Attendee Membership, Pass and Ticket Details

In order to attend Anime Central, you will need to purchase a membership.  Convention memberships are your ticket to Anime Central and will allow you to access events, programming, artist alley and the exhibitor hall.  Anime Central memberships can either be purchased before the convention or at the convention; however, only Full Weekend access memberships are sold before the convention.  Single day memberships will be available, but can only be purchased at the convention.

When you purchase a membership (full weekend access) or a membership pass (single day access), you are purchasing a non-refundable, non-transferable membership for the Midwest Animation Promotion Society (MAPS) that allows you to attend Anime Central. Membership is required for all ages. A photo ID is REQUIRED for At-Convention membership/pass purchases for attendees age 16 and older.

Face masks are strongly recommended for Anime Central 2022.

Read our mask and vaccine policy

Register for the 2022 Convention

If you have not registered for Anime Central yet and are ready to do so, follow the register now button below to get started.

Register Now

View/Update your 2022 Registration

For attendees that have already registered, you can confirm that your registration is in the system, get a copy of your confirmation and update your mailing address through the registration service center.

Update my Registration

Full Weekend Memberships

Type3/20 – 8/31/219/1/21 – 1/1/221/2 – 4/1/224/2 – 5/18/22At the Door
Toddler (0-5)Free*Free*Free*Free*Free*
Child (6-12)$13$13$13$20$20
Adult (13+)$63$68$73$80$80

* There is a maximum of 2 free toddler memberships for each paying adult.

Membership Badge Mailing

Attendee memberships that are fully paid by April 1 are eligible for badge mailing at an additional $2 per membership badge. Mailing is only available for purchase until April 1. All other membership purchases will be available for pickup with photo ID during the convention at a Will Call station in the Registration Hall. Membership badges will be mailed in early April, so keep an eye on the website for announcements.

Single Day Passes

Single day passes are only sold at the convention. Friday and Saturday Passes can be purchased the day of their use or after 4pm the day before their use.  Sunday Passes can only be purchased on Sunday.  Passes are valid on the day of stated use until the following day at 8am (e.g. A Friday Pass can be purchased after 4pm on Thursday and stays valid until 8am on Saturday).

Adult Friday

$50

Adult Saturday

$50

Adult Sunday

$40

Accepted Payment Types

Online Registration Payment Types

  • Credit – Visa, MasterCard or Discover Card.  American Express is not accepted.
  • Debit – Cards with a Visa, MasterCard or Discover Card logo are accepted.

At-Convention payment types

  • Cash – We accept only US currency, but will not accept coins.
  • Credit – Visa, MasterCard or Discover card.  American Express is not accepted.
  • Debit – Cards with the Visa, MasterCard or Discover card logo are accepted.
  • Business Check – Personal checks will not be accepted.
  • Money Orders.

Available Discounts on Memberships

Register as a Group

A group discount applies to online purchases of Full Weekend Adult Memberships only. There is no group discount offered at the convention and it does not apply on top of any other discounts. Complimentary memberships cannot be part of a group.

10 - 19 People

$2 Discount per Person

20 or More People

$5 Discount per Person

If you are purchasing memberships as a group, make sure that ALL of your group members are added before checking out. Additional group members cannot be added after the group has checked out. Any additional memberships needed will need to be purchased separately from the main group and at the normal rate.

Register at a Convention Road Show

Road Show is our term for an ACen registration team appearance at another convention, where memberships can be purchased at a special rate. We run games and contests, recruit staff, answer questions, and have a great time doing our very best to get the word out about our show.

The Road Show pre-registration rate is $55 for an Adult Full Weekend Access membership and this includes badge mailing. Whenever we appear—that’s the best rate you’ll find anywhere, lower than the earliest early-bird price. To qualify for the special rate you must be in attendance at the convention we are roadshowing at and must have a badge to that event.

Anime Milwaukee

February 11 – 13, 2022

Ohayocon

February 10 – 13, 2022

Anime Detour

Unfortunately, we have cancelled our appearance at Anime Detour.

March 18 – 20, 2022

Register as a Professional

Anime Central is pleased to offer professional discounts on memberships for those who fall under one or more of the following categories:

  • Librarian
  • Teacher or School Club Sponsor
  • Convention Runner
  • Industry Professional

Registration for Public Service Members

Service Memberships are for our attendees who are actively serving or have veteran status with the military or emergency services (law enforcement, fire, EMT, etc.). Service members can purchase memberships either at the convention or through the service member registration portal. The attendee must present an ID showing an actively serving or veteran status with the military or emergency services.

Public Service Members

$40

This year we are pleased to announce Children’s Day is returning to ACen. On Sunday, May 22 ONLY, all children 12 & under accompanied by an adult are FREE!!! Maximum of 2 children per paying adult. All children must be registered.

Registration Frequently Asked Questions

What is a membership badge?

A membership badge is your ticket into Anime Central. It is normally held on a lanyard which is supplied by the convention. Your membership badge must be visible to staff while inside of convention grounds at all times. You may remove your membership badge from view only during photographs.

How much is a non-membership badge?

The price is the same as above. By purchasing a badge, you are purchasing a membership to the Midwest Animation Promotion Society, the parent organization that runs Anime Central. Your membership allows you entrance into the convention.

What is will-call pick-up?

Will-call is the term we use for people that have already paid for their membership and just need to pick up the membership badge at the convention. To register for ACen you have to go through the online registration process, pre-register at a road show event, or through registration at the convention. The registration process cannot be completed over the phone.

What do I need to bring to the convention for Registration?

You need:

  • Photo ID if you are 16 or older
  • Confirmation email

I registered in 2020/2021, is my registration valid for the 2022 convention?

Attendees who purchased a membership for Anime Central 2020 & 2021 and decided not to have their membership refunded due to the cancellation, will automatically have their membership rolled over to the 2022 event. Confirmation emails have been sent out to attendees with rollover badges for 2022.

If you did not receive your confirmation email or need to update your mailing address, you can do so by logging into the registration service center.  If you’ve forgotten your password, you can retrieve it through the system by following the instructions under forgot your password.

If you need further assistance, you can reach out to us by emailing registration@acen.org.

What if I didn't get or lost my confirmation email?

If you did not receive your confirmation email or need to update your mailing address, you can do so by logging into the attendee registration system.  If you’ve forgotten your password, you can retrieve it through the system by following the instructions under forgot your password.

If you need further assistance, you can reach out to us by emailing registration@acen.org.

What forms of ID are acceptable?

For Registration, a photo ID is required. This can be government-issued, school-issued, from another country, etc. NOTE: This only applies to Registration. Please refer to other departments for their ID policies.

Can I purchase a membership or pass at the convention or pick up a membership or pass for someone who isn’t with me?

We require the membership/pass holder to be present when their membership/pass is being purchased or picked up. You will not be able to purchase a membership/pass for someone not present.

I lost my badge/pass. What do I do?

You can get one replacement from the Service Desk booth (Help Desk) for a $30 fee. Any additional replacements will be at full membership price.

I purchased mailing for my membership badge but did not receive it in the mail. What do I do?

Print out a copy of your confirmation email, confirm that it has membership badge mailing listed as purchased on it (it will be listed with a $2 fee) and go to the Membership Services Desk in Registration.