KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Fanboys will need to wait a little longer to meet their idols after Fanboy Expo announced that its Knoxville and Orlando events would be pushed back, to help prevent the spread of coronavirus.
In a post on Fanboy Expo's Facebook page, officials said that several of the event's celebrity guests are considered at-risk for coronavirus complications. Officials pushed the dates back to ensure that the guests would feel safe and confident while meeting fans. Rescheduling the convention would also help protect attendees from catching COVID-19.
The Knoxville event's new dates are still to be determined. Officials are trying to decide whether the new dates would be between Aug. 28 - 30 or Oct. 9 - 11.
They said they are working to decide if late August would be enough time for East Tennessee to recover from the spread of coronavirus and be safe enough to hold a convention.
If the event is pushed back to October, the event will be held in the "W" facility under the Holiday Inn.
The Orlando event will be held between Sept. 11 - 13.
Tickets and vendor spots will be transferred to new dates, and people who already registered are encouraged to check their email for a link to the new ticket. If a celebrity guest cannot make the new dates, fan packages and photo ops will be automatically refunded.
Officials warned that it is likely some celebrity guests may not be able to attend the new dates.
Some of the scheduled guests for the Knoxville event include some members of the cast from The Office, Dolph Lundgren and a reunion of members of the television show, M*A*S*H.
Attendees and vendors who cannot make the new dates will be offered a ticket at a future Fanboy Expo event at their current pricing. Refunds will be handled on a case-by-case basis.
A form for refunds will be added to the Fanboy Expo website next week, officials said.
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