Armageddon Expo
Armageddon Expo is a New Zealand owned and operated pop culture convention that holds multiple events around New Zealand in cities including Auckland, Wellington, Tauranga and Christchurch. The event, run by Beyond Reality Media Premier Event Management, has been running continuously since 1995. It has evolved from its roots of comics and trading cards to showcase computer and video gaming, animation, film and television, cosplay, comics, live wrestling, and retailers selling pop-culture merchandise.
The convention hosts celebrity guests from the worlds of movies, TV shows, animation, cosplay, YouTube, comics and gaming. Event attendees can meet guests, purchase autographs and photo opportunities as well as watch panels featuring the guests. Armageddon Expo is one of the largest public conventions held in New Zealand.
History
Armageddon began in Auckland, New Zealand on the weekend of 2 December 1995, at the Avondale Raceway. In 1997, the expo added a Wellington event, followed in 1999 by an event in Melbourne. Over the next 17 years, Armageddon held events in Australia sporadically. In 2007, the first Christchurch Armageddon event was held; Armageddon has also hosted events in other cities in New Zealand including Hamilton, Manukau, and Dunedin.In Australia, two events were held in Adelaide and Sydney in 2011. Starting in 2007, annual events were held in Melbourne until 2014 when Beyond Reality Media handed management of its Australian Armageddon Expo to First Contact Conventions, after which the event was renamed to The Australian Movie & Comic Expo.
After four annual events at Claudelands Arena starting in 2012, Armageddon's Hamilton event was discontinued in 2015 due to high costs in the Waikato region. A single event was held in March 2016 at the Vodafone Events Centre in Manukau, but did not continue at the venue.
In 2019, in the wake of the Christchurch mosque shootings, Armageddon changed its policy on weaponry and military attire, banning all realistic depictions. The new policy received some public criticism, however it was generally well-accepted.
Armageddon was expected to celebrate its 25th birthday in 2020, but event plans had to be altered due to the COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand.
Armageddon Expo purchased the Auckland-based horror amusement attraction Spookers in 2020.
Highlights
Current show events include:- Celebrity Guest Panels, autograph and photo sessions.
- The Cosplay Contest.
- Exclusive Screenings
- Trivia Contests
- Cosplay Parade
- E-Sports
- Gaming and Card Tournaments
Venues and guest appearances
1995–1999
| Dates | Location | Comic Guests | TV/Movie Guests | Animation Guests | Cosplay Guests | Other Guests |
| December 2–3, 1995 | Avondale Raceway, Auckland | |||||
| August 25, 1996 | Freemans Bay Community Centre, Auckland | |||||
| March 9, 1997 | Freemans Bay Community Centre, Auckland | |||||
| August 17, 1997 | Freemans Bay Community Centre, Auckland | |||||
| 24 August 1997 | Victoria University, Wellington | |||||
| 21–22 March 1998 | Alexander Raceway, Auckland | Kurt Busiek, Mark Waid, Devin Grayson | ||||
| 28-29 March 1998 | Wellington Raceway, Wellington | Kurt Busiek, Mark Waid, Devin Grayson | ||||
| 3–4 October 1998 | Aotea Centre, Auckland | Joe Kelly, Steven Seagle, Chris Bachalo | ||||
| 29–30 May 1999 | Aotea Centre, Auckland | Warren Ellis, Grant Morrison | Claudia Christian, Chase Masterson | |||
