Fan Expo Dallas 2018, held April 6-8 at the Dallas Convention Center, was a major pop-culture event featuring a wide array of attractions included with standard ticket admission. The event, described as the largest comics, sci-fi, horror, anime, and gaming event in Texas, offered attendees access to celebrity panels, interactive displays, and special photo opportunities. These offerings were part of the event's overall programming and were available to all ticket holders throughout the weekend.
The event's celebrity lineup was a significant draw. Highlighted guests included Ben Affleck, Jeff Goldblum, and Jason Momoa. Additional notable celebrities confirmed to appear included Chuck Norris, Val Kilmer, Back to the Future cast members Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, and Tom Wilson, The Princess Bride cast members Cary Elwes, Chris Sarandon, and Wallace Shawn, and Stranger Things cast members Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, and Sadie Sink. Other confirmed celebrities included Austin Amelio and Tom Payne from The Walking Dead, Ben McKenzie from Gotham, Joonas Suotamo (Chewbacca), Morena Baccarin, Tom Cavanagh, Billy Dee Williams, Anthony Daniels, Richard Dean Anderson, Paul Reubens, Amy Acker, and Felicia Day.
A key feature of Fan Expo Dallas 2018 was the inclusion of specific attractions and experiences with admission. One notable attraction was an authentic replica of the Jurassic Park Jeep, where fans could get their photo taken. This was part of a larger celebration of the 25th anniversary of the film Jurassic Park, and guest Jeff Goldblum was scheduled to greet fans, pose for photo ops, sign autographs, and conduct an interactive fan Q&A.
Beyond the photo opportunity, all Fan Expo Dallas tickets granted access to a variety of interactive displays and panels. These included displays from major franchises such as Star Wars, Star Trek, Doctor Who, and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. The event also featured a cosplay red carpet and numerous celebrity panels and Q&A sessions. Specific scheduled panels included a discussion with Tom Payne and Austin Amelio from The Walking Dead on Friday, a royal chat with The Princess Bride star Chris Sarandon on Friday, a session with Joonas Suotamo (Chewbacca) on Friday, a candid chat with Jeff Goldblum on Saturday, a celebrity Q&A with Wallace Shawn on Saturday, a celebrity Q&A with Lea Thompson on Saturday, a meet-and-greet with Billy Dee Williams (Lando Calrissian) on Saturday, a visit to the streets of Gotham with Ben McKenzie on Saturday, a live script reading of Back to the Future on Saturday, and a fireside chat with Chuck Norris on Sunday. A meet-and-greet with Pee-Wee Herman (Paul Reubens) was also available.
The event was organized by Informa Connect. Registration information provided for a similar event, Fan Expo Boston 2018, listed a three-day pass for $100, with single-day passes priced at $40 for Friday, $55 for Saturday, and $45 for Sunday. While specific ticket pricing for Fan Expo Dallas 2018 was not detailed in the provided sources, the inclusion of these attractions and panels with admission indicates that access to these experiences was a core part of the event's value proposition for ticket holders.
In summary, Fan Expo Dallas 2018 offered attendees a comprehensive pop-culture experience. The cost of admission provided access to a wide range of celebrity interactions, including panels, Q&A sessions, autograph signings, and photo opportunities, as well as access to interactive displays from well-known entertainment franchises. The event's programming was designed to engage fans across multiple genres, from comics and sci-fi to horror and gaming.