With good crowd this year, History Con may expand

THE RAIN over the weekend didn’t stop crowds from flocking to the third edition of History Channel’s History Con, one of the biggest entertainment conventions in the country.
While official attendance numbers — as of this writing — are not yet out, its Philippine channel head is confident they will surpass last year’s crowd of more than 68,800.
In fact, with the growth of the convention, the channel is already mulling over plans for when they eventually outgrow the convention’s current venue, the World Trade Center in Pasay City.
“We might extend over to the PTTC (Philippine Trade Training Center),” Jacque M. Ruby, A+E Networks’ Philippine head, told the media shortly before a press conference on Aug. 10 at the World Trade Center.
When they started the concept in 2016, said Mr. Ruby, the brains behind the convention, he didn’t think it would become as big as it is now. He went on to say that it is proof of how much Filipinos love entertainment and history.
In 2016, the event attracted 50,000 attendees.
There are plans to host the convention in other Philippine cities such as Cebu or Davao though Mr. Ruby said there nothing is concrete yet.
This year, History Con welcomed the usual swath of curiosities, from a Battle of Manila booth created by Veterans Bank featuring Japanese soldiers and a World War II tank, to Viking cosplayers, to a collectible items auction, tarot readings, and a Kendo demonstration, among others.
But History Con wouldn’t be History Con without the presence of the channel’s stars and none are brighter than Giorgio A. Tsoukalos of Ancient Aliens and Katheryn Winnick of Vikings.
Both Mr. Tsoukalos and Ms. Winnick said they were excited to meet their Filipino fans, with Mr. Tsoukalos saying that he has returned to the country because of the great reception he received in 2016. — Zsarlene B. Chua