NY Comic-Con: Part 2

Storm Troopers, zombies and even an unemployed, sign-bearing Skeletor inspired by the villain from the 1980s animated series He-Man and the Masters of the Universe were there. All of these—and tens of thousands more—were on hand in late February, dressed to a (Comic-Con) tee, and so were exhibitor booths with expanded floor space. It was the stuff NY Comic-Con is made of, and it'll be back again in '08—with a few adjustments.

"The show was great," says Greg Topalian, group vice president for the show host's company Reed Exhibitions (a division of Playthings parent Reed Business Information), Norwalk, Conn. "It positions the show for further growth next year. Overall, it worked out better than last year. The impact it's having on business is important. A big thing for a trade show is helping business; to give business exposure; help businesses grow by bringing in the right buyers, international visitors and the fan base."

There were several firsts for NY Comic-Con this year. The American Anime Awards were hosted for the first time at the New Yorker Hotel. And compared to last year, a record number of video game publishers —Konami, Sony and 2K Games being just a few—signed on as exhibitors for the 2007 edition.

But despite the show's successes, all great things must…be tweaked! Come 2008, trade-only hours will be shifted to better suit attendees, with dedicated times set aside for quiet meetings with buyers, Topalian says. There will be an expansion of the floor space, currently booked at 400,000 total square feet. Another big change: the show will take place April 18-20 instead of immediately following Toy Fair, a move Topalian believes will get more toy companies involved in the show by virtue of not conflicting with Toy Fair or other late-winter trade shows, a complaint expressed by some toymakers these last two years.

The show's growth, both in physical space and in attendees, should continue to attract more exhibitors, Topalian says. "We expect more exhibitors and also larger spaces from our current customers," he predicts, adding that show organizers would like to increase attendance by bringing in more international visitors next year.

"You're always looking to tweak things to run a show more smoothly," Topalian says. "The mix of products will always evolve. I think video games and toys will expand because the show is moving to April. Being on top of Toy Fair was never intentional and it was never anything we wanted, and it definitely hurt us. Vendors wanted to do NY Comic-Con as well as Toy Fair but said they couldn't do that to their people. In April, we hope to get more toy companies."