is Vidcon still worth it? 

It was wild how many people with Featured Creator badges I saw casually walking around the main areas compared to when I went in 2015. Back then, and even earlier, there was a huge issue with creators being swarmed in those spaces. Really speaks to how saturated the internet-sphere has become.

Swell, I think you should attend a random expo for a random obscure industry and vlog your experience!!!! Seriously there are conventions for everything you can imagine!!!! It's basically it's own rule 34! My husband and i love watching vlogs from like power tool and pool design expos to Haunt oriented and explicit adult cons. We went to Maker Fair two times and freaking loved it! But I think it would be extremely entertaining from you as an astute observer of the human experience and consumer phenomena!

I legit could see swell entertainment as a speaker. She has enough presence online and cred she could pull it off. She has my vote.

My father in law goes to tech expos for his company. And after every one, all 5 kids gather in the living room and try to claim the best show swag. They are all grown adults, but the tradition continues and us partners have joined in the fun.

I don't understand why a convention started by RU-vidrs didn't give RU-vidrs featured creator or all access passes. I get TikTok sponsored it, but it is still RU-vid-centric, and you can't just disregard creators who've been featured creators at your convention for years.

My sister went to VidCon way back in 2011. She had a blast and got to meet her fav creators in a meaningful way. I don't think the event will ever be the same again, probably more and more commercialized.

my thing about vidcon is that it's always felt like it would be more fun for actual creators rather then viewers. like i get there's panels and you can meet your favorite youtubers but that doesn't read as a great experience to me, especially considering the traffic more popular creators get (and by traffic i mean hoards of people just fucking surrounding them at all times). Other conventions, like anime expo or even fucking bronycon seem like solid experiences outside of the thrill of meeting a famous person. like, they have much tighter communities, you can cosplay, they're themed so you can buy merch and anime figurines and plushies nd shit. vidcon has always seemed...boring to me. and stressful. but that's just me yk?

It was weird not seeing videos from VidCon this year. In the past, I felt like RU-vidrs were excited to cover the convention. This is the first I've even heard of it this year

I forgot that VidCon was a thing and I'm suddenly teleported back to its early years. Also, I'm kind of surprised to hear they weren't doing verification for creators. So my takeaway is that all of us micro content creators could have gotten passes for shits and giggles and no one would have suspected a thing. I love that.

Aw man It would’ve been lovely to meet you at vidcon! That being said; this years vidcon was odd. I’ve heard some tea about the whole tiktok main sponsor thing but I don’t think I’m allowed to spill that. This year seemed last minute in all sorts of planning with the exception of the rebranding since they had A TON of time to do that while waiting to get the go ahead. I didn’t mind having tiktok as the main sponsor since when I went to tiktok events they cared a lot the presentations they gave, but I’m still iffy on it because of the RU-vid roots. The expo hall felt empty compared to usual but the panels I was able to attend felt higher quality than years before. All in all, this vidcon was a very mixed bag, but I still had a good time. I’m hoping if/when the next vidcon is it can only get better from here. Seems like the Hyatt had all the good stuff upon watching the video. Def wanna stay there next time I go XD Also: got to the very end of the video: 20+ of my acquaintances who went got covid so yup def an outbreak

A Tiktok focused Vidcon seems really odd for me. Vidcon has always been a mainly youtube focused event. And it should stay that way as it's clearly the convention for those creators to meet their fans. Of course creators from other platforms should be able to participate and be encouraged to do so as those creators can learn from youtubers and vise versa as it probably helps a lot to understand each others platforms to diversify ones content and expand their reach. But it shouldnt be an event that feels like it moves away from it's core community or rather participants. Rather it should expand on its core like adding another building or floor for specific type of communities like a Twitch corner or Tiktok corner. I've never been to Vidcon as I live outside the US so I am not able to fully grasp the actual situation of the convention in case I misunderstood something...

I went 6 years ago when I was in middle school and I remember it being so much fun. There were thousands of preteen girls chasing down RU-vidrs and it being branded chaos. Sad to see what it’s become considering how fun it was for young RU-vid watchers.

“I look like I’m at a parent teacher conference” “No, no, you look good. The sneakers break it up” I’m obsessed w this exchange lmfao

“What was I going to say? No?” Ah, yes. The constant need to meet others expectations even when you didn’t plan to do it yourself😅 I felt that.

