VidCon is a place where creators, their fans, brands and merch collide.
“Hollywood is no longer just Hollywood,” explains Sarah Tortoreti, VidCon’s SVP of Marketing and Communications. “It’s really like these kids care about people who are making content, people who are on YouTube, who are on Instagram, who are on TikTok.”
See my highlights from VidCon Anaheim 2024 on Instagram.
The event started in 2010 by YouTube creators Hank and John Green. The first year had about 1200 attendees, last year it was 55,000.
“Hank and John just noticed that YouTube, fandom and community was really becoming a thing,” said Colin Hickey, VidCon’s Senior Vice President of Operations.
Since then, social media has exploded and creators are the new celebrities.
I watched multiple pre-teens come up to actor Kaido Roberts and I asked him what fans say when they meet him.
“Hey, are you Mikey, my God, it’s so nice meeting you. That’s practically all, can I get a picture and can you sign this?” said Roberts, who stars as a mischievous character named Mikey in various online videos.
While Anaheim hosts the flagship event, VidCon has expanded to Baltimore and Mexico. Tickets range from $100 to over $1000, offering different tracks for fans, creators, and industry professionals.
“I get to meet different creators and I also get to waste my money on stuff. And I also get to dress up. One of the excuses is to cosplay. And I really enjoy doing that,” said attendee Ollie Rodriguez from Costa Mesa.
Cosplay is like dressing up as your favorite character for Halloween, but any day of the year.
The show floor is mostly filled with kids to teens, many with parents in tow. I spoke to a mom chaperoning five kids.
“It’s good, it’s clean, wholesome fun. And they just have a blast. It’s kind of crazy and nonstop like for three days. But I think it’s worth it,” said Mara Rodriguez, from Costa Mesa.
For many, VidCon is a place where you can dream about being something bigger than your current self.
“The moment we walked in, I’m not going to lie, it was really just an overwhelming sense of inspiration,” said Rachel Palmer from Oakland.
“If you have a point of view, if you know how to create content that’s engaging, you could become the next celebrity,” added Tortoreti.
That’s what happened to Jordan Matter. He went from photographer to YouTuber, now with 23 million subscribers.
His advice to aspiring creators: “It’s a great career. But you got to do something that is truthful to yourself. And don’t copy people, do something original. And be consistent, be consistent. That’s the number one thing, don’t give up, just keep posting every week. Pick a time, pick a day, and do it every week. And eventually, you’ll find an audience.”
In this digital age, the barrier to entry is as simple as a smartphone.