Supanova Expo
| Supanova Pop Culture Expo | |
|---|---|
 The exhibition floor at Supanova Sydney 2010 | |
| Genre | Multi-genre |
| Venue | Various |
| Location(s) | Brisbane, Sydney, Perth, Melbourne |
| Country | Australia |
| Inaugurated | 2002 |
| Attendance | varies by city; 14,400 to 23,400 in 2011 |
| Organized by | Daniel Zachariou |
| Filing status | For profit |
| Website | http://www.supanova.com.au/ |
Supanova Pop Culture Expo (Supanova) is a fan convention focusing on science fiction and fantasy film and TV, comic books, anime, gaming and collectables. It is held annually in the Australian cities of Brisbane, Sydney, Perth and Melbourne.
The first Supanova was held at the Sydney Showground on the weekend of 20-21 April 2002. It was the successor to comicfest!, a similar convention under the same management which held its final event in November 2002. On the weekend of 13-14 September 2003, Supanova held its first convention in the city of Brisbane at the RNA Showgrounds.[1] In 2008, Supanova expanded to include Melbourne (back-to-back with Brisbane) and Perth (back-to-back with Sydney). As of 2011, the combined attendance across the four events was estimated at 77,900 with the largest attendance of 23,400 fans participating at the Brisbane expo in April of that year.
One of the major attractions at Supanova are the special guests - often well-known personalities of interest to convention attendees who participate in signing sessions and panel discussions with their fans.[2] Other notable attractions at Supanova include the cosplay competition,[3] the "Artist's Alley" where aspiring artists can display and sell their work, and the anime theatre. On many occasions Supanova has also hosted, as satellite events, artwork masterclasses, film screenings or similar activities. There is a large exhibitors area at Supanova where attendees can purchase merchandise from one of the many traders present.[4][5]
As of 2012, Supanova is held at the Royal Melbourne Showgrounds and Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre in April, followed by Sydney Olympic Park and Claremont Showgrounds Perth in June, and finally at RNA Showgrounds Brisbane and Adelaide Showgrounds in November. Supanova's Sydney event was formerly held at the Wharf 8 Function Centre in King Street Wharf, from 2003 to 2005, before returning to Olympic Park in 2006.
Supanova is managed by a team of permanent staff with Daniel Zachariou holding the title of event director.[6] There are also a large number of volunteers, generally appointed on an event-by-event basis, who assist with the day-to-day running of the convention.
See also
References
- ^ "About Supanova". Archived from the original on 2007-08-27. Retrieved 2007-08-27.
- ^ Lewis, Maria (23 March, 2012) Supanova set to explode on Sydney with geeky guests Hayden Panettiere and Christopher Llyod, The Daily Telegraph, accessed March 28, 2012
- ^ Feeney, Katherine (4 April 2011) Stars come out for Supanova, The Age, retrieved March 28, 2012
- ^ Wight, Andrew (6 April 2008). "Wookies, anime and Elvens - that's Supanova". The Brisbane Times. Retrieved 7 August 2010.
- ^ Williams, Matthew (12 April 2008). "WIN – Tickets to Supanova up for grabs!". The Nintendo Basement. Retrieved 7 August 2010.
- ^ Feeny, Katherine (1 April 2010) Brisbane geeks prepare for comic feast, Brisbane Times, accessed 28 March, 2012