Recently I spoke with Joe Boudrie ahead of the show about what fans can look forward to at the 2024 edition of Phoenix Fan Fusion.
What can you tell us about what is new for the show this year?
We have lots of new things going on this year!
We’ve expanded Youth Hall to include a new space camp and theater camp and a themed carnival room with live performances all weekend
Game Tabletopia is our newly expanded board gaming hall in room 120BCD with dozens of exhibitors and over a hundred game tables.
Arcade Oasis is our newly expanded Video gaming area and we’re hosting over 50 tournaments with fantastic prizes all weekend long.
The Reactor Room Parties have expanded and will have new DJs, drinks and themes- starting at 7 PM on Friday and Saturday these are the biggest Geek Parties in Phoenix!
We have dozens of other new events as well!
Based on attendee feedback we’ve greatly expanded seating areas throughout the convention. There are 7 dedicated locations for seating including 102C in the west building, 3rd street next to the food trucks, The Phoenix Kitchen Food Court on the 1st floor of the North building, 121ABC next to the Food Court, the lower level lobby outside of Hall 1, along the back of the Exhibit Halls 2,3 and 4, and in the all new food court in the back of Hall 6 on the lower level.
How many new and returning vendors do you have?
There are close to a thousand new and returning vendors in the lower level exhibit hall and the gaming hall Game Tabletopia room 120BCD
What can you tell us about the charitable aspects of the show?
We have multiple charity based events, including the Friday night Poker tournament and Saturday night Drinks With Authors events- both benefiting Kids Need to Read. We have a blood drive running each day in room 123 on the first floor of the North building, and Be The Match is collecting registrations for a bone marrow donors list.
How many people do you expect to attend this year?
Last year we had over 42,000 attendees- hopefully there will be even more people this year!
What can you tell us about the guests planned for this year as well as the selection process and how the timing of guests announcements are made?
A full list of the guests attending is posted at PhoenixFanFusion.co. We work with many agents every year to bring Guests to the convention and take suggestions from fans on which guests they would like to see.
What are some of the long term plans for the show?
We’re looking to grow and include more fun and exciting events- Tabletop gaming, video gaming and Youth events are a particular focus for us over the next few years.
