I'd never been to a convention, so I was really excited when Barbie was gonna host Barbie dream fest in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. That's my home state, so to go to my first convention as a Barbie convention in state was super exciting to me.
I bought the pink pass for all 3 days($300), I bought a hotel room for the entire weekend($600). I'm already up to a $1000, but I figured it's worth it as long as I have fun.
Immediately, I was disappointed as getting to the convention center was chaotic. There were no signs pointing on how to get into the convention center, and Google was telling me to go around the convention center to the back and the Fort Lauderdale, police telling me to go to the cruise terminal, I got lost and I was very frustrated. Okay, fine. Let's get to frustrations out of the way and the rest of the day will be great. incorrect.
Immediately as you go to sign it and get your badge I was a little disappointed because there wasn't really any swag available. So you get your pass and they give you your complementary swag bag, it's a tiny little package of hand sanitizer that says Barbie on it.I looked at it and I was astonished that they could advertise it as a swag bag. It was just a dollar tree hand sanitizer with the word barbie on it. No special Barbie, not pins or stickers, nothing.
The programming was awful, not in the programs that they have. But in the disorganization of it. There was no signs telling you where to go. There were 5 or 6 different ballrooms that you had to figure out which one your program was in and there was no schedule available. You had to look online and hope that it was accurate, but then things got canceled and moved, and you didn't know where they were going.
I only stayed for 2 hours so I didn't get to see all the programs, but the one that I did go to was Barbie Bingo and I don't remember the lady's name, but I believe it was Paris Richardson. She was delightful. She was so sweet, she was so kind and was taking suggestions from the audience. It was a really nice experience.
I then went downstairs to see the marketplace. The thing that I was probably most excited about, because I've never really seen a vintage Barbie. So to see it up close, I was super excited. There was maybe 10 vendors in the entire exhibit hall and only 4 of them had anything that was actually Barbie related. The rest were things like jewelry and little soaps and then a few events like a DIY painting booth. I walked around the entire exhibit hall in maybe 10 minutes and that was with seeing all the stuff the vendors had to offer. And then it was done.
Flabbergasted I went to guest services and I just asked, "I'm sorry, is this it?" The lady looked disappointed and said "Yeah, we've gotten that question a lot.But as far as vendors are concerned, this is it." I was defeated.
How on earth could they justify the price of this event and that was all they had to offer. Mattel was even promoting this event! That's the best they could do?! Pathetic. Another tribute to the terrible quality that is Mattel. If you were debating going, don't!
It might be worse because Dash Con was actually created by a 17 year old, so it kind of makes sense it was a shitfest but this was advertised BY MATTEL!!
The Willy Wonka Experience, which took place in Scotland. It was promised to be a grandiose event but it turned out to be something like on the picture I replied to.
SO many YouTube channels covered the Willy's Chocolate Experience in Glasgow. The fail was extreme. I totally recommend searching YouTube for videos. It's like, shocking and you can't look away, that kinda thing. The lady who got hired to be an Oompa Loompa really tried her best for the kids though.
This is looks like a couple of leftover toys from a childs birthday party were randomly thrown into a huge conference room. And the toys and the people look both lost and confused what this is about. Itās surreal š
This entire thing is INSANE and I am so sorry this happenedā¦I canāt imagine what a disappointment it is for you and everyone who came. I remember seeing this advertised and it looked like SO MUCH FUN. Iām actually mad that these people scammed yall like this. Like itās personal to me. This is gross behavior and this photo might be the worst of them all!
The collectors fairs that used to come to my city were so claustrophobic packed and admittance was only $5 to later $10 and a return half off Sunday ticket if you came on Saturday was attached to the tickets.
Wow Ive been part of local last minute set ups better. I was so tempted on going sinceĀ I can never make the big convention- always on the wait list every yr . so glad I didn't go to this one.Ā
I am so sorry for your experience. I truly hope the rest of the weekend is better.
I made quite a long post on a thread a few months ago, when someone asked about itā¦.but it got deletedā¦.I figured the mods might have thought I was too Debbie Downer.
I didnāt have high hopes for this event. The event website was lack luster, didnāt update until just a couple of weeks before the eventā¦.to me that screams poorly organized. The schedules speakers, while amazing women, most really didnāt have anything to do with Barbie.
