I am a geek, and with all the articles written here on PhilStar Tech, it goes to show that we’re all a little geeky in one way or another. An event catering to geeks—with “Geek” in its name—and even pop culture for those outside of the geekdom seems too good to be true. But was Geek+Pop Alpha all that it was cracked up to be?
The Good
True to its name, Geek+Pop Alpha was a first for the Geek+Pop team. Previous events under the Geek+Pop brand were mall-based, with free entrance, easy accessibility, and a celebration of geekdom and pop culture. Geek+Pop Alpha, however, was the brand’s first “big boy” event, moving to a larger stage and taking up an entire section of the World Trade Center.
Venue-wise, the World Trade Center is a great convention space in terms of accessibility and convenience. Some of the all-time greats have been held there, and the fact that not only kids but even some four-legged friends were able to roam around without a hitch shows how friendly and accommodating the environment was. In terms of accessibility, attendees could easily commute to the venue, and for those bringing their own vehicles, parking was spacious.
For me, the best part of the event was how open and accommodating each geek clique was, emphasizing community, inclusivity, and togetherness above anything else. Whether you’re a newbie or a veteran, you’d be welcomed with open arms, with new activities at every corner.
Imagine stepping inside the venue—there’s a tournament on your left and video games on your right. There were so many ambassadors stationed at different locations that simply showing a hint of curiosity was enough to get you involved in the fun. Age didn’t matter because, at the end of the day, what everyone cared about was having a good time! Even the competitive side of each clique wasn’t as toxic as one might expect. Then again, when you love your community, that love extends elsewhere, too.
Another highlight of the convention was how it opened my eyes to idol culture and how approachable the international guests were. As an outsider, I initially thought, I can’t approach these individuals—they’re above me or something. But seeing them on stage and interacting with regular con-goers changed my perception. These idols, seiyuu, and guests are fans just like us, and the community was always welcoming.
The Bad
It wasn’t all rainbows and butterflies, though. Looking back, it was a good weekend—but not a great one—mainly because of what transpired on the first day. While it’s understandable that there could be delays on opening day, multiple events and tournaments had to be pushed to another day.
Imagine taking a flight or taking leave from work just to attend, only to be sent home because of internet issues, power problems, or even a lack of participants. Granted, the first day (Friday) being a weekday likely contributed to the lower turnout, but one would still expect schedules to be followed.
I arrived on Friday at 10 AM, which, to my knowledge, was the official start of the event. However, many booths weren’t open yet, and several were still being set up. Speaking of booth setups, one minor concern I had—particularly in the artist alley—was the large empty space in the middle. Some booths were even covered up by sponsor setups, making them nearly invisible unless you actively searched for them. Fortunately, foot traffic picked up over the weekend, and setup issues were eventually resolved thanks to the tireless teams working behind the scenes.
The Quirky
Don’t get me wrong—I still enjoyed the event overall, but two glaring things confused me.
First, there were multiple booths selling Pokémon cards, including graded ones. Yet, throughout the event, I didn’t see a single person actually playing the Pokémon TCG—not in a tournament nor even casual matches.
While it was great to see massive setups catering to various tabletop games like Warhammer, the ratio of Pokémon card sellers to actual players didn’t quite add up. Again, there’s nothing inherently wrong with that, and maybe organizing Pokémon tournaments is difficult, but it still would’ve been nice to see some actual gameplay.
Another oddity was how aggressively the roaming Keiko sellers were hard-selling to con-goers. While it’s understandable that they had sales quotas to meet, guests should still be treated with respect regardless of the circumstances.
A Geek’s Takeaway
What started out rocky still ended up strong. While there were hiccups here and there, it was the community that made the event as enjoyable as it was. Geek+Pop Alpha Weekend was a good weekend to be a geek. As a geek and a con-goer myself, I’m excited to see how the event will evolve in its future incarnations.
