Calgary Comic Expo 2018

[Cecil Terwilliger]

Thats hilarious if true.


I don’t recall ever paying for a signature from an artist. Tim Sale and JScott Campbell signed my stuff for free iirc. Sale even drew me a hulk sketch because I asked nicely.

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by chemgear

Huh, you can still get passes at the door? Their website even has Thursday available to buy?



I hope not. Hoping it'll grow to attract some more significant exhibitors.

Hoping it will grow? I thought it did grow and was one of the bigger ones around and then organizers admitted it grew too big for themselves and the event space so they purposely scaled it back?

[WhiteTiger]

Originally Posted by jayswin

Hoping it will grow? I thought it did grow and was one of the bigger ones around and then organizers admitted it grew too big for themselves and the event space so they purposely scaled it back?

Yup. It's about as big as it can get in the space that it's in. For the Expo to 'grow' any more, they'd need more/better/different buildings.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by WhiteTiger

Yup. It's about as big as it can get in the space that it's in. For the Expo to 'grow' any more, they'd need more/better/different buildings.

Perhaps a new hockey arena?

[WhiteTiger]

Originally Posted by Locke

Perhaps a new hockey arena?

Nope. The reason that they can't use the current one (which would be really, really helpful) is that when they rent the grounds, they don't know if the Flames are going to be in the playoffs or not, so it's not rentable. Being able to use the Saddledome would be a huge assist, and allow them to grow a pretty decent chunk, but they can't get it.

Though I suppose, if a new rink was built elsewhere, and the Saddledome left, then yes...a new rink would 'help' them.

[jayswin]

I don't think there's any chance the Saddledome is left.

A) It's direct (albeit ****ty) competition for the new arena, which is why every Flames proposal has a clause that it has to be demolished

B) The city would never in their right minds pay for the upkeep for the smattering of dates it would get used, which is why they also have a clause for demolition in every proposal.

[jayswin]

The only arenas that get saved when new ones are built is in mega cities and where the building is in a location that it can converted into something different.

Maple Leaf Gardens worked because it was right downtown and converted into a grocer store and a small hockey rink. The Saddledome can't conceivably be turned into anything different than what it is given location and unique style.

[WhiteTiger]

I guess then, especially with the demo clause, that a new rink would help out the Expo. The old one would get demo'ed, a new building of some sort would be put up, and since it's no longer tied to the Flames playoff hopes, would be rentable by the Expo.

So yes...a new rink would help grow the Expo...

[chemgear]

Originally Posted by jayswin

Hoping it will grow? I thought it did grow and was one of the bigger ones around and then organizers admitted it grew too big for themselves and the event space so they purposely scaled it back?

Not in terms of sheer numbers but way better exhibitors.

With all due respect to them, I would be happy to get rid of the Humane Society/animal rescue, armed forces, girl guides, bow valley college, local car dealerships (seriously, wtf?), and many others. At least we finally got rid of financial institutions and banks showing up now I think.

I'd much rather have things like Lucasfilm, Hasbro, IDW, Marvel, Dark Horse, AMC, XBOX, or Nintendo instead. Hell, it would be awesome to get the massive Sideshow Collectibles booth that goes to the major conventions. Way better panels throughout would be great too.

That'll all just take time - I hope.

[WhiteTiger]

Originally Posted by chemgear

Not in terms of sheer numbers but way better exhibitors.

With all due respect to them, I would be happy to get rid of the Humane Society/animal rescue, armed forces, girl guides, bow valley college, local car dealerships (seriously, wtf?), and many others. At least we finally got rid of financial institutions and banks showing up now I think.

I'd much rather have things like Lucasfilm, Hasbro, IDW, Marvel, Dark Horse, AMC, XBOX, or Nintendo instead. Hell, it would be awesome to get the massive Sideshow Collectibles booth that goes to the major conventions. Way better panels throughout would be great too.

That'll all just take time - I hope.

Ah. I see. Well, the Expo works with what it has, not it's dream slate. The vendors you want to see there are invited every year, but it's not really fiscally feasible for them to come. Trotting a vendor booth/wares/staff across the border (esp into a weaker dollar) is generally a cash-losing proposition. So they very rarely bother.