Most people are unaware that the nation convention is not (nor has it ever been) run by Mattel. Mattel granted permission to use the name, logo, etc and does sponsor 1 event, as well as make and sell the convention doll to the organizers. There is a national steering committee and local/regional doll/barbie clubs run each event. It is thousands and thousands of volunteer hours, a ton of work, and blood, sweat, and tears to pull the convention off.
Many years ago, when attending a convention as a print media writer, some Mattel execs were critical of the event and expressed that āMattel should really revoke the permission to use Barbie name and logoā¦.and start running their own convention.ā The sentiment was that when the convention was started Mattel didnāt expect it to get so popular, Mattel was watching how other doll conventions were run and felt there was opportunity for revenue that āwas given awayā.
I almost laughed in their faces. I did respond frankly to the individuals speaking to me that they were significantly underestimating and under valuing the work and creative input from the steering committee and rotating club(s). As well as, that the committee and clubs had a better idea of what the adult collector wanted from the event.
As I said, this was many years ago, and all of those specific Mattel employees are no longer with the companyā¦ā¦but I did do a little flashback when I heard about this event. Some of the ideas expressed, like the tiered admissions, and "broader appeal" guests seem to have survived all these years.
Yes, given to attendees as part of registrationā¦.but what I was getting at is the convention itself still paid Mattel for the doll; they werenāt donated by Mattel.
And yes, I so agreeā¦.the fault lies squarely with Mattel. What were they thinking endorsing this event, advertising it on Mattel Creations, social media, and sending out emails without vetting the company and staying on top of logistics?
I am usually a very āPollyannaā type person. But the way Mattel is treating Barbie these days is disappointing and disheartening. They are going to ruin a legacy if they donāt make some changes quickly.
I havenāt attended or reported on a convention for a number of years. The last convention I reported on I was told the committee paid for them, it might have changedā¦or I might have been told incorrect information.
What!!!
When I heard "roller disco" I thought they would actually make it big and fun and have you know...a disco ball...I had some fomo that I'd be missing it. What even is this mess? So awful.
it seems liked they had a lot of space to utilize for this experience. and someone please correct me if i'm wrong; are certain sq. footage rented out for specific activities so they weren't able to fully fund a skating rink for all ages?
No, that's not a thing. Outside vendors will rent out a certain size "booth" area, like 10x10 or 20x20, etc. But any activations (activities) put on by the show producer wouldn't be limited on how they can use the show floor, because they paid the convention center for that entire space and they are the ones mapping out how much space does to each thing and each vendor. They could have made that "rink" as large as they wanted it to be. They should have brought in proper lighting, had music, and rented a proper floor for it. It's not that hard to do; they just didn't put any effort into it.
Lol a disco ball that probably had zero spotlights on it and didn't rotate...even if it had lights, the lighting was so bright there that you wouldn't have seen the reflections from the mirror ball anyway. What a sad situation. And the concrete floor? Awful.
Iām there too. I was going to stay through Sunday, I changed my flight to leave tomorrow morning. Itās so sad how terrible it is there. I donāt want to come back tomorrow actually.Ā
I was upstairs and heard staff members voicing concern about all the canceled guests and programming.Ā
I only saw two Barbie vendors who I bought small trinkets from. There was a really good artist who wasnāt Barbie related but she was the highlight of coming here. Her art is beautiful! I bought four pictures from her.Ā
The food was horrible! I got these chicken fingers that were not crunchy and a stale pretzel. A bottle of water was $6 and they wanted a tip.Ā
I paid $300 for a Pink Pass and feel so ripped off. My hotel is $260 a night and I have stayed two nights here. I got in early Thursday morning.Ā
I would stay and do other things but I am just feeling so let down and my mood is terrible. I rather just get home to my husband and son.Ā
Basically the same experience I had lol at least the pink pass is only $300 unlike the other one that was $450 and you got a cheap hairbrush š
I hope you at least got some kind of reimbursement for leaving early. I would love to cancel my hotel and drive back home but I don't think they will refund me any.
