CTN Expo 2018
A retrospective on tabling at CTNX 2018, an animation industry event
In 2018, I was working as a Color Designer at Dreamworks TV on Kipo & the Age of Wonderbeasts. My coworker and friend James Lien happened to know an artist who was trying to ditch his CTNX table, and the two of us ended up buying him out and committing to the show on a whim. I’d never been to CTN before (or really any sort of industry convention) but James had attended previously and recommended it! In addition, we had just tabled together at DreamCon 2018, an employee-only arts & crafts fair that Dreamworks hosted annually, so we already had some stock available and ready to go.
Preparation
This year, I brought back some fan-favorite prints from Tekko 2017, but added a whole new selection of original art that I’d made in the last year. With CTN being an animation industry event, I figured it would be a unique opportunity to get to sell some personal illustrations.
The Convention
November 15-18, 2018 | Burbank Mariott Convention Center, Burbank, CA
Tabling at CTNX was definitely a unique experience - the artist alley was set up inside of a very large tent in the outdoor parking lot, instead of being housed in the actual convention center. I personally didn’t mind it, although I could see it being more of an issue if the weather was significantly hotter, due to the lack of proper air conditioning.
Foot traffic was pretty slow, and although it was exciting to get to meet other artists who I recognized from the internet, it definitely did feel pretty sleepy overall. There were long stretches of time where James and I had nothing to do besides doodle and chit-chat, but to be honest that ended up being my favorite aspect of the entire convention. Another bonus to it being a little slower was that I had plenty of time and opportunity to walk around the alley myself and purchase as many prints and books as I wanted!
Review
In 2018, Lightbox Expo had yet to exist, and CTNX had a long-standing reputation of being the one and only animation expo in town. However, from the other artists I spoke to at the convention, things had definitely been dying down for the past few years, as fewer and fewer people bothered to table or attend. As a first time attendee, I didn’t have much else to compare to, but I definitely did feel the slower vibe. In addition, the $675 table fee was CRAZY - there was no way I would’ve tabled alone at that cost, and I think it takes the cake for the most expensive AA table I’ve ever seen. Despite all of that, I still ended up having a memorable time just sitting around and vibing for a weekend!
CTNX 2018
Location: Burbank, CA
Dates: November 15-18, 2018
Event Type: Animation industry
Table: 8’ x 2’, $675
Items Sold: Medium-sized Prints, Small Prints
Net Profit: No Record