Dragonsteel Nexus Sold Out + Weekly Update 

Fessing up, apologizing, doing your best to make it right. This is how all companies should run.

While the circumstances are really disappointing for a lot of people, yalls desire to make things as right as possible speaks volumes to the integrity of the company. Thanks Dragonsteel!

The transparency and dedication of the Dragonsteel team is truly unreal. You're all such lovely people, and we appreciate everything you're doing. Giving up your personal friend tickets to help people?! Come on! Who does that??

Now THIS is a son of Honor

Wow I can't believe the Salt Palace people didn't believe how big Dragonsteel Nexus 2024 was going to be!! Also SO impressed by the Dragonsteel team and their willingness to help the fans who weren't able to get tickets. Absolute class.

My wife and I are DEVASTATED about missing out on this. We genuinely planned out our entire year around this experience, it means that much. BUT, the entire reason we were looking forward to it so much is because of how unique and wonderful your team and the community it has fostered are. That hasn't changed, and the way this situation is being dealt with lives up to the expectations of transparency, responsibility, and just genuine care and kindness that we have for the team. Thank you for being awesome, and maybe we'll catch you next year.

Dragonsteel Nexus 2025 Brandon: We’ve built our own convention centre and started our own ticketing website. But seriously, thanks for the openness and all your and your team do.

Never thought I would be one to wish I bought a plane ticket from Provo to Salt Lake. But here we are.

Brandon and team work so hard to try and do right by the fans and I'm always blown away. "OH yeah they tried for more space" [things still go past expectations] "we worked on an immediate solution to try and accommodate the most people." It's honestly impressive.

There are always 2 constants in the fandom. 1. People will underestimate how much stuff Brandon can write 2. Brandon will underestimate how much his fans want his stuff

"Growing pains" is the right phrase to use. Next year will be bigger and better 💪

Hey Dragonsteel team member who happens to see this. I think it was big enough this year that if you wanted to do a Nexus east and nexus west you would have enough people on the east coast that wants to get the chance to meet you awesome people in person. And get to experience Nexus.

Once again showing the community why we can trust you. Nobody ever likes hearing bad news, but being upfront about everything is the best way to go, and dong everything you can to make it better.

I'm in the UK and absolutely no means to ever attend, but I burst into tears when Brandon said he'd give up his own allocation of tickets for fans. This man must be protected at all costs! So many celebrities talk the talk about how much they care for fans, whereas Brandon genuinely walks the walk. Absolute boss! Kings of kings right there.

Brandon is better than we deserve. Tremendous love for him and his team.

Brandon took on Audible. Time for Brandon and Taylor to take on Ticketmaster.

I’m mostly here for the Bings

I know I was one of the top comments last week about the convenience fee, I just have to say that this is exactly the response I expected from Brandon and I'm very glad that I wasn't let down. Thank you for being frank about the situation, and thank you for making things work for those who really got hit by the train last week.

Who are the geniuses at the Salt Palace who didn't believe that it would be bigger than the allotted space this year? Surely there has to be at least somebody on their staff who understands this massive fan base. Don't they realize that, at least when held in Utah, there are likely enough willing fans to fill the whole convention center? Did a $42,000,000 kick starter not indicate anything to them???

Brandon and Team - thank you SO MUCH for your transparency and always going above and beyond to make things right. I am someone who fully booked my trip - flights, hotels, AND cosplay costumes, and while I may not be able to get one of those extra tickets (I did apply) I will say that your response has eased so much of the hurt/sadness I was feeling. This is the best fandom to be in 💜

So, basically, we need to get everyone together who couldn't get a ticket and collectively go tell the Salt Palace that they need to give you more space, "because, look at all of us"

Devastated 😢... 💔 We live in Las Vegas, so we planned to drive to the convention. If only we needed to book a flight... we could be there! We've been planning to attend since Christmas. My husband has never attended Dragonsteel, I went alone last year. I've since gotten him hooked! He gifted me a pair of Dragonsteel 2024 "tickets" he designed (if only they were real) for Christmas 2023 and promised we would attend AND that he would even dress up with me (this is huge as he is an introvert and doesn't like attention). I have two costumes for each of us, ready to be worn... 😢. I've been holding out hope that Dragonsteel would respond to the ticket fiasco and release more tickets. I'll keep checking for tickets on TableTop daily. Keep us posted...

