The “sum of all fandoms” is how ReedPop described Metaverse, its first fully virtual comic convention – and what a blast it was, generating 5.3M YouTube impressions, 300K views and 52,800 hours of watched content in just 14 days!
“Covid has forced the loss of almost all our events so far this year, to the huge disappointment of our fans”, says Event Director, Kristina Rogers. “Through Metaverse we were able to offer them an alternative virtual realm where they could encounter free panels streamed to YouTube, experience one-of-a-kind interactions with their favourite celebs and creators, discover new releases, explore a rich exhibitor marketplace, get access to exclusive merchandise, and connect with other fans from across the globe to celebrate all things pop culture.”
Running from 13-16 August, Metaverse was the first digital comic con since lockdown to introduce professional production and go live on YouTube. Now available to view on demand, the content continues to attract large numbers of fans, drawn by some truly creative programming.
“We produced content we normally wouldn't at one of our physical events, like the influencer Heavenly Controller, who we brought in to do an anime-based cooking video. We also organised an hour and a half long Dungeons and Dragons session with our friends from ReedPop UK, Oxventure” says Kristina. “One of our most popular sessions was the Dr Who panel featuring featuring Matt Smith, Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill. We were also able to get guests who typically wouldn't travel to one of our events, like Mad Max director, George Miller and Blink 182's Tom Delonge. Fans were able to grab one-on-one time with their favourite celebrities and even ask them questions in the live chats.” (Check out the ‘Top 10 Metaverse Moments’ here).
One of the best things about Metaverse, says Kristina, was the opportunity to reach out to new audiences. “The new truly global reach is something we're most excited for. We had thousands of fans from countries across the world - fans that wouldn't typically be able to attend one of our shows. Growth outside of the US is a huge opportunity for us and one of our focuses moving forward.”
Next up for ReedPOP online is EGX Digital and PAX Online, for which the UK gaming show and its US stablemate are coming together from 12 to 20 September for a global, three-continent-spanning online event, with round-the-clock, 24-hour gaming content across all nine days. Oh, and it's free to attend!
And from 8-11 October, New York Comic Con and MCM Comic Con in London are joining forces on YouTube for NYCC + MCM Metaverse. Set to be the biggest digital pop culture event globally it promises four days of incredible content from the biggest studios, publishers and creators in the business.
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