August 25-27 event to feature anime industry partners in Santa Clara

Media distribution service Crunchyroll announced on Thursday that it is partnering with LeftField Media to launch a new anime convention titled Crunchyroll Expo (CRX) this year. The convention is scheduled for August 25-27 in Santa Clara, California at the Santa Clara Convention Center. Crunchyroll has launched a website for the event.

In addition to Crunchyroll, the event will feature other partners and publishers from the anime industry, although Crunchyroll has not yet announced specific companies. LeftField Media's team working on Crunchyroll Expo includes Peter Tatara, formerly of the New York Anime Festival and show manager of Anime NYC.

Crunchyroll Director of Events Adam Sheehan commented that the convention's goal is to follow a different model from other anime conventions. He cited conventions and trade shows such as BlizzCon, PAX, SXSW, and E3. Sheehan said regarding the event, "you're going to see some things that have not been done before at anime cons, some things that have been done but we're going to do it differently, and some of the fan favorites that people continue to enjoy [will be] brought back either in different ways, or more broadly and more extensively for the fans."

The event's official website states that the convention will feature "exhibits, screenings, panels, and guest appearances by some of the biggest personalities in Japan and the US," and that the convention will celebrate "anime, manga, games, guests, cosplay," and more. The event's press release also states that the convention will have "special events, premieres, and interactive features focused around anime pop culture, the latest content coming out of Japan, and ways for fans to connect with each other to share their passion for anime."

The press release reports that Crunchyroll is the "largest online home for anime" with "over one million paid subscribers, 20 million registered users, and 800 titles." According to the release, "fans spend billions of minutes per month on the platform."

LeftField Media announced in September that it will host a new Anime NYC convention this November with Crunchyroll as the title sponsor. In contrast to this and other conventions where Crunchyroll has served as a sponsor, Crunchyroll Expo will be owned and operated by Crunchyroll. LeftField Media is assisting with the execution and logistics.