Ren Qian Xi Le
The event was held at Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition, Hall 403, over the weekend of 12-13 April. This event introduced a interesting low risk, clear support policy for creators. Only half of the booth rental was required upfront for successful applicants. The remaining balance was deducted from net ticket sales' profit-sharing. If there were excess, it would be given to the creators, and any shortfall will be absorbed by the event organisers. They also had a policy to encourage footfall where cosplayers and elderly could enter the event for free.
I really appreciated the lowered booth rental fee, as it gave me more confidence that I would be able to cover the table cost instead of making a loss. I arrived early at around 10 am and began setting up. I was lucky enough to be placed at the corner of the hall. There was ample of space provided, allowing me and Aki to be comfortable throughout the event.
Friends visited frequently, dropping support and entertainment throughout the day. I also made acquaintance with my booth neighbour, who illustrated snippets of our interactions and posted them on social media. My friends and I enjoyed the comics very much. Thank you Yasuu!
On the first day, Aki had to run around for other commitments so I stayed at the booth. I was cosplaying Abysswalker Rafayel with the hood up. This limited both my field of vision as well as my hearing. It was way harder for friends to catch my attention from behind me. Day 2 was my turn to escape in the afternoon and I took the opportunity to get my friend Eric to snap some pictures of me as Kitty Xavier.
Thinking back, Ren Qian Xi Le was such a pleasant experience. The organising team visited a few times to check in and even distributed support and gifts. We had a great time eating shake shack behind the booth, hurriedly wiping our hands when customers engage us. I loved the interactions we had with customers and friends. We could really get to know each other as the event was chill and cozy without uncomfortably loud music.
(And I always enjoy Suntec food after con)
