Salt Lake Comic Con

Coordinates: 40°36′7.812″N 111°53′0.7794″W / 40.60217000°N 111.883549833°W / 40.60217000; -111.883549833

Salt Lake Comic Con

Patrick Stewart in 2014 with Farr and Brandenburg
Status Active
Genre Multi-genre
Venue Salt Palace Convention Center
Location(s) Salt Lake City, Utah
Country United States
Inaugurated September 5, 2013 (2013-09-05)
Attendance 127,000 (September 2015)
Organized by Dan Farr Productions
Filing status For-profit
Website
www.saltlakecomiccon.com

Salt Lake Comic Con is a biannual multi-genre fan convention held in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. It is produced by Dan Farr and Bryan Brandenburg under Dan Farr Productions in partnership with MediaOne of Utah.[1][2] The first convention took place at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City.[3] The second event, Salt Lake Comic Con FanXperience, took place in April 2014.[4] Since then, the main Salt Lake Comic Con event has been held at the beginning of September each year, and the FanXperience event has been held at the beginning of the year.

The third event, Salt Lake Comic Con 2014, took place on September 4–6, 2014.[5] The event was sold out with over 120,000 attendees and was closed down on several occasions by the fire marshal for safety reasons.[6][7] The fourth event, the second annual FanXperience, was called Salt Lake Comic Con FanXperience 2015 and took place on January 29–31, 2015. Ticket sales were capped at 50,000, with attendance measuring just above that, ensuring a more "streamlined" event.[8] The fifth event, Salt Lake Comic Con 2015, took place on September 24–26, 2015. The sixth event and the third annual FanXperience, Salt Lake Comic Con FanXperience 2016, took place on March 24–26, 2016 at the Salt Palace Convention Center.[9] The seventh event, Salt Lake Comic Con 2016, took place on September 1–3, 2016. The eighth event and the fourth annual FanXperience, Salt Lake Comic Con FanX 2017, is scheduled to take place on March 17–18, 2017.

History

The first Salt Lake Comic Con was held September 5–7, 2013 and was produced by Dan Farr Productions. Originally, it was planned to be held at the South Town Exposition Center in Sandy, Utah, but due to high ticket sales, it was moved to the Salt Palace Convention Center.[10] Ticket sales continued to increase especially after announcements of special guests like Adam West, William Shatner,[11] and Stan Lee.[12]

On Saturday, September 7, 2013, over 70,000[13] people attended with ticket sales that exceeded 50,000.[14][15] Celebrities and organizers including Kevin Sorbo, Lou Ferrigno, Claire Coffee, Dan Farr, and Bryan Brandenburg were invited to meet with Governor Gary Herbert.[16] The attendance made the 2013 Salt Lake Comic Con the largest inaugural Comic Con in North America and the largest convention ever held in Salt Lake City.[13] According to Salt Lake Comic Con officials, between 70,000 and 80,000 people attended on Saturday before tickets sold out.[17][18]

Salt Lake Comic Con FanXperience, the first of two Salt Lake Comic Con events in 2014, took place on April 17–19, 2014.[19] Salt Lake Comic Con FanXperience was attended by over 100,000[20] people, breaking Salt Lake Comic Con 2013's own attendance records and making it the third largest Comic Con event in the United States and the largest per-capita comic con event in North America. Special guests included Patrick Stewart, William Shatner, Chandler Riggs, Adam Baldwin, Karl Urban, Nathan Fillion, Jason David Frank, Karen Gillan, Billy Dee Williams, Jonathan Frakes and Edward James Olmos.[21]

On July 25, 2014 San Diego Comic-Con International sent Salt Lake Comic Con a cease and desist letter over the use of the word "Comic Con."[22] Salt Lake Comic Con organizers responded to this stating that San Diego Comic-Con International threatening Salt Lake Comic Con could lead to other "Comic Cons" being affected.[23] Salt Lake Comic Con responded with a press release citing their legal position and unwillingness to comply to the cease and desist letter.[24]

Salt Lake Comic Con 2014, the second Salt Lake Comic Con event in 2014, took place on September 4–6, 2014.[5] The event was sold out with over 120,000 attendees and was closed down on several occasions by the fire marshall for safety reasons.[6][7] Salt Lake Comic Con broke its own record as the best-attended convention in Utah and the largest per-capita comic con in North America. Special guests included Stan Lee, Leonard Nimoy (via Skype), Stephen Amell, Manu Bennett, John Barrowman, Ron Perlman, Bruce Campbell, Alan Tudyk, Eliza Dushku, Simon Helberg, Lou Ferrigno, Barbara Eden, Danny Glover, Jon Heder and over 100 other guests.[21]

