Thousands of screaming teenagers will head to the OC Thursday through Saturday for the 6th annual VidCon, a convention dedicated to the world of online video.
Small screen stars will get to meet with enthusiastic fans, while the masterminds behind YouTube and MCNs will talk the latest industry trends. The digital arms of some broadcasters will also make the trek to Anaheim, Calif. to tout their latest offerings.
With so much going on in one place, B&C brings you 5 Things to Know about the event.
1. There are three tracks this year: Community, creator and industry. The creator track is new this year and features panels, workshops and keynotes on the creation process.
2. The event features more than 300 YouTube creators, who will take to the various stages to share insights and perform. Some of this year’s highlights are Jenna Marbles, Flula Borg, Grace Helbig, Tyler Oakley, Michael Buckley, Smosh (Ian Hecox and Anthony Padilla) and more.
3. There will be product launches aplenty. In conjunction with the first day of VidCon, YouTube unveiled its revamped YouTube app and the expansion of its YouTube Spaces into Mumbai and Toronto. Live streaming service Firetalk, which features a segment on Next TV Saturday, also use the well attended event debut the service.
4. With so many creators and influencers in one place, it’s hardly surprising that friendships will form and content will be produced. On Thursday, for example, Katie Couric, who interviewed BuzzFeed’s Ze Frank on stage, sat down with VidCon founders and Vlogbrothers John and Frank Green. Couric also stopped to take selfies with many fans and YouTubers.
5. VidCon gets the Anaheim Convention Center to itself this year. After previously having to share space with other events, organizers are adding three new community stages and “tens of thousands of square feet” of space.
