Hello everyone!
Val Staples here, Event Director for Power-Con.
My goal today is to address several of your questions. And I apologize in advance for the long-winded nature of this post.
First off... 1. Will there be a Power-Con in Columbus, Ohio for 2025?
The answer is, unfortunately, no.
In 2024, we ran into date conflicts that made it impractical to move forward with the show. I've been a guest on a couple of podcasts to discuss what happened and we at Power-Con have also made comments on social media addressing this.
2025 ended up facing a different situation. Power-Con has grown to a size that limits the number of venues that can house the event in its current format. And in the years post-covid, competition for venue space for larger events has become increasingly fierce with each passing year. Dates are harder to come by that don't conflict with other shows or holidays of importance. Despite all of this, we thought we had found a venue with dates that worked for 2025. Unfortunately, as we neared the end of negotiations with the venue, they decided that our foot traffic was too large for their venue. Which I suppose is a good problem in theory, but it meant the hunt had to continue.
Our target timeframe for a standalone Power-Con show is spring to early fall. But the downside is the amount of time that was put towards venue discovery pushed 2025 out of the picture as we ideally need to book a venue about a year out from the event dates. So now we're looking at options for 2026.
But there's been more behind the scenes on a personal level that added to the delays in planning. I'm not too keen on sharing private information. That said, I'm going to put some of my own business out there and trust that this info will be appreciated by those who value such transparency.
I had been recovering from surgery for a number of months in 2025. It was nothing life-threatening but it kept me from working for quite some time due to an inability to use one of my arms effectively. In addition to that, there's been a serious health matter in my immediate family that has required time and resources. All of this was taking place while dealing with the hunt for venues. I apologize that my personal life has had an impact on Power-Con, but I hope you all will understand.
That brings me to...2. Is Power-Con merging with Toylanta?
I realize the announcement of Power-Con being a part of Toylanta came out of no where, and with short notice to make plans to attend. Please note that this is a bonus feature to Toylanta. It is not a merging of both shows.
Brett Barton, who runs Toylanta, allowed Power-Con the chance to have a 2025 presence through his show. I am very grateful for this and am looking forward to how this all comes together. I've heard amazing things about both Toylanta and Brett, and it means so much that he would help keep Power-Con in the minds of collectors during what has proved to be a difficult time. I am happy to help support Toylanta and I hope to see many of you there this Marth 28-30 in Duluth, Georgia.
Please click here to learn more about the show: https://www.toylanta.net/
While there has been a lot of excitement about the Toylanta announcement, there has also been some past Power-Con attendees and vendors who have expressed their sadness and frustration over this announcement. I completely understand and I value that feedback. And it's always possible we may do more with Toylanta. But please know that this does not mean Power-Con is disappearing. More on that below.
Finally, I'd like to address a couple of other questions that come up frequently...3. Will Power-Con focus on Masters of the Universe again, and will it ever return to California?
I have been upfront about this with anyone who has asked. There is no scandal or falling out that led to why Power-Con evolved the way it did for 2022. It was merely business.
Prior to the 2021 show when it was time to discuss the 2022 venue, I received the news that Power-Con would no longer receive exclusive action figure support from Mattel for 2022. These exclusives provided the supplemental income that helped fuel the deep guest roster and programming that Power-Con offered for He-Man and She-Ra fans. Then as the show got closer, the panel programming continued to change all the way up to the show until most of the MOTU panels were pre-recorded and excluded the usual live Q&A sessions. So what does that mean exactly? Well...
In discussions leading up to the 2021 show, Mattel continued to praise the show and wanted us to continue with a MOTU-focused event in 2022. In lieu of action figures, they were willing to offer us limited support in the way of products like apparel. But I made it clear the show could not exist in its current size and scope without exclusive action figure support as that was the primary revenue generator with collectors. I was given no reasons for the directional shift with exclusives and programming. But that's okay as Mattel is not required to explain. Yet in order to move forward with future Power-Con planning, this meant I had to do some detective work to find out what was going on.
What I learned is that some of the talent at Mattel, who have since left the company, had a big focus on wanting to make a digital shift to online presentation. Warner Brothers had made a big splash with DC FanDome in 2020 when virtual events took the world by storm. Many companies, including Mattel, were very impressed with the viewership DC FanDome received. Millions of people viewed FanDome streams, primarily for TV and film related presentations. And at the time it made sense. Covid had made in-person events difficult to host and the technology was there to create outstanding presentations with none of the in-person planning. I understood this all too well because Power-Con 2021 was facing challenges with covid regulations in an effort to return to an in-person event. In addition, Mattel was placing a big push behind their online Mattel Creations portal with direct sales and information to fans. All of this helps to explain the pre-recorded panels which tested fan reaction to that digital format, and it played a role in why the Power-Con exclusives were handled as a shared exclusive that went on to be sold directly by Mattel on Mattel Creations after the Power-Con event.
