Nov 10, 2012
Hetalia Day 2012 last October 27 was awesome. That’s probably the only word I could describe it. For the first time in years, Hetalia PH’s Hetalia Day 2012 was held at 180 Degrees Activity Center in Mandaluyong City. If some of you are familiar with Hetalia Day’s history, it is usually held on United Nations Day. This is also the first time where Hetalia PH finally got an air-conditioned venue. The venue was also very accessible as it was only a short walk from Shaw MRT station. It was located right in front of a parking lot and a transport terminal. The place was also packed with attendees and fans, making the event a huge success.
As for me, I was one of the people who volunteered for Hetalia Day. Being a marshal can be tough, especially when you have to watch over the baggage and assist the people at the registration booth. The event had a lot of activities in store for the participants such as icebreaker games, a cafe service, and the highlight of every Hetalia Day: the Nation Panel. Things started to get all shippy as fans asked cosplayers dressed up as their favorite nations all kinds of questions.
I could tell the organizers made several first-timer mistakes as organizers, but I can understand them because it’s their first time to hold Hetalia Day in a good venue with air-conditioning, seating, clean restrooms to change in, and a stage with a sound system. They could use a bit more work on delegating tasks to other members, and at least have ID’s for the marshals and other event staff. It could have made things easier for them.
However, on a personal note, I had the most fun at the event during free time when there weren’t any more activities going on-stage. After much pestering from my friends, I sang a few songs for the attendees.
Overall, Hetalia Day 2012 was a success. I hope there could be better management of the event in the future, and if they got a few more sponsors, a bigger venue because of the increasing fan base. Here’s Prawnt looking forward to the next Hetalia Day!
(Photos requested from Hetalia Day PH Documentations Committee)
