SPJA

What SPJA does

SPJA (the Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit trade organization founded in 1992 and headquartered in Corona, California. The organization originated from Cal Animage Alpha, an anime club at UC Berkeley, and operates as a mission-driven event producer dedicated to celebrating and promoting Japanese animation, manga, video games, and traditional culture in North America. SPJA's core product is Anime Expo (AX), the largest anime convention in North America, held annually at the Los Angeles Convention Center with 350,000+ attendees, 300,000+ sq. ft of exhibit hall space, and 1,000+ hours of programming over four days.

The organization operates a portfolio of complementary event formats: anime expo chibi (axc), a smaller intimate event for first-time attendees and oshikatsu fan culture; Project Anime, a twice-yearly B2B professional conference held in Los Angeles and Tokyo for anime convention organizers, vendors, and industry members; and World Cosplay Summit USA, an annual cosplay competition whose US representatives advance to the international competition in Nagoya, Japan. Supporting technology includes multiple event websites and the AX App mobile application with RFID badge-tap integration that enables exhibitor lead generation with attendee consent.

SPJA's revenue model is diversified across ticket sales, exhibitor and sponsor booth fees (the largest implied revenue stream given the 300,000+ sq. ft floor), panelist/workshop leader registrations, contest and promotion entry fees, and recurring newsletter/email marketing subscriptions. Customer segments include individual fans (primary), anime industry studios/publishers/licensors (primary), exhibitors and sponsors, press and media, and B2B convention organizers. The organization also partners with ReedPOP for Anime Fest @ NYCC and has formal ties to the World Cosplay Summit in Japan. Leadership comprises a volunteer Board of Directors (chaired by Mark Manansala) with CEO Ray Chiang (since 2017) and a senior team of VPs covering finance, business development, and operations.

Name

SPJA

Legal name

The Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation

Website

https://spja.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

SPJA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1992 that operates Anime Expo, North America's largest anime convention with 350,000+ attendees, alongside anime expo chibi, Project Anime B2B conferences, and World Cosplay Summit USA, serving anime fans, industry members, and exhibitors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Convention and Event Production Services

NAICS

Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events without Facilities (71132), Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events without Facilities (711320)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPAGAFAG

Beauty, Fashion & Pop-Culture Conventions

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Live Entertainment & Events (Concerts, Theater, Festivals)/Exhibitions, Fairs & Expos (Consumer/Public)

SECONDARYMPAGAFAA

General Consumer Expos & Trade Shows

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Live Entertainment & Events (Concerts, Theater, Festivals)/Exhibitions, Fairs & Expos (Consumer/Public)

SECONDARYMPAGAFAN

Collectibles & Hobby Shows

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Live Entertainment & Events (Concerts, Theater, Festivals)/Exhibitions, Fairs & Expos (Consumer/Public)

Keywords

• Anime conventions
• Japanese pop culture events
• Cosplay competitions
• Professional anime conferences
• Fan engagement events

Headquarters

HQ city

Corona

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Event Ticket Sales: Revenue from selling tickets/registrations for SPJA Events including Anime Expo, anime expo chibi, Project Anime conferences, and World Cosplay Summit USA. Attendees register as fan, industry, or press.
2. Exhibitor and Sponsor Fees: Exhibitors pay for booth space and table placement at events. Sponsors pay for booth stations, badge tap access, and promotional opportunities. Exhibitors must provide company information, booth details, and contact information.
3. Panelist and Workshop Leader Registrations: Revenue from registrations of panelists, workshop leaders, and photographers who participate in event programming.
4. Newsletter and Email Marketing: Newsletter subscriptions with consent; partner marketing messages sent to subscribers regarding products/services from third-party partners.
5. Contest and Promotion Entries: Revenue from entry fees or data collection through contests, sweepstakes, and promotional activities at events. Sponsor information may be shared with giveaway sponsors.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

SPJA (Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that produces and operates live events celebrating Japanese animation and pop culture. Its flagship event is Anime Expo, the largest anime convention in North America held annually at the Los Angeles Convention Center with 350,000+ attendees, 300,000+ sq. ft of exhibit space, and 1,000+ hours of programming. The organization also operates anime expo chibi, Project Anime (B2B professional conference), World Cosplay Summit USA, and the AX App mobile application.

