Manila Pop Culture Convention 2023 is coming to Ayala Malls Manila Bay from November 17 to 19 to celebrate all things fun and geeky! Here’s what to expect.

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One Piece star Mackenyu made headlines recently when he was announced as the headliner for ManiPopCon, or the Manila Pop Culture Convention 2023, an upcoming gathering and convention of geeks, gamers, and pop culture enthusiasts in Manila. At the convention, Mackenyu will have a solo panel, meet and greet, and special photo op and autograph sessions the weekend of November 17 to 19. Other special guests are also slated to attend the event, like actresses Diana Lee Inosanto and Mela Lee.

Tickets for Mackenyu’s special events are being sold here, but even if you don’t manage to score one, don’t worry—you can still catch a glimpse of him at the convention!

ManiPopCon promises all sorts of geeky fun. And the best part? Entrance is FREE! But there will be a ticketing system, so stay tuned to their website and social media accounts to secure your tickets. Special events and VIP experiences like Mackenyu’s meet and greet have separate ticket prices, which are a little pricey, but hopefully it’s worth it. If you’re wondering what else is in store for the convention, read on ahead.

THE RISE OF CONVENTIONS

As with any other events that involve social gatherings like concerts or even movies, conventions have reached new peaks after the worst of the pandemic ended. From Comic-Cons to Sticker Cons, people are gathering to shop, sell, play games, cosplay, bond, and just have fun with their fellow enthusiasts.

Of course, there’s much to learn with conventions’ growing popularity and the changing times. Tech and gaming convention CONQuest 2023 back in June “turned into a nightmare” after failed logistics, incredibly long lines and waiting times, and scams, among other issues. Social media was on fire after attendees and vendors alike voiced out their concerns with the event. After, the organizers apologized and refunded the tickets of those unable to enter the venue.

Moreover, there was a Manila Pop Culture Convention back in 2019, which unfortunately faced some criticism related to poor planning and logistics.

So, clearly it’s not enough to just want to bring people, games, media, vendors, and merchandise together under one roof to explore passions and niches. There’s a lot of expectations to be met, work to be done, and issues to be addressed. ManiPopCon seems to want to deliver a well-executed event, so here’s hoping this year’s convention will turn out better to allow all the artists, gamers, cosplayers, and geeks abound to have a grand time celebrating all things pop culture.

ALL THE GEEKY GOODNESS

ManiPopCon is said to be “a safe space to cosplay, meet other geeks, gather collectibles, play with opponents, and meet special celebrities within the geek community.” They promise Filipino movie classics, nostalgia and thrills, toys and collectibles, streaming stars, anime, comics, games and tournaments, and so much more.

There’s also sure to be booths that offer a wide array of merchandise, fanart, collectibles, and knick-knacks attendees can stock up on to show their love for their specific niches of geekhood. ManiPopCon recently opened up a call for exhibitors, which means people can promote their art or brand to a wide audience of convention-goers. There are three tiers of varying benefits and prices. Plus, there’s a lot more for them to announce, but the hype is real.

SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE

Besides vendors and merch and special guests, what else is happening? Well, let us tell you. There will be a music festival, After Dark Music Fest, on November 18 and 19, headlined by artists like Silent Sanctuary, Tanya Markova, One Click Straight, and more! Get tickets here.

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Not just that—ManiPopCon will also have something for the film buffs. They’re partnering with ABS-CBN’s Sagip Pelikula to screen restored Filipino film classics like LVN’s Ibong Adarna (1941) and Captain Barbell (1973).

Register for Manila Pop Culture Convention 2023 here and stay updated on their Facebook page, where they’re hosting some trivia games for the chance to score tickets for some of the movies they’ll be showing at the event!

Bookmark this page for more updates!

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BLACKPINK is dominating the gaming spaces, collaborating with one fun community gaming platform after another!

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BLACKPINK is in your area—your gaming area, to be precise! Aside from slaying in the real world, the YG Entertainment girl group made up of superstars Lisa, Jennie, Jisoo, and Rosé have also made their way to the digital realm. The group has collaborated quite a few times with both PC and mobile games, proving that wherever they go, they always bring their signature musicality and impeccable style. Whether it’s a set of avatars with stylish outfits or an immersive storyline, each BLACKPINK game experience is cute, fun, and totally unique. Here are a few of those times where the ladies took over gaming like a boss.

BLACKPINK X ROBLOX: THE PALACE

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The latest BLACKPINK game collaboration, BLACKPINK THE PALACE, launched August 25th on popular online game platform Roblox. The immersive experience allows fans and players to gather in a BLACKPINK-themed setting, decorate it, and host parties and games within the palace and the grounds. The members’ avatars will also pop up here and there for photo ops and interactive opportunities.

BLACKPINK X PUBG

The girl group has collaborated with hugely popular battle royale game PUBG twice: first in PUBG: Battlegrounds where they released a huge number of themed customizations that can make the gaming experience completely decked out in BLACKPINK gear such as outfits and supply crates. For the second time, they collaborated with PUBG: Mobile to hold an in-game virtual concert called BLACKPINK: The Virtual where the group’s special avatars performed. They also released a special track Ready for Love with an animated music video in collaboration with the game in July 2022, their first Korean release since The Album in 2020. Ready for Love was also included as the 8th track in their second studio album Born Pink (2022).