Salt Lake Comic Con FanXperience 2015, the first of two Salt Lake Comic Con events scheduled for 2015 (the other being the third annual Salt Lake Comic Con 2015 in September 2015), took place on January 29–31, 2015.[25] This was the first Salt Lake Comic Con event to take place during the winter months in Utah, as previous events have taken place in either April or September. Salt Lake Comic Con also "utilized RFID technology to fast track registration and access to the show".[25] Special Guests included Matt Smith, Carrie Fisher, Christopher Lloyd Felicia Day, Steven Yeun, Emily Kinney, Lena Headey, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Nichelle Nichols, Ray Park, Brandon Routh, Paul Wesley, Tom Felton and many more celebrities from the worlds of film, television, comic books and literature.[26]

Salt Lake Comic Con 2015, the third annual Salt Lake Comic Con event, took place on September 24–26, 2015.[27] Salt Lake Comic Con co-founders Dan Farr and Bryan Brandenburg intended for the event to be "bigger and better than ever".[27] The event utilized the entire Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City and expanded the popular "KidCon" section with more kid and family friendly booths, displays, panels and activities.[27] Salt Lake Comic Con 2015 broke its previous record with 127,000 attendees,[28] which contributed to Utah Transit Authority's record-breaking ridership with 567,892 boardings on TRAX (light rail) and FrontRunner.[29] Speaking about the event, Brandenburg also stated that "the real depth of this event is the myriad of features, cosplayers, parties, panels and entertainment that will engage and captivate our fans for three solid days."[30] Special Guests included Chris Evans, Hayley Atwell, Sebastian Stan, Ian Somerhalder, Felicia Day, James and Oliver Phelps, John Barrowman, Jenna Coleman, Arthur Darvill, Sean Astin, Anthony Daniels, Scott Wilson, Marina Sirtis, Denis O'Hare, Dean O'Gorman, Kristin Bauer van Straten, Robbie Amell, Walter Koenig, Richard Hatch, Emma Caulfield, Linda Blair, Daniel Cudmore, Vic Mignogna, Emmanuelle Vaugier, Christopher Gorham, Austin St. John, Joel Hodgson, Bill Corbett, Trace Beaulieu, Frank Conniff, Jim Butcher, Timothy Zahn, James Dashner, R. A. Salvatore, Terry Brooks, Richard Paul Evans, Kevin Hearne with at least 200 more celebrities from the worlds of film, television, comic books and literature in attendance.[31]

On Friday, September 25, 2015 at 6 pm Salt Lake Comic Con attempted and successfully broke the world record for the most costumed comic book cosplay characters in one location. At 1784 people, this beat the previous record by about 250, surpassing the International Animation CCJOY LAND in Changzhou City, Jiangsu Province, China, on April 29, 2011 which had gathered 1530 people.[32]

Salt Lake Comic Con announced their sixth event as Salt Lake Comic Con FanXperience 2016, which was held on March 24–26, 2016 at the Salt Palace Convention Center.[9] FanXperience 2016 was notable for playing host to guests outside the likely convention-attending celebrities, including Apollo program astronaut Buzz Aldrin, singer Nick Carter of The Backstreet Boys and Underworld (film series) actress Kate Beckinsale.[33]

Salt Lake Comic Con 2016, the fourth annual Salt Lake Comic Con event, began on September 1-3, 2016.[34] Star Wars actor Mark Hamill and Star Trek actor William Shatner appeared in special back-to-back panels at the Vivint Smart Home Arena, home of the Utah Jazz. With over 10,000 attendees, these panels became the largest attended panel at any comic book convention in history.[35]

