VidCon was founded by John and Hank Green, two brothers best known for their YouTube channel Vlogbrothers launched in 2007. They created the conference in response to the growing online video community. The Greens wanted to give YouTubers and their fans an opportunity to get together in one place and spend a weekend packed with fun activities. VidCon is first and foremost a celebration of the online video community, but it's also a platform to discuss the industry perspectives.
The inaugural VidCon was held on July 10–11, 2010 at the Hyatt Regency Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles. The event sold out in advance and attracted over 1,400 attendees. The first day of the convention featured panels and presentations by video creators and industry leaders. The second days was dedicated to main stage performances by YouTubers, concerts and breakout sessions. Most musicians who performed at the convention had achieved success primarily by using online video to promote their music.
VidCon has been growing and expanding ever since. In 2012, it was relocated to the Anaheim Convention Center, becoming one of many conventions held in Anaheim alongside WonderCon, D23 Expo, and Star Wars Celebration. As of 2016, it had an attendance of over 25,000. Each VidCon features panels and personal meet-ups with top online video creators. Past guests include Tyler Oakley, Troye Sivan, Bethany Motha, Colleen Ballinger (Miranda Sings), Christina Grimmie, Sam Tsui, Kurt Hugo Schneider, Grace Helbig, and many others.
In 2013, YouTube signed a deal to become the principal sponsor of the convention for two years. Thanks to this deal, the following year VidCon's industry program featured talks given by Dreamworks co-founder and former chairman of Walt Disney Studios Jeffrey Katzenberg, YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki, and other notable industry professionals.
VidCon offers a rich and diverse program featuring three main types of events: Community Events, Creator Events, and Industry Events. It gives online video viewers a chance to meet their favorite content creators, while content creators get an opportunity to exchange experience, pitch ideas and find collaborators.
Photo: Gage Skidmore
