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OMGcon
OMGcon
Status	Active
Genre	Anime, video gaming
Venue	Owensboro Convention Center
Location(s)	Owensboro, Kentucky
Country	United States
Inaugurated	2006
Attendance	2,506 in 2019
Organized by	Tri-State Anime Promotional Society
Filing status	501(c)(3)
Website	www.omgcon.com

OMGcon (sometimes stylized as OMG!con) is a three-day anime convention held during June at the Owensboro Convention Center in Owensboro, Kentucky. The convention was previously held in Paducah, Kentucky. The name of the convention comes from the common abbreviation of Oh My God.^[4] OMGcon is run by volunteers.^[6]

Programming

The convention typically offers an artist alley, card tournaments, cosplay events, dance/rave, dealers, formal dance, LARPing, special guests, tabletop gaming, video game tournaments, and workshops.^[7]^[8]^[9]^[10]^[11]^[12]

OMGcon's 2016 raffle benefited the charity Cliff Hagan Boys and Girls Club, and raised around $4,000.^[13]^[14]

History

OMGcon was started because of the long travel time needed to attend other conventions.^[15] The convention moved to the Owensboro Convention Center in Owensboro, Kentucky for 2014 onwards. The decision was made to allow for the convention's growth.^[16] The Owenboro Convention Center had to be evacuated during the 2015 convention due to a bomb threat.^[17] In 2016, the convention began using space in the Holiday Inn for workshops.^[13] OMGcon also used all available space in the convention center, with its attendees and other events occupying every hotel room in Owensboro, Kentucky.^[18] In 2017, OMGcon again used the entire convention center, and all of Owensboro 1,369 hotel rooms were occupied.^[14]^[19]

OMGcon 2020 was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.^[20]^[21] OMGcon 2021 was also cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.^[22]^[23] Online conventions were held in 2020 and 2021.^[24] OMGcon held HallOMGween over Halloween weekend 2021 at the Owensboro Convention Center and Towneplace Suites.^[25]^[26] The convention in 2022 had a mask policy.^[5]

