For Dragon Con’s 34th birthday, a first: Event goes virtual

Original content, material from the archives planned.

Q: I heard Dragon Con will not be held in person this year. As crazy and diverse as it is, why not? How is going virtual possible?

A: Unable to find a viable resolution to safely hold the event in person, Dragon Con is going virtual.

Labor Day weekend will be Dragon Con’s 34th birthday, but for the first time in its history it will not be held in person.

“We waited as long as pos- sible and were hoping to find some way to make it work for everyone involved,” said

Director of Media Engagement Dan Carroll. “From talking to the city, partners, health authorities, and the Atlanta Convention & Visi- tors Bureau, the inability to come up with an off-site solution that would keep people safe was the decision maker.

“Dragon Con is a significant event on Atlanta’s cultural horizon,” he said. “Everyone was disappointed, but the response that we have done the right thing has been very encouraging.”

COVID-19 has not caught Dragon Con off guard. The 3-4 years of online streaming has allowed organizers to nail down what Carroll says is “the nuts and bolts” of placing the group in a great position with the infrastruc- ture already in place.

With 20 years of recordings from television, panels, events, costume contests and the parade, “We have a backload of just great content that we can share during our streaming convention,” Carroll said. “… and for many people it will be the first time they have ever seen it, and for others it will be great memories coming back.

“In addition, we will be producing original content for this year. The details are still in the works, and as they are worked out, we will make sure that everybody knows what is going on,” he said.

The overall challenge will be recreating the closeness or bonding that in-person events create.

“I have absolute faith that those working behind the scenes will create the best content possible so it’s actually worth attending,” the director said.

For those holding badges, there are a couple of options.

If they want to keep their 2020 badge, it will be rolled over to 2021.

Those deciding not to roll into next year and who would like a refund, a form is avail- able on the website to fill out and must be done by Aug. 1.

The virtual event is free to everyone, said Carroll.

“When all of this is over, travel is safe and the town is safe for everyone, we encourage everyone to spend the night in a Dragon Con hotel, eat at some of the restaurants downtown, and maybe visit a bar because we will all need a stiff drink and a night out resting in comfort,” Carroll added.

For more information, including updates, visit dragoncon.org

CONTRIBUTED “Everyone was disappointed, but the response that we have done the right thing has been very encouraging,” said Dan Carroll, Dragon Con chief of media engagement.