Con Job

What happens when you're working the booth at Fan Expo Chicago and the boss unexpectedly shows up?

This week on Con Job, Ryan is joined by one of The Art of Megan Withey's legendary booth babes, Mrs. Karina Helit, to break down everything that went down at Fan Expo Chicago and this weekend came with a little surprise.

World-renowned artist Megan Withey herself decided to make an appearance, surprising attendees, and Karina, by showing up at the booth to hang out, meet fans, say hello, and remind everyone who's really in charge.

Ryan and Karina dive into the full vendor-side experience of Fan Expo Chicago. How were the crowds? Were people spending? What was the energy like on the floor? How did the booth perform? And, most importantly, where does Chicago land on the ever-growing list of shows worth coming back to?

This week on Con Job, Ryan is joined once again by Eric Melendez of E’s Apparel to break down Fan Expo Boston from the perspective that matters to us most: the vendor floor.

We’re diving into the full experience...Did Boston show up ready to spend?

Grab your headphones, pour yourself a Dunkin’, and join us for the best part of your week...Enjoy!!

In this episode of Con Job, Ryan is joined by Airy Wylde to break down their experiences at Galaxycon Raleigh, one of the convention circuit's most talked-about events. From the moment the doors opened until the final load-out, we're diving into everything that made this show stand out.

There are comic conventions... and then there's San Diego Comic Con.

This week on Con Job, Ryan is joined by Eric Melendez of E's Apparel to take you behind the scenes of the undisputed heavyweight champion of pop culture conventions. If you've ever wondered what it's really like to work one of the largest, busiest, and most demanding shows on the planet, this episode is your all-access pass. Enjoy!!

In this episode of Con Job, Ryan is joined by Brittnee Braun to pull back the curtain on one of the year's most controversial and newest show, Fan Expo Anaheim which took place June 26-28. Brit was there in person so she dives deep into what went right and what ultimately went wrong. Was it a gangbanger? Tune in and find out...

This week on Con Job, Ryan is joined by Sadie Bettcher, one of the team members for Megan Withey, who was on the front lines at Washington Summer Con, held June 19–21 in Puyallup, Washington.

We get to see the show through Sadie's eyes as she shares her experience travelling to the booth, thoughts on each of the days, interacting with attendees, and navigating one of the Pacific Northwest's premier summer conventions. Ryan and Sadie dive into everything from crowd energy and buying trends to the overall organization of the event, along with the moments that made this show memorable.

How did Washington Summer Con stack up against expectations? What kind of food can you grab after a long day vending at the booth in WA? And most important, was this a show vendors should look to be at next year?

ENJOY!!

Fresh off the convention floor, Ryan is joined by Jeff Balke of Jaff Balke Animation Studios, who was in attendance, to break down Fan X Indiana, which took place June 5–7 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Tune in to hear everything from the vendor experiences and crowd reactions to sales trends and everything else about the show. We give the deets on what really happened during one of the Midwest's better comic convention weekends.

In this special edition loan pod of con job, Ryan breaks down his experience at (Fan Expo) Philadelphia. He shared stories from the show floor among other interesting tidbits from the show so you get a firsthand perspective of how things looked. Strap in and ENJOY!!!

The countdown to Fan Expo Denver is officially on, and in this episode of Con Job, Ryan and Jeremy are joined by Fan Expo Sales Manager Alex Wer for an inside look at one of the biggest upcoming shows on the calendar.

We dive into what vendors, artists, and attendees can expect from this year’s event. From crowd expectations and vendor opportunities to behind-the-scenes insights you usually don’t get to hear, this episode pulls back the curtain on what’s shaping up to be a major weekend.

Along the way, we get into some other interesting conversations, stories, and industry talk that every convention veteran will appreciate. Whether you’re already booked for Denver or just curious how these massive shows come together, there’s plenty here for you.

The first quarter is in the books and we’ve got opinions.

In this episode of Con Job, Ryan and Jeremy break down the best and worst shows of Q1, based on their real experiences behind the vendor table. No sugarcoating, just honest takes on which shows delivered, which ones missed, and why.

But it’s not just a highlight reel. We zoom out and talk about the bigger trends shaping the convention scene right now, from shifting buyer behavior and pricing pressure to what’s actually moving product in today’s market. If you’ve been feeling like things are changing… you’re not wrong.

Grab your popcorn, sit back and ENJOY!!