Product overview

SPJA (Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that operates a portfolio of live events focused on Japanese animation and pop culture. The core product is Anime Expo, North America's largest anime convention, supplemented by anime expo chibi (a more intimate fan event), Project Anime (a B2B professional conference for industry members), and World Cosplay Summit USA (a cosplay competition). SPJA also offers a mobile application (AX App) for event attendees. The organization functions as an event producer rather than a software technology platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Anime Expo: The largest anime convention in North America, held annually in Downtown Los Angeles with 300,000+ sq. ft of Exhibit Hall, 1000+ hours of programming, and 350,000+ attendees
• Project Anime
• World Cosplay Summit USA
• Anime Expo Chibi

Products and services

• Anime Expo The largest anime convention in North America, held annually in Downtown Los Angeles. A four-day celebration of anime and Japanese pop culture featuring announcements, special guests, exclusive premieres, and interactive events with 300,000+ sq. ft of Exhibit Hall, 1,000+ hours of programming, and 350,000+ attendees.
• anime expo chibi (axc)
• Project Anime A premier professional conference held twice a year, bringing together anime convention organizers, vendors, and industry members to share ideas, attend seminars, round tables, and networking events to further innovation in the Japanese culture industry.
• World Cosplay Summit USA An annual cosplay competition where representatives are selected to represent the US. The selected team participates in the World Cosplay Summit championship held in Nagoya, Japan, promoting international exchange of Japanese culture, manga, and anime.
• AX App Mobile application for SPJA Events that allows attendees to access event information, registration, and interact with exhibitor/sponsor booths through badge tapping.

Quantifiable outcome

• 350,000+ attendees at Anime Expo annually
• +2 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• ReedPOPcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSPJA partnered with ReedPOP to produce Anime Fest @ NYCC x Anime Expo, which takes place in conjunction with New York Comic Con. This partnership features exclusive and intimate anime panels and signings, interactive and immersive experiences, after hours parties, and a space for fans to connect.
• World Cosplay SummitcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSPJA organizes the World Cosplay Summit USA preliminary competition, where US representatives are selected to compete in the annual World Cosplay Summit in Nagoya, Japan. The WCS was launched in 2003 by TV Aichi to promote international exchange of Japanese culture, manga, and anime, with participants from 40+ countries across 6 continents.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• ReedPOP: ReedPOP is a major pop-culture event producer (NYCC, PAX, Emerald City Comic Con) and is also SPJA's GTM partner for Anime Fest @ NYCC. They are the most directly comparable event-production peer in the convention business and have a deeper international footprint.
• New York Comic Con (ReedPOP): NYCC is a top-three US pop-culture convention and the anchor for SPJA's Anime Fest @ NYCC partnership. Directly comparable in scale, fan experience, exhibitor/sponsor monetization, and digital app deployment.
• Anime NYC: Anime NYC is the largest East Coast dedicated anime convention and the most direct head-to-head competitor to Anime Expo in the anime-specific niche. Same audience, same Japanese-industry sponsor pool, similar exhibitor economics.
• Sakura-Con (Association of Japanese Animations - Seattle): Sakura-Con is a long-running Pacific Northwest anime convention operated by a nonprofit. Comparable as a peer nonprofit running a multi-day anime convention with similar industry and community positioning.
• Otakon: Otakon is a major East Coast anime convention, recently relocated to Philadelphia. Directly comparable in audience, content mix (anime, manga, J-culture), and nonprofit operating model.

Broad incumbents

• Comic-Con International (San Diego Comic-Con): San Diego Comic-Con is the largest pop-culture convention in North America and the gold-standard incumbent. Comparable because it is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit running a flagship fan convention plus ancillary events, with similar sponsor and exhibitor economics.
• Fan Expo HQ: Fan Expo HQ runs a portfolio of pop-culture conventions across North America (Fan Expo Canada, Chicago, Dallas, etc.). Comparable as a multi-event, multi-city convention operator with overlapping exhibitor/sponsor customers.
• MCM Comic Con: MCM Comic Con is a major UK/European pop-culture convention group. Comparable in event format, anime/pop-culture mix, and target demographic, though it primarily serves European markets rather than North America.
• PAX (Penny Arcade): PAX is a multi-city gaming and pop-culture convention series operated by Penny Arcade. Comparable in multi-format event portfolio (PAX West, East, South, Unplugged) and similar fan engagement, exhibitor mix, and badge-tap-style data capture.

Emerging players

• Crunchyroll (Sony Pictures Entertainment): Crunchyroll is the dominant anime streaming platform and previously operated its own fan conventions (Crunchyroll Expo). Comparable because it controls anime content IP, partner relationships, and audience access that event producers like SPJA rely on for talent and premieres.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/society-for-the-promotion-of-japanese-animation-spja-

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SPJA