Show Gets Underway This Friday
The popularity of cards and collectibles shows is reaching an entirely new level.
That is evident after 100,000-plus people attended the National Sports Collectors Convention three weeks ago in Cleveland. Now, it’s time for a new event to take center stage and change how collectors experience and digest The Hobby.
Fanatics Fest NYC will debut this weekend, Aug. 16-18, at the Javits Center in New York City. Dubbed the first-ever immersive sports festival, Lance Fensterman, one of the architects of New York Comic Con, brings extensive expertise in organizing massive shows.
The Fanatics Events CEO looks forward to sharing his unique vision with fans and collectors to make it an exceptional experience.
“It’s not just buy, sell, trade. There are conversations you can join in, workshops you can learn from, experiences you can participate in,” Fensterman said. “This is not a spectator show. This is a participatory show you get to touch, feel, and do.”
That is certainly a change from what card show-goers are used to. Attendees can hear from some of their favorite athletes — Tom Brady, Derek Jeter, Peyton Manning, and Kevin Durant, to name a few — share their thoughts on panel discussions. Get up close and personal for photos and autographs with sports legends such as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jerry Rice, and David Ortiz. There will be brand activations and interactive activations from the four major sports. There will be exclusive Topps products — including Big Apple Refractors and Topps Chrome Cosmic X Cactus Jack cards — a Kids Zone, a memorabilia museum, and much more.
“We’ve got a packed schedule of activities, entertainment, and interactivity,” Fensterman said. “Plan carefully so you can see and do it all.”
Dealers Look Forward to Show
Along with all the interactive activities, 300+ card and collectible dealers will be on-site, making it the largest collectibles show ever in New York City.
Dealers are excited to take part in making history. Card Collector 2’s Ryan Johnson looks forward to seeing how Fanatics combines its connections in the sports industry with its investment in The Hobby.
“It’s also the first time Fanatics has ever run a unique show, so taking some of the connections with the leagues, the trading card companies, and the athletes and bringing all of those things into one major event for the first time ever,” Johnson said.
BlackJadedWolf CEO/founder Sharon Chiong likes having meet-and-greet opportunities with top-tier athletes.
“I haven’t seen a show with this many names,” Chiong said. “I would love to attend a few of the panels with Brady and Jeter. I think it’s going to be a special event.”
Conquering the Unknown
Jimmy Mahan, who owns Kentucky Roadshow Cards and Sports Memorabilia, knows there are some unknowns since this is the first Fanatics Fest.
“What we thrive on in cards is that hope and the unknown. ‘What’s in that box? What’s in that fat pack?’” Mahan said. “Fanatics is doing it, so it’s going to be great. We know we’ll get something special in this box, but we don’t know what it is yet. But we know the product is great; it’s the same with this show.”
Fensterman places extremely high expectations on himself and his Fanatics Events team members to put out a great product.
“We are building something that has value and meaning to fans, athletes, leagues, teams, The Hobby, and Fanatics,” Fensterman said. “We are doing something that has never been done before, and with that comes a lot of unknowns. I want to leave the show on Sunday with a feeling that we got it right for all our key constituents — especially the fans and collectors.”
Go here for full Fanatics Fest NYC info and schedule.
