Colossalcon East 2023 Convention Report And Gallery Part 3

In my previous article on Colossalcon East 2023, I discussed some of the problems attendees encountered with the convention and venue in which it was held. Here in my third, and final article on the convention, I’ll be giving some suggestions as to how the event can be improved.

Ever since its inception in 2017, it has been increasingly clear that the relationship between the Poconos Kalahari and Colossalcon East management has been somewhat rocky at best. One of the first, and biggest indicators of this happened in the second year of the convention, when Kalahari water park staff decided to ban all cosplay and photography from the water park toward the beginning of the day on Sunday. 

After the convention, the now former con chair, Donnell, made a post on social media acknowledging what had happened, stating that information would be gathered prior to confronting Kalahari management regarding what occurred. Some time later, another post was made on social media stating that the issue had been resolved, and that cosplay and photography would be allowed throughout every day of the convention at the water park. I recall this process taking longer than I had hoped, but in the end the desired result was achieved, which was a win for Colossalcon East and its attendees.

After the events that occurred in the organization in 2019, Donnell stepped down as con chair and was replaced by the now current con chair Victoria.

As I mentioned in one of my articles last year, there were a number of problems that arose at the water park during the convention. I ended that article stating that “Ultimately, Colossalcon management does have some amount of culpability for these issues. I hope that all of these problems are addressed and rectified well prior to next year’s event.” I realize that these things can take some time and wasn’t extremely alarmed that nothing had been posted by Colossalcon management by the time I wrote the article, which was very shortly after the convention. So I waited. And waited. And waited all the way up until this year’s event.

Nothing. No public acknowledgement from Colossalcon management that there were any issues at the convention. No plans of action stated. Just … nothing at all.

This came as a huge disappointment to myself and other attendees. I can understand that sometimes certain things, as much as I hate to say this, are best left to be swept under the rug. This, however, was absolutely not one of those times. This leads me to what perhaps the biggest current problem with Colossalcon is — the lack of communication from management.

If I can take a step back for a moment and try to be impartial and empathetic, I understand that Victoria is in an unenviable position. There are now four Colossalcon conventions that need to be managed, two of which are now four-day events. This means that the time that can be spent on each event is limited, so if an inordinate amount of time is spent on one, the others may suffer. However, I believe that with the addition of new events and extension of East, it’s important that the quantity of Colossalcon events isn’t put ahead of their quality. And sadly, the quality of East is currently lacking.

The first, and biggest step Colossalcon management can take is to make a public post after every convention on social media. In said post, any major issues should be acknowledged, along with stating what they will try to do to fix said issues. Communication is a key factor in reassuring attendees that their voices are heard. While not every problem has an easy fix, it’s important to at least show that efforts are being made. Perhaps some conventions will go off without a hitch, and a simple “thanks for coming” type of post would be sufficient. East, unfortunately, has not been in that position for the past couple of years.

Another improvement that can be made is updating parts of Colossalcon East’s official website. There is a lot of confusion about the late-night water park event every year, so that section of the website in particular could use an overhaul. Are drinks in Kalahari cups allowed to be brought in? Is the event 21+, or open to all ages? Are cabanas available for rental during the night swim, and if so, how can attendees go about reserving them? Answering these questions on the website can help prevent confusion during the convention.

Many of the problems that I mentioned in my previous article are more the fault of Kalahari staff and management than they are Colossalcon’s. However, it’s extremely important that Colossalcon management address these issues with the Kalahari during the meetings they have throughout the year. As I’ve seen some of the exact same problems from last year repeat themselves this year, it would appear this hasn’t been happening.

It’s very clear that Kalahari staff aren’t all on the same page due to the many inconsistencies with policy enforcement between different members of staff. Internal meetings need to be held with Kalahari staff to ensure that everyone is on the same page when the convention dates arrive.

Colossalcon management obviously does not have direct control over Kalahari staff. However, considering the huge amount of money that the convention brings into the venue, Colossalcon management certainly has some amount of leverage. This leverage needs to be used to repair the relationship between both management teams, and build a better convention for its attendees, who are ultimately the ones that suffer when things go wrong.

When I first attended Colossalcon East in 2017, it was one of my best convention experiences ever, and I couldn’t imagine a situation where I wouldn’t be there with bells on for many years to come. At this point, it has been more of a question of “Is the anxiety that I’m going to have due to this con worth it in the end?” The answer to that is still a yes in my mind, but I don’t know when the last straw may be broken, and I can say with confidence I’m not alone in this feeling.

This is not a hit piece, but more of a bittersweet love letter to Colossalcon East. Victoria, I implore you, I beg of you even, please work to return this convention to its former greatness. It will be a tough road ahead, and we need your leadership — visible leadership — to make this happen.

Colossalcon East will return to the Kalahari Resort & Convention Center in Pocono Manor, Penn., on September 5-8, 2024.

Cosplayer in this final gallery from 2023 include kevin.neff, kitkaycosplay, ellevishh, k_kosplays, shanem201, mandybars, jennyjuiceboxxx7, joekleinkauf, bellastone.cosplay, vulpecos, nano.cosplays, piexv, becca10b, sunnyzlite, sera_tonin_cosplay, katastrophecosplay, belle_reve_hime, slim_slimmyxx, dukeofazarath, mizubimayhem, cretin.cosplay, ss.shirawr, fruitghosts, meivix, and many more.

We now use Smugmug to present cosplay photo galleries and will post all photos there, with a link to each gallery in its own gallery article. This will allow us to give you higher resolution images to download — still for free.

To view the entire gallery, just click on the image below. If you are pictured in any of our galleries, feel free to download the images and use them non-commercially on social media, with appropriate credit.

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This was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, many of the characters being cosplayed here wouldn’t exist. Please consider donating to the Entertainment Community Fund here.