What Calgary Comic & Entertainment Expo does

Calgary Comic & Entertainment Expo (operating as Calgary Expo) is a four-day annual fan convention held at Stampede Park in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, established in 2006. The event serves pop culture enthusiasts across comics, sci-fi, horror, anime, gaming, and cosplay verticals, drawing 100,000+ attendees annually over a Thursday-through-Sunday format. The company operates as part of Fan Expo HQ, a portfolio of consumer events owned by Informa Connect (a trading division of Informa PLC, LSE: INF).

The core product is the four-day expo featuring celebrity guests, comic creators, anime and gaming attractions, cosplay competitions, and an Artist Alley marketplace for independent creators. Ancillary revenue is generated through tiered ticketing (General, VIP, Ultimate, 4-Day passes), paid celebrity photo ops with professional 8x10 glossy prints, autograph sessions, and year-round merchandise sales through Shop FAN EXPO (fanexpostore.com). The business model combines direct-to-consumer ticket sales, B2B exhibitor booth rentals across retailers/comic vendors/gaming companies, and corporate sponsorship/advertising partnerships. The technology stack is a standard event management and ticketing platform under the Fan Expo HQ parent, supplemented by a mobile app for attendee navigation and a multi-platform social presence spanning Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, and Threads, plus an email newsletter (The FHQ) and community-driven Fan Meetups for year-round engagement.

Revenue is generated from five primary streams: ticket sales, exhibitor/vendor fees, celebrity experiences (photo ops and autographs), merchandise, and advertising/sponsorship. The company employs 14 people and operates a single annual event with growing digital extensions (e-commerce, mobile app, loyalty program). Geographic scope is primarily Alberta/Canada for the physical event, with global merchandise fulfillment via the online store.

Name

Calgary Comic & Entertainment Expo

Legal name

Calgary Comic & Entertainment Expo

Website

https://calgaryexpo.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Calgary Comic & Entertainment Expo is a four-day annual pop culture fan convention held at Stampede Park in Calgary, drawing 100,000+ attendees for celebrity meetups, comic creators, anime, gaming, and cosplay. Operated by Informa Connect under the Fan Expo HQ network since 2006.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fan Convention and Pop Culture Entertainment Events

NAICS

Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events without Facilities (711320), Amusement, Gambling, and Recreation Industries (713), Amusement Parks and Arcades (7131)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

General Consumer Expos & Trade Shows (MPAGAFAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Collectibles & Hobby Shows (MPAGAFAN), Arts, Crafts & Maker Fairs (MPAGAFAJ), Virtual Fan Events & Meet-and-Greets (Q&A, VIP Access) (MPAGAOAG)

Keywords

• Fan convention events
• Pop culture expo
• Comic entertainment event
• Celebrity meet and greet
• Cosplay convention

Headquarters

HQ city

Calgary

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Marketing or Sales, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Revenue from tiered ticket sales including 4-day passes, VIP passes, Ultimate passes, and special preview access. Tiered pricing creates upsell opportunities and premium experiences.
2. Exhibitor and Vendor Fees: Booth rental and exhibitor space fees for retailers, Artist Alley participants, corporate partners, and gaming/comic vendors.
3. Celebrity Experiences: Revenue from celebrity photo ops (professional 8x10 glossy photos) and autograph sessions with celebrity guests.
4. Merchandise Sales: On-site and online merchandise sales through Fan Expo Shop, selling exclusive pop culture merchandise, collectibles, and branded items.
5. Advertising and Sponsorship: Corporate partnership, advertising, and media partnership opportunities for brands targeting the pop culture fan demographic.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Calgary Comic & Entertainment Expo is an annual four-day fan convention held at Stampede Park in Calgary, Alberta, featuring celebrity guests, comic creators, anime, gaming, cosplay, and sci-fi/fantasy attractions. The event offers tiered ticketing (General, VIP, Ultimate, and 4-Day passes), premium paid experiences including celebrity photo ops and autographs, and access to an Artist Alley marketplace. Ancillary revenue is generated through branded merchandise sales via the Fan Expo online store and corporate sponsorships.

Product overview

Calgary Comic & Entertainment Expo (Calgary Expo) is a four-day entertainment expo operated under the Fan Expo HQ network. The core offering is the main expo event featuring celebrity guests, comic creators, gaming, anime, cosplay, and sci-fi/fantasy attractions at Stampede Park. The product portfolio includes premium add-on experiences such as Celebrity Photo Ops, Autograph Sessions, and Special Experiences/VIP packages, plus the consumer-facing Shop FAN EXPO merchandise store and a Mobile App for attendee navigation. The event attracts approximately 100,000 attendees and serves fans of comics, sci-fi, horror, anime, gaming, and cosplay.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Calgary Expo Main Event A four-day family-friendly entertainment convention featuring celebrity guests, comic creators, anime, gaming, cosplay, and sci-fi/fantasy attractions, held annually at Stampede Park in Calgary for individual pop culture fans and families.
• Celebrity Photo Ops

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• MCM Comic Con: ReedPop's UK-headquartered pop culture expo with similar multi-vertical programming and celebrity-driven format; comparable in business model and event operations.
• Emerald City Comic Con: ReedPop-operated Pacific Northwest pop culture convention with similar celebrity, comic creator, and cosplay programming; directly comparable in scope and regional positioning to Calgary Expo.
• New York Comic Con: Operated by ReedPop, this is one of North America's largest pop culture expos with celebrity guests, comic creators, anime, and cosplay; the closest scale-and-programming analog to Calgary Expo's positioning.
• WonderCon: Comic-Con International's mid-size comic/pop culture convention with creator-focused programming and exhibitor marketplace; directly comparable in category scope to Calgary Expo.
• C2E2 (Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo): ReedPop-run Chicago pop culture expo mirroring the Fan Expo / Calgary format — celebrity guests, comics, anime, gaming, cosplay — making it a strong operational benchmark for Calgary Expo.
• Fan Expo Toronto: Flagship sister event under the same Fan Expo HQ / Informa Connect portfolio; multi-day pop culture expo with comics, anime, gaming, celebrity guests, and cosplay, serving as the most directly comparable event in scale and programming mix.
• Dragon Con: Long-running multi-genre fan convention in Atlanta covering sci-fi, fantasy, comics, gaming, anime, and cosplay; comparable in programming breadth and fandom-community focus.
• Fan Expo Vancouver: Another Fan Expo HQ sister event in western Canada with overlapping comics/anime/gaming/celebrity programming; competes with Calgary for western Canadian fan attendance and shared talent pool.

Emerging players

• PAX (Penny Arcade Expo): ReedPop's gaming-focused convention series with overlapping pop culture and cosplay programming; partial overlap as Calgary Expo also features a gaming vertical, but PAX is more gaming-centric.

Broad incumbents

• San Diego Comic-Con: The original and largest U.S. consumer comic/pop culture convention; sets the celebrity talent bar, exhibitor expectations, and media-partner benchmarks that Calgary Expo and other regional cons are measured against.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CalgaryExpo
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCEOrTO8A5Nq9oQ1NbvLUxrg
• Facebookfacebook.com/calgaryexpo
• Instagraminstagram.com/CalgaryExpo
• TikToktiktok.com/@fanexpohq
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/calgary-comic-&-entertainment-expo

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Calgary Comic & Entertainment Expo