I would imagine that even Fan Expo Toronto (Canada's biggest comic expo style show) has trouble attracting those vendors, so Calgary has a long, long way to go before it will.

[craigwd]

Why don't they use the Agrium building anymore?
They only used it once and that was just for wristbands. A lot of extra space there.

[WhiteTiger]

Originally Posted by craigwd

Why don't they use the Agrium building anymore?
They only used it once and that was just for wristbands. A lot of extra space there.

Every time they've tried to use the Agrium (I recall it being used for panels once, photo ops once, and wristbands once) it never works out very well. In addition to being a weird space that doesn't convert well to Con use, there is a LOT of griping that generally boils down to it being too far out of the way and making the Expo too spread out and folks upset that they can't make it from one end of the Expo to the other for whatever plans they have planned.

Additionally, it eats up a lot of volunteers to keep things inside of it moving...and volunteers outside of it, to maintain/watch the pedestrian/traffic flow since people have to cross a decently busy roadway (yes, there are enough ped/traffic conflicts that the Expo volunteers are forced to play traffic cop)

It's generally more hassle than it's worth to use, basically.

[Hack&Lube]

It made more sense this year to move the artists alley to Big 4 instead of half of the BMO being artists so there was more continuity in the entire Marketplace being in one place.

I impulse bought admission at the door on Saturday there were no problems at all. The space was still packed and I had to escape by noon because the crush of people became ridiculous.

[Robbob]

In terms of traffic control it seemed to be a mess this year. Previous years for the Corral, they had people lineup under the concrete plus 15 walkway to get in. This year, everything was accessible from within the exhibition area, which really jammed up aisle 100.

Also didn't like that they moved the board games to a smaller room. I get it that they needed to open up the eating area, and the board games took a decent chunk of that, but having in one of the small rooms in the BMO center was brutal. Every time I went by it was completely packed (only around 10 tables). IMO they should put it in the back of one of the less busy halls with with all the gaming store booths around it.

[CorbeauNoir]

That intersection with the Corral was a complete cluster####. I really liked that they got around to consolidating the artist alley into one building but beyond that everything felt like a step backward.

Also where did Coco Brooks go?! That's one of the things I look forward to the most when the Expo comes around.

[Hack&Lube]

Originally Posted by CorbeauNoir

That intersection with the Corral was a complete cluster####. I really liked that they got around to consolidating the artist alley into one building but beyond that everything felt like a step backward.

Also where did Coco Brooks go?! That's one of the things I look forward to the most when the Expo comes around.

Maybe they had some exclusivity with Pizza 73?

[Bunk]

The planned expanded BMO including Hall F and new area where the Corral currently sits will eventually help. Hopefully sooner rather than later.

[CorbeauNoir]

Originally Posted by WhiteTiger

Ah. I see. Well, the Expo works with what it has, not it's dream slate. The vendors you want to see there are invited every year, but it's not really fiscally feasible for them to come. Trotting a vendor booth/wares/staff across the border (esp into a weaker dollar) is generally a cash-losing proposition. So they very rarely bother.

I would imagine that even Fan Expo Toronto (Canada's biggest comic expo style show) has trouble attracting those vendors, so Calgary has a long, long way to go before it will.

Otafest is going to have official booths for Microsoft and Nintendo. If they can do it surely an event several times it's size should be able to.

[Hack&Lube]

Originally Posted by CorbeauNoir

Otafest is going to have official booths for Microsoft and Nintendo. If they can do it surely an event several times it's size should be able to.

There was a Nintendo Switch booth with Nintendo ambassadors. It wasn't huge but it was there.

[WhiteTiger]

Originally Posted by CorbeauNoir

Otafest is going to have official booths for Microsoft and Nintendo. If they can do it surely an event several times it's size should be able to.

Well, the company also has to want to come. They may also be 'in the area' at the time and have the ability to go for a couple days. Or maybe they just don't like "comic expos". Who knows. There are tons of reasons why any company may or may not go to an event. Doesn't mean that they weren't invited to the event, just that the company decided not to go.

The issues that I am generally aware of, in which US companies don't come to Canadian Expo events, is that it's a massive hassle at the border, and it's considered, after everything is factored in, to be not worth it. Take that for what you will.