When I attended Fanatics Fest about a month ago I noted that after just three years they’d done something that NYCC had been unable to do for 15…put my name on my badge.
And now maybe that will never happen? At least it won’t at Emerald City Comic Con. Over various social channels, event director Chris D’Lando announced that ECCC ’27 will be going….badgeless.
We’re really excited to bring you another awesome installment of ECCC next year, and the team’s already hard at work on building the show. Soon we’ll start announcing guests, launch tickets, and officially kick off the road to ECCC 2027. Before we do that, I wanted to highlight a change coming to ECCC next year: we’re implementing digital tickets and going badge-less for 2027.
What does this mean for you? Your ECCC mobile app is now your complete guide to the whole show: your tickets, schedule, games, and more. Just link your tickets to the app and go.
There are a few reasons we’re making the change.
It’s a smoother experience. No more hours-long Will Call lines, no more shipping fees, and no more worrying if your tickets are going to arrive in time. More time enjoying ECCC.
It’s better for the planet. Going digital eliminates thousands of pounds of plastic waste and moves us closer to our net zero by 2040 goal. It’s also part of a broader sustainability push we’re doing next year. We’re working with our exhibitors, creators, and build teams to improve recycling during move-in and move-out, and we’re adding more recycling stations throughout the venue with our friends at the Seattle Convention Center.
This wasn’t a decision made lightly. Like many of you, I collect badges from every show I visit as a memento. So, for those of you who treasure your collections, a limited run of commemorative badges will be available during the event in exchange for a small donation to Seattle Children’s Hospital.
We truly can’t wait to show you what we’re cooking up, and party with you on Pike and Pine in 2027.
“Limited run of commemorative badges” – you’d better believe that these will sell out FAST. The release didn’t mention if press, pros, and exhibitors would still get badges, but I can assure you we all want our badges!
The comments on Facebook displayed various degrees of alarm. What if my phone dies, what if there is no service, what if I don’t OWN A MOBILE PHONE. A person with the last concern was told by staffers that a workaround will be found, but going badgeless is a pretty drastic move for comic con culture. While the concerns (and costs) of mailing are valid, standing in line to get your badge is a con tradition, and while everyone complains, I’m not sure no wait outweighs the joy of having a physical badge to flaunt.
While this is just rolling out for ECCC for now, you may be wondering if this new policy will be applied to NYCC and other ReedPop shows….and I’m guessing that if it works for ECCC it will roll out to more shows.
The model for this is clearly sporting events/concerts, where physical tickets have been replaced by electronic tickets for years. The difference is that at sporting events (and concerts) you don’t go in and out multiple times over the course of four days. But that may be a trifling difference in reality. You do have to “tap in and out” at both NYCC and SDCC these days, so it’s not much different than pulling out your phone and scanning a code. Still, just waving your badge as your breeze by security may become a much missed perk of the past.
While e-tickets are the norm for almost everyone other kind of event, convention badges are a memento and also a platform for artwork. SPX badges have long had great artwork by guests, for instance, and I even own a full sheet of the great Jaime Hernandez ones from many years back.
I can’t speak to the specifics of ECCC, but NYCC has long had badge swapping issues. You know we’ve all lent out a badge for someone over the years. My suggestion was always to put people’s names on the badges – or just leave a white space for people to write their name, as other events do – but I made that suggestion (as others did) for years and years so clearly it was never going to happen. Instead every NYCC badge has an RFID chip which enables ReedPOP to track your every movement…while tragically preventing the sneaky badge glance to confirm an identity when you’re talking to someone who seems to have known you for years while you have no idea who the fuck they are.
Having your name on a badge confers a sense of ownership – but maybe that’s a big 20th century idea. Badge lending will be nearly impossible with this new system…and most likely that’s one of the reasons its being tried out.
ReedPop certainly has access to the very latest in badge and event technology, so they must be confident this system will work. I’m sure people won’t like it at first, but soon they will forget that there ever was a thing such as attendee badges.
As long we we’re talking badges, I had an example of a “badgeless con” by accident this weekend at FlameCon. When I arrived on Sunday, I was given a badge, but no lanyard, because they had run out. No lie, I almost always carry a spare in my backpack, but I had just cleaned out my bag, so I had no choice but to just….put my badge in my pocket. No one ever asked for it and I didn’t see anyone being stopped and asked for a badge. I have a feeling the system might be tightened up for next year…and more lanyards ordered.
