Complexcon (kəmˈpleks'kän/)

ComplexCon is an expertly curated convention that brings the world of Complex to life. 
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It is the place where developed streetwear, music, art, and ok food combine so that it can be experienced in order for it to be Instagramed. Don't forget your Yeezy's. All jokes aside, ComplexCon was a great way to see some of my favorite streetwear brands and inspiring art in one place. I found out that Capsule, the trunk show and trade show host of events such as Agenda, was the housing agent for a lot of the brands that were present. Small world. Aside from that random fact, I can say that after attending ComplexCon 2016 I am positive I will be attending the event next year, but I still have a list of pros and cons from this year's conference.

PRO

Connecting with people - ComplexCon was an awesome place to meet new people, brands, and artists. I was able to connect with some of the RSVP Gallery team that I work with, for the first time since the company resides in Chicago and I worker them in Los Angeles. The unique, asian flare within the South Korean brand IISE's clothing designs is something that sparked the communication with this brand. Hopefully, a WITHBERRY x IISE  collaboration will be soon.

CON

Mobile Service - More of a reason ComplexCon assisted with the networking between booths and visitors was because people could NOT communicate with others outside the event. The service was horrible. I would have full service right outside the entrance doors and then it would be completely gone once I was fully inside. ComplexCon provided wi-fi that was terribly slow and spotty. If you notice, most images for the event were posted later on in the day because of this service issue.

PRO

Continuous Music - With or without service, you could enjoy music throughout the event because of the ongoing stage performances at the Pigeons & Planes Stage within ComplexCon. I came in on the BIA performance, and I must say it took my mind off of not being able to find people I knew within the event. Plus, Pharrell came on stage in promotion of I AM OTHER, so of course I had to stay and watch.

CON

Hard to Find Speakers & Panels - Speaking of Pharrell, I heard that he was speaking at ComplexCon and as much as I wanted to hear his words... I could not find the room he was in. (sigh) A map of the conference was emailed to me after I bought my tickets, and a mystery pamphlet I saw people walking around with (which I could not find either) was provided at the event, but I could not find the rooms. I believe what I was looking for was on the second floor, but for now, I will look it up on YouTube.

PRO

Booth Designs - Even though I did not find the scheduled presentations, I truly enjoyed visiting each booth. Every booth had a way of expressing the brand, as well as catching the passerby's attention. One room that I was surprised by was the Jansport room. When I think of Jansport, I think of high school, black straps, and solid colored bags. The room truly evoked an imaginative and playful mindset, with a slight hint of the Golf Wang aesthetic. Shout out to the room's designer.

CON

Bodyguard Aggression - While on my way to the RSVP Gallery room, I was bombarded by a crowd of people then consumed by the crowd. Lo and behold, the crowd was formed because of Kid Cudi walking through ComplexCon. Once I was sucked in by the moving crowd of people, personal and ComplexCon bodyguards had hands out and were yelling to the crowd to back up. The pro in this situation was that I was able to take an amazing photo of Kid Cudi from less than a foot away.

The con in this situation was being shoved by bodyguards against others in the crowd. Not the best feeling.

PRO

OWSLA Room - One room that was capacity monitored was the OWSLA room. This space was a huge bubble that had a sphere within it that projected Takashi Murakami figures. This sphere was interactive, meaning that once a person pressed on it, it would react to the pressure and change color as well as animation. It was a sight to see, to say the least. 

CON

Long Lines for Merch - Although I waited in line for the OWSLA room, I was not willing to wait in line for the ComplexCon store. It almost wrapped around the rectangular room and had no windows to see inside. Being that I work in e-commerce, I could only assume that I would see the merch online eventually and, honestly, I did not want to carry a bag around. So, not a true con I guess.

PRO

Free Tickets - I work within the marketing aspects of e-commerce and I tend to appreciate a good marketing tactic. A few days before the conference, I received an email that said "Sunday Concert with Snoop Dogg." I thought this was a mistake (that I would have happily kept by the way), but to my surprise it was a free ticket to the Migos, 2 Chainz, Snoop Dogg show. Even if they do not end up doing this next year, I think this is something people that received a free ticket email will not forget and might put forth their money to purchase show tickets next year. Thanks ComplexCon!

CON

Music Malfunction - I cannot complain about a free ticket, especially to the iconic Snoop Dogg. But, after a long day at ComplexCon, the music malfunction of the speakers going out after a long performance from the Migos actually altered my excitement for the show. Picture this, fatigued, cramped in a crowd of long day-smelling people, and the chorus of a hype, trap song was suppose to drop and it doesn't. There was about a 15 minute wait until the music came back on and then we had to wait for 2 Chainz to come on. I have been to many shows and this is something that happens, but for personal reasons it was enough to make me lose my eagerness to see Snoop Dogg. Instead, I went home, showered the event off, and slept after a well spent day at ComplexCon.

Until Next Year ComplexCon!