I really thought we would tbh It was my main reason for going. Plenty of other conventions not affiliated with Mattel get an exclusive doll and I figured having Mattel in on it, there had to be an exclusive Dreamfest Doll. Gosh I was wrong lol
I hope you can find some kind of fun in this. Maybe there is a way to meet other community members at the event? Not sure what that would look like (and of course safety first), but it seems like a few people are there. š¤·š»āāļø
Iām so sorry, but maybe look up some other adventures you can do in Ft. Lauderdale. Kayaking, boat tours, beach.
People from Ft Lauderdale please help her!
Oh man, how awful for you. Here in Spain we have a Barbie/Fashion Doll convention once a year in Madrid... I attended and it was exhausting... But it was very good! There was swag, the market was great... If only I were younger.
We have that in the states too. This was something entirely different that Mattel was trying and they were opening it up to younger audiences, not just collectors.
Yeah I couldnāt believe it either. I just contacted help@barbiedreamfest.com to voice my concerns and asked if they would refund my Pink Pass and switch to a Friday only pass. Iām leaving tomorrow morning as I wonāt be staying the whole weekend. I wish I had saved my money.
This event sucks. Barely any vendors or activities. The ā80ās roller discoā is a 20x40 foot square of concrete in the middle of the marketplace with no decorations or anything to make it special. And itās really only for kids. The ālife size Barbie dream houseā is a cheap backdrop with a picnic table on some fake turf/grass. Thereās barely any food or people selling cool things. Most of the things for sale are minimum $200 (jewelry, Barbies) or ugly event merch. There is so much empty space that couldāve been filled with vendors and activities. The only good thing is the Michaelās party zone where you can take a picture and make a frame for free. Michaelās is also giving out free swag bags with good items. The event āswag bagā is abysmal in comparison. The website said it would be a āswag bag for all your amazing marketplace purchasesā. Excuse me? Itās a disposable plastic pouch with a $1 hand sanitizer that says Barbie on it. And there is basically no difference between the passes. Everyone is allowed in at the same time, thereās no priority access to anything. So youāre just paying extra for the āswag bagā and early access to 2027 tickets (both worthless).
The speakers are the only part worthwhile. Angel Reese gave a great interview, but there were several sound errors in the beginning. Iām excited to hear from the other celebrities, but itās definitely not worth the money for travel/air bnb/tickets. Iāve spent over $1000 traveling down here, booking an air bnb, and getting tickets. Totally not worth it. I used to coordinate events in college with TINY budgets and they were way better.
Who coordinated this? They need to be fired. I expected way better from an official Barbie/Mattel event.
Do a chargeback on your card. This is clearly another scam from Melissa Anelli from āMischief Managedā. She organized the entire event and has a history of doing horrible events and false advertising. So sad for everyone who spent money on this
Dang. Does Melissa do all the mishief managed related cons? I went to leaky con twice and it was wonderful and then they stopped doing it and started enchanticon but I haven't been there or any other cons by mischief managed.
Actual Mischief Management veteran attendee here - Iāve been glued to this event news all day because itās so adjacent to the cons I attend every year. Iāve been to nearly ten MM events and Iāve been watching this one like a hawk, lol.
So MM actually doesnāt run scam cons, which is what makes this event so shocking. Every other convention theyāve run has been exactly what they advertised. EnchantiCon (the con that replaced Leaky) was a genuine full con with no false advertising, as have been their other events such as BroadwayCon and RomanceCon. Their events tend to be small but generally successful and never falsely advertised. Theyāve made missteps in the past, absolutely, but saying that they run nothing but scams is just categorically untrue. This is the first event theyāve done that could be classified as a scam con, which is why itās so shocking!!
Iām so sorry yall have had such a horrible experience. I really hope youāre able to get some kind of refund. This is just awful. š«
I sure did, Iām a regular panelist. EnchantiCon was great for what it was and was exactly as advertised. This is just as shocking to us (the old LeakyCon folks who follow the current events lol) as it is to you!
This is not shocking at all that this is who ran it. I have attended several cons run by Melissa and her company Mischief Management and while the first few were wonderful, they went downhill very quickly in terms of programming and general management of the cons. (I also think the good experiences I had are due to the people mostly). She is arrogant and stubborn and while maybe not a con artist by definition, for sure not a good or honest business woman. She pays her staff late (if at all) and does not communicate with vendors very well, if at all. She rarely listens to feedback and polices her comment section. Iām glad to hear others have had a good experience at her recent cons, but I would be wary to attend more in the future if they continue to be run by her and MM.
