Ichibancon

Ben Balmaceda is a Chilean voice actor currently based in LA. He primarily works in anime dubbing, with some notable roles being Andy from Undead Unluck, Travis from Unicorn Overlord, Neku Sakuraba in The World Ends With You: The Animation, Raido in Aharen-san wa Hakarenai, Jiro Yakuin in More Than A Married Couple But Not Lovers, Pedro in One Piece, Rikiel in Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean, Tenza in Hell’s Paradise and Saber in the upcoming dub of Fate/Strange fake.

He’s also appeared in numerous video games including Genshin Impact as Kaveh, LIVE A LIVE, Pokemon Masters EX, Eternal Return, Path of the Midnight Sun and Project Wingman. Finally, he assisted in production work on several anime dubs including Kemono Jihen, A Place Further Than The Universe and Yakuza’s Guide to Babysitting.

The Ichibancon Grand Prix is a public Itasha Car Meetup at Hickory Motor Speedway, on Saturday, September 20th from 5pm-8pm, featuring a preselected showcase of wrapped cars and cosplayers. This event brings together enthusiasts for photoshoots, networking, and an opportunity for anyone interested to connect, ask questions, and learn more about the Itasha community. 

Some additional cars will be accepted to be in the showcase and join the parade laps on site, but is not guaranteed.

The Grand Prix will also feature a handful of parade laps around Hickory Motor Speedway at 35 miles per hour.

     

This year at Ichibancon, the Craft Fair will be held on Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Since we’re only running for three days this year, be sure to mark your calendars so you don’t miss it!

You can find all the rules and guidelines for the Craft Fair at the link below:

     

The photoshoot submission form is now open for Ichibancon 2026! Follow the link below to submit your photoshoot for your favorite fandom(s) by February 8th, 2026. Don’t miss the chance to gather with fellow fans and showcase your cosplay. We can’t wait to see the amazing photoshoots you’ll create!

     

Panel submissions for Ichibancon 2026 are now open! The panel submission for will Close December 12th, 2025 at 11:55 pm. Panel acceptances and waitlist notifications will be sent out early December.

Artist Alley Applications for Ichibancon 2026 are now open. Submissions close October 10th, 2025. Acceptance and waitlist notifications will begin late October. Follow the link below to apply now!

The Embassy Suites Hotel and Convention Center in Concord will be undergoing renovations beginning in October 2025. The convention center portion of the renovation will not be finished until January 2026. Because of this, the following changes will affect Ichibancon 2026: Our 2026 dates will be February 13-15th. Part of the hotel will also be under renovation, resulting in fewer hotel rooms available for booking. If you wish to stay at the Embassy Suites, we encourage you to book early!

Thanks again for another great year! The convention wouldn’t have been as great without you, our attendees, vendors, staff, and guests! We will see you next year for Ichibancon 2026!

We want to hear what made Ichibancon great for you, or what you think we can do to make it even better! Please take a moment to fill out the feedback form for Ichibancon 2025:

If you’ve lost anything and want to see if our lost and found might have it, please email lostnfoundsafari@gmail.com or fill out the form linked below!