ORLANDO, Fla. – MegaCon has come back to Orange County, and officials, as well as local vendors, are looking to get results as they hope the event brings a positive economic impact.
“Welcome to Tinkerlin Gaming!” Ari Perez said.
News 6 was there when Perez and his wife revealed their stand at MegaCon-Orlando 2023.
“What makes us stand out is the skins that we have for our consoles,” Perez said.
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Perez and his wife live in Central Florida and said that for their shop, they marry the love of gaming and anime.
Perez said his products are geared toward game console customization.
“Here for the Nintendo Switch, these are cases, a lot of these are silicone cases,” Perez said.
As a small business owner, Perez told News 6 that he looks forward to MegaCon every time it comes to town, saying it’s crucial in the growth of their business.
“We network with other vendors. That’s how we learn about other conventions that are doing well. We learn about what strategies they’re using in order for their businesses to be more efficient,” Perez said.
Besides selling gaming and anime products, MegaCon is a place where cosplay is a major deal. Vendors like Hearts Delight showcase Renaissance and fantasy-themed outfits, for people looking to transform into otherworldly characters.
Organizers said that this convention is truly about being yourself.
Ansley Newland, who is the programming lead at MegaCon, said, “The fans are so welcoming to someone who is brand new, so even if you might not have all the knowledge or read all of every single issue or seen all of the films or played all of the games, you have a home here at MegaCon.”
Orange County’s comptroller Phil Diamond said the convention is like a shot in the arm for the local economy and said MegaCon is reporting that they expect more than 100,000 people to attend over the course of the weekend.
“It’s going to be a big deal. It brings a lot of money into the community... and this is a big boom for all the people that have businesses near the convention center, big businesses, small businesses, people that work out there,” Diamond said.
Diamond said it’ll be some time before we can see the total economic impact, but organizers said for now, it’s time to have a good time.
“You can still connect with fellow fans, you can find new things to be fans of, and you can come home with some really cool art or merchandise,” Newland said.
MegaCon will be at the Orange County Convention Center until April 2.
Tickets are still available at fanexpohq.com.
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