Want to be or already a social media creator, want to fawn over a social media influencer in person, or want to know how your company could work with influencers? VidCon is for all three categories! Welcome to VidCon Anaheim, from Thursday, June 22 to Saturday, June 24th, 2023!
VidCon is a fan convention/industry conference, originally started in 2010 by YouTube Creators, John & Hank Green at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza in Los Angeles in 2010 & 2011 as a way to show that being a content creator can be a full-time career and show how creators, their community, and the media industry of navigating this new industry. Then the show moved to the Anaheim Convention Center in 2012. The show has grown a lot over the years and the Greens sold ownership of the show in 2018 to Paramount Studios, which now has shows in Abu Dhabi, Baltimore, Mexico, and Sao Paulo.
There are three badge types: community: the fan base for content creators, creators: people who create online content, and the industry: learning how companies can work with content creators. All three check in at the Anaheim Convention Center North building, with the line going up Katella. From the Marriott, you have to around the Hilton via Hotel Way and left on Katella. The only registration at the Marriott is for sponsors and exhibitors.
Security, Bag Policy, Prohibited Items, and Cosplay Guidelines
In previous years, creators could get an idea or two that could accidentally cause an accident, such as at VidCon 2017, where Logan Paul hid $3,000 around the convention center, which caused a huge mob of community members searching for the money, so security had to remove him, and security had to heighten after that.
For security, only badged attendees can be on the convention center premises. All attendees get convention a badge and RFID wristband to tap in & out of the convention center premises. They use a walk-through scanner that detects weapons and would not go off for most metal objects that would usually trigger conventional metal detectors. If it goes off, you and your bag will be checked by the security.
Bags cannot be bigger than a foot by foot, so no large backpacks, smaller sling bags, and purses are good. No outside alcohol but you can buy from an inside bartender. No weapons or items that could be mistaken for weapons. No illegal substances, no marijuana. You can bring most cameras in except for drones. No helium balloons, they don’t want to retrieve it from the ceiling of the convention center. No flyers, don’t shill for yourself or others with flyers. No pet, expert service animals. Lastly, no wheeled devices, unless it is for mobility aids. Most creator’s personas online are usually a variation of themselves & interests, in most cases, wear their regular clothes unless a persona is heavy on you not being you, so there are some guidelines on costumes and clothing. No masks, that cover the face, even though, I saw a couple of people with paper mache heads of a character. No stick-like objects like bats, staffs, or large wands. No weapons or items that look like weapons. No props or clothing that could cause harm. The only type of cosplay weapons is soft plastic, foam, or air-filled weapons. One commenter on my TikTok video did not like these changes, I should’ve replied what they did not like about the new policy to boost engagement, however, I did not.
Day 1
There are three different pass types, community: the fan base for content creators, creators: people who create online content, and the industry: media industry learning how companies can work with content creators & their community.
For 2023 VidCon was from Wednesday, June 21 to Saturday 24th, 2023. Passes for community track for access to the exhibit hall & community panels and events, with four days at $169 or just Saturday or Sunday at $85. The creator tier is $249, with community-level events, along with exclusive creator networking & events, panels oriented for creators, and even pair up with a mentor. The industry level is $999 and get industry-oriented sessions on working with creators & their community, workshops, and networking. You can also get online access to streams of the panels & workshops for $199. I could register for the creator track, however, I am working all but three days of VidCon, with Wednesday being the only full day which was just registration. I would casually go after work to go to a panel and check the show floor on the other days as I finished my work day at 3 pm.
For 2023, it is planned to be bigger than last year, with 2022 being the first VidCon after the 2020 closures. This year, badge registration was at the Anaheim Convention Center’s north hall instead of Hall D from last year. To get there from the Anaheim Marriott where I parked, I went down Hotel Way from the traffic circle, turn left on Katella, and keep going past the convention center I got there at noon and the line did not start moving until 12:30 pm. North Hall is badge pick up for community, creator, and industry tracks, along with a chaperone lounge, away from the busyness of the exhibit hall & outdoor concerts. The Anaheim Marriott is for After winding through the huge line, I scanned my ticket and got my badge, a total of an hour & fifteen minutes. You get a VidCon program, a month’s trial of the Paramont+ streaming service, a name badge to write your name with a permanent marker, and an RFID band that you need to tap in & out when going out of the VidCon area.
After exiting the North Hall, I checked the program and there wasn’t any panel or open exhibit hall, however, everything else would be at the following three days. At least there are the food trucks, don’t forget to eat & drink water during conventions like this since you can easily lose track of time.
