For years, vendors and artists have been treated like background noise—expected to shell out hundreds for tables, navigate labyrinthine application processes, and fight for visibility in overcrowded dealer halls… all while being one of the pillars of con culture. Thankfully, a massive opportunity is finally beginning to open up. The culture is evolving, and those who know how to build and leverage their brand are now able to lead it. As vendors we have an opportunity to not just part of the show anymore…we can be part of the draw.
The Shift is here
It’s time as vendors and artists we stopped just “applying” and started pitching. Let’s be candid; we’re not begging for space we’re offering value and a tribe of loyal fans. That starts with a killer media kit: highlight your work, your aesthetic, your audience reach, and exactly how you enhance the con experience. Back it up with a short, punchy booth video—something that shows your setup, your vibe, and how you engage the crowd. You’re not just selling merch—you’re creating atmosphere, drawing traffic, and leveling up the entire floor. That has value. It’s time cons recognized it. More importantly, it’s time you did.
Claim the spotlight
For too long, vendors and artists have been treated like filler wallpaper for the convention floor. You pay hundreds, sometimes thousands, just for the privilege of showing up. Meanwhile organizers rake in the real money from ticket sales and celebrity ops. But here’s the truth: without you, there is no con. Your booths are the pulse of the event. Your work is what people carry home. It’s time to flip the script and start building your brand so they pay YOU to be there.
Create an experience, not a transaction
That starts with owning your presence. Build a brand that’s impossible to ignore. Make a booth that feels like an experience, not just a table. Use a media kit like a battering ram—show cons what you bring to the floor, in foot traffic, in sales, in social buzz. Film a short booth video that captures the vibe, the energy, the why of what you do. Make them see you not as a vendor, but as a draw. As a partner to grow with together. As a reason people buy badges in the first place. Because more than anything else, that’s what a con wants.
Brand like you belong on the main stage
Because the truth is, you are the experience. Artists and vendors aren’t just booths lined up like a flea market—they’re storytellers, world-builders, dream peddlers. You craft the vibe, the memories, the magic. People don’t just want to buy merch, they want to feel something. They want to meet the person behind the print, the maker behind the magic. That’s what keeps them coming back. Not a plastic tote full of impulse buys, but the moment they laughed with you, connected with your work, or walked away with something that felt real. And yet, too many cons treat vendors like filler…slotting them in to cover the floor, then charging them out the nose for the privilege. That ends now.
You’re not filler. You are feature.
You’re not background noise you are the main stage.
And if a con doesn’t understand that? It’s time they learned.
Stop hustling, start strategizing
It’s time to flip the script. Instead of hoping for scraps, vendors and artists should be building platforms that make cons want them there. You should walk in with a media kit that screams, “I bring value,” a booth video that shows the magic in motion, and a brand that proves you move people and product. You should be able to say: “Here’s what I do, here’s what I bring, and here’s the data to back it up.” When you do that? You don’t just rent space—you command it. You stop being just another booth on the floor and start being a reason people buy a badge.
Because a booth shouldn’t just be a transaction—it should be an experience. Something people remember. A vibe, a story, a microcosm of your brand where they walk in curious and walk away converted. When your booth becomes part of the convention’s soul instead of just its shopping list, that’s when organizers start paying attention. That’s when you stop chasing tables and start being invite
Where the Random Cosplayer comes in.
That’s where I come in. I’m not just here to light a fire—I’m here to hand you the matches. I’m building a growing library of free digital resources to help you level up your brand the smart way. Templates for media kits. Guides on how to pitch yourself to conventions. Walkthroughs on creating booth videos that stop people in their tracks. Whether you’re a vendor slinging handcrafted dice sets or an artist with a portfolio that slays, you deserve to show up ready—not scrambling. These tools are made for you. To help you stand out, to help you negotiate, and most of all, to help you stop waiting for permission and start owning your place in the scene.
Because when one of us rises, we all rise. Every time a vendor builds a booth that feels like a universe, every time an artist claims their value instead of discounting their soul, every time someone shows up with intention and pride—we all benefit. We raise expectations. We make the community stronger. We make it harder for corporate vultures to turn this culture into a cash grab. And we remind everyone watching that this isn’t just a market—it’s a movement. So let’s stop selling ourselves short. Let’s build brands that demand respect. Let’s turn every table into a throne. Because we aren’t just here to vend—we’re here to reign.
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