According to handouts at this weekend’s Big Apple Con, next year’s show is being held October 7-10 — the exact same dates as the long announced New York Comic-Con.
Accidents do happen, but it’s pretty incredible that the only date available for the Big Apple show was…the same dates as the second-biggest show in the US?

Is that even feasible?

Industry observers are already reacting with shock to the announcement. In a huge market that clearly loves comics, a spring or summer date would make a lot of sense. But going up against another, established show that has a great deal of good will on its side seems…well, odd. The idea of exhibitors and guests having to choose between two concurrent shows is also…mind boggling.

CBR has more and some analysis

With so many non-comics-related media guests, some commenters have speculated that Shamus’ shows would try to avoid direct competition with conventions like NYCC or Comic-Con International in San Diego by virtue of offering less of a comics focus (a view supported by promotional newspaper stories hitting this past week). However, with a four-day show planned at the same time as next year’s expansive NYCC convention (this years’ Big Apple show runs Friday to Sunday), it appears as though Shamus and company will attempt to at least capitalize on the reputation of NYCC, if not directly try to steal some of the shows thunder.

Developing.

1 COMMENT

  1. Well, Marvel and DC will be at NYC– in fact, since only Avatar is making a showing at Big Apple this year, I’d say that all the publishers will opt for NYCC. Not to mention, NYCC gets you into NYAF, plus NYCC will have more of a “big media” presence. So I’d say Big Apple is well on it’s way to returning to its “church basement” roots.

  2. Four days next year in October? How do you make that work?

    I’m a big comics fan, but there was no reason for me to take off today to go to Big Apple. Judging by past Big Apples, I’ll spend just one day, Saturday, at the show.

    Whereas NYCC hosts the ICV2 Conference on Thursday, then opens the exhibitor space for a trade show Friday morning along with retailer and library panels.

    Not only will most publishers be exhibiting at NYCC (a good chunk of revenue for Reed), but most retailers as well. (80K vs. 20-30K attendance)

    Publishers can practice “shuttle diplomacy” by commuting talent between the shows (not that far away from each other on Twelfth Avenue) and keeping both organizers happy.

    Oh… and NYCC is using the ENTIRE Javits Center next October.

    Ed… about that “fight”… didja ever see that cartoon called “Bambi Meets Godzilla”? I won’t spoil the ending, but you can watch it on YouTube.

  3. In case anyone’s wondering how big Reed Exhibitions is in the convention business:

    Every year we run over 470 events in 37 countries, bringing together over 7 million active event participants worldwide. With over 2,700 employees in 38 offices around the globe we serve 44 industries worldwide.

  4. Torsten— yup, seen that! Not quite of a fair match-up, for sure. (But have you seen “Bambi’s Revenge”?)

    Can’t wait for the Comics “Scrapple in the Big Apple” Conmeggadon come Oct 2010: maybe WIZARD/Shamus can show it live at a BIG APPLE CON wrestling ring… REED will be featuring the XBOX/PS3/Wii game demos at NYCC… while CCI can announce the Hollywood film adaptation at next year’s SDCC!

    ;)

  5. HAR! “match-up” “Bambi’s Revenge” !

    And… Penny Arcade can do a week’s worth of strips, live at NYCC!

    I guess Baltimore Comic-Con saw this coming, moving to August. No SPX MMX dates yet.

  6. I’m not really familiar with the layout of New York, but if I got the addresses right, Google maps shows the two locations are barely a mile from each other. That’s closer than my hotel was for San Diego this year, and I walked that twice.

    The idea of two comic cons within walking distance of each other just screams redundancy to me. On the other hand, maybe they can make it work on the “auto mall” principle.

  7. I wanted to go to my first NYCC in 2010 and from what I’ve read/seen it seems like a nice throwback to what CCI used to be. I’d choose that over the glitz of Wizard anyday.

  8. Shameless…oops, sorry, Shamus…is banking on people “mixing up” the conventions and going to his pony show, rather than the real one. Next will come the “Do our show or we won’t put you in our Top 10 or give you advertising space.” But then, with the internet, does Wizard the (loosely called) Magazine really amount to much anymore?

  9. Shameless may be counting on people getting the wrong show (as noted above), but once you discover you are in the wrong show, I think it highly unlikely that you could get a refund.