Day 2
On day two of VidCon, the first full day of exhibit halls, panels, and events were only the four-day badges. The following two days will be a mix of the individual day badges for VidCon. It was a good thing I bought the four-day bags since I only got to be there for three hours due to work ending at three and the exhibit halls ending at 6:30 pm. There was an after-dark party starting afterward at 7 pm, however, I had to get heading home then.
Unlike WonderCon, where the food trucks close when the exhibit halls close, VidCon food trucks close at 9:30 pm, which are only accessible for attendees with thirteen trucks. The food trucks are from the Food Truck Smackdown food truck network, which also does a lot of events here and around the area as well such as WonderCon & the Ducks games, the list was similar to WonderCon’s list of trucks.
Inside the exhibit halls are the exhibitors & panel stages, I went to two different panels. First was Surviving the Spotlight where stars of traditional Hollywood, Christy Carlson Romano of Even Stevens & Kim Possible, Alyson Stoner mostly known for playing Isabella on Phineas & Ferb, Kira Kosarin of Nickelodeon’s The Thundermans series, and Nicole Laeno & Merrick Hanna who both got online fame for their dances then eventually got roles in Hollywood in thanks to their content. Being a star in Hollywood of pre-social media vs now is vastly different since Christy & Alyson both were teenage & child stars respectively before social media took over, and both kept getting roles that eventually started to burn them out. While Kira kept having a hard time breaking through to get big roles & kept getting turned down then eventually got to be in the Thundermans. Then on social media now, Nicole Laeno & Merrick Hanna, both eventually got viral with their dances and got on morning talk shows which even got them more popular with the parents, which eventually landed them more roles.
Around the exhibit halls, Paramount Studios had a gaming lounge for their Nickelodeon shows such as Sponge Bob Party Pursuit, Nickelodeon Kart Racers, Avatar Legends, and more. The dairy industry sponsors a Fortnight gaming lounge as they do lots of sponsored content in the game. Nintendo had a booth with Mario Kart 8 demo kiosks, and photo opportunities on a Mario Kart that I did, and with a Mario mascot.
If you saw guests walking around with large squishable stuffed animals, they went to the Squishimals booth where you can dive for a free Squishimals! A huge line and signing off a waiver is required.
Ready to take your video production to the next level? Black Magic Design produces high-end cinema cameras, production equipment, video switchers, and their free-to-use editing software, DaVinci Resolve, which is subsidized by the sales of the equipment to professionals. I use DaVinci Resolve since it is free to use and lets you learn their technology as you want to use more advanced editing techniques, that eventually you feel ready to upgrade to their cinema cameras when you have a large enough budget to do so, but I will stick to GoPro & iPhone for now, and people will give you funny looks if you take a large cinema camera to Disneyland.
Then I went to the next panel: Power of Play, where four video game streamers discussed their experience streaming and playing video games. One thing that they discussed was that live-streaming games are one way that fans can interact with the content creators in real-time and can influence interactions or give ideas that the creator did not think about at the time.
Day 3
Day three of VidCon! Today is the first day of the individual-day badges mixed in with the four-day badges, so there are a lot more people at the Anaheim convention center. Ending my work day at 3:30 pm and got to the convention center in time for the 4 pm panel: Get Smart with Renegade Science Teacher, the Truth Doctor, MatPat & Steph, Casual Geographer, Mercury Stardust, and moderated by Sidney Raz. Since I want to be a bit more educational travel content on AntSol Travel & my secondary channels, this panel was up my alley!
MetPat started his YouTube channel, Game Theory, in 2009, to discuss math & science concepts that could be possible in video games and other content in real life. You can build out ideas and knowledge over time like many educational concepts, but it needs to be accessible to everyone. MatPat has researchers who get really into learning concepts. However, you may need to leave out too much information, as many new viewers may not know about the content and make content that kid you and others would love to watch said casual geographer. You should have a disclaimer on your educational content if you are telling things from a professional, experience, or third-hand point of view information, especially mental health said the Truth Doctor as everyone has different levels of experience & knowledge.
As viewers, you need to keep an eye on keywords. as anyone can lead you down a rabbit hole of questions such as “Evidence suggestion” or “We may know that” as could are open-ended
Educational content can be simple for a curious person or complex for professionals or enthusiasts. However, if you are catering to new people, people more knowledgeable would be mad that you miss a point or concept that is too much for newbies.
There is a nuance in concepts but we need enough information that makes sense about concepts and is reproduce experiments and calculations.
