Can organizers continue to host two FanX events in Salt Lake City each year?

SALT LAKE CITY – While Salt Lake Comic Convention's FanX Spring Conference wraps up over two days dedicated to celebrity signage, artist salespeople, cosplayers and more, Saturday, a The question was posed to co-founder Dan Farr:

Is the expense of all of this worthwhile hosting two events a year?

"Economically, it's a bit difficult to try to do two events because the spring event is not really much cheaper than the September event," Farr told Deseret News. "Attendance has always been a little less strong in the spring than in September."

Farr estimates that FanX has seen between 45,000 and 50,000 people in front of the Salt Palace Convention Center for the convention Friday and Saturday, far from the 75,000 to 100,000 participants that the fall event brings. And with roughly the same overhead costs – According to Mr. Farr, each event costs between $ 2 million and $ 3 million. It is difficult to justify the expense and effort required to organize two events.

But then he looks around the crowded congress center.

"It's so much fun to have the spring event, right?" Said Farr. "You know, we like to do it, there are so many people … who like to be here."

Farr will not have an answer to his question about the Spring Convention immediately. His team and co-founder Bryan Brandenburg will consider a number of factors in deciding the fate of their spring event. In addition to looking at the current economic marketplace – can people afford two fan conventions a year, which manage guests between $ 40 and $ 200? – They must also decide on the impact of the name change of the 2017 Salt Lake Comic Con Convention on FanX.

Prior to the name change arising from a trademark lawsuit, the spring event had been hosted by Salt Lake Comic Con FanX, while the fall event was that of Salt Lake Comic Con. Farr worries that by naming the two FanX events, guests are less likely to realize that there are two separate events.

But a quick survey of participants on the Salt Palace floor showed that respondents, at least, had no problem paying for both events.

"I really hope to come to FanX in the fall," said Marianne VanAntwerp, guest. "I tended to see them all, I found there was (always) at least one real big (celebrity) draw for me."

VanAntwerp was very pleased to see John Cleese, a founding member of Monty Python, this spring, who joined a list of 31 famous guests including Zachary Levi, Lynda Carter, Tom Felton, Alice Cooper and many others.

"We have been coming for a very long time (at FanX), … (then) yes, definitely (we are coming to the fall)," said guest Nichole Hatfield. "We go there every year, whenever there is one left."

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In addition to satisfied guests, the Spring Conference offers Farr and his team an opportunity to see how they can improve their fall event. Farr hopes to have a new e-line technology for September to reduce the time guests spend in front of celebrities, which not only could create happier guests, but also give them more time to shop and sell. more money.

Time will tell as to the future of FanX's spring events, but Farr does not have to wait to find out what he thinks of these conventions that he helped to create there six years ago.

"These events are more important than fashion," he said. "Really what it is, it's about relationships … and that's what it is, it's a great relationship."