SMASH! (convention)

SMASH! Sydney Manga and Anime Show (typically abbreviated to SMASH!) is an annual Japanese popular culture convention held in Sydney, Australia and organised by SMASH Inc, a non-profit volunteer-run association. The convention has been run annually since 2007.[2]

SMASH! Sydney Manga and Anime Show
StatusActive
GenreAnime, Japanese culture
VenueInternational Convention Centre Sydney
Location(s)Sydney, Australia
CountryAustralia
Years active12
Inaugurated2007
Most recent13-14 July 2019 - ICC Sydney
Next eventPostponed (Previously scheduled for 18-19 July 2020)[1]
Attendance22,000+ in 2019
ActivityArtist circle, art competitions, community groups, cosplay competition and games, Gunpla Builders World Cup, karaoke competition, Maid Cafe, merchandise vendors, panels, stage events, video game tournaments, workshops, World Cosplay Summit Preliminary
Organised bySMASH Inc
Filing statusNon-profit
Websitehttps://smash.org.au/

SMASH! began as an art-focused event but has broadened its scope to include all areas of Japanese popular culture. It was the first Australian anime convention to host a Japanese voice actor, the first to host a Japanese anime director, the first to hold a maid café and the first to hold the national final for the Gunpla Builders World Cup.

History

SMASH! was conceived by Katie Huang, an artist and illustrator living and working in Sydney. The event was originally called ComicWorld Sydney and was more closely modelled on the Comic World events held in Singapore, Hong Kong and Taiwan. As the number of people involved in organising the event increased, the focus broadened and the name was changed to SMASH! Sydney Manga and Anime Show.

SMASH! 2020 was postponed four months prior to the scheduled start of the event[3]. The postponement was announced following Australian Government advice regarding the organisation of public gatherings[4] during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Organisation

SMASH! is run by SMASH Inc, a non-profit association incorporated in New South Wales. SMASH Inc is controlled by a board elected each year by the members of the association. The board in turn selects a management team responsible for the planning and day-to-day conduct of the convention as well as a staff of volunteers organised into various departments. The board, management and staff total more than 50 people.[5]

Mascots

The convention features two mascots, a boy, Cyrus, and a girl, Skadi. The mascots were designed in 2007 by Sai Nitivoranant and have been drawn by numerous artists, including guests of the convention, Tan Kit Mun, Alexandra Szweryn and Shaun Healey.

Event History
DateVenueAttendancePriceNotable Events
18 August 2007The Roundhouse, University of New South Wales[2]1,434[6]$9 (Advance)
$12 (On the Day)
  • Attendance by W Chew Chan (Australian storyboard artist), Queenie Chan (Australian manga artist) and Gregor Whiley (Australian game company vice-president)
  • First maid cafe and host club at an anime convention in Australia
  • Premiere of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya and Death Note[7] in Australia
  • Musical performance by the 2002 Triple J Unearthed winner Yunyu[8]
2 August 2008The Roundhouse, University of New South Wales2,295[6]$9 (Advance)
$12 (On the Day)
  • Attendance by Hidenobu Kiuchi (Japanese voice actor), Tan Kit Mun (AKA "Kidchan", Malaysian illustrator)
  • First attendance by Japanese voice actor at an Australian convention
8–9 August 2009The Roundhouse, University of New South Wales2,709[6]$13–25 (Advance)
$18–35 (On the Day)
  • Attendance by Cuson Lo (Hong Kong illustrator), Alexandra Szweryn (AKA "Ms Rosek", Australian illustrator)
  • First time SMASH! was run as a two-day event
  • First attendance by video game publisher, Ubisoft
  • Musical performance by Roger Lock
7 August 2010Sydney Town Hall2,810[6]$20 (Advance)
$25 (On the Day)
  • Attendance by Yūko Miyamura (Japanese voice actress), Tiffany Grant (American voice actress), Matt Greenfield (American founder of ADV Films), Shaun Healey (AKA "Endling", American artist), Mikiko Ponczcek (AKA "Zombiesmile", German/Japanese artist)
  • First attendance by Japanese and American counterparts for the same character at an Australian convention
  • First national final of the Bandai Action Kit Universal Cup held in Australia in conjunction with Hobbyco and Namco Bandai
  • First time SMASH! sold out
16 July 2011Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre5,405[6]$25 (Advance)
$30 (On the Day)
  • Attendance by Shinichi Watanabe (Japanese director),[9] Martin Billany (British voice actor/writer),[10] Hiroki Kikuta (Japanese composer),[11] Kenji Ito (Japanese composer),[12] and Mari Yoshida (Japanese singer)[13]
  • First attendance by a Japanese anime director at an Australian convention
  • Convention was followed by a concert featuring performers from the musical collective Eminence
14 July 2012Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre[14]6,200[6]$29 (Advance)
$35 (On the Day)
10 August 2013Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre7,849[19]$29 (Advance)
$35 (On the Day)
  • Attendance by Hidenori Matsubara (Japanese character designer/illustrator/art director), Haruko Momoi (Japanese voice actress), Masakazu Morita (Japanese voice actor), LOVERIN TAMBURIN[20]
  • First attendance by a Japanese character illustrator at an Australian convention
  • Convention was followed by a Vocaloid dance party[21] with guests including kz from Livetune and Hachioji-P.
9–10 August 2014Rosehill Gardens Racecourse13,617$25–50 (Advance)
$30–55 (On the Day)
  • Attendance by Kotono Mitsuishi (Japanese voice actress), Toshihiro Kawamoto (Japanese director/character designer, Reika (Japanese cosplayer)[20]
  • First event at Rosehill Gardens
  • First staging of the World Cosplay Summit Australian Preliminary Final
  • First staging of the NIPPON World Karaoke Grand Prix Australian Preliminary Final
8–9 August 2015 Rosehill Gardens Racecourse 14,000+[22] $30–50 (Advance)
$35–55 (On the Day)
20–21 August 2016[25] Rosehill Gardens Racecourse $30-50 (Advance)
$35-55 (On the Day)
  • Attendance by Hideo Ishikawa, Ai Nonaka, Takahiro Sakai, Yuegene Fay
  • Evening 10th Anniversary event, with guests DJ Cataclystic, Hachioji-P, and IA[26]
19 - 20 August 2017[27] Rosehill Gardens Racecourse $55 (Advance)

