The other week, HBO announced that they would be mounting an official Game of Thrones fan convention. The name? Game of Thrones Official Fan Convention. And it’ll be going down at the Rio Convention Center in Las Vegas, NV from February 18-20, 2022.
Or at least that’s the plan. For obvious reasons, these past couple of years haven’t been great for conventions, but hopefully by next February things will have leveled off enough for fans to gather in appreciably large numbers to celebrate HBO’s historic hit fantasy show.
But is that all they’ll be doing? The timing of this convention is interesting. HBO never mounted a Game of Thrones Official Fan Convention when the series was on, nor in the two years since it wrapped up in May of 2019. Why now?
Well, we don’t know exactly, and there still isn’t much information on the official website; no guest list, no event schedule, etc. But I’ve certainly got ideas. What will fans see at this convention?
The Game of Thrones Official Fan Convention will show off the trailer for House of the Dragon
I would put money on this. In fact, I’d guess that this is the main reason HBO is making this move.
As a refresher, House of the Dragon is a prequel series to Game of Thrones. (Possibly the first of several, but that’s another story.) Set some 180 years before the original series, it will tell the story of a brutal war fought between different factions of the Targaryen family for control of the Iron Throne. Brother will fight sister, cousin will fight cousin, and of course, dragon will fight dragon in the skies above Westeros.
HBO has been filming the first season of the show for a while, and although we’ve gotten some glossy images, we have yet to get an official trailer. But by February of 2021, they should have enough footage to show us what the show will look like.
I’m betting that’s what happens. I also wouldn’t be surprised to see some cast members from House of the Dragon sit for interviews during the convention, with or without their platinum blonde wigs. HBO wants to get the hype train rolling on this show and there’s no better opportunity than a convention.
Could George R.R. Martin reveal The Winds of Winter at the Game of Thrones Official Fan Convention?
Yes, I know, we’ve officially entered the realm of hopeless wishful thinking, but could you imagine if this happened? George R.R. Martin sits for a panel discussion about A Song of Ice and Fire, possibly together with Game of Thrones veterans, and reveals for all the world that after 10 years, he’s finally finished with the long-awaited sixth book in his series, and everyone in this room is getting an advance copy!
Okay, that last part is too much for even my wildest dreams, but Martin has been more bullish lately about his progress on The Winds of Winter. That might not mean much given how often this book has been delayed, but hope springs eternal.
The Winds of Winter in February 2022!
What will happen to Con of Thrones?
Although there’s never been an “official” Game of Thrones fan convention, there have most certainly been Game of Thrones fan conventions. Before that pesky pandemic put a stop to them, Con of Thrones ran for three years. I was there every time and it was always a blast, especially when I got to blabber semi-coherently on panels:
Like I said, Con of Thrones has been dormant for a couple of years. Hopefully it can still come back even with an officially sanctioned convention happening at the same time. I wonder if the Game of Thrones Official Fan Convention will be a bit more like the Star Wars Celebration or WarnerMedia’s own DC FanDome and focus on formal announcements and news-friendly trailer drops. That could leave Con of Thrones to celebrate nerds nerding out over every little part of George R.R. Martin’s fantasy universe. There’s room for everyone!
Have any hopes or predictions of your own for the Game of Thrones Official Fan Convention? Let us know! And also, HBO, if you’re reading, invite us!
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