Afan convention (abbreviatedcon) is an event in whichfans of a particular topic gather to participate in discussions and activities related to their shared interests. Fan conventions are typically organized around specificfandoms,genres, ormedia franchises, with distinct conventions dedicated to them. The concept of a fan convention has existed since at least 1942 and has evolved into an important part of modernpopular culture.
Conventions can be grassroots events organized byvolunteer fan communities on anonprofit basis,commercial enterprises that generate profit through ticket sales andcelebrity appearances, or both.Science fiction conventions, which emerged in the late 1930s, established the template that spawned numerous specialized convention types, including those dedicated toanime and manga,tabletop and video gaming,comics, and varioussubcultures like thefurry fandom and theMy Little Pony fandom (also known as thebrony fandom).
The phenomenon experienced modest growth through the mid-20th century before expanding rapidly during the 1970s, when many of today's major events were established.
The termfan convention dates back to at least 1942.[1]: 43 Fan conventions are traditionally organized by fans on a not-for-profit basis, though some events cateringto fans are run by commercial interests for profit. Many conventions have award presentations relating to their genre (such as theHugo Awards which have been presented atWorldcon since 1953).[1]: 45
At commercial events, performers often give outautographs to the fans, sometimes in exchange for a flat appearance fee, and sometimes may perform songs that have no relevance to the shows or otherwise entertain the fans. Commercial conventions are usually quite expensive and are hosted in hotels. There is often tight security for the celebrities to protect against potentially fanatic fans. Such features are not common at traditionalscience-fiction conventions, which began in the late 1930s and are more oriented toward science fiction as a mode of literature, rather than toward visual media, and do not include any paid appearances by famous personalities, and maintain a less caste-like differentiation between professional and fan.Anime conventions,gaming conventions,filk-music conventions, andfurry conventions may all be considered derivatives of science-fiction conventions.
While the wearing of costumes—and even a costume competition (known as a "masquerade")—has been an occasional feature of traditional science-fiction conventions sinceMorojo andForrest J Ackerman wore them during theFirst World Science Fiction Convention in 1939, this has never been the dominant feature of such events. From press coverage of comic book and anime conventions has arisen the widespread image of fans' tendency to dress up as their favorite characters in elaborate costumes (known ascosplay) that are time-consuming and/or expensive to assemble.
Some media properties with particularly dedicated followings have spawned their own convention types.My Little Pony fan conventions (also calledbrony cons orpony cons) emerged in 2011 from the adultbrony fandom surrounding the animated television seriesMy Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic.[2] Brony conventions offer various activities including panels, workshops, vendor halls,charity auctions,cosplay contests, and meet-and-greets withvoice actors, writers, and other people involved in the production of the show.[3][4][5][6] The first significant brony convention,BronyCon, was held inNew York City in 2011 and initially attracted 100 attendees, but grew dramatically in subsequent years, reaching over 10,000 attendees in 2015 and 2019.[7][8] As of 2025[update], despitethe original television series ending in 2019, activeMy Little Pony conventions continue worldwide.[6][9]
Other media franchises that had their own conventions includeStar Trek (Treklanta) andHarry Potter (LeakyCon), though they are both now defunct.
Fan conventions for various genres of entertainment extend to the first conventions held in the 1930s. However, while a few conventions were created in various parts of the world within the period between 1935–1960, the number of convention establishments increased slightly in the 1960s and then increased dramatically in the 1970s, with many of the largest conventions in the modern era being established during the latter decade. Impetuses for further establishment of local fan conventions include: