Aug 17 2009
Sorry Potter Fans, Twilight is the New Cash Cow for Fandom Conventions
It seems there is little doubt that Twilight fandom is having a rather profound impact on conventions these days. Whether it’s as simple as a local sci-fi convention booking an actor from the movie, or the incredible tenacity of the Twilight hate and protests from San Diego Comic-Con attendees, Twilight fandom has exploded onto the convention scene.
For example, Creation Entertainment, known for holding the official Star Trek, Stargate, and Xena conventions, has been setting up Twilight cons in almost every major city in the United States and Canada. Currently on their schedule (with more announcements happening daily) is Phoenix, Parsippany, Vancouver, Chicago, Miami, Seattle, Nashville, San Francisco, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Arlington, Charlotte, Minneapolis, Toronto, and Portland. That’s 15 cities, with the most expensive ticket package coming in at $269 a pop! That doesn’t even include the professional photo ops, which run another $40 to $65 each (and that’s per photo).
Creation isn’t the only convention company eager to reap the financial benefits of the ravenous Twilight fan base. There’s also TwiCon (although it got off to a very rocky start it still has two new cities planned for 2010), and there’s also EyeCon Twilight. Not to mention the dozens of generic sci-fi cons booking the Twilight movie cast members. And if cons can’t get cast members, they settle for people like the hand model on the cover of the first Twilight novel. Convention organizers are even booking Twilight cast members whose movies haven’t even come out yet.
Although there are still two Harry Potter films left before the franchise comes to something of an end, Twilight seems to have officially taken over as the latest and hottest trend in fandom cons.
I can’t help but wonder what will happen to organizations like TwiCon, who are dedicated entirely to Twilight fandom. EyeCon has already started to branch out, although they have decided to stay in the vampire family. Creation Entertainment has a diversified convention portfolio, which means it is likely to stick around, even after Twilight fandom fades away.
What will dethrone Twilight, the way it has dethroned Harry Potter? Only time will tell. But I bet whatever it is, Comic-Con fans will probably protest it.
Eyecon is also running Supernatural conventions. That’s where its start was and it completely sold out. Twilight came after Supernatural and I’m sure something will come after that.
Lets just hope they don’t go the way of Booster Events and Flanvention II. I was there. That sucked.