FanExpo Dallas 2024
A Fan Reflection
In pulling back the curtain just a little bit, I can tell you that we here at IUF occasionally cover events that feel a little bit like work. We like having content on our outlets, and we get a certain amount of satisfaction in providing content for a growing number of fanbases. Sometimes that means going places we wouldn’t otherwise choose to go. FanExpo, however, is NOT one of those places. Every year that we get approved to cover FanExpo is, truly, a treat. For me, personally, 2024 was the second year I attended FanExpo Dallas, and in the following paragraphs, I want to give you, a reader who may or may not have ever attended one of these remarkable occasions, a reflective chronology of my experience.
The first thing that gets us excited here at IUF is the list of celebrity guests. Having been to a couple of these now, I can honestly say that a great celebrity guest list does not necessarily make or break the event for me, but it’s what is most attractive to me in the weeks leading up to it. Visiting the website several times per week to check for updates, texting back and forth with friends and the rest of the IUF team – it really is fun and it adds to the experience. When I first set foot in the convention center, it is really exciting to know that legendary people like William Shatner and David Tenant are in the same building as me.
Once I’m inside the absolutely mind-bogglingly huge (but amazingly clean and well-kept) Kay Bailey Convention Center, it’s the events that excite me. Guest panel discussions, fan meet-ups, scavenger hunts, and all sorts of other things can stack your schedule up really fast- a great problem to have.
At this point, I’d like to recognize two things that really made our FanExpo weekend exceptional. One is the FanExpo App, which is free and intuitive and allows attendees to make their own schedule (with reminders!) from a master list of events. The other is Victor Dandridge, the hardest working man is comics and a gifted panel moderator that deserves shoutouts as often as possible.
The next component at FanExpo that keeps my excitement level at a 10 is the vendor section. It’s endless, and all worth a close look. If you ever wondered where your friend got that GoT collectible you’ve never seen before or that amazing custom light saber, it was probably at a place like the FanExpo vendor area. Every movie, TV show, video game, board game, and comic series you can think of is represented, with an unreal selection of collectibles, wearables, decoratables, and more. I was really impressed by the remarkable (and many Lucasfilm-certified) artists of Tattoo Alley and the growing number of creators offering fandom-related food and beverage.
Speaking of food and beverage – the food court area is clean, well-maintained and offers a surprising variety of foods for a wide spectrum of tastes, even acai bowls for fruit-and- veggie nerds like me. If I could make one change, I’d ask for a place to get a cup of coffee to help with that mid-afternoon haze that comes with all of the walking and sensory stimulation.
These are the things that make me want to go to FanExpo- the celebrities (I bought a couple of autographs) l, the events (IUF was represented in the vast majority of panel discussions and ran meetups), the vendors and the refreshments. All of those are what I walk into the building thinking about. But when I’m leaving, there’s only one thing on my mind – the fans.
I can write about how cool it is to catch a glimpse of Susan Sarandon or how the sound of Mary McDonnell’s voice made me travel back in time to when I first saw Independence Day. I can describe the coolest FunkoPops and the funniest Tee Shirts. What I don’t have words for, however, is what it’s like to be in a building with literally THOUSANDS of people that all understand each other to some degree and are willing to put aside whatever differences they may have in order to appreciate and celebrate what they have in common. Everywhere you look at FanExpo, people are making new friends, complimenting each other, encouraging one another, and just having a great time together. I applaud FanExpo for the tangible elements that make this event as great as it can be as far as they have control, but the real reason you need to make it out to one of these, if you haven’t yet, is for the company of the thousands of people who are more like you than they are different. That’s what will keep us wanting to go back to FanExpo.
We will see you at Dallas Fan Festival this October and at FanExpo Dallas 2025!