Anime Milwaukee

What Anime Milwaukee does

Anime Milwaukee is an annual three-day anime and pop culture convention held at the Baird Center and Hilton Milwaukee in Wisconsin, operated by the nonprofit Anime and Culture Society (ACS). The organization targets fans of anime, manga, cosplay, K-pop, and Japanese pop culture primarily across the Midwest U.S., delivering a single core product — the convention itself — augmented by numerous programming modules including an Exhibit Hall, Artist Alley, gaming halls (tabletop and video), panel programming, cosplay events (Masquerade, Cosplay Studio workshops, meetups), autograph sessions, K-pop Battles, a Maid Cafe, VTuber Village, Club AMKE music programming, Nocturnal Underground dance events, a 21+ Nocturna Anime Bar, and an Escape Room.

The organization has no proprietary technology stack and does not develop software products. Operational infrastructure relies on third-party platforms: Eventeny for ticket/badge registration, Underground Printing for online merchandise fulfillment, Squarespace for web hosting, and Discord for community engagement. Pop-Up Locker rentals are offered at multiple venue locations with presale pricing of $15 for a single day or $35 for a full weekend. The online merchandise store offers tank tops and hoodies/sweatshirts as online exclusives.

Anime Milwaukee generates revenue through four primary streams: badge/registration sales, merchandise sales (online and onsite), Exhibit Hall and Artist Alley vendor/artist fees, and corporate sponsorships. Marketing is executed through organic channels — Discord, email newsletter, the animemilwaukee.org website, and social media (Twitter/X, Instagram) — all top-of-funnel, focused on guest announcements and community building. The convention maintains hotel partnerships with multiple Marriott brands, Hilton, and Hyatt Regency to provide attendee lodging.

Name

Anime Milwaukee

Legal name

Anime and Culture Society (ACS)

Website

https://animemilwaukee.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Anime Milwaukee is an annual three-day anime and pop culture convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, operated by the nonprofit Anime and Culture Society (ACS), serving Midwest U.S. fans of anime, manga, cosplay, K-pop, and Japanese pop culture through badge sales, vendor fees, merchandise, and sponsorships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Convention and Event Services

NAICS

Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries (711), All Other Amusement and Recreation Industries (713990), Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Beauty, Fashion & Pop-Culture Conventions (MPAGAFAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

General Consumer Expos & Trade Shows (MPAGAFAA)

Keywords

• Anime convention
• Pop culture events
• Cosplay programming
• Convention registration
• Entertainment convention

Headquarters

HQ city

Milwaukee

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Badge/Registration Sales: Convention attendance badges sold through Eventeny platform for the annual Anime Milwaukee event.
2. Merchandise Sales: Online merchandise store partnered with Underground Printing for shipped items, plus onsite merchandise. Tank tops and sweatshirts/hoodies are online-only exclusives.
3. Exhibit Hall & Artist Alley Fees: Vendors and artists pay to participate in the Exhibit Hall and Artist Alley sections of the convention.
4. Sponsorships: Corporate sponsors provide financial and product support in exchange for brand visibility at the convention.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Anime Milwaukee is an annual three-day anime and pop culture convention held at the Baird Center and Hilton Milwaukee in Wisconsin. It sells attendee badges/registration, exhibit hall and artist alley booth space, sponsorships, merchandise, locker rentals, and ticketed workshops (AMKE Cosplay Studio). Programming includes panels, autograph sessions, gaming halls, cosplay events, music/club events, a maid cafe, and a 21+ anime bar.

