Author Topic: FanExpo San Francisco 2023: November 24-26  (Read 3798 times)

Offline hikanteki

  • Fulfillment Room
  • *****
  • Join Date: Mar 2012
  • Posts: 1812
  • Karma: 0
  • Liked: 602
FanExpo San Francisco 2023: November 24-26
« on: November 26, 2022, 08:36:29 PM »
Dates Confirmed. Thanksgiving weekend again. From Event Map:

« Last Edit: November 26, 2022, 08:39:35 PM by hikanteki »
SDCC 07 12-14 16-19 22-24 | CCSE 21 | ECCC 12-19 21-23 | WC 10-11 16 19 22-24 | RCCC 15 21-22 24 | SVCC 16-19 21-22 | DCC 16 22 | SLCC 19 21 | SFFX 22-24 | ABQCC 23-24 | SWC 15

Offline accelerate

  • Ballroom 20
  • ****
  • Join Date: Mar 2015
  • Posts: 997
  • Karma: 0
  • God of Donuts
  • Liked: 757
Re: FanExpo San Francisco 2023: November 24-26
« Reply #1 on: November 29, 2022, 07:35:39 AM »
My brief review of Fan Expo SF: I liked it for what it was, a first time effort in SF. Compared to SiliCon in San Jose, I like Fan Expo more.

The badge pickup was slightly inconvenient where you had to enter one side of the Moscone Center, get your badge, then activate your badge online, then go back outside and re-enter through another entrance. But that was a minor issue. The bigger issue is that they did not give out lanyards. You had to pay for one. We opted to just keep ours in our pockets.

The exhibit hall was a good size, with a surprisingly large artist’s alley. This is the section I tend to like the most at conventions, and I appreciated that there were quite a few artists in attendance, from the familiar (like Jim Lee & Arthur Adams) to the unknown.  I ended up buying several prints and comic books here. There was a good variety of different exhibitors, though surprisingly not a lot of comic book specific ones.

I did not spend much time upstairs where the celebrities + photo ops were, but from what I saw, there was a good variety of celebs on hand, from the cast of Smallville to Clerks to a bunch of voice actors from various anime. There was a gaming section with the usual rogue’s gallery of board games, card games, and video games.

There wasn’t too much in the way of cosplay. What I did see, nothing really stood out as impressively inventive or unique. Surprisingly I saw only one Star Wars cosplay all day.

There was a surprising variety of food available within the con, from crepes to açaí bowls. But there is also a food court right across the street in the Metreon, so there’s no lacking in available grub. The website noted no outside food allowed, but we had no issue bringing in coffee from outside or having snacks in our backpacks (they did not check our bags, unlike SiliCon.)

Would I go again next year? Yeah, almost certainly. The Bay Area is in dire need of a good comic con, especially with the direction SiliCon is heading. My biggest issue is the date. One artist I was talking to was griping about it being Thanksgiving weekend, and I had to agree. He also mentioned the severe lack of advertising. I’ll be honest: I wouldn’t have known about this con if not for FoCC, so I had to agree with him there.

Friends of Comic Cons

  • Guest
Re: FanExpo San Francisco 2023: November 24-26
« Reply #2 on: Today at 08:15:51 AM »

Offline alyssa

  • Administrator
  • Stan Lee's Hospitality Suite
  • *****
  • Join Date: Nov 2011
  • Posts: 23486
  • Karma: 0
  • Liked: 7001
Re: FanExpo San Francisco 2023: November 24-26
« Reply #2 on: November 29, 2022, 08:41:02 AM »
You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login
thanks for the mini review!
Donations gratefully accepted. You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login,
Our Twitters @FoCCBlog @friendsofcci
"Are you willing to give up all you are, to keep all you have?" G'kar Babylon 5

Offline Transmute Jun

  • Stan Lee's Hospitality Suite
  • *******
  • Join Date: Mar 2012
  • Posts: 23719
  • Karma: 5
  • Queen of the Bird Missiles
  • Liked: 9714
Re: FanExpo San Francisco 2023: November 24-26
« Reply #3 on: November 30, 2022, 08:18:32 AM »
That's an interesting review, You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login . I agree that Silicon is headed in a direction that is not interesting to me. For the first time since SVCC began, my husband and I are not planning to purchase VIP badges for Silicon (next year). It does sound like this con was a better fit for us.