It was bitter sweet for me at the 2021 show knowing that fans might be enjoying their last MOTU-focused Power-Con. And by that point, I had already begun venue negotiations in the Midwest for a different type of Power-Con event. But that was information I could not share with anyone at that time. There was no benefit to dampening the mood of the 2021 festivities. And my goal was and still is not to vilify Mattel for doing what they felt was best for business.
That's because I understood where Mattel was coming from. From a business perspective, it was a logical choice considering how covid had affected in-person shows combined with Mattel's desire to prioritize their direct-to-sale platform. I was saddened as a fan but I respected the decisions Mattel had made for the future. But it didn't take long for things to change once again. DC FanDome made 2021 their last online event; a decision that reflected the status of a number of other virtual events that came and went quickly. It wasn't public knowledge at the time but Warner Brothers went on to announce in September of 2022 that they were moving back to in-person events. This was also the approach for most other events. Many who had invested in virtual shows swiftly started moving back to in-person because they all saw the preferred value of this format. And I learned that due to the rapidly changing convention landscape, a number of companies scrapped plans for their own virtual event plans before they even got them off the ground. It was both a fascinating and infuriating time for conventions.
But as I mentioned earlier, by the time this shift back to in-person shows was happening, Power-Con was well into its plans for 2022. We still had to move forward with Power-Con and use the momentum built over the years. This began the age of our general toy and collectible focus. And with this new format, attendance for Power-Con was better in 2022 and higher still in 2023.
Despite that, Mattel has been made aware that everyone at Power-Con would love to work with them again. There is absolutely no ill will between anyone because the right decisions were made for everyone at the time. That means that if Mattel ever chooses to partner with Power-Con once more, then I will use a Power-Con event to lift the MOTU brand as high as before. And if they don't, then I am still grateful for all the previous years of support from Mattel which allowed us to put on amazing events with a large focus on MOTU.
At the same time, I do not want to lose what I have already started to build thanks to Power-Con being able to reach a larger toy audience with no brand-specific programming. We now have a lot of companies and creators that value what Power-Con has to offer. And while we love California, being in a more Midwest location like Ohio helps to serve a larger collecting audience while making the show more accessible for a larger number of guests and toy companies.
So what does this mean for the future of Power-Con? Is it possible that two Power-Con events could be in the works to cater to different audiences? Perhaps we'll experiment with format, size, and approach? Could new people be coming on board to help advance Power-Con? Maybe we'll try a different location or two if Columbus continues to be challenging when it comes to landing the right venue at the right time? All I can say for certain is that we're actively working on those plans.
While Power-Con is always evolving, it is not going any where any time soon. The show may skip a year or two when needed, but the show means a lot to many people which, in turn, means a lot to me. I've sacrificed a lot with every Power-Con show and others have volunteered a lot of hard work and time in order to put on what we feel is an incredible convention.
Thank you so much for your time and continued support. If you are able to attend Toylanta then it would be fantastic to catch you there. I have no doubt it's going to be a memorable convention. And I would love to see you at a future Power-Con event. It is my hope that the best is yet to come!
So... basically Power-Con doesn't know who they are, what they are, what they want to be and has no vision or path forward. Maybe if Mattel comes back, they'll capitulate and go back to being a He-Man / Monster High / Barbie / Mattel convention, or maybe not, who knows? And if not, maybe we'll stay in the midwest, maybe we'll go to Atlanta, maybe we'll just brand ourselves out and try to do multiple shows despite the fact that we can't do a regular annual show and haven't had a convention in 2-3 years by the time we're thinking about doing one again. Vendors, attendees, fans - just keep guessing! We'll figure it out sooner or later. Or we won't.
Man, at this rate, they are just dragging Toylanta, which is legit a much better convention at this point, down.
Really appreciate Val sharing all this info. Maybe next year...maybe st louis?
Over the holidays we brought you the news of how Power-Con which in 2024 was on hiatus would be teaming up with the Toylanta convention in 2025 which takes place MARCH 28-29-30 at the Gas South Convention Center in Duluth, GA.Val Staples who is the founder of Power-Con has now released this statement about the convention giving us more details on whats going on with it and why.