| 5–6 June 1999 | Melbourne Expo Centre, Melbourne, Australia | Warren Ellis, Grant Morrison | Claudia Christian, Chase Masterson |
2000–2009
| Dates | Location | Comic Guests | TV/Movie Guests | Animation Guests | Cosplay Guests | Other Guests |
| 18-19 March 2000 | Aotea Centre, Auckland | Arthur Adams, Joyce Chin, Jeph Loeb | Jeremy Bulloch, Lani Tupu | |||
| 10-11 February 2001 | Aotea Centre, Auckland | Brian Michael Bendis, Walter Simonson, Louise Simonson, Diana Schutz | Teryl Rothery, Don S Davis, Peter Williams Virginia Hey, Colin Baker, Katy Manning, Ted Raimi, Kevin Smith | Sean Schemmel & Christopher Sabat | ||
| 26 May 2001 | Aotea Centre, Auckland Invitational event: Buffy The Vampire Slayer | James Marsters, Emma Caulfield, Brian Thompson | ||||
| 15-16 September 2001 | Aotea Centre, Auckland | Roy Thomas | Wayne Pygram, Marjean Holden | Sean Schemmel | Che Fu | |
| 23-24 November 2002 | Michael Fowler Centre, Wellington | Bradley Kahl and Christian Gossett | Sandi Finlay, Amanda Tapping, Teryl Rothery, Don S. Davis | Mariah Martin, Kyle Hebert | Salmonella Dub | |
| 12-14 April 2003 | Aotea Centre, Auckland | John Cassaday, Mark Bagley, Christian Gossett | Sandi Finlay, Amanda Tapping, Teryl Rothery, Don S. Davis | Mira Furlan, Gil Gerard, Erin Gray, Brent Stait, Anthony Simcoe, Tony Amendola, Kenny Baker, Robert Picardo | ||
| 20–22 September 2003 | Michael Fowler Centre, Wellington | Mark Bagley, Christian Gossett | Peter Mayhew, David Prowse, Garrett Wang | Kazuko Tadano, Hiromi Matushita, Christopher Sabat, Veronica Taylor, Darren Dunstan, Jonathan Ross | ||
| 16–18 April 2004 | Aotea Centre, Auckland | Alex Maleev, Marc Silvestri, Brian Michael Bendis | John Rhys-Davies, Bruce Hopkins, Mark Ferguson, Lawrence Makoare, George Takei, Anthony Montgomery, Corin Nemec, Xenia Seeberg | Eric Vale, Wayne Grayson, Megan Hollingshead, David Kaye | ||
| 25–26 September 2004 | Queens Wharf Events Centre, Wellington | Stuart Immonen, David Finch | John Rhys-Davies, Sean Astin, Andy Serkis, Thomas Robins, Sarah McLeod, Jed Brophy, Cirroc Lofton, Penny Johnson Jerald | Stephanie Nadolny, Dan Green, Wayne Grayson, Joshua Seth | ||
| 16-17 April 2005 | Queens Wharf Events Centre, Wellington | Scott Lobdell | Connor Trinneer, Ray Park, Daniel Logan, Devon Murray, Raelee Hill, Rebecca Riggs | Amy Birnbaum, Jonathan Ross, Milton Lawrence, Sean Schemmel | ||
| 22–24 October 2005 | Aotea Centre, Auckland | Christian Gossett, Mark Waid, Michael Turner, Francis Manapul | Gates McFadden, John Rhys-Davies, Richard Hatch, Torri Higginson, Rainbow Sun Francks, Cliff Simon, Dean Haglund, Julie Caitlin Brown, Robin Atkin Downes, Nicole DeBoer, Jay Laga'aia | Joshua Seth, Dan Green, Sonny Strait | ||
| 29–30 April 2006 | Queens Wharf Events Centre, Wellington | Geoff Johns, Phil Jimenez | John Schneider, John Billingsley, Claudia Christian, Jewel Staite | Mike McFarland, Sean Schemmel, Rodger Bumpass, Brian Beacock | ||
| 21–23 October 2006 | Aotea Centre, Auckland | Arthur Suydam, Gary Frank | Rachel Luttrell, David Nykl, Colin Cunningham, Tony Amendola, Summer Glau, Mira Furlan, Clare Kramer, Tom Lenk, Kevin Weisman | Kevin Conroy, Darren Dunstan, Jennifer Hale, Vic Mignogna, Steve Blum | ||
| 14–15 April 2007 | Christchurch Convention Centre, Christchurch | Brian K. Vaughan, Jimmy Cheung | Avery Brooks, John Rhys-Davies, Don S. Davis | Maile Flanagan, Susan Eisenberg, Crispin Freeman, Carolyn Lawrence | ||
