The second annual edition of AFA Creators Super Fest was held over the weekend of 27 and 28 July 2024 at Hall 3 of Singapore Expo.
The community-led festival, organized by Sozo, featured more than 300 Creators from around the region showcasing their artistic flair through art, crafts, cosplay, and music.
At the Creators Lab, attendees engaged in workshops and demonstrations. The Creators Hub offered exclusive merchandise and artwork, while the Fashion Hub featured the latest J-culture inspired apparel. The Cosplay Hub was packed with cosplay booths selling photos where fans got the chance to meet their favorite cosplayers in-person.
I appreciated the AFA Creators Super Fest venue and crowd management
The last time a big anime event was held on our shores was the Anime Festival Asia 2023 at the end of November. Held in Suntec City, it was packed full, so much so that it was difficult to walk.
The queue just to get in the main entrance snaked down from the floor before where at its peak, patrons needed to wait more than an hour just to set one foot in through the door.
Even then, the number of people within the event space was overwhelming. Spaces between booths were limited, and queues ate into each other, disrupting walkway flow.
Just like last year’s AFA Creators Super Fest, it was again held at the Expo, providing a lot more breathing room, literally.
Practically half the gigantic hall was used for crowd management. Entering at 10am at opening time, it would’ve taken about 40 minutes for you to get to the front of house to redeem your neon pink band. The queue constantly moves, so it’s a good time to clear dailies.
I couldn’t help but imagine how AFA 2024 would be in a venue of this size where attendees didn’t have to walk over each other’s toes and the noise wasn’t drowning out conversations with artists. While Suntec is a lot more central, having a quality experience over two days is something that I think attendees will appreciate despite the distance.
The most unique, real-life gacha game at this AFA Creators Super Fest booth got me red in the face
I gave myself a budget and supported the artists at Creators Hub and exhibitors that brought in official merchandise. I even brought an empty eco bag to fit all the prints and products. Clearly it’s not my first rodeo.
What was a first, however, is my experience at Nu3De☆IkeMEN. Yes, you read that right. When I saw its name on the exhibitor list I was already intrigued.
At the side were two specially created standees of Kaveh and Imbibitor Lunae, one appealing to each HoYoverse fandom. I have them both built in my teams, but for many reasons, I like Imbibitor Lunae a bit more.
Dressed in nothing but a sheer singlet — can we describe standees as being dressed? I don’t know what’s right or wrong anymore — the creators placed gacha tickets between the see-through garment and their abs, which means in order to grab one, you’ll have to reach in past their chest.
I couldn’t stop laughing, beaming, and feeling a bit embarrassed all at the same time. Imbibitor Lunae’s expression is perfectly drawn for this activity. We played three times and won a handful of small prizes. One of them was a card showing the exact same image, which I will not hesitate to put on the back of my transparent phone cover.
We really enjoyed ourselves here and did all but place a bid on the standees. Frankly, I would have if I had more guts. I wasn’t sure how to carry them on public transport without arousing suspicion, and I still do not know how to hide them in my room away from prying eyes.
If I come up with solutions before the next AFA, I might seriously bid to win.
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