition.
* World Cosplay Summit, WCS (attendance not measured), Nagoya, Japan, for pairs
* CICAF, China International Cartoon and Animation Festival (attendance 2.000.000), Hangzhou, China, for teams from the Benelux
* Yamato Cosplay Cup, Anime Friends Festival (attendance 150.000), São Paulo,. Brazil, for individuals from the Benelux
* Euro Cosplay Championships, MCM London Comic Con (attendance 120.000), London, UK, for individuals
* ECG (European Cosplay Gathering), Japan Expo (attendance 250.000), Paris, France, for pairs and individuals
* Cosplay World Master, Iber Anime (attendance 25.000), Porto, Portugal
* Clara Cow's Cosplay Cup (C4), AnimeCon (projected attendance 15.000), The Hague, The Netherlands, for pairs

### Clara Cow’s Cosplay Cup

This international cosplay event started in 2015 is named after the mascot Clara Cow. In Clara Cow's Cosplay Cup, or C4, teams of two cosplayers from different countries compete for the Golden Marieke statue and a week long all expenses paid trip to Japan. All judging is done by veteran cosplayers from non-competing countries. UK: MCM London Comic Con since 2001, attendance: 120.000 Spain: Salon del Manga since 1991, attendance: 130.000 France: Mang’Azur, attendance: 20.000 Germany: Animuc, attendance: 20.000 The Netherlands: AnimeCon since 1999, attendance 15.000 Poland: Japanicon since 2009, attendance: 10.000 Denmark: J-Popcon since 2000, attendance: 7.000 Romania: Otaku Festival since 2001, attendance: Not measured Portugal: Iber Anime, attendance: 25.000 Switzerland: Japanimanga Night since 2001, Attendance: Not measured Russia: Hinode Moscow, attendance: 80.000 USA: Omni Expo, attendance: 40.000 Belgium: F.A.C.T.S, attendance: 40.000

## Venues and attendance

| Date | Location | Visitors | Theme |
| February 1999 | Holiday Inn, Rotterdam | 208 | AnimeCon 1999: |
| February 2000 | Koningshof, Veldhoven | 300+ | AnimeCon 2000: |
| February 2001 | Koningshof, Veldhoven | 382 | AnimeCon 2001: |
| February 2002 | Koningshof, Veldhoven | 524 | AnimeCon 2002: |
| February 2003 | Hotel Haarlem-Zuid, Haarlem | 770 | AnimeCon 2003: |
| May 2004 | Theaterhotel Almelo, Almelo | 1043 | AnimeCon 2004: |
| May 2005 | Theaterhotel Almelo, Almelo | 1157 | AnimeCon 2005: Magical Mystery |
| June 2006 | Theaterhotel Almelo, Almelo | ± 1300 | AnimeCon 2006: Romance |
| June 2007 | Theaterhotel Almelo, Almelo | ± 1300 | AnimeCon 2007: Fun and (Video) Games |
| 2–4 May 2008 | Theaterhotel Almelo, Almelo | ± 1300 | AnimeCon 2008: 10th anniversary |
| 1–3 May 2009 | Theaterhotel Almelo, Almelo | 3.700 | AnimeCon 2009: Mental Maniacs |
| 21–23 May 2010 | Theaterhotel Almelo, Almelo | 3.750 | AnimeCon 2010: Masters & Servants |
| 6–8 May 2011 | Theaterhotel Almelo, Almelo | 4.900 | AnimeCon 2011: Children of the Night |
| 18–20 May 2012 | Theaterhotel Almelo, Almelo | 4.900 | AnimeCon 2012: Apocalypse Cow |
| 31 May - 2 June 2013 | World Forum, Den Haag | 8.700 | AnimeCon 2013: To Udder Worlds |
| 13–15 June 2014 | World Forum, Den Haag | 11.000 | AnimeCon 2014: Summer Games |
| 12–14 June 2015 | World Forum, Den Haag | 12.700 | AnimeCon 2015: Do NOT try this at home! |
| 10–12 June 2016 | World Forum, Den Haag | 14.500 | AnimeCon 2016: All aboard! |
| 9–11 June 2017 | World Forum, Den Haag | 14.900 | AnimeCon 2017: Marieke's Magical Miracle |
| 15–17 June 2018 | World Forum, Den Haag | 15.200 | Animecon 2018: Queens of the Round (s)table |
| 14–16 June 2019 | Ahoy, Rotterdam | 16.000 | Animecon 2019: AnimeCon Goes South |