Cover Image by Lectrr
A TRIBUTE TO 30 YEARS OF FACTS Had you told the forty pop culture fans at café Het Tonneke in Ghent in 1993 that they would pave the way for Belgium’s biggest comic-con event, they’d have thought you were playing a Jedi mind trick on them. Yet here we are, celebrating three decades of FACTS. Over the years, FACTS has grown into the biggest comic-con event in the Benelux, with two editions per year welcoming more than 80,000 pop culture enthusiasts. Our convention halls have become an enchanting spectacle where fans from all walks of life can share their passion for Fantasy, Animation, Comics, Toys & Science Fiction. Reflecting on three decades of FACTS, I’m thrilled that we’ve created countless memories and experiences for so many people. It’s incredible to think that we were able to shape the collective pop culture consciousness from our small country. Everyone involved is extremely proud of this journey and wants to celebrate it in a special way. That’s why you’re holding this booklet. It’s built like a TARDIS, allowing you to travel through time and relive the magical atmosphere that has made every edition of FACTS so memorable. It perfectly captures the magnitude of our 30-
year milestone, together with the evolution of fandom, the rise of beloved franchises, and the way they’ve shaped our lives. However, this booklet is more than just a tribute to the past. It also highlights the sheer awesomeness of our community. Cosplayers, artists, dreamers, exhibitors and so many others - your boundless creativity and passion for pop culture remain the heart and soul of our event. Without you, FACTS is like a universe without the Force, a journey without the One Ring, or a dance party without the Guardians of the Galaxy. So, thank you for making the past 30 years truly epic. We hope this booklet brings you as much joy and nostalgia as it does us. And lastly, let’s continue to embrace our inner geek in the years to come and celebrate the ongoing legacy of FACTS! Anthony Audenaerd & the FACTS Team
THE FOUNDING OF FACTS T
hree decades ago, four friends embarked on a mission to connect fellow pop culture enthusiasts. This philosophy still remains at the heart of FACTS. By the end of 1992, the “fantastic four” (Emmanuel Van Melkebeke, Rik De Clercq, Yves De Meyer, and Steven Smet) organized a convention, a place where pop culture fans could trade, sell, and connect, even before the digital era. With 30 copies of an amateur poster and wordof-mouth magic, around 40 visitors gathered on 27 March 1993 at “Het Tonneke” café, Gent. The next year, the convention relocated to Centrum Ten Berg, Sint-Amandsberg. A move that proved successful as visitor numbers skyrocketed (from 170 in the first year to 750 in the fifth year).
In 2009, the convention moved to Flanders Expo, where a staggering 14,000 fans were spotted. Five years later, FACTS was acquired by event company Easyfairs, and in 2016, it was decided to organize the pop culture festival twice a year. Today, FACTS continues to expand and each edition attracts around 45,000 attendees. This direction holds great promise for uniting even more pop culture fans over the next three decades and beyond!
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It’s hard to fathom nowadays, but when we launched FACTS back in 1993, sci-fi and fantasy were merely a ‘fringe’ part of culture. The last proper Star Wars movie had come out a decade earlier, the mid-eighties wave of anime had died out, Lord of the Rings was an ancient book and Harry Potter hadn’t been written yet. Yet, there were fans, geeks, scattered around. Our goal was to bring them together, to allow them to meet like-minded people, to broaden their horizons. We started small (a mere 40 visitors attended that very first edition) but have expanded it to a level we couldn’t imagine in our wildest dreams (we have grown more than a thousandfold!). So it fills us with extreme pride to see how, over the past three decades, FACTS has allowed so many people to express, share and live their passions to the fullest and we eagerly look forward to continuing to expand the FACTS universe to new realms!
Emmanuel van Melkebeke Founder of FACTS
OUR TIMELINE F
rom our humble beginnings in the café Het Tonneke to becoming the biggest comic-con in the Benelux, we’ve come a long way. Take a trip through time and watch our story unfold!
1998
1994 The sequel, taking place at Centrum Ten Berg in Sint-Amandsberg.
1993 The first FACTS of many!
We keep evolving! The seventh edition was held at the ICC in Ghent to welcome our growing fan base.
YOUR BELGIAN COMIC CON WHERE BETTER WORLDS COLLIDE
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SATURDAY
2 APRIL 2016 10 AM TO 7 PM SUNDAY
3 APRIL 2016 10 AM TO 5 PM
FLANDERS EXPO GHENT
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2009
2016 Spring
The first edition at Flanders Expo, our current home!
The first year that FACTS was organised biennially.
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2017 fall FACTS joins the Heroes network.
