page_title: Anime Expo
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Anime Expo / Convention history / History
caption_attribution_description: English: Naruto cosplay at Anime Expo 2006. Русский: Косплей «Наруто» на Anime Expo 2006 года.
context_page_description: Anime Expo, abbreviated AX, is an American anime convention held in Los Angeles, California and organized by the non-profit Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation. The convention is traditionally held annually on the first weekend of July, spanning the course of four days. Anime Expo is regularly hosted at the Los Angeles Convention Center but has also been held in other cities such as Anaheim, San Jose, New York, and Tokyo. Anime Expo is currently the largest North American anime convention as of 2017.
context_section_description: The first Anime Expo was held from July 3–6, 1992 at the Red Lion Hotel in San Jose, California. Many of its original staff came from Anime Con, an anime convention held in San Jose in 1991, and later absorbed by the SPJA in 1992. In 1994, Anime Expo made a strategic relocation to the Southern California area and all subsequent conventions have taken place there since.
  The convention continues to thrive due to the growing popularity of anime and Japanese popular culture, and maintains a strong draw due to the many notable Japanese guests it hosts. It currently holds the title of North America's largest anime convention, a title which it has consistently held every year except in 2003, in which its attendance was slightly edged out by east coast anime convention Otakon. From 1,750 attendees in 1992, Anime Expo's size has increased to over 107,658 in 2017, making Anime Expo the largest anime and manga convention in North America.
  In March 2009, Chief Executive Officer Trulee Karahashi, who had been a part of Anime Expo and SPJA in various capacities for 11 years, left the organization. In September, former Universal Studios executive Michael Lattanzio was later hired as the SPJA's new CEO.
  In January 2010, eight members of Anime Expo's upper management team (ConCom) publicly resigned because of disagreements over the organization's new direction set forth by Lattanzio. One significant point of contention was Lattanzio's decision to refocus and restructure the SPJA's marketing efforts, starting with the dismissal of a PR and marketing contractor that the organization had a close working relationship with since 2004. Additionally, two other personnel had already left for other reasons, leaving only the vice chair and two others as returning members of the previous year's team.
  In September 2010, Lattanzio was released from his CEO position. Then SPJA Chairman of the Board Marc Perez, became acting-CEO; In August 2011 he stepped down from the Board of Directors to take over as a full-time CEO (as required by the SPJA bylaws).
  In early 2012, Anime News Network reported that Anime Expo suffered a $1.2 million loss in 2010. The 2011 convention saw a $100,000 profit and reduced the outstanding debt to $700,000. The article also stated that one of the creditors, IDG World Expo, will be taking over several aspects of the organization, with guest selection and programming to remain under SPJA control. Additionally, Takayuki Karahashi has been elected to Chairman of the Board of Directors.
  The convention continued to be located at the LACC through 2019. In April 2016, Marc Perez left the company, with Ray Chiang becoming acting CEO of SPJA.
  On June 30, 2017, the first Pre-Show Night was added to the Anime Expo, which included the Neon District, hosting the World Cosplay Summit U.S. Finals, and premieres.
  As the convention's attendance has grown, it's seen long lines for entry into the convention hall, which organizers said was due to safety and security concerns.
  In the months leading to the 2020 event, a global coronavirus outbreak created concerns related to large gatherings such as Anime Expo. On April 17, 2020, the SPJA announced that it was cancelling Anime Expo 2020, citing "health and safety" concerns. However, the SPJA stated it still planned to hold the 2021 event on its normal July dates. On May 27, 2020 they announced a two-day online convention titled Anime Expo Lite, which took place on July 3 and 4, 2020.
caption: Naruto cosplayers at Anime Expo 2006
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