Hasbro Announces "HasCon", Its Own Hasbro-Themed Convention
by Patrick Delahanty, Executive Producer, FanCons.com
Toy manufacturer Hasbro has announced that they will launch their own convention focused on their toy lines. The convention, named "HasCon", will take place in Providence, Rhode Island in September 2017, not far from Hasbro's corporate headquarters. HasCon will be in the same venue previously used by Providence Anime Conference and Rhode Island Comic Con.
Brands cited in the company's press release are G.I. Joe, Transformers, My Little Pony, Nerf, Magic The Gathering, Play-Doh, Monopoly, and Littlest Pet Shop. Although Hasbro also has the license to manufacture Star Wars toys, it was not mentioned in the announcement and may be absent from the convention due to Disney's ownership of the brand.
Fans of Transformers, My Little Pony, G.I. Joe, and Magic The Gathering have organized their own fan-run conventions and events for decades. BotCon, one of the most successful Transformers conventions, dates back to 1994. Since then, many other conventions focusing on individual Hasbro brands have emerged, but HasCon will finally give fans of Monopoly a chance to show off their "Mr. Monopoly" or "Racecar" cosplay.
Hasbro is the latest company in the last year to venture into the convention running business to promote their own brands. Previous companies entering the convention business include Aniplex's AkibaFest and Crunchyroll's Anime NYC. Hasbro is also not the first toy manufacturer to hold a convention. Lego, for example, has been holding "KidsFest" events across the United States since 2010.