Since it was my first time at LVL UP in Las Vegas, I tried to use all my convention knowledge to be as prepared as I could be. I now see my error…because it was my first time attending this convention, I was super unprepared for how long the con went for every day. Definitely a first, since this convention went from noon (eleven am if you have a VIP pass) to eight pm every day. Yes, Sunday too! You really need to plan for leaving on Monday afternoon from the convention, one of my mistakes as we left on Sunday late afternoon (with barely a few hours of sleep).
I’d say planning out your day at this convention, with lots of water and snack breaks is a must. Also adding in a nap before the afterparties start or before you go out on the town to do some site seeing. There’s always so much to do every day of the convention, so if you can plan well you will be set! The strange but great part about this convention is that it starts at noon (or eleven some days), so you get to sleep in.
I would definitely say that getting any type of autograph from a guest at this con is a lot of work, meaning that it is going to take quite a while (depending on the guest you want to meet). The thing I would suggest is picking one you want to meet and making that your side goal while at the convention. For my friend and I to meet Arden Cho (Rumi in K-Pop Demon Hunters), it took all of Saturday. I promise I’m not even joking and we ended up in the fast pass line too, and spent about four hours in line (and we were throwing distance to her). This was equally the worst part of on and the best. Best because it’s Arden ‘freaking” Cho (I cried when I finally got to meet her. Not sure if it was 40% because I didn’t have to be in line anymore or 60% I finally got to meet her). The wait was just a real killer on the day and really felt like we missed so much going on at the convention (we did make up for it the next day, but it was tough). But, this might have just been for this guest, the other lines seemed to be moving (so take this with a grain of salt).
We also had a chance to check out a few other events happening at the convention, such as a very funny 18+ panel, “Smash or Pass” and the cosplay contest. The Smash or Pass panel was packed and everyone was lining up an hour beforehand, and it definitely didn’t disappoint. I don’t think I’ve ever lost my voice while attending a panel before, but this really took it out of me. The panelist had people call out numbers from 1-100 and would go to that slide and everyone would vote smash or pass, and if there was a big difference. Someone was chosen from either group to explain why, it was so funny. I hope I will get to this panel again and see the audience reaction again because it was so much fun and the explanations were great.
The cosplay contest was very different from the ones I’ve seen here in the PNW, more detailed and more skit oriented. I felt like I learned a lot and there were so many amazing cosplays, and there was a maid cafe that were the MC’s and half time show in between performances to give the judges time to discuss and vote. Although the show went over the two hour set time (almost three and a half hours), there were also many awards given out for things not shown in the contest (mostly behind the stage judging), so that was a bit confusing. But overall, it was nice to see a different set up and some really talented cosplayers showing off their stuff.
One of the most fun parts of this convention that my friend and I got to do, other than testing out games, was the Side Quests. There were two Side Quest stations on the two different levels of the expo floor, one led by Elves and the other by Orcs. Once you signed up and it was explained, they would give you a card to get filled with stamps (a different one for the two stations), and a quest card. Once you completed your task with a photo proof, you would get a stamp and another quest card. There were four tasks for each level (I think there were four levels), but each time a level was filled you would get a ribbon (upping your rank from elf) and once the whole sheet was completed you would get an exclusive enamel pin. The Elf and Orc had different ribbons and pins you could get, and it was a very fun activity (plus free) that you got to do over the weekend while at the convention.
In the end LVL UP was such a new and fun experience I really hope I can attend again next year, and definitely with a better convention plan then I have for the conventions over here. A fun bonus was also checking out the One Piece Cafe, they have two locations and one is about 15 minutes away from where LVL UP is hosted. The whole cafe was super cool and the food was delicious!
Were you at LVL UP Expo 2026 in Las Vegas? If so, what were your highlights? Feel free to leave a comment below or chat with us on Threads at @theconventioncollective, or Bluesky at @theconcollective.bsky.social
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