Why I Love The Calgary Comic & Entertainment Expo
By Hervé St-Louis
April 26, 2009 - 02:00
The event follows a lot of what I theorized in an article on comic book conventions. It really is an event that brings the entire community together. There are tons of kids in strollers, teens and women in attendance. Artists are not necessarily pushed on the edges of the floor, and vendors have a place to sell their products. The promotion efforts for the Calgary Con are impressive. While last year, Calgarians were treated to posters of nerds going to the convention in a bid to show that more than geeks could attend, this year, impressive posters could be found all over the city, particularly in the Calgary Transit network. Advertising on the billboards of main light train stations, like those downtown or at University station must have cost the Calgary Con an arm and a leg, but it was the best way to inform a large segment of the population of the event. The Calgary Comic convention is channelling some of the best features of conventions like San Diego's. It makes a comic book convention a big part of the city's cultural events.
This year, the two day format allows visitors and exhibitors to come at any of the two days, putting less strain on people's schedules.
In terms of marketing the Calgary Con team have some great features. I have to say that I just love the press lanyard that they gave me. It's not one of those cheap lanyards that you throw away. It's got the logo of the convention in a small display case and is made of sturdy material. Moreover, Foong had many of the exhibitors provide material for a book of pin ups themed after Calgary and the convention. For those who thought that Calgary lacked culture, they may be surprised to see that even artists from out of town have a way of viewing Calgary. The book is available for sale at many of the artists' booth, and at the Calgary Comic & Entertainment Expo's Web site.
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