At Holiday Cosplay, we know that it’s the people behind the scenes—our vendors, contestants, panel hosts, guest cosplayers, and attendees—who truly bring the magic to life. And we’ve crafted unique ways to support, appreciate, and celebrate those who contribute to this incredible experience. We like to think we’re the best in the biz when it comes to what we do for those who help make the show possible.

Vendors: Showcasing Unique Finds & Helping You Shine

Our vendors are at the heart of the best holiday shopping experience around, offering unique, handcrafted, and hard-to-find items that you won’t come across in any mall. But we don’t stop at providing space for your booths; we’re here to help you shine!

Vendors receive a Con Map Profile, which allows you to showcase your merchandise online at our event website with photos, videos, and links to your social media. This feature helps connect you to attendees before they even arrive! We also offer social media templates and reels so you can easily promote your presence at the event. And our Con Map acts as a shopping guide where attendees can view vendors by categories of merchandise and art, which we also promote on the event social media. All of this is our way of making sure you’re as successful as possible while giving fans the chance to discover new treasures. Note, booths often sell out 6 months or more before the event. Click below to learn more.

Contestants and Panel Hosts: Perks for Bringing Your Passion

We deeply appreciate the creativity, passion, and hard work of our contestants and panel hosts, and we make sure you feel that appreciation! When you’re accepted as part of the show, we provide you with a free weekend pass to enjoy the event in its entirety, so you can immerse yourself in all the cosplay, contests, and entertainment. Skip the lines, too—your name will be waiting at the info desk for quick check-in. As a sweet gesture, we also give you a dessert ticket upon arrival, because you’re sweet for being part of the show, and we’re sweet with you! Plus, you’ll receive a BOGO ticket code to share with family and friends to come cheer you on!

We also help promote your involvement with pre-event marketing: you’ll get a Con Map Profile on our website to highlight your photos and videos, social media templates and reels to personalize, and inclusion in our promotional materials featuring your contestant image. We make sure you’re celebrated long before you hit the stage! Click below to see if applications are still open for panels. And here are links for contestants to see if applications are still open: Craftsmanship Cosplay, Novice Craftsmanship Cosplay, Lip Sync, and Idol Showcase

Attendees: Affordable Cons

Our attendees are the lifeblood of Holiday Cosplay, and we want to make sure your experience is affordable by doing a few  things. First, we offer free parking. Instead of charging for parking to cover the venue fee or as revenue generator, we cover the venue charge, and you park for free. As we all know, parking fees at fan cons can be expensive- sometimes nearly as much as a Saturday ticket. Additionally, we keep our early bird ticket prices as low as $15, making the event affordable to more people. Plus, we’ve started offer ticket bundles like the Holiday Cosplay Tampa Bay + St. Pete Comic Con combo that gives you two incredible conventions for the price of one, making it easier for you to dive into the world of cosplay and fandom without breaking the bank.

Emerging Cosplayer Guests: Supporting the Future of Our Cosplay Community

We’re not just about celebrating established talent—we’re dedicated to fostering the next generation of cosplay stars through our unique Emerging Cosplayer Guest program. This initiative gives up-and-coming cosplayers an incredible opportunity to showcase their skills while gaining invaluable experience in cosplay guesting. Emerging Guests are mentored by seasoned cosplay veterans, learning everything from setting up a booth to hosting contests and engaging with fans.

As an Emerging Guest Cosplayer, your responsibilities will include judging and hosting contests, co-presenting the Newbies Welcome Experience, posing for holiday photos with Santa, and meeting fans at your booth.

And we provide you with a shared booth space, a personalized guest poster, and all the tools you need to promote yourself, including a Con Map Profile and social media templates. You’ll also receive two free weekend passes (for yourself and a handler), a dessert ticket, and a BOGO ticket code for family and friends. 

We believe in supporting the cosplay community, and this program is our way of helping emerging talent grow and thrive. Click below to see if applications are still open.

Ty again for being a part of Holiday Cosplay!

Whether you’re a vendor, contestant, panel host, guest cosplayer, or attendee, we want to thank you for being part of the magic we collaboratively create. If you have questions or suggestions on how we appreciate those who make the show possible, please click below.

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