Big Crowds, Small Problems at NYCC 2007

-- Publishers Weekly, 2/26/2007

The second New York Comic-con is in the books, and by all accounts the convention was a great success—so much so that the show will expand the floor space for 2008. Show manager Greg Topalian estimated that total attendance for the three-day event was well over 40,000, compared to 33,000 at the first event in 2006.

Last year's convention was overwhelmed by the crowds and forced to close the exhibition floor for several hours. This year, show organizer Reed Exhibitions, a sister company to Publishers Weekly, was cautious and very attentive to crowd control. Lines early in the day to enter the convention were often startlingly long, but the lines moved quickly once the floor opened. While there were some snafus in programming, there were "no nightmare scenarios," said one relieved exhibitor. Publishers interviewed during the convention expressed satisfaction with traffic on the floor and interest in their books. Superstar guests like Stephen King, Stephen Colbert and Kevin Smith drew huge crowds, and everyone from senior executives at major book retailers to representatives from major Japanese publishing houses were seen walking the floor.

Topalian confirmed that Javits Center management has agreed to expand the floor space for the 2008 convention (which will be held in April), adding the giant adjoining hall on the main floor to this year's space and effectively doubling the size of the convention's exhibition floor. And while he was very pleased with attendance, Topalian was quick to emphasize that the expansion will put pressure on the con for even more growth. "Next year we'll have to grow the attendance in a serious way," said Topalian. "But the show is growing beyond the tristate area. People are really coming from all over the East Coast, and we'll have to be aggressive to keep it growing."

Look for more coverage of the 2007 New York Comic-con in tomorrow's PW Comics Week.