About Providence Anime Conference

Providence Anime Conference is an event where adults can explore, discuss, and appreciate Japanese animation and comic media. With unique live programming including panels covering everything from anime academia to insider views on the industry, PAC offers both new and long-time fans the opportunity to converge in a friendly, relaxed atmosphere.

This limited admission event will be held in the Rhode Island Convention Center from October 3 - 5, 2008. Providence Anime Conference is a volunteer-run, non-profit event created by The New England Anime Society.

About The New England Anime Society, Inc.

The New England Anime Society is a non-profit, Massachusetts-based organization dedicated to furthering public education and understanding of Japanese language and culture through visual and written media. Events run by NEAS include Providence Anime Conference, Anime Boston (the largest fan-run Japanese animation convention in the northeast), and anime screenings at First Night Boston. For more information, please see the NEAS web site at neanime.org.

History of Providence Anime Conference

Early discussions about an anime event in Providence started among the New England Anime Society Board of Directors in June 2006. While the possibility of a Providence event was being considered, as well as other ideas for small NEAS events, Jon Niehof proposed a convention just for people 21 and above. The New England Anime Society President, Mary Kaplan, shared the informal proposal with the NEAS Board on July 6, 2006. Providence was the proposed location, but New Hampshire was also briefly considered.

Discussions died down until March 17, 2007, when Patrick Delahanty shared a formal proposal with the NEAS Board. This proposal also gave the event the name of "Providence Anime Conference" and outlined many of the programming differences that set the conference apart from typical anime conventions. After reviewing the proposal, the NEAS Board decided to contact facilities and move forward with organizing the event. The event was announced during Closing Ceremonies of Anime Boston 2007 and came as an exciting surprise to both attendees and Anime Boston staff.

On Memorial Day, the NEAS Board set the organizational structure for Providence Anime Conference, including several of the director positions. From this point on, the conference has been run independently.

On November 16, 2007, Providence Anime Conference officially announced that it will take place at the Rhode Island Convention Center on the weekend of October 3 - 5, 2008.