Fans Pro On Con

Vendors and retailers, authors and artists, sci-fi freaks and geeks—and even some Hollywood stars—have a lot to look forward to this month when the third annual New York Comic-Con, set for April 18 to 20 at the Javits Center, opens its doors. A mecca of pop culture as well as publishing, the show has more than doubled in size from 2007, and is expected to continue to expand as a permanent and much-need venue on the East Coast for the greater comic book community, according to Lance Fensterman, show manager and vice president of NYCC organizer Reed Exhibitions.

“Sixty percent growth is unbelievable,” Fensterman admits. “[The Con is] pop culture and it's a reflection of pop culture and it's exploding ... some of the [Hollywood] studios are taking out space on the floor and they haven't in the past. We're seeing an increase in video gaming companies. We are seeing more toy companies. Honestly, licensing for toys (and show exclusive toys) is a huge market and it's been more elusive than some other markets, so that's definitely a growth area that we're targeting.”

Already a number of toy and collectibles vendors, including Mattel, Mezco, Dark Horse, Gentle Giant and Monogram, have decided to offer show exclusives in New York, a move more normally associated with San Diego's much older and larger Comic-Con International. Fensterman has high hopes show exclusives will be a continuing trend at NYCC, lending buzz to an event that, though in its infancy, is expected to draw more than 60,000 fans.

“If you're talking about creating a [limited edition] product, that's a larger commitment than even just taking out a booth,” Fensterman tells Playthings. “I think that it will take a little bit of time, but it's just like Hollywood—we're in year three and we've got the studios participating in the show. That's a pretty quick rise to credibility. Studios don't usually gamble on their marketing. They're going to go where they feel the eyes are for their particular property.”

Fensterman believes the “eyes” at NYCC are exactly those the studios are looking for. “The type of people that we're getting? These are moviegoers. These are consumers of media. These are collectors. These are 16 to 40 year olds. This is a great demographic,” he says. “These are the people [the studios] want their product in front of.”

Despite the presence of a wider swath of the entertainment community, the show will never lose sight of the fact that its heart is publishing, says Fensterman, a veteran of the bookselling world who now also manages BookExpo America and the New York Anime Fest for Reed Exhibitions (a division of Playthings parent Reed Business Information). “We're a publishing-oriented show; it's a comic book show and that's at the center of everything we do,” he says.

As NYCC has grown there have been challenges to overcome as a result of its success, Fensterman admits, from how to best showcase authors and artists for large audiences to offering more entrances for attendees and better procedures for picking up badges and shortening lines.

One of the biggest changes this year is the designation of Sunday, April 20, as Kids' Day, sponsored by Disney and PBS Kids Go! Children under the age of 12 will be admitted free. “Reaching out to kids and providing a place where they could engage with comics seemed important to our customers, and it seems like a good thing for the show to do,” Fensterman says, adding, “And it sounded like a lot of fun.”