Posted in: Comics | Tagged: birmingham, comic con, dublin, manchester, mcm, megacon

Original Founder Of MCM Launches Rival UK Comic Con Called MegaCon

Published Mon, 01 Nov 2021 10:08:10 -0500

The London Movies, Comics, and Media Expo, later known as MCM Comic Con, was founded in early 2001 by well-known convention organisers Paul Miley or ScifiShows and Bryan Cooney of Wolf Events. Hosting events in the UK and around the world, including London, Birmingham, the Midlands, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Belfast, Manchester, Scotland, Stockholm, Malmö, Copenhagen, Belgium, and Hanover, in 2017 Bleeding Cool broke the news that NYCC/C2E2/ECCC organisers ReedPop would acquire MCM and all of its events throughout the UK.

Original Founder Of MCM Launches Rival UK Comic Con Called Megacon

Well, it seems that whatever non-compete clause was signed four years ago is up, as Bryan Cooney is back, organising comic cons in the UK and seems to have chosen a familiar name to do so, MegaCon, for a series of new pop culture shows. Apparently, it has no relation to the Orlando Florida MegaCon that has been running for almost thirty years and was once owned by CrossGen Comics before its current owner, Informa Pop Cultue Events, who own the MegaCon trademark. One for the lawyers perhaps?

MegaCon will debut on the 26th and 27th of March 2022 at Birmingham's NEC, the same location where MCM Birmingham Comic Con will be taking place this weekend. There will then be additional MegaCon shows on the 2nd and 3rd of July in Dublin at the RDS Arena and on the 30th and 31st of July in Manchester's Manchester Central centre.

The opening show expects attendance of 20.000 to 30,000 but "the festival creators have ambitious growth strategy, with plans to expand the show and significantly grow Birmingham into a headline event… MegaCon intends to evolve modern pop culture shows as we know it, with a series of events aimed at; pop culture fans, comic-book lovers, streamers, gamers, movie fanatics and of course, the amazing cosplay community at the heart of modern fan events! The show will have something for everyone, with a vast, diverse offering that transcends modern pop culture. Exhibitors at the event will include major movie companies, fashion brands (cosplay, modern street fashion and culture), comics and pop culture retailers covering anime and manga, and big names from the world of gaming and technology. Each MegaCon event will run across two days, featuring live stages with top talent from film, television, anime, gaming, and social media. The show will be packed with experiential stands and themed photo zones for epic memories, as well as a vast retail zone filled with geeky memorabilia! Attendees will be treated to appearances from big names from the world of film, tv, game, anime talent & Influencers, who will be available for meet & greet opportunities and signings. Immersive activities will run throughout each weekend, all designed to engage attendees and enable them to interact more with the show itself."

Bryan Cooney established Malo Events in 2017 and is headed up by Tom Burns and Aleshia Jones. Their portfolio now includes, Kidtropolis, The Digital Kids Show, Social in The City, Comic Con Ireland and most recently the launch of TokFEST at the Birmigham NEC, a festival for TikTok Creators which took place in September. Cooney states "We're so excited to announce the latest addition to our portfolio, MegaCon. The events industry has taken a battering over the course of the pandemic, so it's great to be bouncing back with the launch of lots of new and exciting shows. We've had huge success with our recent TokFEST show, which demonstrated that the consumer appetite for events and experiential experiences is returning. We plan for Megacon to go beyond what the UK & Irish market have seen before; we're creating a show which typically attracts a niche audience and making it more mainstream with a stellar line up which will appeal to the masses."

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