Amanda, I’ve finally learned how to do it. You don’t introduce yourself first. You just walk BY - not directly at the person - innocently ‘on the way to the bathroom’ and give a sincere compliment with a nice smile. (If you cop out, no problem - just go to the bathroom!) “Hey - those are great earrings!” or “… great tie!” or “… fantastic make-up!” Who doesn’t like that? They’ll be taken off-guard, which gives you automatic control of the situation. Because you planned it. 😉 So then you just need to pop out something casual like - “oh - [name]! - I love your work” - again, because they’re your friend already (they just don’t know it yet), and you’re just chatting - and they’ll like hearing a genuine positive comment - “Oh, I’m Amanda from Swell Entertainment - we follow each other! Are you having a fun day?” (Asking them such an open question leaves the ball lobbed into their court for some convo kindling.) Meanwhile they’ll be thanking you for the compliments and, unless they’re a-holes not worth talking to, start engage in some friendly back and forth. Just keep smiling. But not like an idiot, because you’ll be engaged. I used to be super-shy, but this works like a charm. I’ve never been rudely dismissed because I don’t try to fake anything. I’d love it if you approached me for a natter and a laugh. 🤷🏼‍♂️

Vidcon used to be a RU-vid event. Now its a Tiktok one lmao

It was so lovely to meet you, I have loved your content for so long and you were so kind

I read that as "vicodin" at first and thought this was going to be an opioid review video

One of the things I saw from vidcon this year was a lot of big tiktokers setting up meet and greets and no one coming. I didn't even realize it was happening until I saw your Instagram story. I can't tell if I'm just old or it was badly advertised.

vidcon absolutely sounds like a place that's turned into being fun for creators at best. I could never imagine personally going to something that big tbh it just sounds so anxiety inducing

Food and free swag are two very strong motivators.

do you think Amanda being canonically a werewolf will affect the Swell fanfiction landscape?

Amanda I wasn’t kidding when I said I don’t miss a video 😂 ilysm and it was great to meet you!!

If you're planning to talk about Vidcon on your podcast, I'd love to hear your thoughts on how a bunch of TikTok creators who had meet and greets planned at Vidcon, and then no one showed up for them. Even though TikTok is over taking RU-vid in a lot of ways, they clearly don't have the fame factor for a lot of their mid-sized creators, like RU-vid did/does.

Ambulance worker scraping me off the pavement: "OMG this guy was listening to Swell Entertainment! I love her stuff!...Time of death, 6:07 p.m."

She forgets she made a Amazon store video (that wasn’t negative and very honest)

truly didn't realize that vidcon was still a thing tbh so this review doesn't read as surprising at all. it's a shame i never got to attend in the heyday but i also have no desire to go currently so 🤷🏽‍♀️

Ngl, I thought vidcon died with the 2010's. Only reason I even knew it was still happening is because my mom asked me about it when someone she watches plugged it lmao.

Bro maybe it's the people I watch on youtube but I really heard nothing about vidcon this year until after the people had went and made their videos and even then I was like oh there was a vidcon this year lol different times man for sure like is vidcon even necessary anymore is the question huh for the fans atleast it seems like a cool time for creators and I'm soo happy you had a cool time and were able to meet people!!

Amanda if you see this I hope this brings you some joy: We foster failed a little tuxedo kitten recently (meaning we adopted him rather than give him back to the shelter) and he's laying in his little bed raptly watching you review vidcon right now. He is absolutely enamored. Axel may be your biggest fan

I’m glad to hear you were so conscientious about the covid risks. I feel like a lot of other younger people have decided the pandemic is just over. As a fully vaxxed/boosted person who currently has covid for the first time- believe me it’s far from over!

Vidcon looked like a good time in the early 2010s for both fans and creators like a US summerinthecity. Now it just looks like hot garbage

Vidcon being TikTok centered is such a weird choice to me. Like, full disclosure, I am an old and do not have TikTok. BUT I would assume because it's so heavy on algorithm that there is less of a bond with creators unless they are huge. I feel like Vidcon thrives when fans can meet small, niche creators and, more importantly, the community that surrounds that creator. I'd think it'd be really hard to create a community around such short-form, fast-moving content. Excellent variety of bucket hats though.

I read the notification and went, "Vidcon still exists?" So that answers that for me 💀

Sounds fun but I’d never go.

That friday was actually my 39th birthday and I ended up in the area because of a downtown disney dinner meeting. I only knew about vidcon from driving past it. It was INSANELY uncomfortably hot, and I'm coming from inland San Diego, so it's not like the environment is that different, but holy crap that weekend was miserable. I'd have liked to have met you, especially if I'd known you were in the free spaces, but similar to you I'm very anxious and scared and tbh even wanting to make connections with other creators, I'm 100% better on paper than I am in real life. I'm almost never IN real life either, due to illness issues, so meeting people in public is like a false kinda thing. *Seeing* me in the flesh is not something even my friends get, so like, probably best not to get used to it hahahaah.

