FanCons.com Reaches Milestone with 25,000 Conventions
by Patrick Delahanty, FanCons.com Administrator
On December 17th, FanCons.com reached a significant achievement as its convention database surpassed 25,000 entries. Launched in October 2003 as AnimeCons.com, the database initially focused on anime conventions before expanding in 2012 to include events from a broader range of genres, leading to the creation of FanCons.com.
The database has grown steadily over the years, reaching 5,000 conventions in June 2014, 10,000 by December 2017and 15,000 by March 2020. By October 2022, it had surpassed 20,000 conventions, and with the recent addition of the 25,000th entry, the site continues to serve as an invaluable resource for convention enthusiasts worldwide.
The 25,000th entry was Con Nichiwa 2024, an anime convention hosted by Monkey Paw Entertainment in Tucson, Arizona, in November 2024. This convention is one of several retroactively added during a week-long review process to ensure that no past or upcoming events were missed.
While Con Nichiwa 2024 marks the milestone convention, it highlights the ongoing effort to ensure that conventions of all sizes and genres are accurately represented in the database. The inclusion of retroactive entries like this demonstrates the site's commitment to being as comprehensive as possible in its coverage of fan conventions.
In addition to conventions, FanCons.com also tracks convention guests, with 8,693 entries, including notable figures such as actor Michael Ironside and comic writer Ron Marz.
Looking ahead, FanCons.com plans to continue growing its database, with a focus on documenting conventions from all over the world. This includes not only current and upcoming events but also historical conventions, going as far back as the first known fan convention in 1889. The site's ultimate goal is to provide a comprehensive archive of fan convention history, preserving important events for future generations.
Despite its extensive coverage, many conventions are still missing from the database. FanCons.com encourages event organizers to submit their conventions for inclusion, with new submissions reviewed for accuracy before being added.
The data on FanCons.com and its affiliated sites—AnimeCons.com, FantasyCons.com, FurryCons.com, HorrorCons.com, SciFiCons.com, SteampunkCons.com, ToyCons.com, and VideoGameCons.com—is maintained by a team of volunteers dedicated to ensuring the database remains up-to-date and accurate.
Patrick Delahanty is the creator of FanCons.com. He has attended 195 fan conventions since attending his first in 1991.