• by Laurie Sullivan  @lauriesullivan, October 20, 2020

COVID-19 gave some of the largest conferences like VidCon a chance to move online and grab the world as their stage.

The world’s largest venue for online video and digital creators on Tuesday announced its first rebrand since it premiered more than ten years ago.

“The idea that we’re going to go back to do things the same as before the pandemic is not going to happen,” said Jim Louderback, VidCon’s general manager. “We had to plan for a different world.”

The name remains the same — VidCon — but the content will reflect the ability to bring in people from all over the world and pull in all social platforms and creators. In the past the event has been heavily focused on YouTube, but in the future, content will move beyond videos to offer content on podcasting, TikTok and more.

The event will introduce a completely new look, along with a digital and in-person hybrid model aimed at continuing to engage with a community of global creators.

Louderback and crew spent 13 weeks in the summer experimenting with several platforms. During the summer the online event was called VidCon Now, where nearly one million people participated in online sessions — performances, panels and fireside chats.

Attendees tuned in to video-on-demand programming across VidCon’s signature tracks, creator meet & greets, and consumer tentpole events. VidCon Now returns on October 27, 2020, with speakers and sessions from around the globe.   

"We want to keep the magic, a little like pulling a rabbit out of your hat," he said. "We want to keep those amazing moments."

Today, VidCon also announced it has begun planning its annual U.S. event for summer 2021 in Anaheim, California. For the first time ever, VidCon will introduce new digital ticketing for its attendees. It will offer live streaming of key sessions and other ways to deliver on-demand access to Industry and Creator Track workshops, panels, and keynotes year round.

Expanding the VidCon experience to international audiences through digital tickets means the company will keep its VidCon Now program and sessions. This new initiative will debut with VidCon Mexico and VidCon Asia, where virtual panels will be programmed in native languages and appropriate time zones, providing locally relevant experiences to a global audience. 

The VidCon logo and redesign was facilitated by UTA Brand Lab.