CONquest Festival had its very first event in Manila last year, which was a success. That's why CONquest 2023 is highly anticipated, especially with the star-studded lineup of guests, including Pokimane, Valkyrae, iGumDrop, Sykkuno, LilyPichu, and more. The event will take place from June 2nd to 4th, and activities will be held in multiple venues, including the SMX Convention Center, NU classrooms for workshops, Conrad Hotel for meet-and-greets, and the Mall of Asia Atrium for talks.
I was able to secure a media pass from ABS-CBN to attend the convention, which features music, gaming, cosplay, and various booths. Another reason why I am looking forward to CONquest 2023 is because of the Music Night event on the second day, featuring South Korean indie-rock band, The Rose, and local artists James Reid, Lesha, Timmy Albert, Autotelic, and Oh Flamingo! Carousel Casualties will be performing live starting at 8 PM.
After finishing my regular work, I went straight to Microtel to obtain my media ID. I arrived at SMX at 11:30 AM and was shocked by the number of people in the venue. There were long lines for the escalator and to enter the halls on both floors of SMX.
I entered the hall on the first floor and made my way to the Main Stage. My primary objective was to cover the Mobile Legends show match, which featured M4 and the recent MPL Philippines Season 11 champions, Echo Philippines. The match was scheduled to begin at 1 PM but started around 2 PM.
Echo players played with casters Midnight, Brigida, Chantelle, and Aspect.
On the first floor, there are many booths featuring tech and gadgets, League of Legends, Mobile Legends, Riot Games, Tier One, and more.
After the show match, I went to the second floor of SMX to explore the booths and merchandise. I was able to see several guests in their respective booths interacting with the fans.
I was able to meet one of my best friends, JM, and it was great to have company for the day. It has been years since we last saw each other.
The second floor is filled with booths where local cosplayers sell their merchandise, ranging from stickers to prints. I had the opportunity to meet some of the cosplayers, including Jin - Behind Infinity and my cousin Dinny Grayson, at their booths.
I also see many booths selling anime merchandise, including manga, action figures, keychains, stuffed toys, bags, and more. There are also booths where artists offer art commissions.
The line to meet the international guest is long, and the staff is temporarily cutting it off. Since it would consume a lot of my time, JM and I went to the first floor where we had pizza as our snack. We chose not to leave SMX because we were afraid we wouldn't be able to get back inside. There was a long line of people waiting to enter the venue. I had the opportunity to meet YouTubers Cherry Ki, Grechka San and M1sterkim at the Pizza Hut booth, as well as Kayla Heredia, a Mobile Legends streamer.
After our quick snack, I headed to the main stage to cover the Valorant Celebrity Showmatch, which featured Sykkuno, Spicyuuu, Een Mercado, Jaehyeong, Razzie Binx, Kris Rey, Newt, Deme, Xavi8k and Josheki.
The game was so intense that it ended after 40 rounds.
I was able to meet the players backstage after the game.
I wandered around the venue and had the opportunity to catch up with James Velasquez and some friends from the cosplay community, including Leny, Herson, Xandra, and Jill.
Since the queue for everything is long and I am already exhausted, it's fortunate that my friend from Spin.PH/Esquire, Abo Limos, advised me to head to the talent lounge area where I could sit and rest.
While in the lounge, I had the opportunity to meet Rurusama, the artist Lesha, and Oh Flamingo! Drummer Pat Sarabia.
Around 6:30 PM, I had a quick dinner at one of the stalls on the second floor where I ran into Herson and Bino. After taking a break, we proceeded to the Main Stage on the first floor to cover the Music Night.
The Music Night event is not free and originally cost 5,000 pesos, but the price was reduced to 2,500 pesos a few days before the event. Our media pass also entitles us to watch and cover the music night.
The music event began at around 8 PM with performances from the following bands.
Carousel Casualties
Autotelic
Oh Flamingo!
Timmy Albert
Lesha
James Reid
The Rose
The main event started at 11:40 PM. I watched and took photos of the first three songs before calling it a night.
My Honest Feedback
If there is a plan for CONquest 2024, it should be well-organized and ticket sales should be limited. The convention is no longer enjoyable due to the long lines and overcrowded venue. I feel sorry for the people who bought tickets but weren't able to get inside and got stuck outside SMX, especially considering the unpredictable weather in our country.
The event was enjoyable because I had the opportunity to meet some friends who also attended, but the convention experience itself was quite exhausting. I did enjoy the music night event. Hopefully, CONquest can schedule guest interviews for the media.
I am happy that some of the artist appreciated my photos.
I am a little disappointed that I wasn't able to take many photos, mostly just using my phone, due to the crowded area. I will try to take more photos at the next convention. I wasn't able to purchase merchs and meet the guest because of the long line.
Photos taken using Nikon D750 and Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
No comments:
Post a Comment