List by year

Dates	Location	Atten.	Guests
June 9–11, 2006	JR's Executive Inn Riverfront Paducah, Kentucky	260^[27]	Greg Ayres^[27]
May 25–27, 2007	JR's Executive Inn Riverfront Paducah, Kentucky	380^[28]	Greg Ayres, Luci Christian, Emily DeJesus, and Robert DeJesus.^[28]
June 6–8, 2008	JR's Executive Inn Riverfront Paducah, Kentucky	660^[29]	Robert V. Aldrich, Christopher Ayres, Greg Ayres, Emily DeJesus, and Robert DeJesus.^[29]
June 5–7, 2009	Julian Carrol Convention Center Paducah, Kentucky	1,100^[30]	Christopher Ayres, Greg Ayres, Emily DeJesus, and Robert DeJesus.^[30]
June 11–13, 2010	Julian Carrol Convention Center Paducah, Kentucky	1,220^[31]	Christopher Ayres, Greg Ayres, Emily DeJesus, Robert DeJesus, Jessie James Grelle, Rikki Simons, and Tavisha Wolfgarth-Simons.^[31]
June 3–5, 2011	Julian Carrol Convention Center Paducah, Kentucky	1,275^[32]	Christopher Ayres, Greg Ayres, Emily DeJesus, Robert DeJesus, Rikki Simons, Eric Stuart, and Tavisha Wolfgarth-Simons.^[32]
June 8–10, 2012	Julian Carrol Convention Center Paducah, Kentucky	1,300^[33]	Christopher Ayres, Greg Ayres, Emily DeJesus, Robert DeJesus, Jessie James Grelle, Bill Rogers, Rikki Simons, and Tavisha Wolfgarth-Simons.^[33]
June 14–16, 2013	Julian Carrol Convention Center Paducah, Kentucky	1,380^[34]	Christopher Ayres, Greg Ayres, Emily DeJesus, Robert DeJesus, Tiffany Grant, Matt Greenfield, Steve Johnson, Rikki Simons, and Tavisha Wolfgarth-Simons.^[34]
June 13–15, 2014	Owensboro Convention Center Owensboro, Kentucky	1,739^[35]	Christopher Ayres, Greg Ayres, Emily DeJesus, Robert DeJesus, Jessie James Grelle, Darrel Guilbeau, Steve Johnson, Rikki Simons, St. Louis Osuwa Taiko, and Tavisha Wolfgarth-Simons.^[35]
June 12–14, 2015	Owensboro Convention Center Owensboro, Kentucky	2,500^[36]	Greg Ayres, Gavin Hammon, Melissa Hutchison, Steve Johnson, Xander Mobus, Carter Newton, Rikki Simons, and Tavisha Wolfgarth-Simons.^[36]
June 10–12, 2016	Owensboro Convention Center Owensboro, Kentucky	3,137^[37]	Felecia Angelle, Greg Ayres, Erika Harlacher, Allyssa Lewis, Xander Mobus, NateWantsToBattle, Robert J. Schwalb, Rikki Simons, Sarah Anne Williams, and Tavisha Wolfgarth-Simons.^[37]
June 9–11, 2017	Owensboro Convention Center Owensboro, Kentucky	3,740^[38]	Dino Andrade, Felecia Angelle, Greg Ayres, Martin Billany, Shirley Curry, Emily DeJesus, Fighting Dreamers Productions, Briana Lawrence, Xander Mobus, Carli Mosier, Rikki Simons, Jessica Walsh, Gareth West, and Tavisha Wolfgarth-Simons.^[38]
June 8–10, 2018	Owensboro Convention Center Owensboro, Kentucky		Greg Ayres, Andrea Caprotti, Emily DeJesus, Robert DeJesus, Rachelle Heger, Caleb Hyles, Comfort Love, Marin M. Miller, Carli Mosier, Bill Rogers, and Adam Withers.^[39]
June 7–9, 2019	Owensboro Convention Center Owensboro, Kentucky	2,506^[3]	Greg Ayres, Emily DeJesus, Robert DeJesus, Rikki Simons, Michael Sinterniklaas, and Tavisha Wolfgarth-Simons.^[3]
October 30–31, 2021^[25]^[26]	Owensboro Convention Center Towneplace Suites Owensboro, Kentucky	500 (est.)^[5]
June 24–26, 2022	Owensboro Convention Center Owensboro, Kentucky		Greg Ayres, Dawn M. Bennett, Fighting Dreamers Productions, Xander Mobus, Michael Sinterniklaas,^[40] Callon B, Robert DeJesus, Emily DeJesus, and Nintendrew.^[5]
June 9-11, 2023	Owensboro Convention Center Owensboro, Kentucky		Greg Ayres, Jennifer Cihi, Colossal Senpai, Caleb Hyles, Rikki Simons, and Tavisha Wolfgarth-Simons.^[41]
June 14-16, 2024	Owensboro Convention Center Owensboro, Kentucky		Greg Ayres, Martin Billany, Caleb Hyles, Marin M. Miller, and Michael Sinterniklaas.^[42]