Hello everyone!Val Staples here, Event Director for Power-Con.My goal today is to address several of your questions. And I apologize in advance for the long-winded nature of this post.First off... 1. Will there be a Power-Con in Columbus, Ohio for 2025?The answer is, unfortunately, no.In 2024, we ran into date conflicts that made it impractical to move forward with the show. I've been a guest on a couple of podcasts to discuss what happened and we at Power-Con have also made comments on social media addressing this.2025 ended up facing a different situation. Power-Con has grown to a size that limits the number of venues that can house the event in its current format. And in the years post-covid, competition for venue space for larger events has become increasingly fierce with each passing year. Dates are harder to come by that don't conflict with other shows or holidays of importance. Despite all of this, we thought we had found a venue with dates that worked for 2025. Unfortunately, as we neared the end of negotiations with the venue, they decided that our foot traffic was too large for their venue. Which I suppose is a good problem in theory, but it meant the hunt had to continue.Our target timeframe for a standalone Power-Con show is spring to early fall. But the downside is the amount of time that was put towards venue discovery pushed 2025 out of the picture as we ideally need to book a venue about a year out from the event dates. So now we're looking at options for 2026.But there's been more behind the scenes on a personal level that added to the delays in planning. I'm not too keen on sharing private information. That said, I'm going to put some of my own business out there and trust that this info will be appreciated by those who value such transparency.I had been recovering from surgery for a number of months in 2025. It was nothing life-threatening but it kept me from working for quite some time due to an inability to use one of my arms effectively. In addition to that, there's been a serious health matter in my immediate family that has required time and resources. All of this was taking place while dealing with the hunt for venues. I apologize that my personal life has had an impact on Power-Con, but I hope you all will understand.That brings me to...2. Is Power-Con merging with Toylanta?I realize the announcement of Power-Con being a part of Toylanta came out of no where, and with short notice to make plans to attend. Please note that this is a bonus feature to Toylanta. It is not a merging of both shows.Brett Barton, who runs Toylanta, allowed Power-Con the chance to have a 2025 presence through his show. I am very grateful for this and am looking forward to how this all comes together. I've heard amazing things about both Toylanta and Brett, and it means so much that he would help keep Power-Con in the minds of collectors during what has proved to be a difficult time. I am happy to help support Toylanta and I hope to see many of you there this Marth 28-30 in Duluth, Georgia.Please click here to learn more about the show: https://www.toylanta.net/While there has been a lot of excitement about the Toylanta announcement, there has also been some past Power-Con attendees and vendors who have expressed their sadness and frustration over this announcement. I completely understand and I value that feedback. And it's always possible we may do more with Toylanta. But please know that this does not mean Power-Con is disappearing. More on that below.Finally, I'd like to address a couple of other questions that come up frequently...3. Will Power-Con focus on Masters of the Universe again, and will it ever return to California?I have been upfront about this with anyone who has asked. There is no scandal or falling out that led to why Power-Con evolved the way it did for 2022. It was merely business.Prior to the 2021 show when it was time to discuss the 2022 venue, I received the news that Power-Con would no longer receive exclusive action figure support from Mattel for 2022. These exclusives provided the supplemental income that helped fuel the deep guest roster and programming that Power-Con offered for He-Man and She-Ra fans. Then as the show got closer, the panel programming continued to change all the way up to the show until most of the MOTU panels were pre-recorded and excluded the usual live Q&A sessions. So what does that mean exactly? Well...In discussions leading up to the 2021 show, Mattel continued to praise the show and wanted us to continue with a MOTU-focused event in 2022. In lieu of action figures, they were willing to offer us limited support in the way of products like apparel. But I made it clear the show could not exist in its current size and scope without exclusive action figure support as that was the primary revenue generator with collectors. I was given no reasons for the directional shift with exclusives and programming. But that's okay as Mattel is not required to explain. Yet in order to move forward with future Power-Con planning, this meant I had to do some detective work to find out what was going on.What I learned is that some of the talent at Mattel, who have since left the company, had a big focus on wanting to make a digital shift to online presentation. Warner Brothers had made a big splash with DC FanDome in 2020 when virtual events took the world by storm. Many companies, including Mattel, were very impressed with the viewership DC FanDome received. Millions of people viewed FanDome streams, primarily for TV and film related presentations. And at the time it made sense. Covid had made in-person events difficult to host and the technology was there to create outstanding presentations with none of the in-person planning. I understood this all too well because Power-Con 2021 was facing challenges with covid regulations in an effort to return to an in-person event. In addition, Mattel was placing a big push behind