9/10/2023 15:53
2023 Our latest edition, celebrating 30 years of pop culture fandom.
COMICCONQUERING THE WORLD T oday, FACTS reigns supreme as the largest comic-con festival in Belgium and has transformed into a mustattend event for those who love all things pop culture. Fans from all corners of the world flock to our festival to unite and bond over their mutual interests in an unforgettable magical setting.
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FACTS is where your clan gathers. It’s a melting pot of people united by their passion for niche interests. Whether you’re fixated on Doctor Who or immersed in the world of manga, there’s always a booth for you.
Lieven Scheire Belgian TV Personality
300
Treasure-holding exhibitors at FACTS
54,000 Square meters, or the total size of FACTS
That’s almost 8 soccer fields of fun!
800+
International guests
38
80,000
Pop culture fans come down to Ghent each year
The Fall 2023 edition will mark the 38th time FACTS opens its magical gates.
1 in 3
FACTS visitors show up in cosplay
700,000 visitors welcomed in total as of April 2023!
NG
GI BRIN
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FACTS FORES T
Amidst the fre nzy of the festi val, you can fin peace and reco d nnect with natu re in our magica FACTS Forest. l Climb up on ou r impressive tre house or discov e er the many wo nderful things th lie behind the fo at liage.
DID YOU KNO W?
Our resident illu strator works throughout the year to refin e our storytellin g. Still, with each new editio n, we team up with many other artists to make sure our na rrative is on point. One of those artists is Pieter de Poortere, know n for his comic book series Boerke. He has contributed his distinct and unique art style on multiple oc casions to help shape the world of FACTS.
STAGES
Similar to the way that Nymph adora Tonks ca appearance, ou n alter her r stages can co mpletely trans something diffe form into rent. Take the Main Stage fo for each editio r example: n, it takes on th e style of a sp For example, in ecific theme. 2022, we built a Star Wars sta as in the previo ge, whereus year the Main Stage was dedi the world of St cated to ranger Things. In 2023, some creatures seem small blue to be taking co ntrol of the stage …
THE ARCHIVIST
, the character of 30th anniversary To celebrate our ss being was to life. This timele The Archivist came through our rs ito that guided vis the narrative voice Edition of FACTS the 2023 Spring floor plan during y. m about our histor and informed the
DAVID TENNANT Doctor Who, Jessica Jones
TOM FELTON Harry Potter
RICHARD DEAN ANDERSON Stargate SG-1, MacGyver
DANNY TREJO Machete, From Dusk Till Dawn
JENNA COLEMAN Captain America, Doctor Who
ROLLING OUT THE RED CARPET
MORENA BACCARIN Deadpool, V SEAN ASTIN The Lord of the Rings
COBIE SMULDERS How I Met Your Mother, The Avengers
MICHAEL ROOKER Guardians of the Galaxy
LANA PARRILLA Once Upon a Time
GILLIAN ANDERSON The X Files, Hannibal
JEAN-CLAUDE VAN DAMME Kickboxer, Timecop
BILLY BOYD The Lord of the Rings
JAMES MCAVOY X-Men, His Dark Materials
DAVID HASSELHOFF Knight Rider, Baywatch
GATEN MATARAZZO Stranger Things
Carrie Fisher: Image © Riccardo Ghilardi
W
hat do Princess Leia, Draco Malfoy, Chewbacca, and Hannibal have in common? They’ve all made appearances at FACTS! Over three decades, an impressive lineup of stars has visited the beautiful city of Ghent to make an appearance on our red carpet. It is always a unique moment to see your favourite characters from iconic franchises come to life before your very eyes. From actors to artists, these international guests allow fans who travel from near and far to experience unforgettable moments and create everlasting memories at FACTS.
CHRISTOPHER LLOYD Back to the Future
CARRIE FISHER Star Wars
ENCHANTING EXPERIENCES D escribing a visit to FACTS as ‘eventful’ would be an understatement. Year after year, each edition is a unique experience and offers endless new adventures. FACTS is always reinventing itself with thrilling attractions, exhilarating games, and more, completely immersing you in a universe of excitement and wonder..
THE BEAST Behold: the beauty of The Beast. This is the longest inflatable obstacle course in the world and takes three hours to construct. It is 272 metres long (the size of two football pitches), weighs a total of 5,500 kilos and holds 2 million litres of air. The Beast first graced FACTS in 2018, and makes pop culture enthusiasts jump for joy every time it makes another appearance.
SUPERCUBE The sound of screeching tires, skillfully evading bombs, crossing the finish line with a heart-racing speed boost — we’re not talking about Mario Kart, but Supercube! This karting experience swaps out the traditional track with an augmented reality digital playground. FACTS visitors called it ‘the ride of a lifetime’ in 2022.
