My Experience at VidCon (Mini-Post)

So Many Kids, But Also…

Mini-Post: Sorry Not Sorry

This is a mini-post, and I intentionally time-boxed myself so as not to burn a ton of time writing it cuz I got other stuff to do!

That is to say: Please forgive the scattershot, stream-of-consciousness nature of the writing and lack of editing (and no illustrations, there’s another post coming soon that will include them, I promise).

For context: Several people have asked me to share my experience attending VidCon 2025, so here it is!

First Off: What is VidCon?

VidCon is a convention for people interested in or participating in the creator economy on UGC / Social platforms.

Think of it like Comic-Con, except instead of superheroes and sci-fi, it’s YouTubers, TikTokers and content creators operating across platforms. Attendees span tweens there to get an autograph from their favorite YouTube stars, to Creators who want to get a lay of the land in the creator-verse, to brands looking to partner with growing creator channels to people like me who are exploring the creator economy after a career in traditional entertainment. Held at the Anaheim Convention Center, mere blocks from Disneyland, from June 19-21, 2025.

So parking was expensive and the car ride down from LA sucked. But otherwise not a terrible spot to hold a conference.

Side Note: YouTube has their hands all over this convention, as this image I took at the entrance to the convention center demonstrates:

My Experience

When first getting there, I waited for over an hour to get my badge. Total amateur hour, Cinegear got me a badge in-hand in under five minutes, just sayin’…

What struck me when I first got to the convention center was the sheer number of children there. Waiting in line to get my badge, I saw so many tweens with pink hair accompanied by their legal guardians (some of whom also had pink hair).

Notably, there were three different badge types:

“Community” - Basically for fans. There to meet their favorite creators and explore the exhibit hall. Most of the kids fell into this category. Access limited to Floor 1 - the exhibit hall.

“Creator” - The one I had. People mostly interested in learning and networking. Access to Floor 1 - exhibit hall - and Floor 2 - small auditoriums for panels and even smaller conference rooms for more intimate “mentorship” sessions.

“Industry” - For the TV and Film Pros operating in the Creator Economy who need the high-end experience and full access to additional panels that were way more business-focused. $1,000 bucks more than the one I got, I’m way too underemployed for that. Maybe next year.

I was perfectly happy with the Creator pass and attending the panels and mentorship series I managed to get into.

By the way, when I first got there, my mind was racing like “Oh shit, did I make a mistake coming here? Am I going to be surrounded by children all day long?”

On the first floor exhibit hall (think of it like a big open “convention center” space with booths and mini stages and such), I was.

There were booths with colorful living room sets where kids could take selfies. There were carnival-style games featuring anime characters I’d never heard of, that sorta stuff.

Seriously, WTF is this?

Rowdy 14 year olds shrieked and hollered, desperate for attention and unable to control their rollercoaster hormones.

I had a mini panic attack, then I realized that all the panels - which consisted of boring adults talking about stuff - were upstairs.

That’s the shit I was interested in.

I attended a few panels hosted by YouTubers - some as young as 19 years old - who gave their masterclass on how to go viral. They talked about a hook, an escalation and a payoff at the end.

Their advice could be distilled as: “Tell a compelling story.”

This was presented as a new and groundbreaking methodology (E.g. “The V.I.R.A.L. Method” by admitted wunderkind Jenny Hoyos).

And maybe - after years of declining theatre sales due to stories that people are not super interested in - it sort of is?

I digress.

The biggest piece of advice that I heard repeated over and over again was quite simple but rather profound:

Start the thing with a question that’s interesting enough that people will stick around to see it answered. And while they’re waiting for the question to be answered, give them something else to hold their attention.

The most “Viral” shows use this method of hooking the viewer from Act 1 Scene 1. Think: Severance (or if you’re old like me, Lost).

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Anyway.

The stuff that interested me the most were the panels that had not only YouTubers, but also folks from traditional media sharing their experience leveraging UGC and social to not only market their TV shows, but also as an end unto itself.

I saw Vivienne Medrano - Showrunner of the animated Prime series Hazbin Hotel - talk with two other creators about who they’re making their online content for. Interestingly, the answer for all three of them was “My younger self.”

And in a way - that totally makes sense. Think about the most formative TV shows and movies that made you want to work in this business, and consider how they influenced your younger self (and by extension, your now self).

The most exciting panels I attended were more like workshops where it was a group of me plus 18 others who got to spend an hour with a professional creator and pick their brain about how to write a great intro or how to tell a story in 60 seconds… All very instructive in my current pursuit of micro-series…

I mean, what else? The food trucks were actually pretty decent.

I met a ton of interesting folks, including a feature editor exploring the creator economy, a former engineer turned founder of a potato chip brand who’s exploring brand partnerships. A writer of micro-dramas, a director of micro-dramas, a mom of 2 kids who were there to meet their favorite creators, a couple young creators who are operating in the travel and music space, a 10 year old girl (accompanied by her dad) who’s doing some really interesting animated stuff involving her cat…

Honestly, it was pretty inspiring. These are mostly people who aspire to create meaningful stories, and by attending this conference, their goal - whether stated or not - was to gain the tools to do so.

I don’t know how many of them will succeed, but hey - showing up is 90% of the work.

If you’re waiting for a clever conclusion or callback, sorry. Not to be found here. But all the same, you should:

Stay tuned,

Jon