Monopoly Events is a Manchester-based event management company known for its Comic Cons, as well as its series of pop culture events branded as “For the Love Of”, including For the Love of Horror, For the Love of Fantasy, and For the Love of Wrestling. Andy Kleek founded the company in 2015, merging his passion for event organizing with his love for sci-fi and all things ’80s.
Monopoly Events’ first convention was For the Love of the Force, a Star Wars event combining elements of a traditional fan convention and a movie theme park with set and prop replicas. The following year, the event expanded its focus beyond the Star Wars franchise and was renamed For the Love of Sci-Fi.
A couple of years later, Monopoly Events began organizing Comic Cons in various UK cities. In March 2018, the company hosted its first Comic Con in Liverpool. Following its success, Scottish fans approached Kleek, requesting that he organize a similar annual event in eastern Scotland. Thus, Comic Con Scotland was born.
The first Comic Con Scotland took place on November 10-11, 2018, at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC). The event featured celebrity guests including Sophie Aldred, Dirk Benedict, Terry Carter, Lou Ferrigno, Zach Galligan, Gil Gerard, Bret “The Hitman” Hart, David Hasselhoff, Herbert Jefferson Jr., Sam J. Jones, Robert MacNaughton, Sylvester McCoy, Ray Parker Jr., Rex Smith, and Jack Stauffer.
Due to the high attendance of the inaugural event, the following year it moved to the Royal Highland Centre, which has a much larger capacity than EICC. Comic Con Scotland then went on hiatus in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, it triumphantly returned in 2022 and has since become one of Europe’s biggest fan conventions.
The highlight each year is undoubtedly the diverse lineup of star guests from movies, TV, anime,gaming, streaming, and sports entertainment. Past editions have featured renowned names such as Jean-Claude Van Damme, Ewan McGregor, Christopher Lloyd, Jared Padalecki, Alicia Silverstone, Matt Smith, Ian Somerhalder, Paul Wesley, and others.
However, Comic Con Scotland offers much more than celebrity panels, meet-and-greet experiences, photo ops, and autograph sessions. Its program also features impressive prop and set exhibits, cosplay events, retro and modern gaming areas, an Artists Alley, and a trader zone with various merchandise.
Like all Monopoly Events conventions, Comic Con Scotland offers tickets for Saturday, Sunday, and the weekend. There are three price categories: standard (full price), concession (ages 5–9, discounted price), and toddler (ages 1–4, free admission). Even though toddler tickets are free, they still need to be “purchased”. Tickets for autographs and photo ops must be purchased separately and are not valid without an entry ticket.
Photo: Comic Con Scotland / Robyn McDiarmid
