Facts 2023 fall edition was a BLAST!
FACTS 2023 fall edition celebrated 30 years of FACTS with, according to VRT, over 45.000 visitors.
This time around, FACTS fall edition was way more breathable than its counterpart of 2021. Because of infrastructural changes, like how the creator zone was moved to Hall 8, it directed the masses in a way that was much more structural and that made sense. Kudos to the organization for optimizing the usable space this way.
Flanders Expo Gent: a Galaxy far, far away
Speaking of space: the Star Wars exhibition this year was beautiful and the droids that were circling around Flanders Expo were a very fun attribute to the already playful atmosphere. In other more adventurous news, if you were looking for adrenaline, the Supercube zone delivered all speed devils a 360- karting experience similar to Mario Kart through digital and lightning effects.
Sadly, I did not get the chance to meet any of the invited talent like James McAvoy, Mister Weasly: Mark Williams, Disney voice actor: Arnold Gelderman, and many more. Note to self for next year: be prepared and plan out a solid schedule.
Create, play and conquer
FACTS once again showed an unseen level of creativity from the community with zones that were focused on ‘Do It Yourself’ activities like painting maquettes, cosplay costumes, etc.. These zones were packed with people creating magical artifacts. Not to mention the endless creative talent of many famous and hobbyist cosplayers prancing around the expo, giving a magical touch to the whole experience.
It was great to see that there was a kids zone for children to let out their inner artists and since FACTS is very popular for parents to take their kids to, definitely this was an added value for a lot of families.
Creative outlets for the mind were the very popular DND stand and the spaces where you could try out all sorts of board games. Of course gamers were not left in the dark with lots of stands in the Gaming Hall with my personal favorite being the League of Legends stand ‘Bring back 3V3 please!’
Room for improvement
I always wonder whether there is a way to promote the authors, illustrators etc. more through promo videos or other formats, since a lot of times, these parts felt rather empty compared to the other areas of the expo.
And even though the improved infrastructure for the creator zone helped with redirecting the masses, this was still not the case for the actual market place and gaming hall itself. It would be nice to see the organization finding a similar solution there as well.
Conclusion
FACTS fall edition of 2023 was bursting with creativity, love and energy. It has proven itself once again to be a wondrous and inclusive resort for all ages and beings (whether human or not so much). I have enjoyed this years’ FACTS thoroughly and I am looking forward to next year’s spring edition in April.
Most importantly, what I bought
All the showcased artists on FACTS were amazing. It was really a case of ‘choosing is losing’, and if I had an endless supply on my bank account, I would have bought nearly everything there. On the picture from left to right: tote bag and printed art by NikkiSmits, pin on the tote bag by Bluubsies, and then of course a Dragonite VSTAR for my insatiable hunger for collecting.
Editors note from Dae Jim: I think I’m going to steal that printed art. That’s insanely beautiful!
Hi, my name is Galia and I’m a Belgian amateur singer, movie critic, streamer and now writer of game reviews. My three brothers showed me the world of gaming when I was 10 and I quickly became the biggest “gamer” of the bunch, starting my gaming career with the oldest Tekken games, Super Mario, Worms, you know the drill. A few years later, I was introduced to Xbox by my best friend and we were immediately hooked on Halo and Dead or Alive, with many o’ movie nights dedicated to the DOA movie. Because I am highly competitive, I love the thrill of ranked gameplay and when I am on a losing streak, I love to relax with all sorts of cosy games. See you on the battle field?
