In Europe, Kingvention, the Michael Jackson Fan Convention is well known among the fans as it’s been going since 2015, growing larger each year. It’s become one of the major gatherings for Michael Jackson fans. So when US fans requested that Kingvention come to America, the team behind the event listened and made it happen.
The event took place on October 12 in Los Angeles. The choice of date and location was simple—no major events were happening on that day, and many of Michael Jackson’s collaborators were available to attend.
“Los Angeles was the perfect place to bring together special guests from all the past incarnations of Kingvention as well as inviting some new special guests too.” said Pez Jax, Creative Director of Kingvention. “There was nothing planned in LA on October 12, and so the date worked well to ensure it could be on a Saturday, last the full duration of the day and night and give the fans the full Kingvention experience.”
When asked about the choice of guests, Jax noted that “Michael worked with hundreds of people. But we have to decide of which stories to tell and how that’s going to work with the other guests in attendance, and the day as a whole.”
Although the team was uncertain how the event would be received in the US, they decided to take a different approach—a smaller format, with more special guests. Sixteen Michael Jackson collaborators gathered at the Arts District of Los Angeles on October 12. The event kicked off at 10 a.m. at the House of Cocotte, a French-owned restaurant and event space. King of Shop was on site to offer fans a chance to purchase rare Michael Jackson collector items, and Bill Whitfield, one of Jackson’s bodyguards, made his book “Remember The Time” available for sale.
Guests were welcomed by a massive “Off the Wall” banner celebrating the album’s 45th anniversary. Propstore teamed up with Kingvention to display an incredible selection of Michael Jackson memorabilia before they go to auction in November, giving fans the chance to get up close and personal with some of these items. Additionally, fans could admire Janet Jackson’s personal costume design sketches used in her tribute performance of “Scream” at the 2009 VMAs, as well as a special 3D exhibition of Michael Jackson photos and videos.
The official opening of Kingvention featured a dance performance by students from Encore Dance Centre, aged 7 to 16, who performed a special routine choreographed by Eddie Garcia to “2Bad/Thriller.”
Following that, “The Big MJ Debate” took place, featuring Pez and Char who were joined by Ashlei Tave, who shared her insights on the upcoming Michael Jackson biopic. Ashlei is part of the biopic’s production and offered her thoughts on key topics without giving away too much.
As always, the highlight of Kingvention was the stories shared by its special guests. This US edition featured three different panel discussions. The first panel focused on Michael Jackson’s tours, with Darryl Phinnessee, Dorian Holley, and Siedah Garrett sharing their experiences.
The second panel featured Nicholas Pike and Rob Hoffman, who discussed creating the music for GHOSTS, while the final panel took fans back to Club 30’s with Cindera Che, Alif Sankey, and Eddie Garcia. The day also included a screening of Walking on the Moon, a documentary on Moonwalker, directed by Pez Jax.
Throughout the event, fans had the chance to meet various collaborators who worked with Michael Jackson, including Betty Madden, Bonnie Sinclair, and Donna Schultz, costume designers for Captain EO and Moonwalker. Clay Tave, one of Jackson’s early bodyguards, was also in attendance, sharing amazing stories with fans lucky enough to speak with him.
The celebration concluded with a massive after-party, featuring DJ Dome, who played Michael Jackson hits throughout the night.
It seems fans had an incredible time, as this online review shows:
“For YEARS, I’ve dreamt of days like this. To be in the presence of people who worked with Michael, who experienced the magic of his presence and talent… Everyone on the panel worked hard and dedicated themselves, alongside Michael, and it has always been something I’ve admired… Meeting the dancers of Smooth Criminal absolutely changed me.”
Speaking with Sebastian, event manager for Kingvention, he said, “The first US edition of Kingvention was overall a success. Of course, we would have loved to have more fans attend, especially since we had so many Michael Jackson collaborators under one roof, but I think many US fans were waiting to see what we could deliver.” He added, “The more fans support this event, the bigger it can be.”
If you attended Kingvention in Los Angeles, feel free to share your thoughts below!
