The Winners and Losers of Florida Supercon 2017

Florida Supercon, the highlight of every South Florida geek's summer, attracted thousands of people from across the Sunshine State last weekend. Now that the celebrity guests have departed and the hundreds of vending booths have been taken down, it's time to step back and assess the convention.

In the end, who came out on top and who got the short end of the lightsaber? Here are the winners and losers of Florida Supercon 2017.

Winners

Claustrophobes. More than 10 million Americans suffer from claustrophobia, the fear of tight spaces. With the Fort Lauderdale Convention Center's wide, sun-lit concourses and ginormous ballrooms, there was space galore even while hosting tens of thousands of geeks during the weekend. Not only were cosplayers able to promenade across the vast convention center in comfortable clusters, but also there were no reports of anyone fainting due to feeling crammed. On the other hand, those who have agoraphobia, a fear of large spaces, might have been so frightened by the colossal venue that they stayed home. Our condolences.
Collectors of kawaii. Walking around Supercon is like perusing the Mos Espa marketplace on sun-scorched Tatooine. You never know what you'll find. Strolling through Artists Alley, you might find yourself at Moshi Moshi Watermelon's booth, where you eye a kawaii custom print of two gay anime characters leaping because they're recently engaged. You might also find yourself at a stand selling ocarinas, where you buy a red flame-shaped one because it's the perfect instrument on which to play "Bolero of Fire" or whatever other Hylian melody tickles your fancy. The creative folks are truly what makes Supercon so super.
Cosplayers. Whether they were dressed as Sailor Scouts or Game of Thrones characters, cosplayers strutted their costumes with an overflowing sense of gusto. Because the event is the largest comic book convention in South Florida, rooms and lobbies were filled with cosplay enthusiasts taking photos of and with one another. On top of that, because cosplaying has become a hobby for many local geeks, Supercon also offered lectures — including So You Want to Be a Mermaid and Social Media & Cosplay — to help experienced and burgeoning cosplayers learn how to not only make fanciful costumes but also build a following of fans.

Losers
Foodies. The sweet scent of cinnamon-toasted nuts, an aphrodisiac among Oompa Loompas, might make you think the food at Supercon is scrumpdillyicious. However, besides the yummy nuts (and a few other things), the food is generally bland — an expensive kind of bland. Many conventioneers were spotted at nearby Chipotle and Taco Bell, escaping the so-so onsite options in favor of gorging themselves on thick, warm burritos.
People who went to Supercon alone. It's not that you can't have fun by yourself, but Supercon, at its heart, is a friend/family event. The word "convention" means "meeting of people," after all. If you went to Supercon by your lonesome, it might have been harder to revel in the event's excitement. Next year, bring a buddy and you'll be an instant winner. Unless you're an agoraphobe.