LeftField Media Adds Awesome Con to its Fast-growing Roster

October 4, 2015

LeftField Media added Washington, D.C.’s Awesome Con to its growing roster. Awesome Con, launched by Ben Penrod in 2013, is a pop culture convention set in the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.

The event has defined itself as one of the fastest-growing fan conventions in the U.S., and this year attracted more than 40,000 attendees.

“We’re thrilled to work with Ben and the Awesome Con team,” said Greg Topalian, president of LeftField Media. “Awesome Con is an incredible event, and DC is a very special region with tremendous fans. We look forward to taking Awesome Con to the next level with new publisher relationships and exciting new entertainment properties, and growing it into something even more awesome.”

Awesome Con is one of the largest fan conventions on the East Coast, spanning the worlds of comics, toys, games, cosplay, movies, and television; driven by a full-time team dedicated to quality, the fan experience, and customer service.

In 2015, Awesome Con welcomed more than 50 celebrities from the worlds of TV, film, and comics, including William Shatner, George Takei, Sean Astin, and Kevin Eastman, creator of the “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles”.

“We’ve built a deep relationship with our fans, and they are constantly asking us to bring important one-of-a-kind guests, events, and announcements to Awesome Con,” said Ben Penrod, Awesome Con Founder.

He added, “Greg and the LeftField team are as committed to the fan experience as we have been, and with their relationships and experience added to the mix, we will make Awesome Con a must-attend event for fans far beyond our nation’s capital.”

LeftField Media was created in 2014 by New York Comic Con founder Greg Topalian and trade show veterans Britton Jones, Mac Brighton and Sharon Enright with the vision to build a company focused on nimble thinking, a commitment to new audiences, and bringing together the best of B2B and B2C experiences.

It is staffed by a team of veterans who have worked on comic cons and pop culture festivals across the U.S., Europe, Asia, and Australia.

In the span of one year, LeftField has emerged from a new concept in the event world into an organizer with a portfolio of dynamic events.

Awesome Con expands LeftField’s existing stable:

  • Stream Con NYC - An online content creator fan convention and industry conference in partnership with Tubefilter (streamconnyc.com), Oct. 30-Nov. 1 at Javits Center, NY
  • Play Fair - A toy and play-focused convention for families and collectors in partnership with the Toy Industry Association (playfairny.com), Feb. 13-14, 2016, at Javits Center North in New York City.
  • AXPONA - A high-fi audio convention for audiophiles and the audio industry in partnership with JD Events (axpona.com), April 15-17, 2016, at Westin O’Hare, Chicago

LeftField’s combined roster - Awesome Con, Play Fair, Stream Con NYC, AXPONA - delivers quality experiences across very different audiences united by common passions.

Further, this roster showcases LeftField as a strong partner, forming alliances with major associations and influencers. LeftField and Awesome Con look forward to further announcements in 2016.

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