List of events

Dates Location Attendance Notable guests Notes
September 5–7, 2013 Salt Palace Convention Center 70,000-80,000[36] Adam West, Burt Ward, Claire Coffee, David Prowse, Dean Cain, Dirk Benedict, Glenn Morshower, Henry Winkler, John de Lancie, Kevin Sorbo, Lou Ferrigno, Manu Bennett, Peter Mayhew, Ray Park, Richard Hatch, Sofia Milos, Stan Lee, Weta Workshop, William Shatner and over 100 others[21] Salt Lake Comic Con was the largest first-year comic con in the US, as well as the largest convention ever held in Utah (a record broken by Salt Lake Comic Con's next event, FanXperience). The first Salt Lake Comic Con brought roughly $31 million to the state of Utah.[36]
April 17–19, 2014 Salt Palace Convention Center,[37] Gateway District,[38] Salt Lake Marriott Hotel Downtown at City Creek Center,[39] Utah State Capitol[40] Over 100,000[41] Aaron Douglas, Adam Baldwin, Billy Dee Williams, Bob Layton, Brent Spiner, Cassandra Peterson, Chandler Riggs, Charles Fleischer, Denise Crosby, Dexter Vines, Ed McGuinness, Edward James Olmos, Gates McFadden, Ioan Gruffudd, James Marsters, Jason David Frank, Jeremy Bulloch, Jon Bernthal, Jonathan Frakes, Julie Benz, Karen Gillan, Karl Urban, Kelly Hu, Laurie Holden, Marina Sirtis, Michael Dorn, Micky Dolenz, Nathan Fillion, Neal Adams, Patrick Stewart, Peter David, Sean Patrick Flanery, William Shatner, and over 100 other guests[21] Salt Lake Comic Con FanXperience was the third largest comic con in the United States, the largest convention ever held in the state of Utah, and the largest comic con per capita in North America.
September 4–6, 2014 Salt Palace Convention Center,[42] Gateway District,[43] Salt Lake Marriott Hotel Downtown at City Creek Center,[44] Radisson Hotels Salt Lake City Downtown[45] Over 120,000 [46] Ernie Hudson, Bruce Campbell, John Barrowman, Sam Witwer, Cary Elwes, Eliza Dushku, Erin Gray, Lou Ferrigno, Kevin Sorbo, Michael Rosenbaum, Jason David Frank, Giancarlo Esposito, Vic Mignogna, Simon Helberg, Stephen Amell, Manu Bennett, Jon Heder, Neal Adams, Brandon Sanderson, David Farland, Weta Workshop, Barbara Eden, Alan Tudyk, James Hong, Hulk Hogan, Danny Glover, Charisma Carpenter, Kevin Conroy, Gigi Edgley, Matt Frewer, Patrick Warburton, Eve Myles, Craig Parker, Johnny Yong Bosch, Veronica Taylor, Eric Roberts, Colin Baker, Paul McGann, Grant Imahara, Ian Ziering, Leonard Nimoy, Ron Perlman, Stan Lee[47] and over 100 other guests The third Salt Lake Comic Con event broke the attendance records of the first two Salt Lake Comic Con events before it, with more than 120,000 attendees. The event was sold out by noon on Saturday, with more than 90,000 attendees on that day alone.[48]
