'It's a magical experience': OMG!Con home to fans of anime, gaming

Jun. 11—Anime, gaming and pop culture fans filled the halls of the Owensboro Convention Center on Saturday for the 17th annual OMG!Con, with the theme "Magical Girl."

Rei Li, director of operations for OMG!Con, said the event began in Paducah in 2006 before moving to Owensboro in 2014.

"There were several reasons we moved, but I think the primary one was we were starting to outgrow the area," he said. "Owensboro was building the convention center back then, and I know we were one of the first few conventions in there."

Li said the board of directors for OMG!Con loves Owensboro and they feel like family when they are here.

"The ladies at the Hampton Inn cosplayed one year as 'Harry Potter' characters," he said. "We love Owensboro for sure."

Since the convention began in 2006, Li said it has grown exponentially, but that COVID caused some issues with staffing.

"We have been understaffed the last couple of years, and because of that, a lot of us have been chipping in and double dipping our roles," he said.

Before the pandemic, Li said there were just under 3,000 people who attended the event as fans, guests and volunteers.

Li attended OMG!Con in 2007 while he was in high school and immediately fell in love with the convention.

"It's a very family-friendly, affordable and inclusive convention of nerds who just love to geek out about their interests," he said. "It's a magical experience for sure."

OMG!Con is a nonprofit, and Li said all of the staff that work are not paid, but they do it because they love the community.

"I went to a private Catholic school where there were zero nerds," he said. "I started the anime club with two other people, and then I heard about conventions, but the closest one I could find was OMG!Con."

As soon as Li walked in the door to the convention in 2007, he felt like he was home.

"I don't feel as alone," he said. "I didn't really have a lot of friends then and the few I had I took with me the next year. Everyone was so supportive and nice, and you didn't feel shame."

Judy Trollinger with Twisted Garden Studios traveled from Iowa to set up as a vendor at the event. Trollinger runs the business with her daughter, who lives in Huntsville, Alabama.

"Everything in here is handmade," she said. "We do aprons, tote bags, handprinted t-shirts, jewelry. We make it all."

This is Trollinger's first year at OMG!Con.

"We have been doing cons for about four years," she said. "I love the people, the atmosphere. It's just fun seeing people find that one item that just calls to them and the joy on their faces."

North Dakota resident Samantha Becker attended the convention as a vendor with her business Lady Godiva Designs.

"All of the vendors kind of have a close-knit network, and a few of them have said OMG!Con has a really great environment and a really fun convention," she said. "It sparked our interest to come down."

Becker has been creating steel-boned corsets, costumes and cosplay accessories since 2014 and said she had been doing well at the convention.

"It's been a really good weekend with some amazing people," she said.

Carrie Owen, from Nashville, attended OMG!Con for the first time in 2018 and decided to return this year — this time with her friend Mariah Lyons, from Murray, who had never been.

"It was one of my first conventions," Owen said. "It's just a lot more relaxed than some of the other bigger conventions, so it's easy to enjoy."

Lyons said she expected to have more issues at the convention based on her experience at other events.

"I expected it to be more crowded, I expected to have difficulties attending panels and events," she said. "I haven't had any of that here."

Owen and Lyons dressed in their custom "Magical Girl" costumes to go with the theme.