10 pro tips for growing a thriving fan convention – from people who’ve done it

What makes an incredible fan convention that has attendees coming back for more each year? The perfect venue, an inclusive atmosphere, epic experiences, meticulous planning… to name but a few factors. 

If you’re just starting out on your own fan convention journey, this round-up of pro tips is for you. Below, the brilliant minds behind three of the UK and USA’s most popular ‘Cons share invaluable tips with us around what goes into planning and growing their incredible events. With thousands of attendees heading to their conventions every year, you’ll want to sit down and take note. Let’s go 🖊️.

The pros

• Mark Cooke – Creator of AireCon, an award-winning annual gaming convention with 4000 attendees, taking place in Manchester, Harrogate, and Telford in the UK.
• John Swasey – Chairman of Anime Dallas, a fan-centric convention that celebrates Texas’s thriving anime scene (it also has a sister event, Anime Houston).
• Mark Dean – Director of NORCON, a 14-year strong convention celebrating TV, film and comic fandom for those who love to “embrace their inner geek”. This ‘Con takes place in Norfolk, UK.

👀 What do Mark no. 1, John and Mark no. 2 all have in common?... 

They all love using Ticket Tailor to ticket their ‘Cons! Especially because of our super low, transparent fees, amazing functionality, and ease of use 🙌. You can read more about what the guys love about Ticket Tailor at the end of this article. 

Start with a clear vision

When you first start planning your convention, you might be brimming with ideas. But it can be invaluable to hone in on a clear vision to help drive your event in a certain direction. John Swasey, Chairman of Anime Dallas, describes how:

“The idea for Anime Dallas came from a desire to celebrate the robust Texas anime community in a fan-focused, fun, and affordable way. I envisioned an event that was less about big money and more about creating an unforgettable anime experience for fans [...] It's really important to us that we can offer a low price, because we know anime fans come from a very diverse background. Some people can't afford to pay $80 + $10 more in surprise ticketing fees just to buy tickets to come.” 

Deciding on some clearcut non-negotiables for your convention in the early planning stages will help you stay true to your overarching vision. As your event grows, you know you can always check-in to make sure it’s still meeting those early values and ideas. Ultimately, it’s the best way to create an authentic event that pleases fans long into the future.

• Read our full interview with Anime Dallas’ John here >

👀 Like the idea of keeping costs down for your attendees? Check out how Ticket Tailor helps Horror ‘Con organizer Laura Ripley manage cash flow and budgets with low fees and instant payments 💸.

Have a plan B (and C)

Planning a convention is no mean feat. From venue hire to managing volunteers, sourcing performers, and managing large crowds of attendees – there are lots of logistical elements to stay abreast of. With so many spinning plates in the air, it’s crucial to be both ultra-prepared and flexible. When talking about the logistical challenges of running their popular comic con,  NORCON, Director Mark Dean says: 

“We have to make sure we’re very organised and that we give ourselves plenty of time to pull everything together. The main thing is, it’s crucial to always have a Plan A, Plan B and a Plan C. We have to make sure we’re prepared for a multitude of eventualities because things – say, schedules – can change unexpectedly. Over the years we’ve learned that we have to be fluid and flexible while still sticking to a plan of action.”

Read our full interview with NORCON’s Mark here >

Research, research, and research some more

To give your convention the best chance at success, it’s vital to understand your target audience – as well as the demand for an event like yours. 

“Make sure you really know your audience,” Mark D (NORCON) advises. “It’s crucial to carry out a lot of research before making any concrete plans. For example, you definitely don't want to put a comic con on if your area already has one. This is probably the biggest mistake I’d say to avoid. Too many comic cons in the same area will almost definitely lead to confusion and attendee fatigue, affecting your footfall. So it’s important to search for a location that gives you the chance to establish your own brand.”

When starting out on your fan convention journey, tackle the “who, what, where and when” in detail. Back up your research with tangible figures – you could do this by surveying people in various locations to gauge appetite for an event like yours, for example. 

