DUDE, WE'RE SO BACK. No Brand Con got its start in Eau Claire over 20 years ago, and for the first time since 2015, it will return to its hometown stomping grounds. (Get a glimpse into the old-school action with our event photosets from 2014, 2012, and 2010)

In May of 2026, a homegrown event will make its return to the area. No Brand Con will reignite as a three-day anime and gaming convention, set to feature 24-hour tabletop gaming and video gaming spaces, cosplay contests, panels, plenty of merchandise, and more. The convention also has a storied history in our neck of the woods.

What began as the foundation of UW-Eau Claire's Anime Appreciation Society organization's original convention (which ran from 2002-2004 in the former Davies Center building) quickly grew, making its move to the Ramada Hotel – now known as The Lismore Hotel – for several years.

In 2011, following even more growth, it leapt to The Plaza Hotel in Eau Claire, and when the hotel was torn down to make way for Marshfield Clinic's expansion, No Brand Con had to relocate.

After being hosted in the Wisconsin Dells for several years, the con moved over to Steven's Point for one year in 2023, and then went on pause – until now.

"We've actually been coordinating the convention from Eau Claire the whole time, even while it wasn't here," Trae Dorn, one of No Brand Con's founders and head of public relations, said. "We were literally still holding organizational meetings over coffee at Racy's, even when we were holding the convention in the Dells and Steven's Point."

Its comeback year will mark an era of rebuilding for the convention – one that will reintroduce itself to the area and cap its attendance to ensure a fun, comfortable experience.

"These halls still feel the same, even if the hotel is much nicer now," Dorn said of the con's old stomping grounds, The Lismore Hotel.

In the time since No Brand Con began, the Eau Claire area has seen other, similar events, including Collectors Con, Eau Claire Comic Con, and UWEC GeekCon (another event with ties to UW-Eau Claire). The advent of those events points to the growing popularity of such happenings; they foster the kind of socialization hobbyists and related communities often look for.

No Brand Con's first Eau Claire appearance since 2015 will be the convention's 21st event. The team will take the homecoming as an opportunity to get back to its roots in terms of its schedule, too.

"This year we'll be focusing primarily on cosplayers and social media figures closer to home," Dorn said. "As a lot of the world continues to get more digital and virtual, these conventions offer a place where people with similar interests can make tangible connections."

If memory serves, yours truly attended No Brand Con back over a decade ago in 2012 at The Plaza Hotel. Perhaps you'll run into me at the 2026 event, too.

The photos included in this article are from the last Eau Claire event No Brand Con hosted, back in 2014. (Yeesh, are we old? Don't answer that.)

Learn more about No Brand Con and snag your tickets ($40/person) online at www.nobrandcon.org. No Brand Con will be held May 1-3, 2026, at The Lismore Hotel (333 Better Way, Eau Claire).