With mandated social distancing shuttering large-scale events worldwide, the future of pop culture conventions has arrived: Virtual Fan Expo (VFE). Event producers Kaleidoko, Experience Level Entertainment (XLEVELENT), Legion M and Collider announced today that VFE 2020 is scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, May 2-3; a jam-packed, two-day event offering fun, fandom and the ultimate celebration of the pop culture community in a safe, inclusive virtual environment.
“We’re launching Virtual Fan Expo as an exciting, revolutionary con experience that best replicates ‘being there’ without compromising anyone’s health, well-being or need to leave home,” said Bernie Bregman, director of business development and talent acquisitions, Experience Level Entertainment. “Above all, we’re enabling a deep, inclusive and meaningful sense of community for pop culture fans hungry for fun and engaging social opportunities currently stolen by the global pandemic.”
VFE promises to be an integrated fan experience featuring exciting panels, Q&A’s and celebrity appearances, including actor Joe Manganiello (“Magic Mike,” “True Blood,” “Rampage”) and “Maltin on Movies” podcast co-hosts Leonard and Jessie Maltin, as well as interactive gaming rooms, online happy hours, and a cosplay “ball.” An event centerpiece will be a seamless virtual exhibitor floor featuring more than one hundred exhibitors and vendors offering the hottest merchandise typically found at well-known Cons. Attendees will have exclusive access to vendors on the exhibitor floor via Auxxit, an innovative virtual marketplace that will feature special shopping segments including limited edition and VFE-exclusive merch. The platform also gives the community unparalleled ability to communicate with exhibitors and each other throughout the weekend.
Kaleidoko Director and Community Engineer Jenny Stiven added, “Virtual Fan Expo fills a tremendous void that many communities are feeling with the cancellation of major Cons around the world. VFE’s integrated environment will not only elevate the Con experience for fans, but it will deliver a seamless ‘exhibitor floor’ that enables vendors a phenomenal opportunity to engage with consumers and showcase their inventory that would have otherwise gone untouched during this uncertain time.”
Amplifying the Con’s reach across fandom, VFE producer Legion M--the world’s first fan-owned entertainment company--will mobilize its highly-engaged community of more than 100,000 members leading up to and during the event, as well as provide programming support for the weekend’s schedule. The Con’s media partner Collider will stream VFE segments and feature exclusive content on its website.
More details will be announced soon. To stay informed about Virtual Fan Expo, including panel and Q&A schedules, celebrity appearances, as well as fan experience and exhibitor details, please visit VirtualFanExpo.com. Follow Virtual Fan Expo at Facebook.com/virtualfanexpo and Twitter/Instagram at @virtualfanexpo.
Produced by entertainment leaders Collider, Legion M, Kaleidoko and XLEVELENT, VFE 2020 will replicate the Con experience down to an exhibitor floor via Auxxit, an innovative virtual marketplace, where attendees will have unparalleled ability to communicate with exhibitors and each other. The virtual convention floor will feature more than one hundred exhibitors and vendors offering the hottest merchandise typically found at well-known Cons and featuring VFE-exclusive items.
Other VFE 2020 highlights over the jam-packed weekend include:
- Exciting panels and Q&As
- Celebrity appearances including Joe Manganiello ("True Blood" and "Rampage")
- Interactive gaming rooms
- Online happy hours
- Cosplay "ball"
- And much more that will be announced later this month and found at VirtualFanExpo.com