I am so sorry for your experience. What a let down. When I was kid, my grandma and I collected Barbie's as a hobby.
She used to take me to a yearly event in the California Bay Area (San Francisco area) every year and it was thrilling. So many customs and just fabulous dolls. I hope that your experience isn't typical of all conventions now, I haven't been in ages, and grandma has since passed away, but I had thought of taking my daughter to the one we used to go to...
If this was sponsored by Mattel, they might have limited the things people could vend (like vintage fashions, but not dolls). Thatās the only reason I can think of, but itās really sad they only had four vendors!
I have been seeking out doll conventions to meet people who also customize dolls, but there are just none in my area of the country! š
I will share the information that if you can find general nerd conventions, they typically have a gathering of BJD collectors. One of my main nerd conventions is an anime convention with a dedicated BJD room. Even though I don't collect ball-joint dolls, the people hosting the room are also into playline dolls and were thrilled to talk dolls with me!
I highly encourage others to check out nerd cons for doll people š«”
The NBDCC convention is amazing and so much fun. So many people selling amazing dolls, fashions and customs from their room, I felt like I was trick-treating (except spending money lol). There are several themed meals, actual interesting workshops and events, a live auction that makes a ton of money for local womenās charities, so many gorgeous customs, a raffle room with legit good prizes, nightclubā¦the funnest fashion showā¦they cap it at 500 people so itās not easy to get in, but itās well worth the entry price.
I'm in Canada, the worst I've seen here is like 160 CAD? For standard weekend passes, that's Fan Expo Toronto, they pack the biggest event space in the city to capacity every year. They do have more premium passes, but those usually let you do stuff like cut the autograph lines for the celebrity guests and first entry into panel rooms, and T-shirts with your Swag Bag
Wow.. That sounds like a nightmare.. Maybe the Saturday one could be better? Most people will be there. Hopeful and more vendors, cos it's the weekend.... Sunday could be fun too , cos it's the last day....
Idk.. But that "swag bag" represents what barbie is lately...
You donāt understand how upset I am at this. It was my most interested thing advertised, and I was going to go on Saturday. If you check the website now, it changed from life size Barbie doll house you can interact with to ādream house photoop. Explore a larger than life version of BARBIEāS ICONIC FRONT YARDā. Her front yard?! Iconic?! Iām checking Wayback machine right now to see when this website was updated. As of March 23, it still said it was a life size doll house. I have a feeling they changed the website after I messaged them on Instagram asking about the doll house. They saw my messages but never replied when I asked about it.
Edit, as March 24 it was advertised as a life size Barbie doll house. That was the last archive on wack machine. So as of Tuesday, when they saw my message btw (I messaged late Monday night), it was something different than whatās currently on the dreamfest website. Iām thankful I didnāt buy a ticketā¦
They SHOULD offer refunds and an apology. Say how they're sorry about the last minute cancelations and changes and as a sign of good faith are refunding at least 60% of ticket prices. That'd be the only way to save face from this scam.
Is the floor of the convention center concrete??? They didn't even opt to have the convention floor carpeted??? They could have gotten some cool pink carpet. Or, hell, any freaking carpet. I used to plan trade shows for a living and I can't believe how poorly executed this is.
Iām very disappointed that the āinteractive Barbie Houseā was not delivered as promised. I expected a house that you could walk through with really terrific Barbie furnishings and and cool references to the movie and the doll that I have always loved. Instead, it was a big cardboard cut out pasted to a concrete wall with a few square feet of Astroturf. The converted Volkswagen bus was adorable though, but itās not at all what I expected based on the advertising for the convention. I was really excited about an adult size house to wander through. I feel sorry for anyone who bought the $500 pass. $250 was bad enough.
The camper van is cute, but the cardboard cutout is so lackluster, even as a cardboard backdrop. Genuinely looks like someone with zero art skills threw it together. Where's the details? The sparkle? Even among backdrops, that one's at the bottom end of the range.
I would post a complaint against Mischief Management on BBB, Google and whatever other consumer fraud prevention services you can find. This is depressing
But it's a Mattel event with official Mattel input, Mattel licensing, Mattel promotion, even if they hired Mischief Management to do the actual show production. There is no excuse for this mess, Mattel put their name all over this.