I find it so interesting that Vidcon was sponsored by TikTok since it's normally been a youtube-centric place. I live very close to it but never have had any urge to go. It's probably a smart thing to accept ALL video platforms since RU-vid is already overshadowed by TT. I'll be interested to see where it goes next.

Amanda please do a monster high movie review I need to see you spiraling over a kids movie again...

Once you've been to enough cons, the only point in going is the people you know who are going. Also, watching this on the train, no crash in sight

my favorite part of VidCon was watching you coming in for the Discord panel, and then immediately leaving the moment the guys on stage were like, "Let's start off with 'What is Discord?'" 😂

I went to vidcon in 2015 and 2016, it was super fun at the time but I’m happy I didn’t go after that, especially this year because I didn’t know a lot of people lol

there should've been a different Convention for TikTokers...

Honestly I just enjoy your content, I’ve never even considered going to a vidcon but it looks like an experience worth having at least once.

Apparently Anime Expo in LA was this weekend and crowded and hectic. Vidcon seems to be falling off or maybe TikTok ruined this year?

Me listening to this like a podcast driving on my way home from work and then you call me out on it lmao

I'm just going to say -- 100% yes to the holographic corset top!

To me the convention this year felt more like a TikTok event by how u were describing it cause it felt like their people got more of vip tickets and theses days your one of the few people on RU-vid I actually look forward to seeing a new video from

VidCon was better when @RU-vid was the main sponsor and headliner. People think that these things don’t matter but ever since RU-vid cancelled Rewind, VidCon, RU-vid Space, etc, the platform has lost a lot of its aspirational momentum.

You have a way of making things that aren’t very interesting interesting. There are so many videos on your channel of things that I’m not at all interested in, but it’s always entertaining hearing you talk about it so I click anyway.

Jesus I wished I’ve gone to Vidcon in the mid 2010s those days sounded like a blast, but I have enough fun just costuming out with my cousin at comiccon so I guess it’s fine.

omg the amount of bucket hats as swag i cannot

Alternative title: "I went to VidCon 2022 so you don't have to"

My husband is finally out of quarantine. Thanks VidCon!

looove that talking to mutuals is scary and weird to you but you can go up to random lounges and be like "hi!!" 😂😂 you're great

This is great- I don’t go to this stuff, but if I saw you at one I would walk up and say “hey I like your videos you are very smart and hard working and funny”

i would love to go vidcon. im glad i wasnt there for tik tok con

Ahh, thanks so much for this!! It really helps since I’m making the decision to finally go this year. I think it’s exactly what I hoped for: the perfect opportunity to meet others in the space that I can relate to and experience a creator event for the community aspect. I appreciate it!! 🙌

i only even found out vidcon happened after it was already over. usually it's all over the place, even trending on twitter. this year, i didn't see shit about it

Samantha really needs to just walk up to people screaming: “OOMFIE!!” and they would get the gist of it.

Yay I’m super early. They should have done it differently. Like done vid on first then do the tik tok event. Or just anything other than what they did. Because from what I’ve seen it looked like a mall. If someone wanted to go shopping they shouldn’t pay 200$+.

you are seriously one of my fav content creators right now!! you literally never miss

Can relate to the "love swag" statement Really a problema now that I work in a tech company that always has stickers and stuff lying around

What I am hearing is if we see Swell/Amanda out in the wild we should approach her like she's a cornered animal. Don't startle her, don't make any sudden movements, etc.

i’d never get over it if i couldn’t do the squishmallow claw machine 😭😭

As a myct fan, that was all I watched of the event (such as the panels and stuff) so I didn’t know anything about this. Couldn’t go in person, so I just saw the rest of the community talking about the creators and not the rest of the con. It’s nice to see the review of the rest of the con.

This is so sweet! I'm glad you had a nice time with your friends ☺️

Honestly I’m happier to stay in Melbourne and have the chance to run into Mike’s Mic.

Hi Amanda!!! I’m a new subscriber and I am enjoying your channel and content! Your Ace Fest Video was the first one I watched. Thank you for your hard work and for letting us know if things are scammy or not!

