Calgary-based Showpass has been selected as the official ticketing and event technology partner for FAN EXPO, bringing its platform to a convention portfolio that welcomes more than one million fans annually.
The partnership spans 13 North American cities, including events such as CALGARY EXPO, MEGACON Orlando, FAN EXPO Chicago and FAN EXPO Denver. FAN EXPO describes itself as the world’s largest comic con producer.
Showpass will support ticketing, fan engagement and event operations, including the infrastructure needed to handle high-demand ticket launches.
Fans will be able to purchase admission, celebrity photo opportunities, autographs, merchandise and premium experiences in a single transaction through FAN EXPO’s own channels. The platform will also provide RFID capabilities and tools for managing complex event operations.
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“Supporting events of this scale requires more than ticketing,” said Lucas McCarthy, founder and CEO of Showpass. “It requires a platform capable of powering the entire event operation.”
The announcement follows another expansion move covered by Calgary.tech in June, when Showpass entered into an agreement to acquire campus life platform Bounce. At the time, the company said the proposed acquisition would extend its event technology to more than 70 per cent of Canada’s top-ranked university campuses.
That deal aimed to connect ticketing, event discovery and student engagement across a fragmented university market. The FAN EXPO partnership brings a similar emphasis on connected event technology to large-scale pop culture conventions.
Showpass’s expanding reach builds on its Calgary roots. In 2024, Calgary.tech covered the opening of its 30,000-square-foot headquarters, a milestone for a company that began in a University of Calgary graduate’s basement and had grown to more than 100 team members.
With FAN EXPO, the Calgary company adds a major convention portfolio to its North American customer base, including one of its hometown’s best-known annual events.
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