It's hard to deny that anime conventions are a large part of North American anime culture. Dozens are held every year that range from big to small, well-known to obscure. Last year, over 200 took place across America, and attracted tens of thousands of fans. For the three days that a typical convention runs, the local hotel or convention center becomes almost a fan's Disneyland. Favorite actors and shows, the hottest acts from Japan, and more all wrapped in an energetic and welcoming atmosphere.

Even now, eager fans populate the message boards of their favorite cons with hopes that next year's will be even better. Will their favorite guests return? Will there be fun workshops? Will the registration lines be less hellish? The list of questions simply doesn't end. However, there seems to be very little questioning of just how the event came to be. What goes into a convention? What cross between black magic and Red Bull is needed to ensure that everything comes together? What the hell does that guy at Con Ops actually do, anyway? Failing to find an answer in the vast knowledge of the interwebs, I went straight to the source. Representatives from a pair of conventions, who serve a number of positions weighed in to shed some light on just what goes on behind the scenes of our favorite events.