The lanyards thing may have been lack of a sponsor. But I agree that they should have had basic (string or cord) lanyards for everyone.

Offline hikanteki

  • Fulfillment Room
  • *****
  • Join Date: Mar 2012
  • Posts: 1812
  • Karma: 0
  • Liked: 602
Re: FanExpo San Francisco 2023: November 24-26
« Reply #4 on: August 09, 2023, 09:48:38 PM »
1. Ewan McGregor announced.

2. Hotels are up and the Mariott Marquis is once again $139/night.
You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login
SDCC 07 12-14 16-19 22-24 | CCSE 21 | ECCC 12-19 21-23 | WC 10-11 16 19 22-24 | RCCC 15 21-22 24 | SVCC 16-19 21-22 | DCC 16 22 | SLCC 19 21 | SFFX 22-24 | ABQCC 23-24 | SWC 15

Offline hikanteki

  • Fulfillment Room
  • *****
  • Join Date: Mar 2012
  • Posts: 1812
  • Karma: 0
  • Liked: 602
Re: FanExpo San Francisco 2023: November 24-26
« Reply #5 on: October 15, 2023, 07:04:22 PM »
Mark Hamill announced.
4 Hobbits announced.
SDCC 07 12-14 16-19 22-24 | CCSE 21 | ECCC 12-19 21-23 | WC 10-11 16 19 22-24 | RCCC 15 21-22 24 | SVCC 16-19 21-22 | DCC 16 22 | SLCC 19 21 | SFFX 22-24 | ABQCC 23-24 | SWC 15

Offline accelerate

  • Ballroom 20
  • ****
  • Join Date: Mar 2015
  • Posts: 997
  • Karma: 0
  • God of Donuts
  • Liked: 757
Re: FanExpo San Francisco 2023: November 24-26
« Reply #6 on: November 08, 2023, 06:47:34 PM »
Just bought badges for Saturday. I briefly thought about getting the bundle that includes lanyard, bag, t-shirt and pin, but the bag/shirt design is... not good.

Offline MandoSaves

  • Exhibit Hall
  • **
  • Join Date: May 2023
  • Posts: 83
  • Karma: 0
  • Liked: 36
Re: FanExpo San Francisco 2023: November 24-26
« Reply #7 on: November 10, 2023, 10:41:05 AM »
You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login
Mark Hamill announced.
4 Hobbits announced.

This just might be worth the price of admission for me. *starts searching for flights to SF

Offline accelerate

  • Ballroom 20
  • ****
  • Join Date: Mar 2015
  • Posts: 997
  • Karma: 0
  • God of Donuts
  • Liked: 757
Re: FanExpo San Francisco 2023: November 24-26
« Reply #8 on: November 10, 2023, 11:52:13 AM »
You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login
This just might be worth the price of admission for me. *starts searching for flights to SF

If you want anything signed by Mark Hamill, be prepared to shell out A LOT of dough

Code: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login
AUTOGRAPHS

STANDARD: $399.99 – (8"x10" photo)

PREMIUM: $499.99 – (includes comic books (raw or graded), books, magazines, scripts, newspaper, non-sport cards, DVDs, video games, 11”x14”/11”x17” photos, mini posters, 16”x20” photos, Funko Pop, action figure, signs)

BULKY: $699.99 – (includes large 3D items, clothing, full size movie posters, and props)

PHOTO OPS

$399.99 for up to two (2) fans

$450.00 for up to four (4) fans

Offline NCDS

  • Supporter
  • Volunteer HQ
  • ******
  • Join Date: Mar 2014
  • Posts: 7478
  • Karma: 5
  • Liked: 4557
Re: FanExpo San Francisco 2023: November 24-26
« Reply #9 on: November 10, 2023, 02:12:13 PM »
You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login
If you want anything signed by Mark Hamill, be prepared to shell out A LOT of dough

