CONVENTION REVIEW: EAST COAST COMIC CON 2016

Location: Secaucus, NJ
Website: www.eastcoastcomicon.com

This past weekend, Crucial Entertainment held their annual East Coast Comic Con. The event returned to the Meadowlands Expo Center in Secaucus, NJ for the 2nd year in a row. The show has definitely grown since last year. Were organizers able to handle the increase? Did it improve from last year? Read on to find out!

Pre-Show:

The EastCoastComicon.com website and related social media sites were updated regularly, keeping fans informed of any changes and important information to know before the show. The beginnings of a guest list were available almost immediately after last year’s show, and continued to grow throughout the year leading up to the show. The exibitor/vendor list was not not made available until days before the show. It would have been nice to have this available to attendees sooner to help with planning, but a minor nitpick.

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The Venue/Staff:

The show returned to the Meadowlands Expo Center in Secaucus, NJ for the 2nd year in a row. For the size of this show, this venue is perfect. The show organizers have figured out how to maximize on the available space in the venue and there is some type of attraction everywhere you turn. Last year, almost all of the top creators were grouped into the same area of artist alley, which caused traffic jams due to their popularity with fans. It appears that the show organizers learned from last year, and spread the well-known creators out. In return, there were less “log jams” in artist alley, and more space to freely move around.

As he did last year, show organizer and comic creator Cliff Galbraith was all over the event shaking hands and thanking fans, vendors and creators for their attendance. This is always nice to see as it shows a level of appreciation for those participating in the show.

Unfortunately, there appeared to be a lack of organization among the show volunteers. The line to enter the event was moved multiple times. Volunteers didn’t have much information on VIP, early access and press attendees. But I must say, all volunteers were very nice and did their best to accommodate attendee questions.

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Guest List:

This year’s guest list had some new names, as well as some attendees returning from last year’s event. Access to creators was EXCELLENT, as their were very few long waits at creator tables. There was a nice mix of legendary creators and up and coming creators. I would have liked to see some more current pros on the list.

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Exibitors/Vendors:

One of the biggest draws for this event is that it focuses heavily on comics. While there were some media celebrities exibiting at the show, 95% of the showfloor was comic and toy vendors. Show attendees could find everything from $5 trades to $500 statues. There was plenty of variety amongst the vendors, and the show provided a great shopping experience.

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Final Verdict:

All things considered, the East Coast Comic Con made some great improvements from last year show. Fans appeared to have a great time, it was a friendly environment, and creator access couldn’t have been better. If the show continues to grow and improve at this pace, it will only be a matter of time before this is recognized as one of the premier comic shows on the east coast.

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