FACTS 2021
Only a week after we attended Comic Con Brussels, we were already heading off to our next convention of the year. This time we found ourselves in Ghent, attending the latest edition of FACTS. This name has become a staple in the convention season in Belgium, with amazing numbers of visitors attending every edition. It has been a while, but the halls of the Flanders Expo were once again full of life, with many visitors, young and old, ready to get their dose of pop culture. In the end, we were treated to yet another very good convention, albeit with some remarks about the general layout.
It has been a while since we covered FACTS, and in the past, other reviewers on our site have always spoken highly of the convention. This time, we are about to repeat their words, as FACTS is truly a fun convention to visit for hardcore collectors, casual fans of many fandoms, or just those who are looking for something special. The main hall was basically the place to be for those looking for merchandise and other goodies. A lot of shops were present, all offering quality merchandise, and there was a good variety on offer. We were able to find many vendors that dealt in card games, but also a lot of POP! figures, premium quality statues, comic books, vintage toys, and video games were on display. We found a lot of fair-priced items, which is also a plus for a convention such as this. Sadly, we did notice a lot of bootleg merchandise, as well as some scalpers when it came to Pokémon cards. The latter was also already very visible on Comic Con Brussels 2021, especially with the release of Pokémon’s Celebrations set. Other than that, we also found a lot of art being sold, as well as local authors selling and signing their books. We did like the inclusion of these authors but felt that they could have been given a slightly more convenient spot for their different booths.
The guests present on FACTS were proper headliners, but we felt that there were very few attending the convention. While the headliners may have been fewer in quantity, this feeling was countered with more artists being available for signings, thus balancing the scales a bit. We did notice the price for entry was a bit lower than it has been in the past, once again tipping the scales further in favor of the organization. We loved the dedicated halls for activities, the special guests, the panels, but also the hall that was solely dedicated to different communities and hobbyists. It’s fun to get information in a (relatively) quiet hall about joining different organizations or just learn more about certain communities that are active in Belgium. This is something that is easily overlooked at conventions and we could appreciate this dedicated space. Cosplayers also get a lot of extra attention at FACTS, and thanks to this, the convention also lures in a lot of extra people as this is a proper safe space for those donning the outfits of their favorite characters from different games, movies, series, or comic books.
While the overall layout with the separate halls was great, we did notice a lot of congestions in the main hall. This had nothing to do with the pathways themselves, as they were wide enough to allow huge crowds of people to pass comfortably, but rather with the placement of the food stalls. Flanders Expo has some in-house eateries available, but a good convention also adds a lot of food options to their menu, making sure there’s something for everyone. Even though we did notice a certain variety of (sometimes fairly overpriced) food options available, including vegetarian options, the placement of the additional food stalls was quite odd. These extra stalls were placed in the main hall, at random intervals. The people had to queue to get their Boba tea, onigiri, or other food options, in the pathways themselves. During the busiest times of the day, this caused complete halts in certain pathways, even blocking off a fair few vendors as there were too many people queueing for food or drinks. This was made even worse when the early afternoon rush came in, making FACTS a bit too crowded at times. Luckily, thanks to the aforementioned wide pathways and dedicated halls, this cleared up within a reasonable time frame, making sure that the end of the day was nice and quiet for those looking to buy some merchandise.
Conclusion
FACTS 2021 was a great convention for those wanting to score merchandise, learn more about different communities, or even go all-out with their cosplay ideas. The price of entry felt fair, and there was a lot of ground to cover for those that truly want to inspect everything. The only remarks that we could think of were how the food stalls were placed, and perhaps the small list of headliners attending the event. Other than that, everything was great fun, and with two very enjoyable conventions in a row, we can’t wait to see what the next edition brings us.
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