The times, they are certainly a changin’ folks. Trade Show Executive is reporting MAD Event Management has teamed with the Cuban cultural agency Paradiso to present the city of Havana with a comic convention this coming Spring. Scheduled for May 19th – 21st, the Cuba Comic Expo will open with a trade day to be followed by two days of events which will be free to the general public.
From Trade Show Executive:
MAD Event Management has partnered with Paradiso, the Cuban cultural agency, to launch Cuba Comic Expo, which will be held May 19–21 in Havana. “We’ve been investigating the concept of producing an event in Cuba for nearly a year, and we are thrilled to receive formal approval to move forward,” Marty Glynn, CEO of MAD, told Trade Show Executive.
MAD, which produces the Long Beach Comic Expo and the New Jersey Comic Expo, will sponsor comic, animation, prose and other creators to join them in Cuba and will facilitate meetings with their Cuban peers for a one-day trade event, followed by a two-day public event to be held at Havana’s Cuba Pavilion.
“This cultural exchange program will welcome creators from the aligned pop culture worlds of comic book, animation, storytelling and other creative arts to Havana for a unique and historic event,” Glynn said.
Creators will be introduced to fans through a series of curated Q&A sessions and panel discussions. Featured artwork and scripts from the creators will be presented in a museum-like setting. Admission to the event will be free. “There will be a limited number of sponsor and exhibitor opportunities available,” Glynn said.
“We will be announcing more specific details over the next month and will offer people in related industries to join us as part of a familiarization tour,” Glynn said.