Conventions have come a long way since the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893, where businesses like Coca-Cola advertised on customized metal trays alongside the Ferris Wheel’s debut. The first “official” comic book convention in 1964 went beyond fan meetups to include sellers, industry professionals and representatives from a publisher.
Over the past five years especially, conventions have become serious retail engines. The model has spread across sectors, from books and beauty to wellness and gaming. Even social media microgenres now have their own live, immersive events. Conventions have become the retail theater of the modern era where content meets commerce and community.
The Next Era of Experiential Retail
Experiential retail is exploding in popularity. Product demos became in-store events, which folded into exclusive launches and Instagrammable moments.
But the convention model pushes that boundary further. Attendees often spend hundreds, sometimes thousands, of dollars not just on entry, but on merchandise, exclusive drops, VIP access and themed experiences. As The New York Times said of this year’s sports convention, Fanatics Fest, attendees stepped into an event overflowing with “pricey merch, trading card, autograph and photo opportunity offerings that can easily skyrocket the total cost of a day at the fest.”
Rather than focus solely on permanent physical footprints, some brands are shifting their budgets toward convention pop-ups, merch and social media-worthy moments, a lower-risk, higher-impact strategy that builds community, generates buzz and sells products.
This applies to retailers of all industries, from clothing brands to publishers. The Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, for example, attracted over 150,000 eager book-buyers during its April event. MAGIC Las Vegas attracts over 80,000 attendees and features thousands of items of apparel, footwear and accessories. As the site explains: “MAGIC Las Vegas is not just an event, it’s an entire fashion experience.”
Trade Show or FanCon?
Trade shows and fan conventions are no longer distinct events. In April, Ulta Beauty hosted a convention with ticket prices ranging from $160 to over $1,000 for a swag bag ticket. The event featured more than 195 brand partners with exclusive experiences and items, like personalized totes and cowboy hats, customized beaded bracelets, hair and makeup tutorials and ear piercings.
RetailWire called the event “an early example of the morphing, or blending, of the conventional trade show with the broader concept of a fan (or customer) convention.” Similarly, a 2023 article in the academic journal “New Media & Society” called San Diego’s Comic-Con “a key site for mediating between media industries and fandom.”
CES, the Consumer Technology Association’s annual tech show, has embraced a similar concept. While CES started as a small industry trade show in 1967, it has become a must-attend event of the year for tech enthusiastics, media and influencers, and a boon for retailers. Consumers flock to the show’s one-of-a-kind experiences like robot baristas serving coffee or a collaborative crossword experience. After CES 2025, Mashable highlighted “22 new gadgets from CES you can buy right now,” like AR glasses, a robot lawnmower and a smart baby bouncer.
From SneakerCon, “the greatest sneaker show on earth,” to BeautyCon, “the most revered beauty event in the world,” conventions have become one of retail’s most powerful tools to engage consumers. Attendees line up for hours to score limited-edition products, take selfies with influencers and watch live product launches. It is performative shopping at its finest.
The Social Media Factor
Gone are the days when convention booths featured folding tables and a vinyl banner. Today’s convention-based retail experiences are often full-scale brand installations designed to be shared online.
Social media services have become key marketing tools for these events. Every attendee can become a micro-influencer, as a single TikTok or viral Instagram Reel can drive exponential interest in a product or a brand. Retailers want to create a sense of urgency and hype around shopping their brands, even with consumers who didn’t attend the event.
As The New York Times explained about Fanatics Fest 2025: “At most events, you might need to be in the exact right spot at the exact right time in order to witness the one viral moment that takes place there. At Fanatics Fest this year, moments like that were happening all the time, everywhere.” Talk about FOMO for those not in the room.
At South by Southwest in Austin, Texas, Porsche launched its Full Service, a sleek, lounge-style space where attendees could preview the electric Macan, explore the brand’s design history and interact with heritage vehicles. And at CES 2025 in Las Vegas, leading tech brands moved beyond floor booths to create invite‑only, penthouse-style bungalows.
At Comic-Con, Paramount+ created The Lodge, a themed retreat where fans could step onto the “Star Trek” starship for a photo op; explore the imaginative world of the family film “IF” and be paired with their own “IF” companion; and stop for a slice of pizza at the “Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” pizza parlor.
Exclusivity is no longer just about price; it’s about access and experience. At many conventions, retailers are realizing that fans covet unique moments and interactions.
Conventions as Retail Incubators
Brands also use conventions as live retail laboratories where they can test new products with engaged audiences and receive real-time feedback.
Beauty brand NYX routinely launches exclusive shades and product lines at beauty conventions for immediate reactions and social media buzz. And small apparel brands at ComplexCon often bring unreleased designs to gauge demand.
At festivals like BookCon, YALLFest and YALLWest, publishers and indie book brands featured exclusive covers, sprayed‐edge designs and early ARCs, using the event as a live test lab for which books will sell the best. At PAX West, tabletop game creators debut prototypes, getting player feedback on gameplay and packaging before launch.
What Retailers Can Learn from Conventions
Today, experiences sell well, and conventions can be effective tools to reach dedicated fans and understand their interests. The big benefits include:
- Find new customers: They immerse brands in communities that already have strong shared interests.
- Test new products: Conventions serve as helpful live feedback loops. What products get snapped up first? Which need some work?
- Drive direct sales: These events often yield strong onsite purchases and follow-up sales online.
- Create new marketing channels: Events are gold mines for user-generated content and influencer partnerships to reach new audiences across many different social media services.
In an era where people want engagement and experiences, conventions have emerged as one of the most powerful tools in retail. They blend the energy of live events with the togetherness of community, so customers with something in common can share the moment.
Image via Unsplash.