What to expect?
Kotae Expo 2024 is an event focusing on Japanese and Korean popular culture. The event is organised by a group of volunteers, the main organiser being a non-profit organisation, Kotae ry.
Kotae Expo is a place for both newcomers and seasoned enthusiast to meet each other, while also offering interesting program to attend throughout the weekend. The program will consist of lectures and performances as well as a variety of workshops, dance practices and other program to take part in.
Safety, friendliness and warm-heartedness are the core values of Kotae Expo. We hope that the positive attitude of the organisers is something that can catch on with our volunteers, program organisers, sellers and visitors.
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Opening hours
Kotae Expo 2024 is open for visitors:
Saturday from 10 am to 8 pm*
Sunday from 9 am to 5 pm
*The program of the event will continue in some parts of the exhibition center also during the evening and night time. Outside of these programs, the event quiets down towards the night after 8 pm.
Cloackroom opening hours:
Saturday form 10 to 03
Sunday from 9 to 17
The cloackroom is free to use and accepts belongings of all sizes. Larger luggages, such as suitcases, sleeping pads, and long cosplay props may be directed to “big things cloackroom” for storage. Both cloackrooms are located in the lobby area of the exhibition center.
Showers and dressing rooms
The shower and changing room facilities are open throughout the event from Saturday 10 a.m. to Sunday 5 p.m.
The showers are connected to the changing rooms and both gendered and unisex changing rooms are available.
You can find the changing rooms by turning right from the main doors. Walk towards D-hall, and it’s changing room corridor. Follow the signs at the venue to find the right aisle!
Exhibitor sales area opening hours:
Saturday VIP opening hour: 11 – 12
Saturday from 12 am to 7 pm
Sunday from 10 am to 4 pm
Flea market opening hours
Saturday VIP opening hour: 10 – 11
Saturday from 11 am to 8 pm
Sunday from 9 am to 4 pm
@Torii -theme café opening hours
Saturday from 11 am to 8 pm
Sunday from 10 am to 4 pm
The meaning of “kotae”
Kotae is a Japanese word and means an answer or a solution. Kotae Expo aims to bring a solution to the growning demand for conventions focusing on Japanese and popular culture and provides an environment where both new and old fans can come together to share their passions and interests.
Naturally the future might hold different kinds of demands and answers than the ones in question currently, but Kotae Expo wants to be there as part of the solution.
Why expo and not a con?
By official meaning, there’s not much of a difference between a convention and an expo. However, as Kotae Expo is organised at Tampere Exhibition and Sports Centre, it doesn’t quite fit into the same mold as the convention events we’re used to, and this is why we currently resonate more with the term expo. Internationally, events that are organised in similar type of spaces have also been usually called expos.
Our event has many of the familiar elements of conventions, but we also admit to combining these elements in a slightly different fashion than usual and aim to scale up!
How do you differ from cons?
Our event consists of many familiar elements that we’ve seen in conventions, but overall the arrangements might differ slightly from what we’re used to with cons. In particular, we aim to bring more program where everyone can participate in, such as workshops, dancing and such! Since the lack of space is the least of our worries, we want to offer space for also just hanging out as well as photoshoots.
Our event space offers the opportunity to plan and execute an event from completely new kind of perspective, so we’re sure to offer all active con-goers something familiar as well as something new!