Wizard expands with 9 new cities in 2015, at least 22 shows.

[Pike's Comics]

So the booth price for WW Ft. Lauderdale is more expensive than Florida supercon, Megacon, and Tampa Bay ComicCon. Does anyone here think it can pull that kind of draw to deserve charging dealers more than every other major Con in Florida?

[Buzzetta]

Entering plenty of new markets hungry for shows, like Des Moines.

 

Looks like Louisville and San Antonio got bumped off the 2015 schedule. Anyone else see any other cities that were dropped?

 

Toronto used to have a show but its gone now

Anyone notice that NYC is no longer a wizard show? That's shocking.

 

I think that is because of the NYCC Special Edition show. Eternal Con was the same weekend I believe, so I could see that date either changing or the con being phased out. I went to Eternalcon last year by Nassau Coliseum at the Aviation museum and was not really impressed. Hopefully it was better this year as Long Island could use a show like the 'old days'.

[grunter]

An hour after hearing the news that WWChicago sold out its 4-day passes already, and I'm still in shock.

 

And I'm still super-pissed.

 

I have zero interest in the celebrity gawking that seems to have quadrupled the cost of admission to the show in the last two years. In fact, except for a quick run through the single aisle of vendors on the first floor of the Chicago show last year, I never left the dealers' room on the second floor.

 

The cosplay/Dr. Who kids have really ruined the con experience for me. I'm just so tired of fighting lines for insufficiently_thoughtful_persons waiting full days to say "Geronimo!" to Matt Smith or to touch Norman Reedus' greasy hair. (I won't even begin my rant about the in San Diego that spend full days camping out to get in to Hall H. What a complete waste of time.)

 

And that hard ticket for the Shatner hosted Next Generation "panel" at WWChicago this year?

THAT is the future of these shows. I guarantee. Pay for every tiny thing you do at the show ... that's coming, and coming soon.

 

I've never felt so gouged for con tickets in my life. Nearly $200 for the local friggin' show? That's insane.

[Designer Toast]

So the booth price for WW Ft. Lauderdale is more expensive than Florida supercon, Megacon, and Tampa Bay ComicCon. Does anyone here think it can pull that kind of draw to deserve charging dealers more than every other major Con in Florida?

 

I was a bit gun shy about that price too. The WW Portland show was $1100.00 for a corner booth. The show before that in Portland was $525. I did almost ten times the business at WW than I did at the other show and I attribute that to the drawing power of their celebrities and their clearly having a better product/brand than any other show that's been through the Portland area.

 

I don't know anything about the con situation in Florida.

[Tony S]

An hour after hearing the news that WWChicago sold out its 4-day passes already, and I'm still in shock.

 

And I'm still super-pissed.

 

I have zero interest in the celebrity gawking that seems to have quadrupled the cost of admission to the show in the last two years. In fact, except for a quick run through the single aisle of vendors on the first floor of the Chicago show last year, I never left the dealers' room on the second floor.

 

The cosplay/Dr. Who kids have really ruined the con experience for me. I'm just so tired of fighting lines for insufficiently_thoughtful_persons waiting full days to say "Geronimo!" to Matt Smith or to touch Norman Reedus' greasy hair. (I won't even begin my rant about the in San Diego that spend full days camping out to get in to Hall H. What a complete waste of time.)

 

And that hard ticket for the Shatner hosted Next Generation "panel" at WWChicago this year?

THAT is the future of these shows. I guarantee. Pay for every tiny thing you do at the show ... that's coming, and coming soon.

 

I've never felt so gouged for con tickets in my life. Nearly $200 for the local friggin' show? That's insane.

 

If you just want to buy comics and don't much care about celebs, there are still plenty of "dealer" one day shows. They set up at hotels and auditoriums. Admission is often $5. Tables are cheap so occasionally you get collectors set up looking to sell their collections.

 

As for the OP's original post and discussion, I don't really have much of an opinion. Wizard seems to think there is a market in the new cities they are setting up in. I think that the fact they have dropped some shows and added others indicate they have some benchmarks they are looking at.

 

[kaholo1256]

I think it's funny they decided to drop WW San Antonio even though it is only a month away. Seems almost like they have abandoned hope in trying to fight off Alamo City Comic Con and the new big show to Austin Capital City Comic Con. Also awesome that Houston is starting to get some great shows and artists at there shows. Bringing in Jim Lee to Amazing Houston is going to really help that venue in Texas to grow.

 

[Neopacket]

Sweet, I'm a bit thrilled over the Vegas show.

[paradigmcomics]

So the booth price for WW Ft. Lauderdale is more expensive than Florida supercon, Megacon, and Tampa Bay ComicCon. Does anyone here think it can pull that kind of draw to deserve charging dealers more than every other major Con in Florida?

 

It absolutely cannot. I am surprised they are coming back to South Florida at all. Wizard World Miami was a huge flop in my opinion. It was in the exact same location as Florida Supercon used to be and Supercon EASILY had a better attendance, with cheaper entrance and dealer fees.

 

Also, I don't think many national "comic" dealers are willing to try South Florida. Between Supercon and the Wizard Miami show, most national dealers don't ever come back, from what I have seen.