Code: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login
AUTOGRAPHS

STANDARD: $399.99 – (8"x10" photo)

PREMIUM: $499.99 – (includes comic books (raw or graded), books, magazines, scripts, newspaper, non-sport cards, DVDs, video games, 11”x14”/11”x17” photos, mini posters, 16”x20” photos, Funko Pop, action figure, signs)

BULKY: $699.99 – (includes large 3D items, clothing, full size movie posters, and props)

PHOTO OPS

$399.99 for up to two (2) fans

$450.00 for up to four (4) fans


Wow his prices have doubled since got it, and I thought it was too high back then
2018 Punk Rock Bowling Champion

Offline puppy

  • Ballroom 20
  • ****
  • Join Date: Apr 2018
  • Posts: 675
  • Karma: 0
  • Liked: 251
Re: FanExpo San Francisco 2023: November 24-26
« Reply #10 on: November 10, 2023, 05:02:57 PM »
You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login

Wow his prices have doubled since got it, and I thought it was too high back then

OMG. Makes me so glad I got his autograph before the final trilogy. It was $125, and he let us take photos for free (they told us no photos while in line, but he was the one who offered, so the line attendant couldn't refuse).

____

Oh, oh, oh, and I forgot to add....I sent a copy of the photo of us with him in the hopes that he would sign that, too. They didn't respond and I forgot about it. Two years later, when the first of the final trilogy came out, they sent me those same photos back unsigned, but in the packet were a bunch of old signed photos from the original trilogy. That was so cool. His agency must have been sitting on those. Anyway, made me love him even more.
« Last Edit: November 10, 2023, 05:40:22 PM by puppy »

Offline puppy

  • Ballroom 20
  • ****
  • Join Date: Apr 2018
  • Posts: 675
  • Karma: 0
  • Liked: 251
Re: FanExpo San Francisco 2023: November 24-26
« Reply #11 on: November 10, 2023, 05:07:34 PM »
You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login
This just might be worth the price of admission for me. *starts searching for flights to SF

When I was a kid, I was a Luke Skywalker fan. As an adult, I fell in love with the way he treats his fans. He's like Taylor Swift; he knows how to work it. I'm a Hamill fan now.

Offline accelerate

  • Ballroom 20
  • ****
  • Join Date: Mar 2015
  • Posts: 997
  • Karma: 0
  • God of Donuts
  • Liked: 757
Re: FanExpo San Francisco 2023: November 24-26
« Reply #12 on: November 10, 2023, 05:24:00 PM »
I'm actually curious now. What celebrity charges the most for autographs / photo-ops?

Offline Transmute Jun

  • Stan Lee's Hospitality Suite
  • *******
  • Join Date: Mar 2012
  • Posts: 23719
  • Karma: 5
  • Queen of the Bird Missiles
  • Liked: 9714
Re: FanExpo San Francisco 2023: November 24-26
« Reply #13 on: November 11, 2023, 04:44:55 PM »
You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login
I'm actually curious now. What celebrity charges the most for autographs / photo-ops?

I thought it was Shatner, but I could be wrong.

Offline sefton42

  • Fulfillment Room
  • *****
  • Join Date: Oct 2013
  • Posts: 1613
  • Karma: 0
  • Liked: 457
Re: FanExpo San Francisco 2023: November 24-26
« Reply #14 on: November 11, 2023, 07:46:01 PM »
You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login
I thought it was Shatner, but I could be wrong.


Not even close.  Shatner’s prices have gone up, but they’re $120/photo, $100 auto.  Hamill’s are the highest at conventions.  The last convention he did was NYCC 2017 and he was $250 photo/$300 auto, and that was the most expensive I’d seen at the time.  To compare his current prices to other big names, Ewan at the same con is $250 for a photo, $300 at most for an auto, and Chris Evans and Tom Hiddleston at NYCC were $260 for a photo or auto.