$60 (On the Day)[28]
14 - 15 July 2018[30] International Convention Centre Sydney 22,000+[31] $51.25 (Advance)
$56.37[32]
13 - 14 July 2019[33] International Convention Centre Sydney 22,000+ $56.10 (Advance)[34]
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References
  1. https://smash.org.au/covid-19-announcement/
  2. Treuen, Jason (2012-07-13). "Anime attraction". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2013-03-14.
  3. https://smash.org.au/covid-19-announcement/
  4. https://www.health.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/2020/03/coronavirus-covid-19-advice-for-organising-public-gatherings_1.pdf
  5. "SMASH! 2013 Organisers". SMASH Inc. Retrieved 2013-07-11.
  6. "SMASH! Exhibitor Pack 2013" (PDF). SMASH Inc. Retrieved 2013-07-11.
  7. "SMASH! Update - Convention info and anime premiere". Anime News Network. Retrieved 2008-04-22.
  8. "All Ages Gig". Yunyu. Archived from the original on 2007-11-16. Retrieved 2008-04-22.
  9. "Shinichi Watanabe Guest Page". SMASH Inc. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
  10. "Little Kuriboh Guest Page". SMASH Inc. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
  11. "Hiroki Kikuta Guest Page". SMASH Inc. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
  12. "Kenji Ito Guest Page". SMASH Inc. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
  13. "Mari Yoshida Guest Page". SMASH Inc. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
  14. "Smash! スマッシュ 2012".
  15. "Shin-ichiro Miki Guest Page". SMASH Inc. Retrieved 2012-11-26.
  16. "Yūko Miyamura Guest Page". SMASH Inc. Retrieved 2012-11-26.
  17. "Sakura Tange Guest Page". SMASH Inc. Retrieved 2012-11-26.
  18. "Voice Acting Workshop with Yūko Miyamura Event Page". SMASH Inc. Retrieved 2012-11-26.
  19. "People, lots of people". SMASH Inc. Retrieved 2015-02-26.
  20. "Past Guests". SMASH Inc. Retrieved 2015-02-26.
  21. "Vocaloid Night 2013 Event Page". SMASH Inc. Retrieved 2013-07-11.
  22. "SMASH! SYDNEY MANGA AND ANIME CONVENTION | Altmedia". www.altmedia.net.au. Retrieved 2019-05-09.
  23. "Guests". SMASH Inc. Retrieved 2016-02-09.
  24. "I Love Anisong". SMASH Inc. Retrieved 2016-02-09.
  25. SMASH Inc 2016, 'Big news folks! SMASH! 2016 is officially confirmed!', SMASH Inc, Facebook, November 11, 2015, retrieved February 9, 2016 <https://www.facebook.com/smashcon/photos/a.10150193783963331.326739.104524058330/10153766630168331/?type=3&theater>
  26. "SMASH! Sydney Manga and Anime Show". Retrieved 2019-05-09.
  27. "SMASH! Sydney Manga and Anime Show". smash.org.au. SMASH Inc. Retrieved 2016-11-21.
  28. "SMASH: Sydney Manga and Anime Show". www.weekendnotes.com. Retrieved 2019-05-09.
  29. "SMASH! Sydney Manga and Anime Show". Retrieved 2019-05-09.
  30. "SMASH! Sydney Manga and Anime Show". smash.org.au. SMASH Inc. Retrieved 2016-11-21.
  31. "SMASH! Sydney Manga and Anime Show". infopack.smash.org.au. Retrieved 2019-05-09.
  32. https://tickets.smash.org.au/
  33. "SMASH! Sydney Manga and Anime Show". Retrieved 2019-05-09.
  34. "SMASH! Tickets: Sydney Manga and Anime Show". tickets.smash.org.au. Retrieved 2019-05-09.
  35. "SMASH! Sydney Manga and Anime Show". Retrieved 2019-05-09.
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