So this year I found myself once again at Fanboy Expo because there were people my wife really wanted to meet and it’s a nice short drive away making it a great day trip for us. Fanboy has always held a sentimental place to me because it was my first ever convention back in 2012; however, I have often found myself frustrated by various things at the convention that really made it an event I had no interest in unless there was someone I had to meet. So this time I naturally came expecting some kind of issue or hinderance, but what I got was something else entirely.

First the guests. After 80+ conventions it’s rare that I see a guest surprise me because you look up so many events to decide where to go to and you get a feel for who regularly and even rarely shows up on various guest list; however, for the first time I saw Rob Schneider which was the person my wife wanted to meet. Other notable guests included Danny Trejo, Doug Jones, Ray Park, Skid Row, various wrestlers though Kane is probably easier to book lately since he’s the major of Knox County.

They did have less anime guests than usual but I believe that’s due to them introducing an anime con so makes sense and it’s an approach I think will work to make both events successful. Fanboy consistently does well with the guest list but not as much with the lines as most of them were long and stayed long throughout the entire day we were there. It’s not really a problem since lines are a natural part of the convention experience; however, if you’re going for a lot of guests that’s not really doable in a day without a VIP pass and you might as well stay the weekend if you get that.

Speaking of the VIP pass I personally wonder if they sold too many of them this year. This was something I had an issue with in a previous year where there were so many VIP pass holders that it felt like it pushed the general admission attendees away. I don’t think the problem was at the level it was back then but it still exists as the VIP lines were fairly long in each of the autograph lines. Not a major issue by any means as it just means you should expect long waits but it is something that I think could use some improvement.

The panels were the same as they’ve always been. The convention features various Q&A panels of the guests and offers little outside of that. A great experience for those who are there for their almost exclusively for the guests but it can be a deterrent for those looking for a variety of experiences at the convention. If the convention is going to go that route I think the next best thing would be to offer various fan packages with the guests which is something that is becoming a lot more common in conventions in the state.

The vendors were largely the same as I’ve seen in previous years. This isn’t a bad thing as they have an incredible variety of merch available. It just meant a lot of my own spending was more of what I already got or stuff I passed on before due to keeping to a budget. I did notice a higher than usual number of vendors selling swords. Not the cosplay replicas but actual swords which really caught my attention because I have a few myself. What really surprised me though was Fanboy Expo used more space in the venue. While previous years had them put almost the entire convention in one area this year they were spread out among three floors of the convention center. I actually didn’t even know they had a third floor till now. This greatly resolved the crowding issues I experienced last year and the venue was much cooler making for a far more comfortable experience. This new layout made me want to do more exploring, take my time and I ended up staying longer at the convention because of it.

This new layout had guests and vendors spread out which gave an incredible incentive to look around even if you’re just there for the guests. For the most part it was very easy to see the vendors; however, there were a few that were easy to miss. On the second floor the convention center had a couple of rooms used for artist alley which gave plenty of room to shop for them but they got a lot less foot traffic than anywhere else because they were at the one spot that was more out of the way compared to everything else. It was a location that was not hard to find at all but very easy to miss if you’re passing through and not looking for it. Maybe having bigger signs for this area than the ones next to the doors will help with that to some degree.

Overall because I have been to this event so many times and had issues with my experience I came to this assuming it would happen again. Only it didn’t. Fanboy Expo took steps to resolve some of the biggest hurtles that they have had to deal with in previous years making it a more enjoyable experience and I would even argue the best Fanboy I’ve attended to date. It still has things that it can do better but if this is the norm for them going forward we’re not looking at problems it needs to solve to be an entertaining event just stuff that can be done to enhance the experience even further. This is still very much an event designed around the guests with some shopping to do on the side. It’s a formula that can work but if they are going to continue that route they do need to start looking at adding various fan packages as it’s becoming more and more common at events in the state and would be a perfect complement to their consistent success with their guest list. I absolutely had the wrong idea coming into this event and being wrong felt great.