BLACKPINK X ZEPETO

We as a society simply can’t resist making little avatars and dressing them up, can we? When Korean metaverse app Zepeto blew up social media, people were able to do just that very thing—customize their avatars, dress them up, take photos with their avatar friends, and get creative. During the height of the pandemic, BLACKPINK partnered with Zepeto to hold the “world’s first virtual fansign” on the platform. BLINKs could interact with the girls’ avatars, win prizes like outfits and badges, and also watch a special Ice Cream performance with Selena Gomez!

BLACKPINK: THE GAME

Lastly, of course, BLACKPINK launched their own mobile game BLACKPINK: The Game earlier this year, where players can play as the girls’ producer and agency manager, complete puzzles and objectives to level up their own BP members, play minigames with friends, dress up the member avatars in cute little outfits, collect photo and video cards, and more!

The group also dropped a banging OST for the game, The Girls, on August 25 with an adorable and stylish animated video. They also celebrated the release with a party and fun games. The members revealed that they played the game themselves, and Jisoo even shared that she’s spent money on dressing up the other members in the game and interacted with several fans (even though no one recognized her in the game).

Though unusual, it’s not unheard of for artists, brands, and personalities to collaborate with games. For instance, multiplayer obstacle course game Stumble Guys recently collaborated with the Barbie movie and Mr. Beast, and Nicki Minaj is now a playable character in Call of Duty! In the end, you get to have fun playing a game and feel even more connected to it as you play as, with, or alongside artists you love. Who knows, you might just run into one of the members in an online game.

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With how intricate and well-researched Secretlab is with their gaming chairs, it’s no surprise that they have reached two million users worldwide, and it’s also thanks to the Secretlab TITAN Evo 2022

With more free time on our hands, it will definitely be a tad bit difficult for us to do anything else aside from beating our friends in different online games. The summer break is perfect for catching up on the missed games and competitions, but that would mean being on our derrière for hours on end! It could lead to a lot of painful days and nights, which is why having nothing but the best equipment is always the way to go. With the Secretlab TITAN Evo 2022, the brand’s revamped version of their award-winning 2020 series, gaming sessions just got a whole lot more comfortable.

A gaming necessity

Frustrated with their never-ending search for the perfect gaming chairs, Secretlab founders and esport players Ian Ang and Alaric Choo decided to develop one instead. After multiple trials, errors, and prototypes, they finally launched their company with the Secretlab Throne V1 in 2015.

Five years later, the demand for sturdy and comfortable chairs increased due to the work-from-home situations everywhere, which led to the company’s millionth chair being sold. It was also in 2020 when their latest series at the time became so popular that the Product Development team didn’t know how to up the ante for an even better set of gaming chairs.

Good game

That may have been the struggle then, but fast forward to two years later, Secretlab has released a 2022 series that has their most advanced gaming chairs to date. The Secretlab TITAN Evo 2022 series is backed by years of R&D and state-of-the-art testing such as accelerated wear testing with a 300% heavier load than the industry standard, which made it certified by internationally recognized authorities including BIFMA, TÜV, A*STAR, and more for both safety and durability.

This release comes with chairs that are available in three sizes: S, R, and XL. They even incorporated shorter hydraulics and improved design engineering of the seat base so that more users can set their feet flat on the ground. They also have a new proprietary pebble seat base that guides our bodies toward the middle for the optimal support we all need.

Apart from its ergonomic advancements, it has an updated upholstery design with the new Secretlab NEO™ Hybrid Leatherette that’s 12 times more durable than the regular PU leather. This multi-design structure can withstand hours and hours of use, while still ensuring exceptional strength, flex, and abrasion resistance. The Secretlab TITAN Evo 2022 series, which is used and favored by notable gamers in the Philippines such as Alodia Gosiengfiao, also features a fresh, new look with the Secretlab SoftWeave® Plus fabric, a more advanced version of the popular SoftWeave®. Not only is it 3.5 times stronger than its predecessor, but it also has better seam strength. It’s softer, more breathable, and even more durable than before.

Sitting on a chair for long hours of each day can have some negative effects in the long run. This is why Secretlab has incorporated their signature cold-cure foam formulation that retains the same medium-firm consistency for the optimal balance between comfort and support. It distributes our weight so evenly while also engineered to relieve any sort of pressure after a long day. It even has the 4-way L-ADAPT™ Lumbar Support System, which they consider to be their most versatile one yet. It’s fully customizable to meet our needs and support precise adjustability in four directions. It also has a lattice of living hinges, which simply means it can intelligently adapt to the curvature of our spine.

Lastly, the Secretlab TITAN Evo 2022 series, where each chair comes with a five-year extended warranty program, has full-length ergonomic backrest that is a godsend. It easily cradles our backs and lets us lie almost completely flat with its recline while the side wings just automatically take the strain off our arms and shoulders. Gaming definitely never looked and felt this relaxing.

Read more about Secretlab, the best gaming chair brand with over 40 awards, and their newest releases by visiting their website and their official Shopee and Lazada pages. You can also follow them on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for the latest updates.