Going from Long form, more than a minute, to Short, minute or less content to Shorts, You can simply math concepts on the equation to reach a conclusion, however, everyone wants the conclusion and keep retention time, so what MatPat had to do for his videos is to simplify for his videos. Shorts are super efficient in the delivery of content to keep up with YouTube algorithm and viewer patients
In the audience corrections in comments: Stardust gets many bit of picky comments that there are many different ways to do things that she did not know about. What’s the intention of the negative comment, if is supposed to be helpful or harmful, and take criticism & learn from it? Concepts, ideas, and information change over time as well, and something is always new. Conclusions are not 100% definitive and help viewers think critically and help change viewers’ perceptions.
“They did not do their research” is the worst for MatPat as research has to be boiled down and hurts every time. “You are not a construction professional” for Stardust as she worked in construction for 16 years. “You should not be a therapist with that diagnosis” for the Truth Doctor as it can confuse other viewers. Gatekeeping is bad said sidneyraz as many people did not respond back to all points or just just one.
The Casual Geographer said that make sure to double-check your information before putting in the video. The Truch Doctor said that everything is changing and adding new as a practice like
Biology has many methods of thinking. For mental health, there are many different symptoms, and not everyone has the same symptoms said the Truth Doctor.
Mercury Stardust is a trans woman and she puts that out in her content so that people learn about her community.
The hardest theory for MatPat was the Chun Li helicopter kick and you need specific knowledge of human vs helicopter foot and style theory channel to real-world application
If you are a jerk, you go viral, however, you have to deal with repercussions.
Make sure you know you are talking to the audience you are aiming for and make sure to get to the point.
Is short form too short for education? Casual Geography said you just go to the point, then stem it or advertise the full video, a disclaimer that it does not fully get it. Shorts can be more helpful or spark a question in 60 seconds, as learning in 40 minutes is scary. Satisfy boredom by driving curiosity in short form, however, can be bad with misleading viral content. Try to answer a question that people may not have but bring up with your centenary.
Day 4
When I got there, the First panel was Masters Without a Script: featuring most of the previous content creators on Smosh Games! About how to produce unscripted content to make authentic connections with the audience. Featuring Hayden Hillier-Smith, Matt Sohinki, Dave Moss, Joshua Ovenshire, Michele Kharkov, and Atomic Mari. Smosh Games is a second channel of the Smosh Channel when the brand half of ownership was sold from one of their founders, Anthony Padella to Defy Media in 2011, which folded in 2017, and most of them left the channel since then. I loved watching them during this time Smosh Games stent with Defy Media is when everyone here was part of the channel and made unscripted Let’s Play game videos in which they would play video games with each other, unscripted works as you respond to how you play the game play out and you react to it. A group setting works best since everyone bounces ideas and reactions off each other. Some and many viewers like this type of content as you get to feel you are part of a group of friends playing video games together. They recommend taking improv classes as it helps you know how to bounce ideas and continue the comedic conversation. While they worked at Defy Media, it was pretty much a stable 9 to 5 and helped them to have a stable work ethic when they left Smosh as Defy Media folded to do their own work or back in Hollywood traditional media.
After the panel, I walked around the exhibit floor for the last time. At the Nintendo booth, I got a picture of Mario! Paramount + had The Lodge, a photo op area for their Nickelodeon properties such as Zoey 102, Spongebob Squarepants, iCarly, and even a green screen of you climbing Paramount Mountain. I did not do any pictures since I needed to get going to the final panel. On the way over, I saw the next laundry cart full of Squishamals is heading out to the Squish Pit! However, the line is way too long for me to wait in.
The final panel was Finding Your Niche, with Sidneyraz, Anthony Riveras, and Shervin Shaikh. Your channel’s niche, which is a specific type of content you create for a community, mostly enthusiasts. It can be hard to find and takes a while to figure out since you might not be on the right platform or niche that speaks to people. Sidney posted content all over the place with deer net type of content, then found TikTok in 2019 and he took off by doing life hacks that everyone and the TikTok algorithm loved. Anthony wanted to do video games, but then found the niche of Pokémon cards. Try posting on as many platforms as possible as one can go viral, and others don’t and leverage it.
It takes time and consistency to find your niche like for Sidney or leveraging a trend that you happen to get popular with Anthony. When you do try to connect with the community by commenting, connecting on different platforms, doing live streams, and being different from others in the space to stand out.
After the panel, it was the end of VidCon 2023! It was cool, I loved the panels and I was able to take away so many things from them as a content creator. The exhibit halls were great as well with many exhibitors. It worked out I got the four-day pass as I can just go after work and go to the panels and then check out the floor at my own pace during the three hours each day. I can’t wait to use my new knowledge for my content! This year was still small in comparison to pre-2020 shows I have seen online before, but it was great nonetheless.
Thank you for coming along with my journey through VidCon!
AntSol Travel 
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