Where is the Major Geek Cultural Event?

     

      Today is Super Bowl Sunday, the biggest single sports event of the year. It is amazing to see how nearly everyone, sports fan or not, is somehow engaged by this yearly event. However I notice as each year passes more and more people avoid the Super Bowl, or state that they are watching it “only for the commercials”. I suppose that is reason enough, but in many ways this is a great opportunity to build community. Something I think our society sees less of each and every day. 

      So I thought about the many facets of geek culture and whether or not we had a similar event. I think the most difficult thing about bringing new people into any aspect of the geek culture is the lack of accessibility. If you think about it, watching sports is about as accessible as it comes. You may need to explain how the sport works, but generally anyone who has taken physical education will have some grasp on how the sports work. 

      With Geek culture, this is the opposite, sure people are aware of the shows, movies, games, etc. that make up the culture. However they do not know what makes our community, why we celebrate our love of these things on a regular basis, and how excited we are when we meet people who have similar interests. 

      Major geek events could be things like PAX East/Prime, Comicon, or perhaps E-sport events as well (as they gain in popularity). They could also be gaming tournaments as these have started to gain more popularity and notoriety. In all of these examples however we hit the same problem: accessibility. Unless you are actually at these events, you fail to see and experience that sense of community. 

      If you consider events like movie premieres and television series premieres/finales events, these have more accessibility as far as people all over can experience them. However these tend to be niche experiences to those who like the show or movie genre, and do not encapsulate the entire community. 

      I have heard of days like Tabletop day where gamers are encouraged to get out and play a game with people. I would like to see these types of experiences get more exposure, as I think this is an excellent way to build that sense of community. This also provides that essential accessibility where anyone regardless of the level of commitment can experience a part of the geek culture. 

      Did I miss any examples? Can you think of major geek events that have mass appeal and accessibility? Is their another way where we can share the love of the culture en masse? I would love to hear your thoughts. 

Oh and GO BRONCOS!