Product overview

Anime Milwaukee is an annual three-day anime and pop culture convention held at the Baird Center and Hilton Milwaukee in Wisconsin. The organization operates a single core product—the Anime Milwaukee Convention event—augmented by multiple supplementary modules and add-on services. Core programming includes the Exhibit Hall, Artist Alley, gaming halls (Video Gaming Hall and Tabletop Gaming), panel programming, cosplay events (Cosplay Studio, Cosplay Meetups, Masquerade), and autograph sessions. Entertainment offerings span Club AMKE music programming with Nocturnal Underground dance events, VTuber Village, Maid Cafe, Kpop Battles, Nocturna Anime Bar (21+), and Cosplay Combat Chess. Additional services include online merchandise sales through an Underground Printing partnership, Pop-Up Locker rentals at multiple locations, and the Show Your Badge discount program for local restaurants. The convention also publishes digital Guidebooks for each year's event.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Anime Milwaukee Convention An annual three-day anime and pop culture convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin offering attendee registration, exhibit hall access, artist alley, gaming halls, panels, autograph sessions, cosplay events, music programming, maid cafe, and a 21+ anime bar. Targeted at anime, manga, cosplay, K-pop, and Japanese pop culture fans.
• AMKE Cosplay Studio A ticketed workshop series at the convention taught by industry professionals covering sewing, foam work, beading, 3D printing, dyeing, and other cosplay crafting techniques. Requires separate pre-registration.
• Anime Milwaukee Online Merch Store Online merchandise storefront partnered with Underground Printing that ships Anime Milwaukee branded items such as tank tops and sweatshirts/hoodies directly to fans year-round.
• Pop-Up Lockers Locker rental service deployed at multiple convention locations for attendees to securely store belongings during the event. Presale prices start at $15 for a single day or $35 for the full weekend.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• CUTSEWminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of Anime Milwaukee, appearing on the official sponsors list with logo displayed on the convention website.
• PC NametagminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor providing badge and nametag products for convention attendees, featured on sponsor list.
• Underground PrintingminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnered to offer Anime Milwaukee merchandise shipped directly to attendees through their online store.
• Hilton Milwaukee City CentercoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPrimary convention venue partner and hotel, hosting main convention programming at Baird Center with skybridge connection to Hyatt.
• Hyatt Regency MilwaukeecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOfficial hotel partner connected via skybridge to Baird Center convention venue.
• Marriott Hotels (Springhill Suites, Courtyard, Fairfield Inn, Aloft, Residence Inn)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorConvention rate hotel partners providing discounted lodging for attendees during the annual convention.
• Sky EntminorGTM or Marketing PartnerJapanese entertainment company partner for remote autograph sessions with Japanese guests of honor.
• Studio OrangecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJapanese animation studio with staff attending as industry guests including producer Yoshihiro Watanabe, screenwriter Nanami Higuchi, and director Akie Ishii.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Sakura-Con: Sakura-Con, presented by the Asia Northwest Cultural Center in Seattle, is a comparable nonprofit anime convention in the Pacific Northwest. It mirrors AMKE's operating model (nonprofit, annual three-day, Japanese industry guest focus) while serving a different regional fan base.
• Anime Central (ACen): Anime Central, held annually in the Chicago suburbs, is the largest Midwest anime convention and the most direct geographic competitor to Anime Milwaukee. Both target Midwest anime fans with similar programming mixes (guests, panels, exhibit hall, artist alley, cosplay, gaming).
• Otakon: Otakon is one of the largest East Coast anime conventions, historically held in Baltimore and recently expanded to multiple cities. It is a direct competitor in the anime convention category with comparable programming (panels, guests, exhibit hall, artist alley, cosplay) and operates as a nonprofit, making the operating model highly comparable.
• Anime Expo: Operated by the Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation, Anime Expo is the largest anime convention in North America, held annually in Los Angeles. It is a direct peer in core offering (anime/manga convention with exhibit hall, artist alley, industry guests, cosplay) but operates at substantially larger scale and on the West Coast.
• Anime NYC: Anime NYC is a major Northeast anime convention produced by LeftField Media at the Javits Center. It directly competes for national anime fans, industry sponsors, and Japanese studio partnerships, with overlapping programming in guests, exhibit halls, and creator-focused content.
• Anime Matsuri: Anime Matsuri is a large anime and Japanese culture convention held in Houston/Texas. It is directly comparable in programming (guests, concerts, cosplay, maid cafe, exhibit hall, K-pop) and serves a different but equally regional audience.
• Anime Boston: Anime Boston is a regional anime convention held annually at the Hynes Convention Center. It competes in the same category with comparable size, programming breadth (guests, panels, exhibit hall, artist alley, gaming), and nonprofit or community-run operating model.

Emerging players

• Mizucon: Mizucon is a smaller Wisconsin-based anime convention. It is an emerging/niche regional player with partial overlap in programming (anime, cosplay, panels) and direct competition for Wisconsin-area attendees, but at a smaller scale than AMKE.

Broad incumbents

• Fan Expo: Fan Expo is a multi-property pop-culture convention organizer running large-scale events across North America. It is a broader incumbent that competes for the same attendee wallet on pop-culture programming and operates at greater scale across multiple cities, including in the Midwest.

Regional players

• Anime St. Louis (Anime STL): Anime St. Louis is a long-running Midwest anime convention serving St. Louis and surrounding markets. It overlaps directly with AMKE's regional attendee pool and offers comparable programming at a smaller scale, competing for Midwest attendee travel.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/anime-milwaukee

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Anime Milwaukee