References

^ "OMG Con this weekend in Paducah". WPSD. Archived from the original on June 15, 2012. Retrieved 2012-09-21.
^ ^a ^b Mattingly, Kara (2013-06-29). "Popular convention headed to Owensboro in 2014/15". WFIE. Retrieved 2013-07-05.
^ ^a ^b ^c "OMGcon 2019 Information". AnimeCons.com. Retrieved 2019-06-19.
^ ^a ^b Shull, Adam (2009-06-05). "OMGcon organizers hope tournaments, actors draw anime, gaming fans to convention center". Paducah Sun. Archived from the original on 2016-08-12. Retrieved 2016-06-25.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Bourne, Freddie (June 24, 2022). "OMG!con returns for full-scale event this weekend". Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer. Retrieved 5 July 2022.
^ Kirkpatrick, John (9 June 2023). "OMG!con returns to Owensboro with anime, gaming, and pop culture exhibits". The Owensboro Times. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
^ "OMG!Con 2009 Hello Kentucky". Archived from the original on February 22, 2014.
^ "Annual OMGCon set to begin in Paducah". WPSD. Archived from the original on February 22, 2014. Retrieved 2013-06-24.
^ Shull, Adam (June 11, 2010). "More than just gaming: Fifth annual OMGcon likes anime, comic books too". Paducah Sun. Archived from the original on 12 August 2016. Retrieved 25 June 2016.
^ Gericke, Robin (May 10, 2013). "OMG! The OMG!con is Coming to Paducah!". Purchase Family Area Magazine. Retrieved 25 June 2016.^{[permanent dead link‍]}
^ Ramsey, Austin (June 11, 2016). "OMG!con starts downtown". Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer. Retrieved 25 June 2016.^{[permanent dead link‍]}
^ Sorce, Ashley (28 May 2019). "OMG!Con prepares for fifth event in Owensboro". The Owensboro Times. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
^ ^a ^b Hayse, Bobbie (June 10, 2016). "OMG !CON". Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer. Archived from the original on 12 June 2016. Retrieved 25 June 2016.
^ ^a ^b Hayse, Bobbie (June 9, 2017). "12th annual OMG!con headed for downtown". Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer. Archived from the original on 9 June 2017. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
^ Reside, Nicholas (June 16, 2013). "OMGcon returns to Paducah". Paducah Sun. Archived from the original on 12 August 2016. Retrieved 25 June 2016.
^ Beard, Dennis (2013-06-29). "OMG! Con Signs Two-Year Agreement With Owensboro Convention Center". Surfky.com. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved 2013-07-05.
^ Grant, Erin (June 13, 2015). "Owensboro Convention Center Briefly Evacuated After Bomb Threat". WBKR. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
^ Hayse, Bobbie (June 13, 2016). "OMG!con 2016 labeled a success". Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer. Retrieved 25 June 2016.^{[permanent dead link‍]}
^ "OMGcon Hits Owensboro". Tri State Homepage. June 9, 2017. Retrieved 29 June 2017.
^ Lawrence, Keith (April 25, 2020). "OMG!CON postpones convention until 2021". Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
^ "OMGcon 2020 Information". AnimeCons.com. Retrieved 2020-04-23.
^ Lawrence, Keith (March 25, 2021). "OMG!con will return, but not in June". Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
^ "OMGcon 2021 Information". AnimeCons.com. Retrieved 2021-05-06.
^ Kelly, Josh (23 June 2022). "OMG!Con returns to Owensboro for first in-person convention since 2019". The Owensboro Times. Retrieved 6 July 2022.
^ ^a ^b Kelly, Josh (5 October 2021). "OMG!Con hosting Halloween-themed mini-con". The Owensboro Times. Retrieved 6 July 2022.
^ ^a ^b Lawrence, Keith (October 20, 2021). "OMG!con planning Halloween party in Owensboro". The News-Enterprise. Messenger-Inquirer. Retrieved 6 July 2022.
^ ^a ^b "OMGcon 2006 Information". AnimeCons.com. Retrieved 2010-05-05.
^ ^a ^b "OMGcon 2007 Information". AnimeCons.com. Retrieved 2010-05-05.
^ ^a ^b "OMGcon 2008 Information". AnimeCons.com. Retrieved 2010-05-05.
^ ^a ^b "OMGcon 2009 Information". AnimeCons.com. Retrieved 2010-05-05.
^ ^a ^b "OMGcon 2010 Information". AnimeCons.com. Retrieved 2019-11-21.
^ ^a ^b "OMGcon 2011 Information". AnimeCons.com. Retrieved 2015-06-20.
^ ^a ^b "OMGcon 2012 Information". AnimeCons.com. Retrieved 2015-06-20.
^ ^a ^b "OMGcon 2013 Information". AnimeCons.com. Retrieved 2015-06-20.
^ ^a ^b "OMGcon 2014 Information". AnimeCons.com. Retrieved 2015-06-20.
^ ^a ^b "OMGcon 2015 Information". AnimeCons.com. Retrieved 2015-09-09.
^ ^a ^b "OMGcon 2016 Information". AnimeCons.com. Retrieved 2016-06-25.
^ ^a ^b "OMGcon 2017 Information". AnimeCons.com. Retrieved 2018-03-28.
^ "OMGcon 2018 Information". AnimeCons.com. Retrieved 2018-06-05.
^ "OMGcon 2022 Information". AnimeCons.com. Retrieved 2022-06-21.
^ "OMGcon 2023 Information". AnimeCons.com. Retrieved 2024-07-15.
^ "OMGcon 2024 Information". AnimeCons.com. Retrieved 2024-06-25.