The 10th annual GQ Con.ect Geek Convention is shaping up to be the best yet.
Organised by Tarryn Light Productions, the two-day celebration of geekdom’s weirdest and hottest trends will be held at the Fairview Sports Centre on the weekend of November 2 and 3.
The stalls, stage acts, games, cosplay, competitions and food trucks which have become hallmarks of the convention since launching a decade ago will be complemented by the return of South African cosplay legend Anzel Schultz, aka Baka Sakura.
The Capetonian won the Master’s Needlework division at Comic Con Cape Town in 2021 and also represented South Africa at the World Cosplay Summit 2023, as well as at the Gamers8 Cosplay Cup in 2022 and 2023.
Schultz, making her second Con.ect appearance, will be a special guest judge at Sunday’s cosplay competition and fans will have the opportunity to meet her during a photo-signing session.
Also included on the programme are stage acts by the School of Aikido, Urban Playground Parkour, local K-pop dancer Kayleen Lottering and songs from returning emcee Tarryn Light, a competition for children between the ages of five and 15 (Saturday) and a free introduction session to the popular role-playing game Dungeons and Dragons (main stage, Saturday).
Local cosplayers – or anyone wanting to dress up for the event, for that matter – will get a chance to strut their stuff during the cosplay masquerade, while the ever-popular Geek Quiz, hosted by Triple M Productions, will take place on the main stage on both days, with the winning team walking away with some great prizes.
The Con.ect Hot Sauce Challenge, hosted by Chilli Changas, is also a hot-ticket item on the main stage on Sunday.
E-Kings Gaming, meanwhile, who will be showcasing the growth and development of gaming favourites like the Tekken franchise and more at the Gaming Through the Ages station. Amazing prizes can be won by those who have what it takes to play from Tekken 3 through 8.
Also up for grabs is a specially-built Con.ect Arcade machine, valued at R5 000. Players who are interested can play for free on Saturday and sign up for the singles elimination tournament on Sunday at R100 per entry.
Another convention must is the Tabletop Gaming Arena, hosted by The Den and Unplug Yourself, where con-goers can learn to play a variety of different board and card games. Spot prizes for Pokémon and Magic the Gathering casual play will be awarded.
Con.ect organiser Tarryn Light said this year’s event would be elevated by the presence of conference-style boxes as a means of preparing con-goers for the full convention planned for 2025.
“We hope to elevate, grow and expand this event with even more interesting events, competitions and merch. At the same time, we want to ensure that we continue to offer our artists, cosplayers and con-goers a safe space to enjoy and express themselves”.
This year, Con.ect has also teamed up with GES Cosplay, organisers of the cosplay competitions for Comic Con Africa, to further enhance its stature and provide a platform for Eastern Cape cosplayers to test their skills.
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