When scouting for locations, thoroughly research similar events in the area, and consider other factors like transport links and accommodation. As Mark highlights, it’s details like these that could make or break your convention in the future.

Focus on quality – and keeping things fresh

Growing a convention means keeping fans coming back for more, year after year. To do so, it’s important to put a lot of energy into maintaining the quality of your event. Fans want to know that they can rely on having the same amazing experience again and again – and that the finer details that make your event great will be the same if not better next time around. 

It’s just as crucial to focus on keeping things fresh, too. While the essence of your event can stay the same, attendees want to know that there will be new and exciting things to experience each time they return – otherwise they’re likely to get bored and try out something new. 

“We were described by SciFi Now magazine as ‘probably the friendliest convention on earth’,” Mark D (NORCON) tells us. “The future for us is really about maintaining this reputation. We’ve worked hard on establishing our brand and credibility over the past 13 years to become one of the best comic cons in the UK. To keep it up, we continue to listen to the feedback we get from attendees, and always make sure we change things up every year so that we don't become stale for our visitors.”

Get good at meticulous planning

As we mentioned earlier, a huge amount of logistical work goes into planning a convention at scale. So you’ll need to hone your organisational skills, and be prepared to put in the administrative legwork. When speaking about the organisational wizardry needed to plan Anime Dallas, John tells us:

“There are more spreadsheets and documents than you might expect! There are also a lot more meetings than I expected! [...] Organising a convention like Anime Dallas involves meticulous planning and coordination. Key elements include securing a suitable venue, booking popular and engaging guests, coordinating with vendors and artists, planning a diverse range of panels and activities, effective marketing, managing ticket sales, and ensuring a smooth and enjoyable experience for attendees. Honestly, it's a heck of a lot of work! But we have a great team of staff, many of whom have been doing it since our very first Anime Dallas.”

Which brings us onto our next point…

Build an incredible team

As John touches on, you’ll need an amazing team of passionate, reliable people to help bring your convention to life. It’s vital that you work with people who truly understand your vision, and who are as excited as you are about making it happen. When talking about what goes into planning his now three-venue-strong gaming convention, AireCon, Mark Cooke says:

“There is a lot going on! But thankfully we have an amazing team of people that help out. We’ve got a core team of 12 people who all oversee different elements of the convention, and then an army of nearly 50 volunteers give up their time to help make AireCon a great event for all attendees. The thing we’re well known for is the amount of space we have for people to sit and play games for a weekend – as a team we always make time to meet in the gaming halls, and look around, enjoying the sights and sounds of people having fun.”

As Mark highlights, cultivating an amazing team is about so much more than just getting the job done. You’ll bond with these people, and grow with them. 

Ultimately, getting your team right will result in a rewarding, energising experience that makes the hard work feel more-than worth it.

Be prepared to network

Depending on the nature of your convention, it’s likely you’ll need to hire a range of creatives to bring it to life. That could be actors, graphic novelists, artists, or performers… Either way, you’ll need to make sure you’re able to source amazing people who are keen to be a part of your event. Speaking on this topic, John (Anime Dallas) says:

“Securing guests [for Anime Dallas] involves reaching out to popular voice actors, artists, and industry professionals, often through agencies or personal connections. Our convention has a lot of industry connections, as many of our top staff work as anime voice actors, so we have a lot of friends who come to the convention to meet the fans. It's sometimes like a big 'ol family reunion for people who work in the anime industry!”

Building up a network of passionate creatives and professionals can be a great way to enrich your event. The more time you spend nurturing these connections, the easier it’ll be to pack out your events with incredible performers, year after year. 

Plan a multi-pronged marketing strategy

Event creators often underestimate the amount of effort that needs to go into marketing their events. It doesn’t matter how amazing your happening promises to be – all of that’s irrelevant if people simply don’t know about it. To make sure you get word of your convention to those who’d be interested in attending, it’s best to carry out a range of promotional tactics rather than sticking to one channel. Essentially, you want to cast the net as far and wide as possible, especially when you’re just starting out. John (Anime Dallas) tells us what goes into getting the word out about their event:

“Marketing Anime Dallas involves a mix of online and offline strategies, including social media campaigns, email newsletters, partnerships with local businesses, and attending other anime events to promote our convention. 

