Comic Con India (CCI) today announced a joint venture with Reed Exhibitions; part of the FTSE listed Reed Elsevier Group, to grow the pop culture space in India and bring world class events to Indian fans. The Comic Con India team will work closely with the ‘ReedPOP’ division of Reed Exhibitions, the largest producer of pop culture events in the world. With this JV in place, CCI enters the burgeoning ReedPOP portfolio of pop culture events which includes New York Comic Con, PAX, the Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo, Oz Comic-Con, Singapore Toy, Gaming & Comics Convention and Star Wars Celebration among many others
The joint venture will capitalize on the expertise and investment brought in by Reed Exhibitions, the world’s leading organiser in the exhibitions industry, along with the ever-increasing popularity of Comic Con India’s portfolio of pop culture events that have achieved national status within a very short period of time.
Jatin Varma, Founder, Comic Con India, shared, “Starting off as an experiment back in 2011 in New Delhi, Comic Con India has come a long way in the past three years. We have built a strong portfolio of events nationally. Working closely with leading publishers, we have put comics, especially Indian comics, back on the map and opened up the pop culture space even further in India. Our partnership with ReedPOP will help us scale further and create world class events that will deliver the best experiences to audiences here in India. With this JV, I hope to have our events counted among the top events in the world, within this sphere, in the coming years.”
“I am very delighted to work with Jatin who has created unique pop culture events in India. Reed being the organizer of leading events like New York Comic Con, Oz Comic-Con and PAX, I am fully convinced that our partnership will take Comic Con India to the next level – offering the kind of excitement found at New York Comic Con to the pop culture community in India,” said Michael Mandl, CEO, Reed Exhibitions India.
Lance Fensterman, Global Vice President, ReedPOP, commented “No matter what corner of the Earth they reside, fans want the same things. They want amazing experiences and access to the entertainment that they love. We have created a formula and network of partners that ensure this happens and are thrilled to bring this expertise to this exciting market. Working with Comic Con India continues our commitment to bringing the ReedPOP brand of events across the globe and reinforces our position as a world leader in the space.”
In recent years, ReedPOP has turned its attention internationally, recognizing new pop culture audiences emerging throughout the world, where it has produced once-in-a-lifetime experiences for these fans and connected exhibitors to hungry, unexplored markets. ReedPOP previous global events have been set in London, Germany, and Singapore, and the company planted its biggest global flag to date last year in Australia, creating an Australian team to launch PAX Australia — bringing the US largest consumer video game festival to the continent with a sold-out event — and partner with Oz Comic-Con, spreading the pop culture event series out over six cities around Australia.
Karan Kalra, Director, Strategy & Planning, Comic Con India, further added “Comic Con India will leverage Reed’s expertise and network to expand our existing portfolio of events, with new editions of our Comic Con brand as well as launch new standalone events within the pop culture space in India.”
Over the past three years, Comic Con India has created first class pop culture experiences, acting as a stage for local and international talent to showcase creativity and interact with enthusiasts. With this joint venture, Indian fans should now expect new events and better experiences in the coming years.