their online Mattel Creations portal with direct sales and information to fans. All of this helps to explain the pre-recorded panels which tested fan reaction to that digital format, and it played a role in why the Power-Con exclusives were handled as a shared exclusive that went on to be sold directly by Mattel on Mattel Creations after the Power-Con event.It was bitter sweet for me at the 2021 show knowing that fans might be enjoying their last MOTU-focused Power-Con. And by that point, I had already begun venue negotiations in the Midwest for a different type of Power-Con event. But that was information I could not share with anyone at that time. There was no benefit to dampening the mood of the 2021 festivities. And my goal was and still is not to vilify Mattel for doing what they felt was best for business.That's because I understood where Mattel was coming from. From a business perspective, it was a logical choice considering how covid had affected in-person shows combined with Mattel's desire to prioritize their direct-to-sale platform. I was saddened as a fan but I respected the decisions Mattel had made for the future. But it didn't take long for things to change once again. DC FanDome made 2021 their last online event; a decision that reflected the status of a number of other virtual events that came and went quickly. It wasn't public knowledge at the time but Warner Brothers went on to announce in September of 2022 that they were moving back to in-person events. This was also the approach for most other events. Many who had invested in virtual shows swiftly started moving back to in-person because they all saw the preferred value of this format. And I learned that due to the rapidly changing convention landscape, a number of companies scrapped plans for their own virtual event plans before they even got them off the ground. It was both a fascinating and infuriating time for conventions.But as I mentioned earlier, by the time this shift back to in-person shows was happening, Power-Con was well into its plans for 2022. We still had to move forward with Power-Con and use the momentum built over the years. This began the age of our general toy and collectible focus. And with this new format, attendance for Power-Con was better in 2022 and higher still in 2023.Despite that, Mattel has been made aware that everyone at Power-Con would love to work with them again. There is absolutely no ill will between anyone because the right decisions were made for everyone at the time. That means that if Mattel ever chooses to partner with Power-Con once more, then I will use a Power-Con event to lift the MOTU brand as high as before. And if they don't, then I am still grateful for all the previous years of support from Mattel which allowed us to put on amazing events with a large focus on MOTU.At the same time, I do not want to lose what I have already started to build thanks to Power-Con being able to reach a larger toy audience with no brand-specific programming. We now have a lot of companies and creators that value what Power-Con has to offer. And while we love California, being in a more Midwest location like Ohio helps to serve a larger collecting audience while making the show more accessible for a larger number of guests and toy companies.So what does this mean for the future of Power-Con? Is it possible that two Power-Con events could be in the works to cater to different audiences? Perhaps we'll experiment with format, size, and approach? Could new people be coming on board to help advance Power-Con? Maybe we'll try a different location or two if Columbus continues to be challenging when it comes to landing the right venue at the right time? All I can say for certain is that we're actively working on those plans.While Power-Con is always evolving, it is not going any where any time soon. The show may skip a year or two when needed, but the show means a lot to many people which, in turn, means a lot to me. I've sacrificed a lot with every Power-Con show and others have volunteered a lot of hard work and time in order to put on what we feel is an incredible convention.Thank you so much for your time and continued support. If you are able to attend Toylanta then it would be fantastic to catch you there. I have no doubt it's going to be a memorable convention. And I would love to see you at a future Power-Con event. It is my hope that the best is yet to come!
I see they must have heard me when I said that the "heavy gunner" was kitted out no differently from theT.U.5.C.C. Pilots, and should at least have the ammo belt. Nice job with the camo print on the pants.
Oi, that timing is just awful for me.
The Power-Con convention which took a hiatus in 2024 announced yesterday that it would be teaming up with the Toylanta convention in 2025.For those not familiar, Toylanta will be taking place MARCH 28-29-30 at the Gas South Convention Center in Duluth, GA which means that is now for all intents and purposes where Power-Con will be taking place.
Power-Con had started out as a Masters of the Universe focused convention run by Val Staples, mostly taking place out west in CA. In more recent years Val tried to turn it into a more all-encompassing toy convention and held it in Columbus OH. As mentioned before, the convention took a hiatus last year which was said was due to a scheduling conflict they had with the convention center in Columbus.It's not really clear what "teaming" up really entails between these two shows other than I assume both convention organizers will be pooling their resources together which hopefully means a bigger and better convention for all.When more specifics about this team-up are made available we will be sure to update you here.
Ooh! This is exciting! Cali is way too far for me, but Ohio? I'll gladly make the trip over there next year!
Dadgum. I would love to make it to this but I really doubt I succeed. And it's the 40th anniversary too!
