DesignerCon 2020 goes virtual from November 13 – 15, 2020

I’m glad DesignerCon has continued from to grow from its humble beginnings. My first time attending was 2012 when it was only one day and still in Pasadena. I managed to go several years including 2013, 2018 and 2019. I’d say this makes me a DCON vet, but that’s stretching it… for once, my pink hair would allow me to fit right in with the crowd and now it’s virtual – like so many events should be right now!

Virtual isn’t such a bad thing, it allows anyone at home to experience an event and still feel like they’re there. I’ve done a handful of virtual concerts and zoom meetings, which isn’t my preference but it can be cheaper than a plane ticket. DesignerCon isn’t normally too expensive unless you really like buying vinyl toys and pop art inspired clothes and art… though I happen to like both of these things.

Well, the virtual-ness of the event might make it easier for me to resist buying anything – that I haven’t won the lottery… Here are some details about this year’s event from their recent email sent last month:

DESIGNER CON 2020

DESIGNERCON RETURNS NOVEMBER 13TH – 15TH FOR THE MOST AMBITIOUS CON OF 2020!

New Partnership With Popshop Live App Will Bring Vendors’ Storefronts And Artists Live to Viewers’ Screens, While Allowing Them to Skip the Lines And Avoid the Crowds

In spite of the unusual presentation, attendees can expect many of the traditions they’ve come to love. Every year, DesignerCon organizes events and aesthetics around an important pop-culture theme, and 2020 is no different. For this edition of DCON, the expo celebrates the 35th anniversary of Back to the Future—a franchise more timely than ever IN 2020.

“Where we’re going, we don’t need halls,” says founder and producer Ben Goretsky.

CONVENTION DATES November 13 – 15, 2020

Since its founding in 2005, DesignerCon has grown into the largest designer toy and art convention in the United States. With COVID-19 disrupting the global event industry, founder Ben Goretsky remains determined to continue expanding—this time into the digital realm. For its 2020 edition, DesignerCon will broadcast and sell to thousands of attendees on Popshop Live, a groundbreaking platform at the forefront of streaming commerce.

TICKETS

Companies that have already signed up for the innovative approach to the convention include Japan’s MEDICOM (with DesignerCon being their only US convention), Toy Cube, and 3D Retro. Participating artists include Valfre, Joel Ledbetter, Luke Chueh, and Jorge R. Guiterrez, to name a few. his year’s set of DCON exclusive Be@rbricks will be designed by Jermaine Rogers, Louis De Guzman, Valfre, Alex Pardee, and Greg Mike. Tickets will go on sale in October, and DesignerCon will be hosted live on the Popshop Live app from November 13 to 15th, 2020.

BACK TO THE FUTURE ART SHOW

To honor the iconic film, DCON is producing a art show, curated by Carmen “Jane Dope” Acosta. Additionally DKE Toys is curating 30+ artists in a line of limited-edition hand-made Back To The Future  action figures. The tribute exhibition will be held at Art Share LA, a non-profit arts organization in DTLA, and livestreamed to DCON attendees.

If that doesn’t sell you on the event, I don’t know what will! $10 tickets is hard to not want, but it depends of course on your level of interest… these days, my new kitten is pretty darn interesting but I will post about him another day! Other interesting things I can’t talk about unfortunately, but maybe I’ll be able to soon.