As someone who was going to buy my badge after work instead of during my lunch break, I am grateful for your evident and public apologies and efforts to make it right by those who have been financially affected. Thank you for your efforts, I represent a few that aren't even in the 10,000 that you are aware of. Keep us updated!

Love the honesty, integrity, generosity, openness, and trying-their-bestness of the Dragonsteel team. You guys are amazing! I'd be very interested to hear more about the Salt Palace's booking policies. It sounds like they largely base convention space on hotel bookings for previous years, which is ridiculous. Salt Lake is a large city, in a large valley, with a really great public transportation option available through most of that valley. I, and many others, live close enough that we don't need to get a hotel in order to attend the convention. How does the Salt Palace account for people like me? Why do hotel bookings come into it at all? And how can they account for all the convention guests who get a hotel, since there are so many options throughout said valley? Shouldn't convention space be solely based on ticket sales and how quickly they sold out, as well as projections based on, oh, a record breaking Kickstarter campaign?

What I’m hearing is we need to come together as a fan base and demand the Salt Palace gives us more space. Strength in obvious numbers, right?

I really appreciate the transparency (thank you Brandon and Dragonsteel team!), but am appalled that the Salt Palace, seeing the response, wouldn’t allocate more space now. If 10,000 tried to get tickets in that hour alone, that doesn’t count those of us that were working an unable to get on the internet right as it opened. So it sounds like even 10k would have sold out given a couple more hours, let alone over the next few weeks and months. 😢

That is such BS that the salt palace won't give us more room!!! I agree we don't want it packed, but many more people want to come!

Thank you for always being you, transparent and honest about everything. Edit: excepting secret projects(but no one’s complaining about that)

Is there a way for us as a fan base to contact the Salt Palace and beg them to give Dragonsteel Nexus more space so more tickets can be sold?

I've never been to a major con like this before but am so glad I was able to get a badge, it was a very stressful battle with that website when they went live. My heart goes out to everyone who wasn't able to obtain one.

You are THE guy! Thx for searching solutions for your fans

I am worried that the next few years are going to have reduced attendance relative to this year because they will not be Stormlight years, and then the next Stormlight year will be tied to their numbers.

You say we always surprise you, but you always surprise us with how generous and understanding you are. Backing other kicks-tarters, paying for customs, and now you are giving your own tickets to make up for unfortunate circumstances. Astounding!

I was fortunate enough to get tickets, but I am still very happy to see you're trying to find solutions for those who'd already booked flights!

I was accepted as a vendor for Nexus. I am so excited but also kinda feel like I wanna frow up lol.

Solid, respectable folks here. Love you all. Thanks for all the effort.

The most frustrating was the website crashing. Glad to hear there are changes coming.

As someone who would love to go but can’t make it, I wonder if for occasions like this, there could be an option to record visual/audio for all panels and sell tickets to a virtual con? To be given a month or two after the convention ends that people could have access to at their leisure. I know I would be interested in something like that

Wow, that's pretty kind B-Money and Dragonsteel crew. Personally, I would have settled for a Szeth pin or RPG crowdfunding announcement. But this is like asking for weekends with the kids, but getting alimony and full custody instead. Edit: I still can't go, but I'm happy for everyone else who can!

Can we petition the Salt Palace? Something they didn't account for was the number of locals who would want to go. Also, will the Q&A and the announcements, etc. be streamed on RU-vid for those of us who weren't able to get tickets?

This transparency and your efforts to support your fan community are so amazing, I don’t know what to say

I appreciate the fact that Branden wants to have breathing room for everyone and not over crowd it. As someone who doesn’t like big crowds and is really introverted but will push myself out of my shell for this event only I am happy to hear it’s one thing he values to maintain for all of us!

Can fans petition the salt palace to give you more room???

