| Supanova Pop Culture Expo | |
|---|---|
The exhibition floor at Supanova Sydney 2010 |
|
| Genre | Multi-genre |
| Venue | Various |
| Location | Brisbane, Sydney, Perth, Melbourne |
| Country | Australia |
| First held | 2002 |
| Organizer | Daniel Zachariou |
| Filing status | For profit |
| Attendance | varies by city; 14,400 to 23,400 in 2011 |
| Official website | http://www.supanova.com.au/ |
Supanova Pop Culture Expo (Supanova) is a fan convention focusing on science fiction and fantasy film and TV, comic books, anime, gaming and collectables. It is held annually in the Australian cities of Brisbane, Sydney, Perth and Melbourne.
The first Supanova was held at the Sydney Showground on the weekend of 20-21 April 2002. It was the successor to comicfest!, a similar convention under the same management which held its final event in November 2002. On the weekend of 13-14 September 2003, Supanova held its first convention in the city of Brisbane at the RNA Showgrounds.[1] In 2008, Supanova expanded to include Melbourne (back-to-back with Brisbane) and Perth (back-to-back with Sydney). As of 2010, the combined attendance across the four events was estimated at 58,500; the Brisbane expo, as of 2011 the largest, had 23,400 attendees in April of that year.
One of the major attractions at Supanova are the special guests - often well-known personalities of interest to convention attendees who participate in signing sessions and panel discussions with their fans. Other notable attractions at Supanova include the cosplay competition, the "Artist's Alley" where aspiring artists can display and sell their work, and the anime theatre. On many occasions Supanova has also hosted, as satellite events, artwork masterclasses, film screenings or similar activities. There is a large exhibitors area at Supanova where attendees can purchase merchandise from one of the many traders present.[2][3]
As of 2011, Supanova is held at the Royal Melbourne Showgrounds and RNA Showgrounds Brisbane in April, followed by Sydney Olympic Park and Claremont Showgrounds Perth in June. Supanova's Sydney event was formerly held at the Wharf 8 Function Centre in King Street Wharf, from 2003 to 2005, before returning to Olympic Park in 2006. From 2012 the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre and Adelaide Showgrounds will join the schedule.
Supanova is managed by a team of permanent staff with Daniel Zachariou holding the title of event director. There are also a large number of volunteers, generally appointed on an event-by-event basis, who assist with the day-to-day running of the convention.