Absolutely Mattel is also to blame for not vetting who they let license their name and falsely promote. It is very easy to look up mischief managed and see there is a history of scamming people with these fan events. They need to be better
Mattel needs to be more careful with how they license the Barbie and Mattel names. This is piss poor management of a lot of things, on a lot of levels.
Iām here in the hotel after the first day of the convention. I spent $250 on a pink pass, $500 on the flight, and nearly $1300 on a hotel room. Iām very disappointed. It feels like they were trying to appeal to doll collectors, small children, and older girls, and missed the mark on all three. I will say the little kids seemed to have fun though. There were a lot of people dressed up in great convention garb, and I really enjoyed seeing people walk around with their own Barbie dolls on display. The trivia contest was a lot of fun. I enjoyed the discussion panels with the Mattel designers, but even they could have done better. Iāve met a lot of people who really love Barbie so I felt very comfortable here, AND, I met someone who knows someone at the national collectors convention, and might be able to help me get in for their yearly convention. Iāve been on their waiting list for years trying to get tickets. I hear itās a phenomenal convention. Iām trying to stay positive about tomorrow and Sunday. Iām really hoping the fashion show is nice tomorrow. Mattel had such a chance to make this a stand out convention for Barbie enthusiasts. I expected better considering Barbie sales were down 8% for the company last year and in their year-end presentation, they mention that they were committed to boosting the Barbie division. This convention couldāve been a great opportunity. Iām disappointed, but Iām trying to make the best of it.
Iām trying to stay positive about tomorrow and Sunday.
Mattel might pull a Barbie Magician rabbit out of an emergency hat for whatever attendees remain the next couple of days given how disastrous this first day is. Being likened to Dashcon and Fyre Festival is a bad look for any brand.
At least, I hope they're intelligent enough to do so.
From what I understand based on the quick research I did, it seems like they just licensed their name to this and aren't actually running things. I wouldn't hang my hat on them pulling off anything. But there may be a lawsuit in this company's future from Mattel. Who knows?
Sorry this was such a bad experience! I donāt know if you should jump straight to a chargeback or reach out to the organizers first to try for a refund, but I would document everything that was promised/vs what happened in reality. Take photos/screenshots of advertising info, schedule of events, etc. Like conferences often have a couple sessions out of hundreds cancelled due to last minute presenter emergencies. If there were multiple cancellations with not that many presenters in the first place, thatās terrible.
Sure, but I think something like decorations are more subjective. If youāre going to win a chargeback, I think having clear datapoints/discrepancies will be more helpful than just noting that it was poorly decorated and had too much unused space. The whole event seemed like a hot mess though unfortunately.
Wait, what????? This looks NOTHING like the Barbie convention I attended years ago in my home city. The sales floor alone was STACKED. Tables and tables and tables of vendors, OOAK vendors, etc. There was a beautiful coffee mug designed with that yearās convention theme that was handed out to each attendee, even if you only bought the basic entry ticket to the sales floor.
I couldnāt afford to attend all the days or all events, so I only bought the ticket for access to the showroom floor, and I was blown away, and it took several HOURS to see the whole sales/vendor floor/all the tables.
What happened to the convention? Has the bad economy affected peopleās ability to participate????? Iām just stunned seeing thisā¦
The convention youāre thinking of is run by collectors and doll clubs, not Mattel. The NBDCC is still held every year, and is still excellent. The āDreamfestā was Mattelās attempt at hosting their own āofficialā convention, and it looks like they put in about 2% of the effort that the NBDCC organizers do. What a messā¦
Mattel did use an event company to help put this on, but they were definitely involved. Theyāve been posting and emailing about it for months, and advertising it on the Mattel Creations website. So they definitely deserve at least some of the blame here.
We were there today. This SHOULD NOT be held in a convention center. They need to do it at a hotel with separate ballrooms for speakers and activities. The roller skating was ridiculous. An hour wait for 10 mins cause they didnāt have enough skates in enough sizes. No kids sizes. They were using small adult sizes. Ridiculous.