We're so close to SA5! Also, I'm thankful that DSNX isn't about having vendors that are all the same. Looking forward to being a vendor again, Dragon Woodshop 💜

Perhaps we as fans can encourage the Salt Palace to create more space by writing letters to the editor in Utah newspapers, writing to Salt Lake City Council, and maybe creating a petition to show that fans are serious about coming to Drangonsteel and celebrating Stormlight 5.

This is going to be my first convention of any kind. I'm so excited to be going!

Appreciate you acknowledging the issues and doing what you can to make it right.

I will say one of my favorite things about going last year was how much breathing room there was. And I loved how it was a celebration of books in general.

Humility man. Being able to accept the things that don't go as planned and just say "sorry". You guys rock. Evolution means messing up. Don't worry about it, we love you

I was so bummed that it sold out so quickly. But I am very glad to see the huge fanbase! I will make it a point to buy tickets next year at the time of release! Thank you to the Dragonsteel team!

Many other companies should be taking notes from you Brandon. This is how you make amends for a mistake.

True I am super devastated that I won’t be at the convention this year, but the amount of respect I have for Brandon Sanderson and the dragonsteel team is unreal because of videos like this. Thank you so much.

Thanks for being transparent and working hard to make things right. We were hoping for a ticket for my wife, but only got one for me (and my sister). Sounds like the Convention center itself needs a kick in the pants.

Is there something fans who don’t need hotels for the con can do so the Salt Palace pays attention and is willing to allocate more space? I would do it so more people can come in the future. I just live close enough to not need the hotel and would rather save money to spend at the con instead.

Very disappointed i wasn't able to get a ticket but there's only so much they can do. I hope everyone that gets to go has a blast!

I can't stop admiring the way Brandon treats his fans and how great his company is.

As someone that missed out by a few hours, thanks for posting this. I was so disappointed not to have gotten a ticket but I appreciate your transparency and acknowledgement of the situation. We’ll try for next year!

We need to find whomever is in charge of space at Salt Palace and email campaign them. So much space unused those days and not making any money for the owners. Makes no sense.

Will you be adding maybe a livestream ticket option in case those not fortunate enough to get a ticket can still watch the events ?

Thank you for this update, the love you show your fans is impeccable and sorry that the hall won't work with you especially when you can show them the demand. Couple of things to think on is, maybe a virtual ticket, like Blizzcon has in the last few years such as streaming content/panels via cams. Maybe have a Flight/Room Pre-Booking queue/ticket presale? That way those that have already invested in the trip have a small window? Maybe more hassle than worth.

Brandon, you are such a good guy! I can tell you really care about your fans. Thank you.

Dang it. That actually really disappoints me. I was really looking forward to Nexus with my friends, but couldn’t order tickets until I resolved some scheduling issues, which happened well after that hour. I mean I knew it would sell out quicker than it did last year but holy crap. That makes me really sad.

I've been curious about all this! So glad he defended the Tabletop site, since there was literally no reason for anyone to think it wouldn't work like in years past. I'm feeling fortunate to be able to attend my first Dragonsteel con. Love this company!!

Great reponse! Thanks Brandon and Dragonsteel for being a classy org.

Thank you for caring so much about your fans!!!

If you tell the Salt Palace you're concitering moving your con to a neighboring state, they may find more room for you. This will be consistent money for the salt lake economy for years to come. I can't imagine they'd want to lose that.

Definitely appreciate the transparency! We didn’t want to book a flight and hotel without knowing we would have tickets, so we held off and unfortunately joined the many people who didn’t get tickets, but not much else can be done. It stinks and definitely hate to miss a Stormlight year, but we will still be celebrating at home and look forward to all of the excitement online!

Wild about the convention space. Would sales numbers of books not be acceptable proof of hype?

You're a stand-up guy Brandon. Don't feel too bad about it.

I'm amazed like always by the great efforts your team does. I wonder how your meetings should be, all the crew giving ideas to make sure your fandom is sevure, happy and well treated. 🎉

There's so much power in showing all of your cards and explaining exactly what's going on. More businesses should run like Dragonsteel. Thanks for such a transparent and human to human update!

