Fandom throws one of the biggest parties at San Diego Comic-Con with riveting shows, exciting performances, and celebrities mingling with guests and fans. Last year, the Fandom Party had K-pop stars NCT DoJaeJung performing, with previous events featuring a Cirque du Soleil show and DJ Don Diablo.

Isaac Ugay, VP of Experiences and Custom Solutions at Fandom, leads the Fandom events business and the production of the party. When he attended the first three standard parties before he was hired, he believed he could make it.

“This is a while ago now like, almost six years ago, and since then, we’ve had a Cirque du Soleil performance where we threw a guy off one of the balconies,” Ugay tells Nerd Reactor. “We had Girl Talk perform, which if you’ve ever seen Girl Talk, it’s insane. And then fast forward to last year bringing NCT DoJaeJung for their first-ever U.S. performance, and probably the first-ever mega K-pop group to perform in San Diego during Comic-Con. It felt like we had kind of reached the summit.”

Last year during San Diego Comic-Con, a lot of people were worried and pulled out due to the strike. Ugay and his team were less focused on the industry and wanted to make something awesome for the fans. This year, Fandom has partnered with Z2, a graphic novel and comic book publisher, and looked at its roster and were playing with the idea of metal. It also had an idea of an orchestra because of Dragon Age and its epic score.

“And where we landed was a pretty awesome place with Jason Derulo,” he said. “As we’re looking at all these options, it comes down to who’s available? Is there something that’s contextually relevant for the fans? And so that graphic novel is a great way to connect back to Fandom in general. And so the music talent is a big piece of how can we provide a fan service for the guests, but also make it feel like it belongs there. So Jason Derulo has exceeded our hopes and dreams beyond what we did last year, in terms of just his grace and involvement. His team is really awesome to work with.”

The trappings of a party consist of drinks, food, ambiance, a DJ, etc. With the Fandom Party, it’s a lot more with a mix of curating the right guest list. That’s what makes the event special where talent is surrounded by those who love what they’re creating or consumers who love the things that the talent is making.

“Seriously last year, I was standing in a conversation and the person who was sort of leading the conversation didn’t realize that they were talking to the current voice of Bugs Bunny [Eric Bauza]. And their minds were blown, like, absolutely blown. And there was just this fan moment that happened. That was not even about the incredible installations and photo booths and music that we had there. It was just this reality that they’re breathing the same air as this legendary character.”

Fandom tries to cater to all types of fans by teaming up with companies like Marvel, Electronic Arts and more. Marvel and East Continental Gems will be showcasing the 1:1 Loki scepter replica, which costs around $500,000, at the Fandom Party pool area. It features a 20.26 ct. gem sapphire as the Mind Stone, a hand-blown ombré glass enclosure that houses the rare gem, and a solid brass handle with an 18k gold setting. Additionally, Electronic Arts is presenting the party to promote its upcoming video game, Dragon Age: The Veilguard.

Isaac Ugay has been going to San Diego Comic-Con for 20 years since 2004. He worked for a company that dealt in the PC gaming space which led to a partnership working with Skybound and Hyundai for The Walking Dead to build a zombie survival machine.

“I had to really cut my teeth on the sort of experiential space down at Comic-Con before coming here,” Ugay recounts his history with the large comic book convention. “And it is like anything is possible if you have this IP to work with, and you have the blessing and support of San Diego Comic-Con. Creating something for fans is the most fun, so I would say when I came into this role, it was just sheer excitement that I was able to continue on this journey of like, every summer coming back in and doing something for the fans.”

Not everyone will be able to attend, but Fandom tries to make it as fair as possible such as hosting giveaways and offering people from different communities to attend including Dragon Age, Fandom Wiki stars and more.

Fandom Party will be held at FLOAT at the Hard Rock Hotel on Thursday, July 25 from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.