I used to attend a lot back in the day, along the eastern seaboard. (Starting with Anime East '95 and Katsucon and Otakon in the next years, down as far south as Animazement and as far north as Anime Boston.) Now it's really just Otakon I've been maintaining a yearly with. Occasionally a real-close minor one, if able.
One trip to AX in 2018, but never again! ๐
Originally I was into gophering and staffing (starting with my first con) but got out of that in 2001, and anime in general. A friend brought me back in (to conning, not anime, because Haruhi had already done that) and I picked up steam again but this time for dealer's room and art show purposes. Other than staffing originally, it was the art show/auction that I really loved participating in.
Eventually my reasons for conning turned just to random socializing, and now it's that and panels, and the musical guests. (My first "live concert" was at an Otakon, for Naomi Tamura, a while back. That started my habit.)
Amusingly I kinda feel an obligation towards Otakon somehow? ๐ At any rate, it's still fun, and I'm still going with the same friends. (Though they are artists/dealers so don't see any of the con.)
I like the aim and ethos, but not so much the design (other than interesting modularity) and certain things rub me the wrong way. And the pricing is just very out of line.
In the end, I'll just continue to do what I have been and keep old laptops running as long as possible. Have been using old IT-recycled housings or eBay purchases of "just the right thing" and swapped parts around, rebuilt the OS, etc. That's where much of the fun is anyway, heh.
I do wish the Fairphone were easier to come by in the US, tho.