Hasbro Hascon

HASCON Entertainment and Play Experience Coming September ’17

Not to be confused with Comic-Con, HasbroCon, Cybertron Con, or any other Con-trived name for a convention, Hasbro has officially announced “HASCON,” a get-together for fans of Hasbro toy properties scheduled to take place in September, 2017. The event promises three days of “immersive entertainment experiences, talent and character appearances, panels and more.” Oh yeah, and it might include some new Nerf stuff, too.

The case for a Hasbro-themed event like HASCON makes sense. It allows Hasbro to bring fans of all its properties together at the same time versus holding specific events at various points throughout the year. And in so doing, the potential exists to create a bigger media splash than is possible with those smaller events while also saving money. On the other hand, those smaller, more intimate events gave fans like us a rare opportunity to interact with the people behind the toys we love–sometimes even spending extending time with them and doing deep-dives into product development and marketing strategies. I expect nothing on that level will be possible here, and that’s unfortunate. There was no Nerf ambassador event this year, and with HASCON the headlining event next year, Nerf fan-specific events now seem certain to be a thing of the past. While smaller companies (Zuru, Prime Time, etc.) are working hard to bring category influencers like us closer to their products, Hasbro seems to moving in the opposite direction by keeping its most vocal supporters at arms-length.

That being said, HASCON should be a good time for more casual fans of Hasbro’s properties, and they even promise some “first-look previews” and “limited-edition” products will be on-hand. So those things sound intriguing. And if you happen to be in the Providence, R.I. area already, I can’t think of a better way to spend the day. And who knows… if HASCON is successful, maybe it’ll grow to become the de facto event for all kinds of new and interesting announcements.

We’ll have more information on HASCON as it becomes available. In the meantime, here’s the official press release from Hasbro:

Hasbro, Inc., a global play and entertainment company, announced it is creating the first-ever HASCON fan and family convention in September 2017. The massive event, which will be held in Providence at the Rhode Island Convention Center and Dunkin Donuts Center from September 8-10, 2017, will treat attendees to three unforgettable days featuring a celebration of Hasbro’s powerful characters and stories, including live interactive experiences, exclusive products, talent appearances, panels and much more.

From bringing the first action figure to life with G.I. JOE, to creating a world where robots are truly ‘more than meets the eye’ with TRANSFORMERS, Hasbro’s brands have always overflowed with rich stories and dynamic, multi-faceted characters, providing an incredible platform to capture the imaginations of fans of all ages. The premiere HASCON event will bring the magic of decades of storytelling under one roof for the ultimate, immersive Hasbro fan and family experience. Hasbro’s top properties, including TRANSFORMERS, MY LITTLE PONY, NERF, MAGIC THE GATHERING, PLAY-DOH, MONOPOLY, G.I. JOE and many others will be re-imagined through dynamic stage performances and unique opportunities for fans to engage with their favorite characters. In addition to interactive experiences designed to offer attendees a glimpse into Hasbro’s imaginative storytelling in action, visitors will have the chance to see first-look previews of Hasbro’s biggest television and movie series, attend panels and meet-and-greets with celebrities and creative talent associated with Hasbro brands, take part in Hasbro Gaming competitions and purchase special limited-edition Hasbro products.

“Hasbro is home to many of the world’s most recognizable brands, each of them with their own group of passionate and engaged fans,” said John Frascotti, President of Hasbro Brands. “HASCON will deliver an extraordinary peek behind the curtain of our brands, storytelling, and iconic characters while giving us the opportunity to invite fans and families to our hometown for the most memorable, unified Hasbro experience ever.”

For all of the latest information on HASCON 2017, please visit http://hascon.hasbro.com