FurryPinas 2018: The Aftermath

FurryPinas 2018 is the first ever mainstream furry convention in the Philippines. This is also the first time that I was able to experience such a convention and to see actual Furries. Previously, I had been seeing them at cons already but thought that they were just cosplay of some characters that I do not know. Through this event, most of us were able to know more about the Furry Fandom. After the event here are some of our reviews on it.

What made FurryPinas 2018 Awesome?

Guy Singson
1st Place - The Great Furry Cosplay Contest

Isamu Sichirou
2nd Place - The Great Furry Cosplay Contest

Charity. This was the most awesome part about FurryPinas 2018. Their partnership with Hands of God Charity Works and their pledge to help them was really something to celebrate and commend them for.
Full-Packed Event. It was a full-packed event and compared to other conventions this one has probably the most number of booths and exhibitors ever fitted in just one function room. The floor became very crowded with booths and it is just so affordable considering the ratio of ticket prices to the number of booths you will be able to see.
Indie Artists. FurryPinas 2018 gives indie artists the biggest exposure possible and this is very commendable. I would say that they have a really huge artist alley and their artists are awesome. I would specially mention that peepz from 7th Heaven, and wow their art was superb, as in really, really eye-popping!
Freebies. This event knows how to take care of their patrons. The freebies for those who gave more and availed the higher ticket tiers get more freebies and even a dinner with their special guest. If all the cons will be like this then surely everyone will be happy.
Stage Hosts. The hosts at the main stage were really very good. Even though this is their first time to be at such an event they have shown the enthusiasm and the honesty that makes them very professional. Two thumbs up for the two lady hosts.
Furry Standee Guides. They are all so cute and I just want to take home one of them. They really help event attendees to identify what place they are at the moment. I am sure that the organizers spend a lot to produce each of them. High five to you guys!

What needs to be improved with FurryPinas?

Events on the Main Stage. During the first day of the event, I can help but ask why are there few events on the main stage. Some of the panel discussions or even small time talks could have been done there. It would have kept the event more lively. This is one aspect that could have been better. It is not a bad thing but just suggesting that the program keeps on rolling here as well.
Event Schedule. I was not able to see any visible printed or digital representation of the schedule for both days and what is happening where. Perhaps next time a periodic announcement and a posted schedule would help a lot. I might not have seen it though.
Hype it more! Hype the events that are happening and will happen more. Create a buzz and make it loud inside the event. I was not able to see the dance thingy on the second day but I think that is awesome. Let us invite everyone to participate, be curious and join.
Bigger Furry Cosplay. Admittedly the number of participants were not that many, this is perhaps due to the uniqueness of the competition. There was no question with the judging but it could have been at least a 3-person judging panel as in other competitions. Liui Aquino and Dinny Grayson are very credible judges, they even gave a special award so kudos. Now that it was over, next year more people would probably join since they knew what Furry means.

Overall, I would say FurryPinas 2018 is a huge success. The organizers put a lot of effort in this event and by the way, it looks it went really well. This is just their first event on a broader mainstream arena so looking forward to FurryPinas 2019.