Get to Know IWAG
Welcome to the Indonesia Weekend Anthro Gathering (IWAG)! We’re an Indonesian furry convention celebrating the creativity and uniqueness of every one of you. Here, you can connect and have fun with fellow enthusiasts of anthropomorphic animals. We bring to life the charm of cartoons and fables, from classic tales like Reynard the Fox to modern favorites like Nick Wilde from Zootopia, and from Old Coyote, the prankster king, to the always-pranked Wile E. Coyote.
Our wonderful community members come from all corners of Indonesia, gathering each year to celebrate our “Furry Convention,” or “FurCon.” FurCon is a blend of creativity, learning, and fun. From workshops and talk shows to games and art exhibitions, our events showcase our commitment to maintaining and respecting our solid community.
At IWAG, our core philosophy revolves around the belief that we are much more than just a group of furries. We dedicate ourselves to providing a home for our family, united by our imaginations, bold as it may be. This is a place where you can explore your identity. We represent ourselves with our unique animal personas, embodying our true selves rather than an institution or company brand.
Whether you’ve been part of this world for a long time or are just about to enter it, we’re ready to welcome you with open arms. Or should we say, paws.
IWAG’s Begining
The origins of IWAG began with our annual tradition, the Indonesia Winter Furmeet (IWFM). Despite not having any actual snowfall, these year-end meetings brought our community together for the first time in December 2017. The COVID-19 pandemic came and put a close to our meetups, but as soon as the pandemic subsided, our chairdeer stepped up to create a new, more organized event with 2022’s IWFM.
To say that this event was full of unforgettable moments is an understatement. The park fursuit parade made a remarkable impression on us (and also on the people organizing a wedding at the park that day). Our members, looking fashionable in their fursuits, interacted with the public, spreading smiles and sparking curiosity. This park also served as the backdrop for our group photo session. Beside taking photos and having a nice stroll in the park, We also had cozy spots for creating art, where members could sketch, draw, and unleash their creativity. In addition, we provided special tables for those who wanted to try their hand at playing board games.
With a mix of fun and community engagement, this event became the blueprint for our next gathering. We are very proud of the blueprint we have designed and invite everyone to take inspiration from it. We hope that in the future, there can be other similar events that bring joy to our community.
The First IWAG - A Homecoming of Growth
The last Winter Furmeet opened our eyes. Our community said, “Bigger! Greater! More Fun!” This shared desire to create a more exciting and intimate event on the weekend prompted us to plan IWAG. We see IWAG as the next step from the warmth of the Winter Furmeet.
IWAG in 2023 has evolved into something nearing a full-scale FurCon. We extended the event and offered something for everyone. We had a main stage with our own MC, an artist alley for all participants to express their creativity via artwork, and panel rooms for those who like deeper discussions and participating in discourse. And for those who just wanted to chill out, we had a casual lounge. IWAG 2023 also served as a warm-up for the staff and community, giving an idea of what will come in the future.
From this point onwards, we wanted to open the doors of our community much wider than ever before. Through IWAG, we are inviting more members to join, share their unique stories, and express themselves.
The First Full Weekend IWAG - A Summer Furcation to Remember
After the events of Homecoming, the team went straight into hard work to prepare for IWAG’s first ever full-scale operation. It is at this juncture we realized the strength of our team, the extent of our creative prowess, and the belief of doing greater things for our community.
IWAG 2024 was more than just planning to run a weekend convention. We were determined to do everything we believe will contribute to the community as a whole. Planning for IWAG became more ambitious, while staying prudent, with staff members designed to have checks and balances on decision-making process, while still allowing teams to run independently to contribute their creative and technical prowess.
We chose a hotel with our community and budget in mind (one of our key criterion was a pool!) and did everything to enrich our attendee experience. In-house game shows, activities, and competitions were planned, as another team ensures everything runs as smoothly behind the scenes. We had our first Guest of Honor, Bryan Leon, as well as 3 DJs being part of our first-time convention. IWAG 2024 even attracted overseas furries to come and enjoy the Summer Furcation together.
And the results paid out - With more than 350 attendees and 100 registered fursuiters, it has grown to be one of the largest furcons in Southeast Asia on its first installment. We cannot thank our community enough for their trust and their hype.
IWAG 2024 also enabled us to build solutions for the greater Indonesian furry community of the future. Our ticketing system, Community, was built with the future in mind - not just for IWAG, but for any other local furry events that wants managed ticketing services from furries who understands them best. It was built from scratch by our Technology team over a 3-month sprint, proven in production on a day-one success with the initial surge of Event Pass openings, and later enriched to be the first niche platform to accept international card and QRIS payments. Community continued to be developed, and proven itself where it became indispensable to perform registration of attendees to the event, proudly completing an entire lifecycle of event management.
The staff behind IWAG
Here are the furries behind the IWAG. Some of them have sites or social media where you can pay a visit. Just click on their avatar and if they have one, a new page will open.
