So it was at the Wizard World Comic Con in Portland, Ore., in February 2013 that Farr took Brandenburg around to see how the vendors’ floor was set up, how the celebrities took the stage, and how fans interacted with stars, comic artists and each other.
Brandenburg, whose expertise is in marketing, already knew the business potential of a convention in Salt Lake City. But the scene in Portland was something more. “They were so supporting, so validating,” he said.
Much of the success of Salt Lake Comic Con — which boasts a raft of celebrity appearances, panel discussions, visiting artists and authors, and a slew of vendors selling nearly anything geek-related — can be credited to these two men, the pitchman and the marketing expert, and their drive to give fans the experience of a lifetime.