Engaging with our community and leveraging word-of-mouth recommendations are also key components of our marketing strategy. We have connections with some local anime stores in Houston and Dallas, and they help us spread the word through flyers. And we also send out regular email newsletters and promote on social media as well.” In fact, in our recent survey of 1000 event creators, word of mouth came out as the most effective marketing channel with 35% saying it was their top channel for promoting their events. 

Tip: You might find these event marketing guides useful:

• How to get the most out of video marketing as an event creator
• 9 tips for building an engaging event website
• How to make a big impact on a small budget with social media event marketing

Actively help attendees connect with each other

Conventions are great places to make new connections. But the idea of this can be daunting, especially to those attending alone. It’s a great idea to help combat any barriers attendees might experience when it comes to making new friends at your ‘Con. Because, ultimately, they’ll get so much more out of the experience when they’re able to fully embrace meeting other like-minded people.

On this topic, Mark C (AireCon) says:

“Gaming, by its nature, is a very social hobby. As you sit down to play with a group of people, you all instantly have something in common in the game that you’re playing together. So we look for ways to help people overcome that initial barrier of introducing themselves to others. We try to get creative with initiatives to achieve this – for example, we have ‘light sabres’ that people can put on their table to show that there’s a game with space for players. We also have a bespoke online system that allows people to arrange games in advance. We gear a lot of our events around helping people get to know others, too – for example, via group games, or mixers at local cafes before the halls open.”

Whether your convention involves gaming or other interactive elements, it’s really worthwhile looking into ways you can help attendees get over that initial hurdle of connecting with others. It’ll completely change the dynamic of your event and could be the difference between someone having an average time and an unforgettable experience.

Listen to the pros

Who better to take advice from when planning your own fan convention than those who’ve done it with great success? When we asked John (Anime Dallas) what advice he’d give to someone thinking of starting their own ‘Con from scratch, he had these wise words to say:

“For anyone organising their first fan convention, start with a clear vision and build a passionate team. Secure funding through sponsorships, partnerships, and ticket sales. Choose a venue that is accessible and fits the scale of your event. Plan meticulously, focusing on guest bookings, vendor coordination, and a solid marketing strategy. Always keep the fan experience at the forefront, ensuring your event is welcoming, fun, and memorable.”

Why fan conventions love Ticket Tailor

The creators of AireCon, Anime Dallas and NORCON all chose Ticket Tailor to ticket their conventions 🙌. When asked why they love to use Ticket Tailor, some of the reasons they highlighted include:

✅Low cost plus high functionality

✅Website widget allows attendees to buy direct from your website

✅User-friendly interface

✅Create as many different fully-customized ticket options as you like 

✅Real-time sales tracking and robust reporting

✅Excellent customer support

✅Bespoke seating plans 

✅Free check-in app 

Here’s a closer look at what they have to say about using Ticket Tailor:

“The low cost plus high functionality works great for us. We also like the integration with Stripe and having a great widget for our website, so people can buy with confidence!” – Mark Cooke, AireCon

“We chose Ticket Tailor for its user-friendly interface, flexible pricing, and excellent customer support. The platform's ability to handle large volumes of ticket sales efficiently and its customization options for different ticket types were particularly appealing to us. For example, we have price tiers – as the convention gets closer, ticket prices increase, to encourage pre-sales.” – John Swayse, Anime Dallas

“We love that we can create bespoke seating plans [...] We actually use this for our trader sales, as it means the traders for our events can easily select where they want to be situated within our arena. We also love the free Ticket Tailor check-in app, which makes it so much easier to scan in attendees on the day of our events. We regularly use the app’s handy filter function, which allows us to filter out specific ticket types. This means our scanners can be set to only scan early entry tickets, for example – with any others being sent to a different queue for later admission.” – Mark Dean, NORCON

Feeling inspired to start your own ‘Con? Find out more about why Ticket Tailor is the perfect ticketing platform for conferences and conventions >