NAUGHTY NERD CORNER The older you get, the more you realise that characters such as Wonder Woman or the fox from Disney’s Robin Hood can trigger a certain reaction in the human body. For people who agree with that statement, FACTS offers a small 18+ exhibitor zone where you’ll find cheeky things such as naughty comics and, well, things you’ll just have to see for yourselves.
SPELLENSPEKTAKEL Spellenspektakel is the largest board game event in the Netherlands and has teamed up with FACTS to build a massive board game hall. Visitors can experience game demonstrations, tournaments and other game-related activities. Whether you’re into classic strategy board games, collectable card games or virtually any other type of game, we’ve got it all!
… AND SO MUCH MORE From an exclusive Thor: Ragnarok movie screening to cosplay competitions and Studio 100 events tailored to young pop culture fans, … there’s always an abundance of other experiences awaiting you at FACTS!
COSPLAY. CREATIVITY. COMMUNITY. F ACTS without fans would be like a lightsaber without its Jedi, a comic book without illustrations, or a wizard without a wand. It’s the fans who bring our favourite worlds and characters to life. Their cosplay skills light up our stages, their boundless creativity sparks inspiration, and their shared sense of community makes FACTS more than just another gathering, but a home for everyone who loves pop culture.
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Since the founding of our fan club in 1997, we have not missed a single edition of FACTS. Our first booth at FACTS was in Sint-Amandsberg. Years later, we ventured onwards to the ICC where we organized a Make-A-Wish campaign, among many other great initiatives. Even in the digital age, FACTS remains an ideal opportunity to reach new members and each edition is still as unforgettable as the first.”
Tim Veekhoven President of TeeKay-421 vzw
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CosplayCloud has been working with FACTS for over a decade and in that time, we’ve helped hundreds of cosplayers repair their cosplays and photographed tens of thousands of them. FACTS has been an amazing force within the cosplay community and has helped thousands of eager cosplayers and geeks connect both in Belgium and on an international level. It’s safe to say the cosplay community would look completely different without their enduring support.
Andreeas Firoiu Public Relations CosplayCloud
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United in creativity, our partnership with FACTS began nine years ago with just three enthusiasts. Today, a team of 10 people collaborates on each edition. The European Cosplay Gathering (ECG) showcases exceptional cosplayers who breathe life into beloved characters. As chapters evolve, members come and go, while new souls continue to join. FACTS allows us to create enduring memories that will last a lifetime.”
Audrey Be Cosplay vzw
THE FACES BEHIND FACTS When people with a shared passion come together and give their all, something truly magical happens. That’s why we want to give a special mention to the superheroes who go above and beyond and make the impossible possible. Thank you for bringing the magic to FACTS!
THE FACTS CREW
THE CREATIVE TEAM
Since 1993, FACTS has been able to count on the support and dedication of many crew members who have helped build its magical world. Together, we’re an unstoppable force, just like The Avengers!
Over the past few years, we’ve had the opportunity to collaborate with extraordinary artists whose creative vision has transformed FACTS into an enchanting world of wonder.
THE FACTS TEAM Maikel • Nil • Kenny • Ellen • Lorens • Rémi • Thomas • Geo • Julie • Jonathan • Rémy • Anthony
THE EASYFAIRS TEAM Jens • Eveline • Dirk • Katrien • Lionel • Tiffany • Bart • Kenneth • Melissa • Marleen • Ellen • Celien • Isabel • Annelies • Olivier • Ulrike • Machiël • Alain • Sarah • Lisa • Leontien • Philippe • François • Xéno • Megan • Monique • Christelle • Yoni • Luc • Kevin • Davy • Robby • Nancy • Dirk • Gilles • Simon • Franky • Pieter • Ragip • Stijn
Bruno • Rob • Jan • Pieter • Jeroen • Bram • Delphine • Eva • Gilles • Peter
SPECIAL THANKS Our sincerest thanks to Alexis, Emmanuel, Jörgen, Stefaan, Peter, and Koen for helping us to get to Mordor in 2015. You are a fellowship of remarkable people! We’re also extremely grateful for the fantastic founding four of FACTS: Emmanuel, Steven, Yves, and Rik. Your unwavering support has been a guiding light on our incredible journey.
PARTNERS Throughout the years, we’ve had the privilege of partnering with many amazing individuals and organizations. These partnerships will forever hold a special place in our hearts:
Kinepolis • Singer • Smeg • Vier • Hartstikke Technopolis • Working Class Heroes Whojo • BeCosplay • CosplayCloud CitySounds • Day One • Fototainer Parys Printing • Stad Gent • Flanders Expo University Press • IMPS • Eastpak V-Formation • SuperCube • Panini Hooked Visuals • Visit.Gent