  10. Here’s something interesting from Lance Festerman’s blog…

    —–quoted material begins here—————————————–

    Friday, October 16, 2009
    A Difference In Styles……NYCC Booted From Big Apple

    Just got a call from the NYCC crew (Larry, Mark and Tonya) that the Wizard people kicked them out of Big Apple Con! Too funny. They had a whole bevy of security guards escort them out. Wow. Little different than the last few years when Joe Yanarella, Adam Tracey and the Wizard crew would come to NYCC and we’d have a nice chat, catch up, be professional and then they’d hang out and see customers…..

    To be fair, Peter Katz of Wizard did hand them cash to refund the ticket cost. Classy.

    So why were they so afraid of having some NYCC staffers there?

    -L

    Posted by Lance Fensterman at 6:57 PM

    —–quoted material ends here——————————————-

    http://www.mediumatlarge.net/2009/10/difference-in-stylesnycc-booted-from.html

  11. The conventions really are very close to one another if Big Apple stays at Pier 94. 20 blocks – its a 15 minute walk. Super easy. And if it all comes to pass, this will be a boon for the those unsung conventioneers – food cart vendors. I’m telling the korean bbq guys here in Jersey City to make sure they get themselves a spot down there. Kimchiadilla! (exactly what it sounds like, and delicious)

    From a standpoint of capacity, even with the full Javits at their disposal, NYCC will likely be packed (factoring in NYAF too), and nothing is going to change that. The WW show could conceivably fill up just from spill-over, bringing total New York attendance to 100k plus.

    I predict the clouds will part, trumpets will sound, and we will witness the second coming of Kirby at 2:30 on saturday, during that moment when Johns is talking with folk at the front of the room right after the DC panel ends and the convention staff are trying to clear the room before the Marvel panel begins while Bendis and Quesada are waiting outside.

    Points for a ponder:

    1. NYCC (the Reed convention), I feel has gotten better and better each. They can’t make everyone happy, but they really do seem to listen to the input they get and try to alter plans from there. WW cons do not seem to get better. Philly this year was a shadow of what it was two years ago.

    2. I doubt I can afford two separate passes. And I’m already thinking about buying my NYCC ticket, because I can buy it now.

    3. JIMMIE ROBINSON in NY!

  12. If I was Reed, I would make nice to all those creators who couldn’t get tables in previous years and ensure that NYCC has the best guest list ever. Find out the cheapest cost per table, go back and look at those unfulfilled waiting lists from previous years and get those people in right away! Because they will happily set up at Big Apple if they can’t get a spot at NYCC or, worse, if their emails are ignored.

    Reed – here’s your chance to really up your game. Get your staff in tip top shape, answer emails ASAP, get your artist alley full up, focus your show on the creators and have the largest guest list of COMIC creators ever. Only that will show up Big Apple and only that will ensure that they learn not to take on the new kid on the block.

    Because the last thing Reed needs right now is bad publicity from creators who can’t get into NYCC. Don’t turn into San Diego when it comes to that.

  13. Great comments, all. Michael, yours about really taking care of ALL of the creators is a great insight.

    Everyone says “con war”, but this is not a war, this is about a display of two differing approaches to this business. We start with the fans, creators and exhibitors and figure if we make them happy we’ll be happy (a good business with good income) the other con in this situation first starts with how to please themselves and the fans, exhibitors and guests are incidental to that process – Growing there pockets is less important than growing THE business. We feel if we grow the business (new readers, media coverage, vibrant B2B environment through licensing, rights and education) then the industry will reward us by stronger and stronger participation which will please the fans and in turn, yes, please us through a good business model. See the difference?

  14. Michael, I have to say that as a first-time, small-press-area exhibitor for next year’s show, I’m already impressed with Reed’s communication skills. Both Lance Fensterman and Larry Settembrini have answered my questions in a very timely manner each time I’ve raised one, and have me really looking forward to the con.

    ‘Course, if I wind up relegated to a shadowy corner in the hinterlands of the Javits Center that opinion may change. ;-) My adoring fans (both of them) need to be able to find me, y’know!

    Steve Roman
    Starwarp Concepts

  15. I believe that part of the reason for NYCC’s move to October is to be able to attract some of the same media panels that SDCC will have with studios coming to NYC to show product (and not have to pay for talent just like SDCC).

    In this is the case they will succeed and Big Apple will suffer from it’s bad rep with studios.