 

The only chance the Fort Lauderdale show has is in the fact that the Broward and West Palm county's comic store/culture is on an entirely different level than Miami-Dade. There are basically, no significant stores in Miami-Dade, while they're are some really nice, big, profitable stores in the other 2 counties.

[crnbrd]

I'm surprised they got rid of Louisville and kept Nashville. Seems like both could have been cancelled.

[ShawnDeath]

Can Greenville SC justify TWO comic cons a year? I've heard nothing but good things about SC Comicon.

 

SC Comicon was very successful and I'm sure that knowledge found it's way to their ears.

 

What's interesting is they are definitely announcing their presence with authority booking practically the same date as SC Comicon at the very same venue.

 

The locals around here in the know definitely won't be supporting gangsta tactics like that.

 

That being said I think Greenville can support it. Right smack in the middle between Charlotte and Atlanta.

[Roundguy]

With the show in Iowa i may actually be able to make my first Con event.

[grunter]

If you just want to buy comics and don't much care about celebs, there are still plenty of "dealer" one day shows. They set up at hotels and auditoriums. Admission is often $5. Tables are cheap so occasionally you get collectors set up looking to sell their collections.

 

Yes, I know. But none of those 1-day shows anywhere near Chicago are worth the time or effort, unless you're looking for box after box of mangled X-books or a wall of "Walking Dead" and "Saga" garbage.

 

The Gurnee show is held in a side room where the lighting is so bad you can barely see your hand in front of your face. The Bridgeview show is 90% Transformer and wrestling toys. Dan Con is over-run with local "artists" peddling hand-stitched knock-offs of Ugli dolls. Any show in St. Charles is plagued with antique dealers who think a common beat-to-hell Superman comic from the 70s is worth a down payment on a used car.

 

The only shows in the Chicagoland area with a decent selection of high quality back stock are C2E2 and WWChicago - i.e., shows that attract national dealers.

[HouseofComics.Com]

Yes, I know. But none of those 1-day shows anywhere near Chicago are worth the time or effort, unless you're looking for box after box of mangled X-books or a wall of "Walking Dead" and "Saga" garbage.

...

 

The only shows in the Chicagoland area with a decent selection of high quality back stock are C2E2 and WWChicago - i.e., shows that attract national dealers.

 

I had that same thought when I read Tony's post. It depends what you are looking for and what part of the country you are in. The only regular multi-times a year shows around here are more for blowing out cheap stuff.

 

The Wizard announcement about San Jose intrigues me. Wizard Sacramento had so few comics dealers that everyone did really well. I think I may have to do at least San Jose and possibly both next year.

 

I did one show a year from 2009 to 2013, two this year, and it looks like I may actually do six next year, which is quite a surprise.

[mysterio]

I think it's funny they decided to drop WW San Antonio even though it is only a month away. Seems almost like they have abandoned hope in trying to fight off Alamo City Comic Con and the new big show to Austin Capital City Comic Con. Also awesome that Houston is starting to get some great shows and artists at there shows. Bringing in Jim Lee to Amazing Houston is going to really help that venue in Texas to grow.

 

I thought their choice to drop San Antonio before they even had a show there was very curious. Almost as curious as giving Tulsa a second show before they have even had a show there.

[JiveTurkeyMoFo]

So the booth price for WW Ft. Lauderdale is more expensive than Florida supercon, Megacon, and Tampa Bay ComicCon. Does anyone here think it can pull that kind of draw to deserve charging dealers more than every other major Con in Florida?

 

I was a bit gun shy about that price too. The WW Portland show was $1100.00 for a corner booth. The show before that in Portland was $525. I did almost ten times the business at WW than I did at the other show and I attribute that to the drawing power of their celebrities and their clearly having a better product/brand than any other show that's been through the Portland area.

 

I don't know anything about the con situation in Florida.

 

The Con situation in Florida is this (speaking as someone who has attended as both a dealer and attendee since 2002):

 

- Comic dealers better bring their $1-$10 books, because that's mostly all that sells. Wall books and especially certified books generally gather dust on the display.

 

- The best comic buyers are other dealers, which is probably true for most shows, but especially true in Florida. If you haven't made 60% of what you were hoping for by Friday mid-day (generally from pre-show dealer sales), you'll probably have a hard time hitting your goal by Sunday.

 

- Florida shows are increasing in attendance and popularity, but they are generally attracting the casual fan and cosplayer, as opposed to actual buyers. In fact, unless you have cheap books (again, $1-$10), the average attendee won't be buying much from you. The downside of this rise in attendance is that many serious comic buyers either come out Friday, or Sunday (assuming they come out at all)...Saturdays at shows like TBCC, MegaCon and SuperCon are just best avoided altogether due to the crowds.

 

- A "good" weekend for your average comic vendor is $4k-$7k, assuming they have one booth. So, when booths start running close to, or over $1k, and you add in all the ancillary costs (hotel, food, fuel, etc.), it's hard to justify the outlay for many vendors.

 

[1Cool]

I can't wait to see how a big Con will do in Cleveland. I know there are a lot of comic collectors in the area and they seem to have some extra cash to spend so I'm hoping it gets some big dealers.