Fan Panels & Events

• Panels are open to all topics related to Kawaii Kon’s general focus: anime, manga, music, games, and all facets of Japanese and Asian culture. If you have an interest and want to share your passion for it with other like-minded folks, please fill out a panel request form.
• We reserve the right to reject any panel submission for any reason, including but not limited to the sensitive nature of the topic, potential controversy, or alignment with our event’s guidelines.
• Decisions regarding panel acceptance or rejection are final and will not necessarily be accompanied by an explanation. This policy is in place to streamline the review process and maintain the integrity of our event.
• For time slots, preferred times are not guaranteed. We will do our best to accommodate your requested time, but it is dependent on how best we can balance all items into the schedule. Schedules will be drafted about a month before the convention, so please be patient with us as we try to find the best times for all scheduled panels and events. All panelists will be emailed once a schedule draft is formed. After confirmation from panelists, a final schedule will be released.
• In addition, although your panel times may have been previously approved, Kawaii Kon still reserves the right to modify the schedule at any time for any reason: for example, last-minute changes in guest events. Any affected panelist will be notified as soon as possible of any changes and asked if you will be able to accommodate the new time.
• To ensure a wide variety of programming, we will be accepting panels on a first come, first served basis that are helped along by the following factors:
  • Comprehensive panel plan
  • Topic relevance and uniqueness
  • Space available in the schedule
• As the convention gets closer, more panelists will be added to the waitlist as we verify the amount of guest-hosted panels, so submit your panel as early as possible for the best chance! Submissions close on January 19th.

Panel Host and Co-Host Benefits:

• <3 Passes: Hosts and Co-Hosts who run panels totaling less than 3 hours receive a discounted Multi-Day Membership.
• 3×3 Passes: For 3 or more hours of accepted panels, Hosts and Co-Hosts will receive a Multi-Day Membership.
  • <3 and 3×3 benefits extend only to the named Host and Co-Host who have been involved at all steps of the panel from the start, from panel creation, shaping and forming, and to its final execution. <3 and 3×3 benefits are not intended for others who may have only helped partially in the panel’s creation, or are just there to be co-host(s) at the show and had no hand in its creation.
  • Benefits are limited to one Host and one Co-Host per panel regardless of the amount of participants at-show.
  • Hosts and Co-Hosts must meet the 3 hours of panel content as individuals in order to receive 3×3 benefits. For example, if one person is listed as the Host for 3 hours of content, but the listed Co-Host changes, the Co-Host will not be eligible for a 3×3 benefit based solely on the Host’s eligibility.
  • Once panel submissions close, further information on timeline and membership information will be communicated to the listed panel Host via email.
  • If an individual has already purchased a membership for 2025, the purchased membership may be transferred to someone else or rolled over to Kawaii Kon 2026.

Restricted Topics/Formats:

While not outright banned, panels that fall under these categories will be judged more closely as they contain sensitive topics and may require a disclosure statement if approved.

• Religion
• Politics
• Current World Events
• Mental Health

If you have any comments or questions, feel free to contact us at [email protected].