Anime Milwaukee facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Anime Milwaukee
Anime Milwaukee logo.
Status	Active
Genre	Anime, Japanese culture
Venue	Wisconsin Center Hilton Milwaukee City Center
Location	Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Country	United States
First held	2007
Organizer	Entertainment & Culture Promotion Society
Attendance	11,011 in 2020
Official website	http://animemilwaukee.org/

Anime Milwaukee (AMKE) is an annual three-day anime convention held during February at the Wisconsin Center & Hilton Milwaukee City Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It is Wisconsin's largest anime convention.

Programming

The convention typically offers anime music videos, an art contest, artist alley, charity ball, cosplay chess, a dealer's room, fashion show, maid cafe, manga library, masquerade, movies, rave, tabletop gaming, and video game tournaments. The convention runs for 24 hours a day.

The 2017 charity ball benefited the Milwaukee LGBT Community Center.

History

Anime Milwaukee began in 2007 and was founded by the Japanese Animation Association at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. In 2011, the convention moved to the Hyatt Regency & Frontier Airlines Center in Milwaukee, which allowed for 24-hour programming. Attendees who preregistered for Anime Milwaukee in 2013 could receive a discount for the Distant Worlds concert held the day before the convention on February 14, 2013. The convention shared space in 2014 at the Wisconsin Center with Pheasant Fest, a hunting convention. The combined conventions economic impact were expected to be $1.5 million.

In 2015, Anime Milwaukee's expected economic impact was over $1 million and it shared Wisconsin Center space with the Midwest Twisters Gymnastics Invitational. The convention brought $1.2 million to the local economy in 2016. Anime Milwaukee in 2017 occupied all the floors of the Wisconsin Center to expand panels and video gaming. The convention was estimated to bring $2.5-$3 million to the local economy. Anime Milwaukee was estimated to bring $4 million to the local economy in 2019. Anime Milwaukee 2021 was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Event history

Dates	Location	Attendance	Guests
February 29 - March 2, 2008	UWM Union Milwaukee, Wisconsin	400 (est)	Colleen Clinkenbeard, Darrel Guilbeau, Peter Paik, Mandy St. Jean, and Sonny Strait.
February 27 - March 1, 2009	UWM Union Milwaukee, Wisconsin	800 (est)	Todd Haberkorn, Wendy Powell, and Yamila Abraham.
March 12–14, 2010	UWM Union Milwaukee, Wisconsin	2,100 (est)	Martin Billany, Todd Haberkorn, Vic Mignogna, Chris Niosi, Wendy Powell, Chris Sabat, The Spoony Bards, and Uncle Yo.
February 18–20, 2011	Hyatt Regency Milwaukee & Frontier Airlines Center Milwaukee, Wisconsin	2,400 (est)	Chris Cason, Alan Evans, Mike McFarland, Trevor A. Mueller, Monica Rial, Spike Spencer, Uncle Yo, and Doug Walker.
February 17–19, 2012	Hyatt Regency Milwaukee & Frontier Airlines Center Milwaukee, Wisconsin	3,492	Robert Axelrod, Martin Billany, Chris Cason, Alan Evans, August Hahn, Trevor A. Mueller, Spike Spencer, Uncle Yo, and Doug Walker.
February 15–17, 2013	Hyatt Regency Milwaukee & Delta Center (formerly Frontier Airlines Center) Milwaukee, Wisconsin	4,816	Arc Impulse, Chris Cason, Alan Evans, Todd Haberkorn, Midwest Karaoke Madness, Trevor A. Mueller, The Pillowcases, Ian Sinclair, Alexis Tipton, and Nobuo Uematsu.
February 14–16, 2014	Hyatt Regency Milwaukee & Wisconsin Center (formerly Delta Center) Milwaukee, Wisconsin	6,231	Leah Clark, Tiffany Grant, Kyle Hebert, DJ Jeffito, Jamie Marchi, Meishi Smile, Bryce Papenbrook, DJ Phoole, The Pillowcases, Romance, Patrick Seitz, Ian Sinclair, Christopher Smith, theotoxin, and David Vincent.
February 13–15, 2015	Hyatt Regency Milwaukee & Wisconsin Center Milwaukee, Wisconsin	7,745	Arc Impulse, Martin Billany, Steven Blum, Jason Bulmahn, Leah Clark, Terri Doty, Alan Evans, Caitlin Glass, Hibiki, Russell Lissau, Joel McDonald, Erica Mendez, Mandy "AmazonMandy" Moore, Trevor A. Mueller, Bryce Papenbrook, Samantha Sostarich, Eric Stuart, Symphonic Anime Orchestra, Ayumi Tanaka, J. Michael Tatum, David Vincent, Tom Wayland, Greg Wicker.
March 11–13, 2016	Hyatt Regency Milwaukee & Wisconsin Center Milwaukee, Wisconsin	9,313	Elena Blueskies, Olivia Chiu, Stella Chuu, Daniel Coglan, Alan Evans, Todd Haberkorn, Kyle Hebert, Lauren Landa, Cherami Leigh, Russell Lissau, Kevin McKeever, Trevor A. Mueller, Brina Palencia, Chris Sabat, Sonny Strait, Kieran Strange, and Ayumi Tanaka.
February 17–19, 2017	Hyatt Regency Milwaukee & Wisconsin Center Milwaukee, Wisconsin	9,520	Zach Aguilar, Ray Chase, Daniel Coglan, Jillian Coglan, Lucien Dodge, Alan Evans, Erica Lindbeck, Russell Lissau, Joel McDonald, Erica Mendez, Matthew Mercer, Vic Mignogna, Mint, Trevor A. Mueller, Laura Post, Marisha Ray, Ian Sinclair, Austin Tindle, and Greg Wicker.
February 16–18, 2018	Hyatt Regency Milwaukee & Wisconsin Center Milwaukee, Wisconsin	10,593	Kay Bear, Johnny Yong Bosch, Jason "Liquid86" Bruner, Leon Chiro, Daniel Coglan, Jillian Coglan, Adam Croasdell, Alan Evans, Crispin Freeman, DJ GreenFlow, DJ Kagamine, Kawaii Besu, Russell Lissau, Trevor A. Mueller, DJ OpM, Chris Parson, Scottaconda, Jon St. John, TeddyLoid, and Kari Wahlgren.
February 15–17, 2019	Hyatt Regency Milwaukee & Wisconsin Center Milwaukee, Wisconsin	10,600	ACME, Jason "Liquid86" Bruner, Adam Croasdell, D.C. Douglas, Josh Grelle, DJ HeavyGrinder, Jerry Jewell, DJ Kagamine, Lauren Landa, Comfort Love, Joel McDonald, Moderately Okay Cosplay, DJ OpM, Reika, Scottaconda, Ian Sinclair, Micah Solusod, J. Michael Tatum, David Vincent, and Adam Withers.
February 14–16, 2020	Wisconsin Center Hilton Milwaukee City Center Milwaukee, Wisconsin	11,011	Zach Aguilar, Aimi, Tia Ballard, Alexei Bochenek, Jen Brown, Ogawa Burukku, Ray Chase, Gabrielle Cooke, Robbie Daymond, Gideon Emery, Martha Harms, Dawn Humphrey, Samantha Ireland, Erica Lindbeck, Joel McDonald, Max Mittelman, Moderately Okay Cosplay, Trevor A. Mueller, The Pillowcases, and Ciarán Strange.