Celebrating NYCC

Cosplay

One of the biggest things that we and many attendees will miss this year is cosplaying. From new cosplayers to veterans, many can agree that seeing all of the different costumes really shape up the convention atmosphere. It is so exciting to see many cosplayers show off their hard-work. From weapons to mechanical costumes, we love seeing the creativeness that each cosplayer pours into their creation. We can only hope that many cosplayers are taking the time this year to craft their new costumes for 2021; which we look forward to seeing.

Autographs & Photo Op

Comic Con brings the stars to the fans, and those fans can meet the celebrity via autograph and photo op sessions. Celebrities will do these sessions during a specific time and day, so many experienced con-goers will plan ahead of time to know which celebrity they want to get an autograph from. You can find which guests are having an autograph session via visiting the con website. Although we personally don't have the time to see these wonderful guests, we can feel the positive vibes from the attendees when they talk about being able to meet someone they admire.

Artist Alley

Artist alley is another magical part of the NYCC experience. Similar to the exhibit hall, you may find yourself lost in a sea of artist and fans. The best part of artist alley is that you might find an artist you follow on social media or you will find a new artist to follow. You'll be surprised by how much merch you didn't know you needed until you head over to artist alley; from pins to keychains to limited posters, you'll find all sorts of amazing artwork available for purchase. This alley is full of passionate people doing the thing they love, and it shows in their work. When 2021 rolls around and conventions can possibly come back, we will be happy to return to this wonderful area of NYCC.

Panels

Panels are definitely a must-go if you want to hear the latest news on an upcoming television series or comic book. Lately, you'll find the coverage almost instantly online after the panel, but the atmosphere of fans makes the panels well worth checking out. If you're not into hearing about the latest television, or comic book news, there are other amazing panels, such as ones with content creators, and actors having a Q&A session talking about their past or current projects. Some of these Q&A's result in you-had-to-be-there moments, which make panels all the more special.

NYCC offers up hundreds of activations during show hours, where fans come and have a good time learning about whatever the activation is for. Activations can be found inside and outside NYCC and are great experiences that no attendee should miss out on. Last year, we had the Dragon Ball booth that showcased all the new and upcoming Dragon Ball figures from both Tamashii and Bandai America. There was a scavenger hunt that rewards attendees with all sorts of amazing swag. Fans even gathered to take photos with the props around the booth. There was even a Star Wars Meisho booth held outside the exhibit hall where you could earn a Star Wars Meisho T-shirt.

Even without physical activations this year, we are still engaging with the fans across our social media. We've got giveaways and livestreams with guests, and we encourage everyone to participate and join in on some social fun. Links to our social are down below.

One of the big attractions to NYCC is the exclusives major vendors will have on site. These exclusives are typically announced prior to the show via social media, so many attendees do a lot of research to plan and figure out which exclusive to prioritize first. After all that research and planning, it's getting to the exhibit hall as early as possible, because others are after the same thing. Trying to get exclusives during NYCC can be hard work, and requires a lot of patience waiting in lines, but for some attendees that's what makes NYCC for them.

Thanks to a little something called the Internet, we can still offer our exclusives to the fans across the US this year, which is by far pretty awesome since it doesn't require you to purchase a plane ticket.