The inaugural Island FanCon will be held at City Centre Park's two arenas in Langford on April 13-14 [ba7da7d0]. Organizers are expecting thousands of pop-culture and entertainment-industry fans to attend [ba7da7d0]. While the celebrity guests from the U.S. and Europe have not been revealed yet, the event planning has been underway since last summer and has been ramping up since November [ba7da7d0]. Island FanCon aims to become the biggest convention of its kind on Vancouver Island [ba7da7d0].
The arrival of Island FanCon provides a place for younger fans who may not be able to travel far for conventions [ba7da7d0]. The convention scene in Victoria has seen smaller conventions die out after a year or two due to lack of resources or return on investment [ba7da7d0]. Island FanCon hopes to bring in tourism and become a major event on Vancouver Island [ba7da7d0]. The organizer, Lonnie Eckardt, has experience in the convention world and has helped put on a similar event in Prince George [ba7da7d0]. The Northern FanCon in Prince George has become a film-industry catalyst and has attracted celebrities such as William Shatner, Lou Ferrigno, Ron Perlman, and Bret 'The Hitman' Hart [ba7da7d0]. Island FanCon aims to replicate the success of the Northern FanCon [ba7da7d0].
The fate of Victoria's Capital City Comic Con remains uncertain following a hiatus in 2023 [ba7da7d0]. The tourism organization managing the bookings for the Victoria Conference Centre and Crystal Garden, where previous Comic Cons were held, has stated that Comic Con will remain in hiatus for the next two years [ba7da7d0]. Island FanCon fills the void by providing a new convention for fans on Vancouver Island [ba7da7d0]. It offers an opportunity for younger fans who may not have been able to attend the previous Comic Con due to travel constraints [ba7da7d0].
Island FanCon is set to bring the excitement of pop culture and the entertainment industry to Langford in April [ba7da7d0]. With its aim to become the biggest convention on Vancouver Island, it offers a platform for fans to come together and celebrate their shared interests [ba7da7d0]. The convention hopes to attract visitors from near and far, boosting tourism in the area [ba7da7d0]. With Lonnie Eckardt's experience in organizing conventions and the success of the Northern FanCon in Prince George, Island FanCon is poised to become a major event that showcases the best of pop culture and entertainment [ba7da7d0].