Sogen Con

Sogen Con is an anime convention which found its origins in Marshall, Minnesota in the United States in late May 2005. After two years hosted by the Mustang Anime Otaku, Sogen Con has come under the control of Otaku Incorporated, a non-profit group.

By moving to Sioux Falls, Sogen Con has become the first anime convention in South Dakota.

Programming
Sogen Con has usual programming in the sense that the schedule and floor plan contain many of the staples considered "usual" to anime conventions in general: cosplay, video games, tabletop gaming, fan panels, a dance, viewing rooms, competitions, and a dealer's room.

The staff of Sogen also seem to strive to find new and interesting events and ideas in addition to these, including Resident Evil-themed capture the flag (in which some guests have chosen to participate in past years) and "zombie tag" LARPS, the "All Otaku Lunch Hour" - a one or two hour period in the afternoon, during which nothing is scheduled so that attendees may shower, eat, or sleep without fear of missing programming, and the "Wake Up With _" mornings - a viewing room event usually featuring a complimentary breakfast and an anime of an extremely graphic and mature nature (Gantz, Elfin Lied).

Events which are relatively rare at most conventions, but which are not exclusive to SogenCon include a Gothic Lolita Tea Party, an improvisational comedy event featuring special guests, and a musical guest - either in concert separate from, or as a featured DJ at, the dance (Eyeshine, Greg Ayres - AKA DJ Bam2).

Frequent mention is made of "MON MON", but it is unclear as to what (person or event) this refers.

The Game (game) is also a frequently revisited theme amongst staff and attendees. One member of the planning staff is supposedly responsible for having spread The Game to the convention staff, and to the convention at large, and has been recognized for their efforts.

History
Sogen Con was originally created by Robert Doss, a (then) student of Southwest Minnesota State University, as a new event supported by the anime club he founded as a student group of the same institution (The Mustang Anime Otaku). Despite the student group basis, both the anime club and the planning committee for Sogen were open to the general public. This was the first year to begin the tradition of referencing The Game (game), with a complete rules list within the guide.

The first two years utilized the school campus as a venue, with the help of members from the Mustang anime Otaku, the school's theater arts program (and facilities), and the school's newly renovated Student and Convention Center. The floor plan for the convention used little of the total available space in the majority of the available buildings, but had the advantage of multiple lounges, auditoriums, courtyards, and even the dormitories (which were rented to attendees in the first year).

The third year (2007) saw Sogen moved to a new venue, in a different state, with an attached hotel. The convention booked (and filled) the majority share of the center and hotel with events and attendees, but the center was quintuple-booked that weekend, with the convention, two weddings, a hockey game, and an Elton John concert, with mixed reviews from the attendees regarding the success of the convention at keeping the intermingling of events to a minimum. Sogen received help from attending staff from other conventions including Anime Detour, NebrasKon and NoBrandCon, as well as members of The Neko Army, in order to adjust to and equip the new venue. Officially, attendance was rated as being satisfactory, but a lead member of the planning staff has stated that "a heavier emphasis has been placed on local (South Dakota) promotions for coming years." This year also featured a food shelf drive and a charity art auction for animal shelters.

Results from the September 2008 event are still pending.

Event merchandise
In the first three years, Sogen created and t-shirts which merchandised the slogans "Sleep is For Losers", "I've been wearing this shirt all weekend.", bumper stickers with "If Only Life Was As Simple As Evangelion", and several items with the phrase "Veni, Vidi, Amitti" ("I came, I saw, I lost", in reference to The Game (game).