January 29–31, 2015 Salt Palace Convention Center[49] Over 50,000 [8] Matt Smith, Karen Gillan, Billie Piper, Carrie Fisher, Christopher Lloyd, Felicia Day, Tom Felton, Steven Yeun, Emily Kinney, Laurie Holden, Lena Headey, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Brandon Routh, Ray Park, Paul Wesley, Phoebe Tonkin, Nichelle Nichols, Anthony Michael Hall, Mark Pellegrino, Alaina Huffman, Ralph Macchio, Glenn Morshower, RJ Mitte, Jim Cummings, Jess Harnell, Rob Paulsen and over 100 other guests[26] First Salt Lake Comic Con event held in January with a new RFID registration system. Tickets were capped at 50,000, and the event was sold out.[8][25]
September 24–26, 2015 Salt Palace Convention Center[50] 127,000[28] Chris Evans, Hayley Atwell, Sebastian Stan, Ian Somerhalder, Felicia Day, James and Oliver Phelps, John Barrowman, Jenna Coleman, Arthur Darvill, Sean Astin, Anthony Daniels, Scott Wilson, Marina Sirtis, Denis O'Hare, Dean O'Gorman, Kristin Bauer van Straten, Robbie Amell, Walter Koenig, Richard Hatch, Emma Caulfield, Linda Blair, Daniel Cudmore, Vic Mignogna, Emmanuelle Vaugier, Christopher Gorham, Austin St. John, Joel Hodgson, Bill Corbett, Trace Beaulieu, Frank Conniff, Jim Butcher, Timothy Zahn, James Dashner, R. A. Salvatore, Terry Brooks, Dee Bradley Baker, Jess Harnell, Rob Paulsen, Richard Paul Evans, Kevin Hearne[31] and over 100 other guests The third annual Salt Lake Comic Con event broke its previous attendance records with 127,000 attendees.[28] Salt Lake Comic Con 2015 also helped contribute to record breaking Utah Transit Authority ridership numbers with 567,892 boardings on TRAX (light rail) and FrontRunner.[29] The event broke the Guinness World Record for the Most People Dressed as Comic Book Characters in one location with 1784 participants.[32] Salt Lake Comic Con 2015 hosted the POP! Life World Tour Exhibition presented by Funko and Toy Tokyo.[51]
March 24–26, 2016 Salt Palace Convention Center[52] Over 50,000 Buzz Aldrin, Gillian Anderson, Matt Smith, Jason Isaacs, Summer Glau, Chandler Riggs, Alex Kingston, Tom Kenny, Alan Tudyk, LeVar Burton, Mitch Pileggi, Dean Cain, Sylvester McCoy, Peter Davison, Bill Farmer, Jess Harnell, Paul Blackthorne, Charlotte Ross, Curtis Armstrong, Gary Lockwood, Michael Traynor, Don Shanks, Grey DeLisle, Erica Carroll, William B. Davis, Kate Beckinsale, Nick Carter, Tony Anselmo, Danai Gurira, Joey Fatone, Jeremy Renner and over 100 other guests The sixth Salt Lake Comic Con event and the third annual FanXperience event.
September 1–3, 2016 Salt Palace Convention Center Over 120,000 Mark Hamill, William Shatner, Stephen Amell, John Cena, Evanna Lynch, Ian Somerhalder, Paul Wesley, Robert Englund, Lou Ferrigno, Michael Rooker, Famke Janssen, Arthur Darvill, Billy Boyd, Millie Bobby Brown, Jim Beaver, John Schneider, Tom Wopat, Millie Bobby Brown, Catherine Bach, Manu Bennett, David Ramsey, Jason David Frank, Jeremy Bulloch, Vic Mignogna, Phil LaMarr, Steve Blum, James Arnold Taylor, Fred Tatasciore, Jess Harnell, Liam McIntyre, Troy Baker and over 100 other guests[53] The fourth annual Salt Lake Comic Con event.
March 17–18, 2017 Salt Palace Convention Center TBD Guests for Salt Lake Comic Con FanX 2017 have not been announced The fourth annual FanXperience event.