Every time I watch your videos I just like your content more and more. Your humor is absolutely hilarious and never fails to bring a smile to my face

omg the squishmallow claw machine 😭😭 what a dream

That's a lot of wristbands for a single event lmao

Didn’t they sell Vidcon right before the pandemic? I remember hearing the news it was being sold and people saying it wouldn’t be the same with different owners

Next time I hope you know that you can say no Swell, it's okay to just enjoy events. I know you probably know this since you mentioned people pleasing but you do have followers who are cool with you just chilling 😎

This year was my first VidCon and the best part was meeting the other creators, especially the creators who I had collaborated with in the past. There were a few good sessions in the creator space that were helpful but a lot of them were sponsored talks that felt much more like sales pitches. I wonder what criteria they had for access at the Hyatt? Sounds like it was so much better than VidCon itself. Very jealous of the swag, I was honestly disappointed at how little I was able to get. Did you get most of it at the Hyatt?

Oh my word, my dad was a pilot and he did the same thing with giving us all of his flight convention swag lol so many flight safety mint tins

I am brand new to RU-vid and just moved to Maryland. I'm taking it as a sign that VidCon is coming to Baltimore next year. I'll see how much growth I experience before that day comes, but this video was very helpful in convincing me it would be beneficial for me to attend. So even though you never intended on making this, know that it's appreciated.

I relate way too strongly to your love of goodie bags. I see random knickknacks and go full bird nesting instinct. just absolutely go buckwild for some random useless stuff. one got a bag of stress balls and pens and had a high of a lifetime

Squishmallow human claw machine is a bunch of sweaty people laying on stuffed animals

18:50 LITERALLY SAME!!!! my dad used to be an international marketing consultant and he'd come back from Copehagen with like cool sword pen letter-openers or chocolate sprinkles you put on toast and its like !!!!!

But hey. You should TOTALLY make those totes into a corset. And make a video out of it. I wonder how much you're gonna curse the fact that you have to sew plastic by hand otherwise it rips. Or you'll just use glue? IDK, can't wait to find out lol

I thought it said "vicodin" and didn't know how to answer.

holy shit local eclectic!! literally my favorite brand. the swag u got was so cool thats so epic

Imagine if you got Amazon pass for bashing Netflix the store 😅

I went on vacation to grand caymans. It was amazing... on the flight back we had a layover... and i caught covid on the plane home. I am so glad i have a really understanding employer.

You have either a dead pixel or a speck on your lens, Amanda. Lower right corner.

I have social anxiety and this looks like my nightmare. Glad others had fun tho.

I feel that you summed it up perfectly when you said that it was more the people that made it fun rather than the setting itself, because I went on the community track, and it was a ton of fun but there were a ton of moments that I got really bummed out. (They had an app though, so I don't know if it would have been better with that lol) But like I had front row seats for a pannel but then they changed what stage it was at so when we got to the other stage I was in the back, and every single time I went to the bonus creator meet and greet, the lines were always closed, so I asked one of the security guards "Hey do you know if there's like a list of who's going to be here and when?" And he told me that one of that staff that was supposed to be there knew, but was nowhere to be found. So we didn't get to meet anyone. It was still a blast, but there were just these inconveniences that wore me out.

i wish i couldve gone to vidcon in like 2015-2016 😭

I was waiting for this!

Hi Swell, I've never been to Vidcon before, and this video was very informative thank you for this review. You are worth a subscription 👍

I feel like the only youtube thing that was hugely popular was the dsmp like i can’t think of anything else popular that wasn’t like charli damelio/ tiktokers

Amanda being humble for 28 minutes straight

you talking about the swag addiction making me realize ive never had a unique experience

Hi Amanda! We're real and love your content! Signed - All of us ❤️

I had no idea you had a podcast! You should totally promote it more :D

I really loved this video!!! Some comments are kind of negative about the event being worse than before, but in my opinion, I think it was a success!! I have only seen your video about this so it is missing a lot. But when you said “it was better because of the people than the event itself” I think that means the event still did well!! I mean, isn’t the whole point of a convention to gather like minded people to communicate? So happy for you!!! This amped me up about life!!! I hope to go to conventions about interiors and design in the future.

A lot of the creators I follow are in the same friend group, and use Vidcon as an excuse to just get a couple AirBnBs close by and party together without actually attending the convention. Anyone they know who is attending can stop by since there's so many creators in the area at the time. It's a completely different experience, but makes more sense to me as someone with no interest in brands. Unrelated, but the auto-focus fucking up at around 20:16 to punctuate the "yes and no" was kind of great.

Swell you should try the hitch water bottle! I've been really interested in it but also know there's some controversy about it.

THAT BUCKET HAT IS SUCH A LOOK ON YOU 😻

Sorry, we almost forgot to comment - here's an UwU for the algorithm! 🥺