Today we’d like to introduce you to Johnathan Newton.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Mark and I, with support from Jay Sutton, Trish Phillips, and the broader RDCWorld collective, started Dream Con back in 2018 in Waco, Texas, with just 800 attendees. We wanted to create a space that was inclusive and welcoming for all fans, whether you’re into gaming, anime, sports, film, music, or just internet culture in general. From that first year, we’ve grown into one of the largest Black-led entertainment conventions in the world. We went from Waco to a fully virtual convention in 2020, then to Arlington, then Austin, and we’ve spent the last two years Houston. This year, 2026, was our biggest yet, we sold a record breaking number of over 45,000 tickets. Eight years ago, our team hoped we’d get somewhere close to this, and honestly, we’re just going to keep building it into something bigger every year.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
There have definitely been challenges we’ve had to overcome. We had to completely reinvent the convention in 2020 when COVID hit and take it virtual when nobody could gather in person. We’ve had to move every two years for one reason or another, from outgrowing venues to construction and every time we moved, we had to rebuild trust and figure out logistics at a bigger scale all over again. Going from 800 people to over 45,000 in 8 years means every year brings new growing pains, but we’ve always tried to treat those challenges as chances to listen closer to our community and come back stronger.
We’ve been impressed with Dream Con, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Dream Con is a premier entertainment convention that sits at the intersection of gaming, anime, sports, film, music, and creator culture. We’re proud to be known as the largest Black-led pop culture convention in Texas, and inclusivity and representation have been at our core since day one. A few things I want people to know about us is that we’re community-first, always, real culture and opportunity is birthed at Dream Con, and giving back is part of who we are.
We listen closely to our fans and let their feedback shape everything we do each year. That community focus has helped Dream Con grow into a real cultural moment for the last 8 years. We’ve been featured in over 150 news outlets, partnered with brands like Twitch, AMD, YouTube, McDonald’s and Nintendo, and this year we earned Congressional and City recognition, along with a TIME100 Creators spot for our Co-Founder. And through it all, giving back has stayed central to what we do, from our partnership with Make-A-Wish to this year’s Charity Basketball Game supporting local Houston nonprofits.
What sets us apart, at the end of the day, is why we do this. The whole point is to change the world and spread positivity. We’re bringing in people who are like-minded, but we’re also trying to convert people who just didn’t understand it yet and open them up to a world they may never knew they needed to be a part of.
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
I’m from Houston, so honestly, I love everything about it, the people, the culture, the opportunities, all of it. This city has given us so much, and being able to bring Dream Con home and grow it here means everything to me.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.dreamconvention.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dreamconvention/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dreamconvention
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/playthatjohn/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/dreamconvention/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCASJz_gKq5N-cpeZQxO-2XA?fbclid=IwAR1ogMYQkmW1jKNyYEP2rEfhISYVOqT9_Rw3UVyqbvzS_T8PdhVrgNR624A
- Other: https://twitch.tv/dreamconvention