| 21–22 April 2007 | TSB Arena – Wellington | Brian K. Vaughan, Jimmy Cheung | Billy Dee Williams, Doug Jones, Aaron Douglas, John Rhys-Davies, Don S. Davis | Susan Eisenberg, Crispin Freeman, Carolyn Lawrence, Maile Flanagan, Yuri Lowenthal, Tara Platt | ||
| 19 August 2007 | Auckland A Day with the Doctor | Sylvester McCoy, David Weston, William Gaunt | ||||
| 13-14 October 2007 | Melbourne Exhibition Centre, Melbourne, Australia | Amanda Conner, Jimmy Palmiotti, Gail Simone, Nicola Scott | Alan Tudyk, John Wesley Shipp, Jane Badler, Connor Trinneer, Peter Woodward, Joe Flanigan, Chris Rankin | Billy West, Richard Horvitz, Stephanie Sheh, Neil Kaplan, Rodger Bumpass, Rino Romano | Rob Van Dam, Jasmine St. Clair, Sabu | |
| 20-22 October 2007 | Aotea Centre, Auckland | Amanda Conner, Jimmy Palmiotti, Gail Simone, Nicola Scott | Connor Trinneer, Christopher Judge, Ellen Muth, Peter Woodward, Joe Flanigan, Chris Rankin | Billy West, Richard Horvitz, Stephanie Sheh, Neil Kaplan, Rodger Bumpass, Rino Romano | Rob Van Dam, Christy Hemme, Raven | |
| 19-20 April 2008 | TSB Arena, Wellington | Hynden Walch | Christopher Judge, Alexis Cruz, Matthew John Armstrong, Tracy Scoggins | |||
| 26-27 April 2008 | Christchurch Convention Centre, Christchurch | Jim Lee, JJ Kirby, Sandra Hope, Livio Ramondelli, Joel Gomez, Eddie Nunez, Beth Sotelo | Christopher Judge, Alexis Cruz, Matthew John Armstrong, Tracy Scoggins, David Hewlett, Andee Frizzell, Kavan Smith, Gary Jones, Doug Jones, Margot Kidder Ernie Hudson | Nalini Krishan, Johnny Yong Bosch, Grey DeLisle, Dave Wittenberg, Crispin Freeman | The Sandman | |
| 25-27 October 2008 | Aotea Centre, Auckland | Jim Lee, JJ Kirby, Sandra Hope, Livio Ramondelli, Joel Gomez, Eddie Nunez, Beth Sotelo | David Hewlett, Andee Frizzell, Kavan Smith, Gary Jones, Doug Jones, Margot Kidder, Ernie Hudson | Johnny Yong Bosch, Grey DeLisle, Dave Wittenberg, Crispin Freeman | The Sandman | |
| 28-29 March 2009 | Christchurch Convention Centre, Christchurch | Darick Robertson, Queenie Chan | Peter Davison, Michael Hurst, Kevin Sorbo, Michael Winslow, Mark Strickson, Jonny Fairplay, Sam J. Jones, Michelle Deighton | Bill Farmer, Colleen Clinkenbeard, Greg Cipes, Brina Palencia | ||
| 4-5 April 2009 | TSB Arena, Wellington | Darick Robertson, Queenie Chan, | Peter Davison, Michael Hurst, Kevin Sorbo, Michael Winslow, Mark Strickson, Jonny Fairplay, Sam J. Jones, Michelle Deighton | Colleen Clinkenbeard, Greg Cipes, Brina Palencia, Bill Farmer | ||
| 17-18 October 2009 | Melbourne Exhibition Centre, Melbourne | Peter David, Nicola Scott, Greg Rucka, Matthew Clark, Bill Sienkiewicz | Joe Flanigan, Jason Momoa, Paul McGillion ; Noah Grey-Cabey ; Cameron Bright, Christopher Heyerdahl, Bronson Pelletier ; Gigi Edgley ; | Seth Green, Matthew Senreich, Tom Root, Greg Cipes, Travis Willingham, Laura Bailey, Sean Schemmel, Dante Basco, Olivia Hack | ||
| 24–26 October 2009 | ASB Showgrounds, Auckland | Peter David, Greg Rucka, Matthew Clark, Bill Sienkiewicz | Joe Flanigan, Jason Momoa, Paul McGillion, Bronson Pelletier ; Gigi Edgley | Seth Green, Matthew Senreich, Tom Root, Craig Horner, Craig Parker, Tabrett Bethell, Mark Beesley, Bridget Regan, Michael Winslow, Greg Cipes, Travis Willingham, Laura Bailey, Sean Schemmel ; Dante Basco, Olivia Hack, Steve Downes |