See also

References

  1. ↑ BWW News Desk (September 4, 2014). "Stan Lee Returns to Salt Lake Comic Con Today". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved April 15, 2016.
  2. ↑ "Salt Lake Comic Con Draws An Unexpected Crowd". KUTV. September 5, 2013. Retrieved April 15, 2016.
  3. ↑ Green, Mark (September 8, 2013). "Massive crowds set several records at 2013 Salt Lake Comic Con". Fox 13. Retrieved April 15, 2016.
  4. ↑ Taylor, Amanda (April 17, 2014). "On the scene at Comic Con FanXperience". KSL-TV. Retrieved April 15, 2016.
  5. 1 2 Salt Lake Comic Con hailed best comic con, closes with sold out final day September 30, 2014
  6. 1 2 Over 120,000 attend Salt Lake Comic Con September 7, 2014
  7. 1 2 Salt Lake Comic Con Celebrates Growing Attendance September 7, 2014
  8. 1 2 3 Streamlined FanX event is a win for Salt Lake Comic Con February 9, 2015
  9. 1 2 Comic Con wraps with Captain America’s gratitude, a surprise proposal, and FanX date September 27, 2015
  10. ↑ Salt Lake Comic Con Moves to Salt Palace for Pop Culture Event September 5-7, 2013 July 26, 2013
  11. ↑ William Shatner, Adam West make history at Comic Con September 6, 2013
  12. ↑ At the 11th hour, Salt Lake Comic Con inks icon Stan Lee September 4, 2013
  13. 1 2 Massive crowds set several records at 2013 Salt Lake Comic Con September 8, 2013
  14. ↑ SLC Comic Con wraps up with over 50K tickets sold September 8, 2013
  15. ↑ Families introduce kids to Comic Con culture while defending against adult themes September 7, 2013
  16. ↑ William Shatner Headlines Salt Lake Comic-Con September 8, 2013
  17. ↑ Salt Lake Comic Con organizers have San Diego in their sights September 9, 2013
  18. ↑ Salt Lake Comic Con Sets Record By Leveraging Social Marketing Trends September 18, 2013
  19. ↑ Two Comic Con Events Planned for 2014 November 20, 2013
  20. ↑ Salt Lake Comic Con FanXperience (FanX) Shatters Attendance Record, Breaks 100,000 Mark April 21, 2014
  21. 1 2 3 4 Salt Lake Comic Con Alumni Page July 29, 2014
  22. ↑ "Battle of the Cons: SD vs. Salt Lake City". UTSanDiego.com. 28 July 2014. Retrieved 28 July 2014.
  23. ↑ "Salt Lake, San Diego comic con name feud would set precedent". sltrib.com. 28 July 2014. Retrieved 28 July 2014.
  24. ↑ "San Diego Comic-Con International vs All Comic Cons". saltlakecomiccon.com. 26 July 2014. Retrieved 28 July 2014.
  25. 1 2 3 Salt Lake Comic Con Makes the Jump to Light Speed; Announces FanXperience 2015 November 19, 2014
  26. 1 2 FanXperience 2015 Guest Finder February 9, 2015
  27. 1 2 3 Salt Lake Comic Con kicks off 2015 press conference with celebrity announcements April 1, 2015
  28. 1 2 3 How Many Fans??!! New York Comic Con Sets Attendance Record October 15, 2015
  29. 1 2 Comic Con fans help Utah Transit Authority set another ridership record September 30, 2015
  30. ↑ Salt Lake Comic Con 2015 Warps into Salt Lake City September 24-26 April 1, 2015
  31. 1 2 Salt Lake Comic Con 2015 Master Guest Schedule May 4, 2015
  32. 1 2 "SL Comic Con Sets World Records for Costumed Comic Book Gathering". KSL. 26 September 2015. Retrieved 28 September 2015.
  33. ↑ "Utah's FanX expands its universe by reaching beyond the expected stars". Salt Lake Tribune. 23 March 2016. Retrieved 29 August 2016.
  34. ↑ "Salt Lake Comic Con 2016 Announcements". Good4Utah. 11 May 2016. Retrieved 29 August 2016.
  35. ↑ "Salt Lake Comic Con 2016 to Host Mark Hamill Panel at Vivint Smart Home Arena". Good4Utah. 19 August 2016. Retrieved 29 August 2016.
  36. 1 2 Salt Lake Comic Con Sets Record by Leveraging Social Marketing Trends September 18, 2013
  37. ↑ Salt Lake Comic Con Home Page July 29, 2014
  38. ↑ Salt Lake Comic Con FanXperience 2014 Anime Festival July 29, 2014
  39. ↑ Salt Lake Comic Con FanXperience 2014 Jason David Frank Meet-N-Greet July 29, 2014
  40. ↑ Salt Lake Comic Con FanXperience 2014 Zombie Invasion Ball July 29, 2014
  41. ↑ Salt Lake Comic Con FanXperience Shatters Attendance Records, Breaks 100,000 Mark April 21, 2014
  42. ↑ Salt Lake Comic Con Home Page September 9, 2014
  43. ↑ Salt Lake Comic Con 2014 Film Festival September 9, 2014
  44. ↑ Salt Lake Comic Con 2014 Jason David Frank Meet-N-Greet September 9, 2014
  45. ↑ Smash Comic Con Tournament September 9, 2014
  46. ↑ Over 120,000 attend Salt Lake Comic Con September 7, 2014
  47. ↑ Salt Lake Comic Con Master Guest Schedule July 29, 2014
  48. ↑ Salt Lake Comic Con SELLS OUT With More Than 120,000 Attendees September 9, 2014
  49. ↑ Salt Lake Comic Con Home Page November 19, 2015
  50. ↑ Salt Lake Comic Con Home Page May 4, 2015
  51. ↑ Funko presents Pop! Life World Tour at Salt Lake Comic Con September 24, 2015
  52. ↑ Salt Lake Comic Con Home Page October 6, 2015
  53. ↑ Salt Lake Comic Con 2016 Master Guest Schedule October 6, 2015
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