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Fan Expo Canada? A comic book con joke

Started by mndb369,

40 posts in this topic

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Driving in from Ottawa I would suggest doing a comic store tour and hitting the Toronto Comic book show. I understand how FanExpo can be appealing since you can make a vacation out of it. If you do all 4 days then there is quite a bit to see.

 

Doing a tour you could hit Guardian Comics on the way in and about half a dozen quality stops. It depends how you like to comic shop, budget and time you're willing to spend.

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It's not a con for buying comics. :gossip:

 

Then make your own convention. :sumo:

 

Or go to the show this weekend.

 

I'll be set up with flown in booth babes.

 

Flying high and calling yourself Alexia doesn't qualify as a flown in booth babe. :sick:

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Iceman399

Iceman399

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Well at least the Fan Expo Toronto glossy flyers are even distributed out West at the LCS in Vancouver, BC. Heard that the new corp. group that took over is poor at returning emails or calls from potential vendors from 3 months ago.

 

They were ok at getting back to me in regards to being a potential vendor...I asked if they had any spots left as I heard it was sold out the reply I got was very robotic:

 

Send in the forms as soon as possible

 

I followed that reply up with is there any corner booths available, the reply I got was again very robotic

 

Send in your application form as soon as possible

 

End of the day I am not setting up.

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Kevin Boyd

Kevin Boyd

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You see I like both shows - the show this weekend and Fan Expo. I set up at both, but if I were to compare costs versus losses I do okay at the Toronto Comic Book Show and incredible at Fan Expo.

 

Showing my stuff to a few hundred focused buyers versus 150,000 casual potential buyers... it's a toss up (not). I tend to focus more on stuff the casual fans want anyway, so no wonder I prefer Expo.

 

I used to work for the show too - so when I did, I always made sure to come on here and tell people about it. But I don't anymore, so generally I figure that is up to others to do. The show gets 150,000 people in whether they do it or not. And no one is forcing anyone to go. It is not cheap to attend.

 

TCBS is geared towards specific types of collectors, and if you like bin diving this is the show - not that you can't bin dive at Expo, it's just you are doing it with tens of thousands of people bumping you as opposed to a few hundred.

 

If you want to see guests - Fan Expo. No guests at TCBS, although I keep telling Rob to consider getting one or two. If you want to go to workshops, panels, hear from the publishers - Fan Expo. There's nothing at TCBS except a room full of stuff - great stuff!

 

Expo is a little more geared towards current mainstream comics readers than TCBS, which is more geared towards people who want back issues than anything else.

 

 

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Kevin Boyd

Kevin Boyd

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They were ok at getting back to me in regards to being a potential vendor...I asked if they had any spots left as I heard it was sold out the reply I got was very robotic:

 

Send in the forms as soon as possible

 

I followed that reply up with is there any corner booths available, the reply I got was again very robotic

 

Send in your application form as soon as possible

 

End of the day I am not setting up.

 

A little insider secret - the people you talk to don't make the decisions. They will tell you to get your paperwork in SO THAT IT WILL GET IN FRONT OF THE PEOPLE THAT DO.

 

If you don't go that route, they'll never know of your interest.

 

Nor do they know how many tables are available, if there are corner spots, etc. This isn't the case of one promoter sitting in a room with a highlighter showing this is open, that is open. Basically it's a process of stages, everyone pretty much renews, but some don't, so booths open up. Some don't end up paying, so booths open up. At the end of the day, right about now actually, someone is making decisions and tetrising people into the empty spots for Fan Expo Canada next month, and they draw and prioritize from the pile of new exhibitors requesting to join the show based on what they are selling, and existing retailers looking to expand...

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Iceman399

Iceman399

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Posted

They were ok at getting back to me in regards to being a potential vendor...I asked if they had any spots left as I heard it was sold out the reply I got was very robotic:

 

Send in the forms as soon as possible

 

I followed that reply up with is there any corner booths available, the reply I got was again very robotic

 

Send in your application form as soon as possible

 

End of the day I am not setting up.

 

A little insider secret - the people you talk to don't make the decisions. They will tell you to get your paperwork in SO THAT IT WILL GET IN FRONT OF THE PEOPLE THAT DO.

 

If you don't go that route, they'll never know of your interest.

 

Nor do they know how many tables are available, if there are corner spots, etc. This isn't the case of one promoter sitting in a room with a highlighter showing this is open, that is open. Basically it's a process of stages, everyone pretty much renews, but some don't, so booths open up. Some don't end up paying, so booths open up. At the end of the day, right about now actually, someone is making decisions and tetrising people into the empty spots for Fan Expo Canada next month, and they draw and prioritize from the pile of new exhibitors requesting to join the show based on what they are selling, and existing retailers looking to expand...

 

Then that should have been conveyed to me in the initial emails. For my real job all the big conventions not only have a floor plan mapped out but you can pick and choose your spot when you pay/commit. I don't think it would be hard for Fan Expo to implement something like that. I may be stupid but why would I wan to send in an application back in April/May, to find out that mess you don't have a booth several months later, so even though you planned to exhibit, booked a hotel room, flights planned to get stock there, you can't because instead of a comic dealer we went with a trinket guy instead, but hey what do I know, I will just come and hang out in Andy's booth instead

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aardvark88

aardvark88

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This is a continuing problem with this same promotion company with the Vancouver Fan Expo. 3 months and no reply to emails. Repeated phone calls over 3 months to see if 2 corner booths or end cap available. No call backs. Just heard today that the big promotion company is trying to get the #1 downtown Vancouver comic store to share cost of flying in comic guests with a store signing and help return local area calls from potential vendors on a timely (less than 3 months) basis. :censored:

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thirdgreenham

thirdgreenham

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There's also a big show in Windsor, ON this weekend, don't see anyone here discussing it....

 

http://windsorcomicon.com/

 

http://windsorcomicon.com/wp-content/uploads/WCC15-ShowProgram.pdf

 

Gotham Central is there, so is Harley Yee.

 

Bill Sienkiewicz is a guest.

 

Windsor is a great show if you like to look at people staring blankly at you.

 

I did the Christmas Comic Con 2 years ago and had about 40 separate cases of people looking at my wall and saying "a comic book for a hundred dollars?" Not only was I surprised that these people didn't know comics could possibly sell for $100, I was equally surprised at how they could spot the cheapest book on my wall, again and again. They would then look at me like I was from Mars and start picking through my $2 bins. So, they were actually comic book fans, nearly all that attended, and still had difficulty grasping that some comics could be worth $100.

 

Here is something for dealers thinking of setting up in Windsor to consider. If I were to ever go again, and I don't believe I will, I would bring nothing but organized dollar boxes. There is no need to bring any books priced higher than $5. 2c

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Iceman399

Iceman399

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I'm merely offering advice, you don't need to take it. I look at it like bureaucracy, maybe I'm too used to dealing with government agencies.

 

No I appreciate what you have to say and it sounds like a ton of hoops to get in and you get in when they feel like it for the first year and stick you where they want and then you can have a little bit of freedom as you come back each year.

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