Leviosa is a new Harry Potter & YA lit convention--AMA!

Event marketing is very tricky! In our case, word of mouth/grassroots marketing is essential--so much of the fanbase is resistant to traditional marketing messages/not in the spaces where traditional marketing can reach them. Plus, if you're TOO glossy/corporate, our particular market segment would find it to be a turn off. That said, there's balance: I've seen other fan run cons severely underestimate how key branding & smart social media management is. You have to be just nice enough to convey professionalism and competence without crossing the line into corporate shill/out of touch with "true fandom."

I know exactly what you mean. I used to attend Florida Gulf Coast University, and they have an event called EaglePalooza (after FGCU's teams, the Eagles) every year. When EaglePalooza first started off, it was meant to be an event primarily for FGCU students to enjoy.

However, if you look at the event now, it has become completely commercialized and focused on attracting the masses of the general public with big-name rap and hip-artists (Pitbull being one). I'm not sure how, when, or why the event got "hijacked", though I suspect it may involve an over-ambitious and over-enthusiastic group of Greeks (sorority sisters), most of which dominate FGCU's Programming Board. That, or perhaps professional event planners and private companies took over; I'm not quite sure.

The point is, EaglePalooza went from being a fun, localized music festival, by and for FGCU students, to being just another concert stop on major musicians' musical tours. It's not really "EaglePalooza" anymore if the focus is no longer on FGCU students. This is the same concern I have with LeakyCon, which has now been redubbed "GeekyCon": while someone mentioned that a purely Harry Potter-centric LeakyCon is in the works, it feels as though "LeakyCon" won't really be Harry Potter-focused anymore.

That being said, I'm really looking forward to seeing how Leviosa turns out!

/r/YAwriters Thread