MegaCON Live may not be the most familiar name to many convention goers around the UK, but they are the new kid on the block. MCM have reduced the amount of shows they put on, especially outside of London, so MegaCON Live has been born to fill that gap.
The show at the NEC, Birmingham wasn’t as large as a MCM event, but it had still got some of the usual stalls and exhibitors. Queueing systems were in place for the pickup of wrist bands, and all was looking to be running smoothly for guests. Hall 2 was well laid out and had spacious aisles. This is going to be an essential point in the post COVID lockdown era for any indoor event. The variety of stalls was a good mix.
The Cosplay talks were well attended, as were the interview and Q&A sessions held on the main stage. The signing guests were readily available and could be seen regularly on the attendee side of their booths during signings for selfies and general chats with those who had met with them. John Rhys-Davies (Sallah, Raiders of the Lost Ark; Gimli, Lord of the Rings) was particularly generous with his time. I spoke to him in passing to say “hello” while he had no queue waiting for him, and he made his way over to me and we chatted for 10 minutes or so about his career and current events.
The main attendee interaction area was hosted by the UK Garrison. They had invited the Rebel Legion UK, TRamp, Mando Mercs, Droid Builders UK, Reel Icons and Joker Squad along too to help build the experience. And as usual these ‘bad guys’ were doing good by raising essential funds for the Henry Allen Trust.
This was a very popular attraction and saw visitors all day having interactive weapons demonstrations from TRamp, bounty hunting with the Mando Mercs, along with photo ops with their favourite Star Wars characters. The parade of all the costumed characters brought the NEC concourses to a halt. With around 100 costumed participants it was great to see this again after such a long time. Sadly, I was only able to attend on the Sunday as the Saturday had around 300 costumed participants and was very well received.
On a personal note, it was great to catch up with so many stall holders and friends from the convention circuit. Yes, there have been hiccups along the way. Delays in passes being granted and access issues for some sellers and exhibitors. The coverage prior to the event on social media wasn’t as prolific it could have been, and I feel that visitor numbers may have been better.
But all said and done, this event definitely has real potential to fill the springtime void left by MCM in Birmingham. The learning curve for any new organisers is steep. But, with the correct support, and growing public confidence in attending events post COVID lockdowns, I am sure they will only improve and flourish. MegaCON Live lands in Dublin on July 2 & 3, 2022 next and a few weeks later the show moves to Manchester on July 30 & 31, 2022. The good news is that it is already poised to make a return to Birmingham in spring 2023.
So, if you can get there, please support MegaCON Live and help them grow from strength to strength.
