It’s only in a cosmic activity where stars descend from the sky and join the mortals in gleaning fragments of the past while they virtually make history in making each minute count at present time. And that’s what exactly just happened at the History Con Manila 2016.
More than a thousand fans flocked to the World Trade Center on Thursday to witness the first-ever entertainment convention of its kind featuring on-ground activities and interactive exhibits with a star-studded lineup of popular HISTORY personalities who made a rare appearance at the landmark event.
The four-day ticketed convention was jam-packed with activities and displays that brought History Channel to life and immersed visitors in the History® experience.
From the Philippine presidential cars display to a photo exhibit of Filipino veteran soldiers during World War II, and from antique and vintage collectibles to active games like boxing, wrestling, airsoft, wall climbing and archery, there were more than a dozen activities visitors were able to enjoyed. With exhibitors ranging from cars to motorcycles, outdoor gears and tech gadgets, the event was designed not just for history buffs but also for young students and adults as well.
“Last year it was just a simple idea. We wanted to find a way of connecting to our audience and allow them to feel, live, and see history come alive in an entertaining way. It’s an experience beyond the television screen,” said Prem Kamath, deputy managing director of A+E Networks Asia, distributor of History Channel, during a press conference held on Aug. 25.
Also present at the press conference to talk about their shows and what to expect on History in the next coming months were Ancient Aliens’ Giorgio Tsoukalos, Storage Wars’ Brandi Passante and Jarrod Schulz, Gangland Undercover’s Damon Runyan and Ian Matthews, Photo Face-off’s Justin Mott, and the cast of Celebrity Car Wars including its host Bobby Tonelli and Filipino celebrities KC Montero, Joey Mead King and Marc Nelson and professional car driver, Gaby Dela Merced.
These History personalities made an appearance at the convention where they mingled with the event-goers and signed autographs. Meanwhile, writer and television personality Giorgio Tsoukalos, who is known as the proponent of the idea that ancient alien astronauts interacted with ancient humans, conducted a two-day special talk on Saturday and Sunday.
“It’s the first time this kind of convention is happening in Manila. In fact, it’s the first time it’s happening anywhere in the world. It reinvents the way we connect with our audiences, as an on-ground extension of our brand that offers something for everyone, whether they’re our loyal fans who just can’t get enough of History, or they’re curious onlookers who are new to our brand,” Kamath told the press.
Like the channel, History Con was epic in scale and covered a broad range of genres and interests, with dedicated areas for the paranormal and science fiction, survival and adventure, motoring, history and culture.
Each booth had its own distinct theme that showcased History’s most popular series including Ancient Aliens, Swamp People, Storage Wars, Alone, Pawn Stars, Counting Cars, Leepu & Pitbull, Ride N’ Seek with Jaime Dempsey, Photo Face-off, and Celebrity Car Wars, which is History Asia’s brand-new original production that follows celebrities as they compete in automotive challenges.
In addition, guests were also invited to make history by participating in three world-record-breaking attempts at History Con. One of the Guinness World Records that HISTORY aimed to break at the Convention was the record for the longest TV-watching marathon – currently set at 94 hours.
In conjunction with History Con, local middle school and universities in Metro Manila were invited to take part in the History Bee Inter-school Competition. A talent search for History’s next Digital Host was also launched.