I was really disappointed I couldn’t snag tickets since my birthday is release day and during Nexus, but I just love this update. Thank you for trying to get everyone who pre booked settled. The transparency and integrity are just more reason to love this team.

I wonder if you couldn't open up tickets for a virtual aspect of the con. Love that you are trying so hard to let people know what is going on.

I really feel that they should do more online or streamed things to make up for how many people can’t come. The rhythm of war release party was streamed and it was great. Please, please do some streamed events! I’ll buy a reduced ticket to be able to attend!

I appreciate the transparency. I wonder if there’s a way for fans to communicate with the salt palace. It seems like a silly bureaucratic situation. People want to spend money coming to the convention and presumably the salt Palace wants that money, so unless they’ve already sold the additional space, I don’t see why they wouldn’t open up more space for dragonsteel Nexus.

Is impressive the level of outreach Brandon and Dragonsteel have with us fans. I feel sad some did not get their tickets or had a ton of technical issues, but the people of Dragonsteel are a class act

The main problem might also be that THIS YEAR is the year everyone want to go to, and have been waiting on. I don’t know if that will be the case next year for example

It's a crappy situation and I truly believe you're doing all you can, thanks for all the effort! I'm wondering if there are a lot of others in my shoes, who live in Utah so they didn't book a hotel or flight, but also weren't able to get tickets. Is there anything we could do to show we would have attended to convince the salt palace to up their game?

What you are doing is so wonderful. My respect for Dragonstill has gone up by many levels.

Maybe you could get a secondary location for those of us who didn't get the tickets? It wouldn't be nearly the same, but it would be something. Since you just named the convention 'Dragonsteel Nexus', it could be like a 'Dragonsteel Tributary' or something.

Can you present the realized ticket sales to the venue and go back to them with a request for expansion, similar to what you did in 2022? As you now have evidence of what the attendance will be

getting your own con is insane as it is. mad respect!

you're responding just right and I admire you and your team as business people. Still gonna be salt in the wound over the year though.... so much salt. Can't work a job and go to Dragonsteele.

How does the salt palace expect to know how many people will show up when I’m sure there is a huge following in Utah (including myself) that was just planning on driving there?

The convention center needs to give us more space. I didn't get tickets in time and I'm devastated. Could you sell another 2500 and take those numbers to the convention center as proof for an expansion? Worst case scenario they deny you and you refund the tickets. I don't know, just thinking out loud. So sad. 😞

How does he do all of this? Anytime I see anything other than a book being released from you I just try to imagine what your life is like. You obviously don't need to do anything other than sell books, but here you are, and it's amazing.

Thank you for the transparancy 👍

I am genuinely considering calling that convention center given how annoyed i am thay i had no way to get a ticket because it sold out so fast

Nooooo, so bummed i wasn’t able to get tickets in time 💔💔

I can only imagine the chaos that will ensue when it is the year of the 10th Stormlight book. Comic Con's shall be like school fairs next to that magnitude (specially if a live action adaptation happens in the meantime)

Perhaps if the venue will not be flexible, another venue in another city would be more flexible next year.

I managed to get a badge, very excited for my first major con to be dragonsteel

@Brandon and Dragonsteel staff, Can you go to the convention center now with your clear need for more space. I think the demand on tabletop and the fact that tickets sold out in 1 hour shows you have a lot of demand. They could then give you more space so you could issue more tickets.

WOOO KEEP IT UP BRANDON

Thank you for addressing the problem and making it right for those who aren't able to get refunded for their plane tickets. Hopefully next year it will work out a little better for everyone

The SA6 year is going to be CRAZY.

Im so glad I was able to get my badge. I'm flying from Costa Rica, and already had hotel and flight arrangements. Would have been a big problem not getting a ticket to the convention 😅. Im sorry for those who couldn't get one.

Just provide the contact information for the Salt Palace booking. There are probably another 10,000 who would love to let their team know we need more tickets available.

Twinning today with the t-shirts! I’m wearing the same one today. 😃

That's a really interesting reason as to why additional convention space wasn't available.