Millennicon Organizers Calling it Quits After 30 Years

The 30th Millennicon was held this last weekend in Cincinnati, but sadly it looks like it will be the last. On Sunday night following the close of the event, Millennicon Convention Chair Christy Johnson made a post to the Millennicon Facebook page announcing that after three decades the convention would be closing its doors for good:

It is with great sadness to announce that Millennicon 30 was our last. We tried our best to keep going but all good things must come to an end. We wanted to go out with a good con, and I think we did.

We were hoping for a higher attendance and hotel room nights, but alas, it was not to be.

Thank you to the best con-com, our guests of honor, dealers, artists, fan clubs and our attendees. Thanks to all those that lived local and still got hotel rooms. Thanks to those that regularly stayed at the hotel to help keep our costs down. Thanks to those that brought in their friends and family to join us. We survived this long because of you.

We hope you have enjoyed yourself over the years and remember us with fondness. We, the con-com, became a family through Millennicon. Many of you were also a part of our family.

Thanks for 30 years!

While it’s sad to see any convention close its doors, thirty years is a pretty damned good run. There’s also something to be said for knowing when it’s time to call it quits.

The fact is the aging demographics of lit-cons and older Science Fiction cons is a challenge that a lot of smaller events face. Some are adapting to bring in younger audiences, but others haven’t been able to find their footing in the current market. This should be a lesson to new cons that currently do bring in younger attendees (I’m looking at you Anime Cons). Long term, you need to adapt before the numbers start dropping.

Shifts in the geek subculture are slow and easy to miss, but cons still need to adapt.

We’re still sad to see Millennicon go though. I’m sure there are people who loved it very much, and we hope the best for its organizers. Hopefully a new event is able to fill the hole left in its place.