Eventbrite Fandoms Study Reveals Insights Into Con Attendees’ Spending and Cosplay

SAN FRANCISCO, CA–(Marketwired – June 29, 2015) – Eventbrite, the global ticketing and events marketplace, today released a new study exploring the demographics, spending behavior, and cosplay habits of fan and con event enthusiasts. Recognizing the continued rise and economic impact of fandom convention events, Eventbrite surveyed more than 2,000 fan event attendees to find out who they are, why they attend, and what they buy at the event. The survey results will be discussed in depth by Rob Salkowitz, author of Comic-Con and the Business of Pop Culture, during the panel “The Future of Fan Culture” at San Diego Comic Con on Sunday, July 12 at 3:30pm in Room 26AB. More details are also available on the Eventbrite Academy.

“Fandom conventions have exploded from nerd niche to ‘peak geek’ and have an economic impact in the billions of dollars range,” said Salkowitz. “This survey gives us hard data to dispel some of the myths and stereotypes surrounding fandom, and can help organizers plan better events.”

Key findings of Eventbrite’s survey include:

Gender and the Single’s Scene

The demographics of fandom convention attendees are now trending equally male and female. In Eventbrite’s survey of the fan community, respondents were 48.9% female, 48.7% male, and 2.4% non-binary/other. Although the split is close to 50-50 male-female for attendees, the survey found differences in male and female attendee’s interests. Women reported they were most interested in comic and genre-based media (59%), while men said they were most interested in comics/graphic novels (64%).

Looking at the single’s scene, 50% of romantically available attendees are men, while 47% are women. Additionally, the survey found that single men are more likely to go to a fan event alone (29%) than single women (18%).

Con Attendees Spend Big

The majority of survey respondents (59%) said they spend between $100 and $500 at fan events they attend, not including basic costs such as tickets, food and parking. Overall, the most popular purchases that fans “always or usually” buy at conventions across all groups surveyed are original art and prints (37%), toys, figures and collectable (28%), fashion merchandise and t-shirts, and collectible comics and graphic novels (both at 27%). And, despite anecdotal reports to the contrary, only around 20% of people reported that they regularly purchase celebrity autographs at conventions. With nearly 38% reporting they “never buy” these items, they ranked among the least popular purchases according to the survey data.

Survey findings also revealed that 10% of con-goers reach into their wallets and shell out $500 or more at fan events over and above logistical costs and more men than women (66% vs. 33%) spend $500 or more at fan events.

Cosplayers Pay to Play

Serious cosplayers are repeat attendees; 64% of them attend three or more fan events per year and 27% attend five or more fan events per year. When they attend, seven in ten will spend $100 or more at the event. Age and gender are also factors; the majority of cosplayers (60%) are between the ages of 23 and 39 and female (65%).

Primary fan interests for cosplayers are unique to that group as well. The top three interests reported by cosplayers were anime/manga (29%), comic and genre-based media/entertainment (21%), and science fiction and/or fantasy (18%).

For more details, visit Eventbrite’s Event Academy, where infographics of the survey data are available.

About Eventbrite

Eventbrite is the global marketplace for live experiences that allows people to find and create events. Since 2006, the self-service platform has helped event organizers of all kinds to sell more tickets through robust technology and promotional tools, totaling $3.5 billion in gross ticket sales. In addition to providing technology for organizers, Eventbrite has become the destination for consumers looking to discover a variety of live experiences from small photography and yoga classes to large concerts and festivals with tens of thousands of attendees. More than 200 million tickets have been processed on the platform, and in 2014 alone, Eventbrite processed $1.5 billion in gross ticket sales for attendees in more than 180 countries. Eventbrite investors include Sequoia Capital, Tiger Global and T. Rowe Price. Learn more at www.eventbrite.com.