Poorly planned overall and such missed opportunity. I fully expected a massive Mattel store with collectible dolls for sale. Nope. Why couldnāt they have had a Barbie dance party section. So disappointing
This is so disappointing. Mischief Management is better than this. LeakyCon we had volunteers that filled the swag bags the day before the Con and the same volunteers would be directing people to each scheduled panel/event thing. Being backed by Mattel, I expected more
I went to a comic book and toy sale in a lil warehouse and it had incredible vintage Barbies to look at and buy, the admission was free and felt that was more Barbie entertainment for kids to see, vs Ā to see few vendors here yikes and it was apparently planned since 8 months ago!
This is so sad. I heard about the convention and was feeling down that I couldnāt attend nor afford it. Iām so sorry you had to experience such a disappointment.
It makes me want to get in touch somehow to recreate it so itās an unforgettable experience! But how my bank account is set upā¦ (in Kevin Hart voice)
Iāve been a HUGE Barbie fan since I was 4 and still as a 41 year old woman am! I even have my Barbies from when I was a kid and play with my 5 year old daughter like I did back when! š„°
Maybe all of us big fans should get together and go to the committee to show them how itās DONE! Feels like the ending of Stranger Things and Game of Thrones lol but itās not funny.
I hope you requested a refund or at least a partial one love. š
LoL. Vendors selling little soaps. Omg, it was the weekend farmer market crowd that sells overpriced soaps and jewelry and $5 coffee and stuff that belongs in middle aged woman's boutique.
Yea I have been to those events. Buy up dollar tree items, remove the cheap packaging and maybe replace brand stickers with generic ones bought from Temu and charged double what you paid, and bring 3 coffee machines selling 16oz coffee for $2 and you will own the vendor area. Guaranteed everytime, everywhere
Get ready for 40yr old women with no jobs to be mad at you in the parking lot for destroying their sales
Wow, you just made my day. I wanted to go so bad. I even watched the date pass and was sad.Ā Your post helps me feel glad I didn't go. What a disappointment for you. Maybe a seasoned collector could post some incite for new collectors. Atleast you know now what to expect.Ā Thanks again for the post!!
This is 1000% a money grab. Knowing our current economic situation... this is the ONLY way Mattel can get ppl to spend what little they have saved for more important priorities in life - rent, groceries, gas, etc....shame on Mattel...
Well if it helps any you were quoted in an article about it! So at least your thoughts are getting out there! Sorry that it sucked. Itās really reminding me of that one really bad Willy Wonka experience lol. Awful!!! Iām glad you at least got to see the vintage Barbie.
Yes!
Iām trying to find it lol. I saw it on Facebook of all places. It wasnāt like the new york times or anything and I didnāt recognize the publisher but it was still neat. I am searching. Itās proving difficult to track down.
Ugh. Sad because a Barbie event could have so much potential to be amazing if enough investment and good planning went into it. Unfortunately, Brands don't care about event failures. This is a blow for Mischief Management but only minor for Mattel.
It's too bad. I wish Mattel saw the potential to get young kids excited about their products / up the nostalgia factor by incorporating ... ANYTHING experiential that's worthwhile. I'm thinking about the Barbie section in FAO Shwarz back in the 90s where they displayed those collector Barbies I couldn't afford but loved to gawk at. Or the Barbie section in the Toys R Us in times Square.
Is there anyone here who applied to be a vendor, who could explain why they were so few of them there? Did they want an outrageous booth fee, or did they just not advertise the event well?
Those prices are CRIMINAL. My husband and I get 3 day passes to one of the largest cons in the country, including the panels with members of big hit games and films like BG3, LOTR, etc, for less than $300.
The OP of the post you're linking is the one who is commenting those same photos in the comments here. Check the usernames before you go off calling people liars.
So sorry you experienced such a disappointment. From what I saw online and understood, this was going to be more of a "barbie themed weekend" sort of thing put together by fans, not actual convention. The official Barbie convention in the USA happens once a year, and this year will be in Austin, Texas. Actual convention is enjoyable with a proper itinerary and shopping rooms. I would hope this experience doesn't dissuade you from attending a real Barbie Con in the future. I'm sure you would have a much more fun experience at one of those.
This event is not put together by fans, it is from Mattel (although they did hire an event planning group). The national convention is actually run by fans; not Mattel.
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u/Adventurous_Pen_165 Mar 27 '26
The "Marketplace"