Part comic con, part sports fest, part card show, Fanatics Fest brings leagues, athletes and fans together for a weekend of sports culture.
It’s back for its second year at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City from June 20-22.
But there was so much to learn to get here — some lessons even decades in the making.
“You’re taking a chance by saying, we’re going to put something truly original into the world, and you just never know how it will be received,” Fanatics Events CEO Lance Fensterman said. “It was a massive success just getting this into the world launched successfully with so many people that liked it so much.”
The inaugural Fanatics Fest had plenty of successes. The WWE booth was one of the most popular last year. Fans had the opportunity to see athletes like Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski walking through the convention center. They got an impromptu concert by Travis Scott, and ran into celebrities on the floor like Livvy Dunne or Alix Earle.
But there was room for improvement. One opportunity that stood out was the autograph area was too small and too crowded for the size of the show.
“The autographing is being cleaned up and security is helping athletes move around the show. We really want athletes and streamers and entertainers to be visible,” Fensterman said. “We got to improve these things and make them better so that people can have more fun and have a good time with less stress and hassle and friction”
Fensterman comes from ReedPop, one of the top convention organizers in the country and has produced events such as New York Comic Con and Star Wars Celebration.
This is also not his first time trying to put on a sports event.
In the early 2010s, Fensterman developed a fantasy football event in Atlantic City. It had former athletes and everything that sports fans could love.
There was only one problem.
No one showed up.
“It was a really cool show that nobody came to, and it was a total and complete flop,” Fensterman said. “What we took away from that was that sports was really about teams.”
So, Fanatics Fest has the teams and the leagues.
NFL, MLB, NBA, WWE, UFC, NHL, FIFA, Premier League, Formula 1 and so much more are all represented with different activities.
Last year’s Fanatics Fest featured a 40-yard dash, a Wiffle ball park, a basketball court and more, creating a never-ending playground for a passionate sports fan.
This year’s event — which still has tickets available — is expected to have all that and more. Much more.
“We’ve got about 40 percent more athletes, streamers, entertainers, a lot more current NFL players because we moved from August to June,” Fensterman said. “We’ll also have more stages and content. We have one main stage and a podcast stage. We’ve got more brands.”
There is also more space on the floor to fit all of the activities, brands and people.
Fensterman sees Fanatics as the perfect company to make a sports convention happen –- finally.
With the blend of leagues, athletes, collectibles and important lessons learned, the show is expected to be a must-attend event for years to come.
“I think Fanatics is in the middle of so much of what’s going on in sports and sports culture right now,” he said, “that bringing it all to life in a fan-focused playground essentially feels natural.”
