We Went to the First DWTS Con — Here's What Worked and What Didn't
The first-ever Dancing with the Stars Convention just wrapped in Palm Springs, a three-day weekend full of good vibes and rhinestones. Like any brand-new event, there were some learning opportunities for the team putting on the show, but overall, I was impressed with how smoothly the event went. Events like this take a lot of time and planning, and expectations can be hard to manage, particularly when the entire premise is based around a singular fandom. This review offers a broad look at the event from the perspective of a more casual fan of the hit ABC competition series.
But first, a little additional info. Rather than a traditional convention center, DWTS Con was held in Palm Springs’ Acrisure Arena. Somewhat smaller than a typical big city arena, Acrisure has a skating rink attached, which is where the de facto show floor was held (“The Rink”).
“Step into the world of Dancing With the Stars at DWTS Con,” read the official event description, which promised, “everything you love about tuning in each week, expanded into one unforgettable weekend.” Live panels with pros and special guests, a kick-off game show, two live shows, an immersive environment with photo ops, behind-the-scenes displays, “selfies & signing sessions,” and “talent breakout events” were what was advertised on the official event website.
The Good
Starting with the content itself, the marquee events in Acrisure Arena were engaging and fun. It was like attending the touring live show, but on steroids. More pros, more stars, plus surprise guests frequently and often. The stage was designed to mirror the ballroom from the TV show, making thousands of fans feel like they went to a live taping.
The opening night “Glitter Games” was like a game show, with four teams of pros and celebs routinely joined by fans in attendance to participate in fun challenges designed by the pros. “For the Fans” closed out the weekend, an hour-long show featuring live recreations of some iconic performances from the show, mixed with 8 fans getting to live their DWTS dream by performing a routine with a pro that they practiced all weekend (they found out they won this experience during the “Glitter Games”).
The zenith of the event was “Mirrorball Mayhem,” a 2-hour spectacle (with intermission) jam-packed with group and pairs numbers. A handful of routines were recycled from the most recent tour, but the show was mostly original and unique to this event, making it feel truly special. You can see examples of these presentations on our YouTube channel.
Only really used on Saturday, the Arena also hosted smaller panels, similar to what you’d expect at a typical fan convention. These panels let fans see and hear from their favorite talent, and to me, the most unique presentation featured the behind-the-scenes creatives responsible for booking celebrities on the show, directing individual episodes, and handling the music production. It was a side of DWTS that fans don’t get to see.
Having assigned seats in the arena was very convenient, meaning you didn’t have to stress about getting in early to get a good spot. Disney recently had similar success with this when they expanded D23: The Ultimate Fan Event to include the Honda Center, and it was neat to see another convention follow this tactic.
While this is an arena, there were some efforts to theme the venue to the show. Wall decals captured memorable phrases for avid fans, while bathroom signs were giving dancing emoji symbols just for the event. Food vendors also got in on the act.
Surprise Selfies was another fun moment. We only encountered it early in the event on Friday, but painter’s tape had been laid on the ground in the arena hallway. If you happened upon it at the right time, you were allowed to line up on the tape, facing the wall, with your camera ready. Security walked a few of the DWTS Pros by, and you didn’t know who it was going to be until they were in your frame. It was a true “surprise & delight” moment.
The DWTS Museum was a great activation. As Disney fans, we really appreciated an entire display devoted to Disney Night, including the Mickey Mouse Mirrorball. With more than 20 years of DWTS history, the display also did a nice job of servicing all levels of fans in attendance. And, should this event continue, I can see the DWTS Museum continuing to evolve in ways that attract fans year after year.
The Bad
A function of holding a convention in an arena with a small adjacent rink, DWTS Con had some irregularities, starting with event parking. The price wasn’t announced in advance, but the website said you only had to pay once per day, with in-and-out privileges. Well, the price per day was $50, and this arena is not located close to any major transit hubs. The weather was also 103 degrees daily, so the venue really took advantage of the situation.
To make matters worse, attendees were not given any kind of ticket or receipt after paying for parking. On Saturday, the event hours had a break from 5:00 to 7:00 PM during which all guests had to leave the arena. Those who drove off the lot were in for a nasty shock when they were asked to pay to park again, since no proof of purchase was ever distributed. We discovered that you needed to know to ask for a ticket, which wasn’t so much a “ticket” as you taking a picture of the attendant’s phone screen as proof that you paid if you left and came back. So at minimum, if you had a vehicle, you were looking at a surprise $150-$200 to park for the three-day event.
The Rink was an awkward space to access. A single set of double doors connected the Arena and the Rink, and the venue decided that one of those doors must always be closed, forcing consistent two-way foot traffic through a tight pinch point. Add in a few wheelchairs and walkers trying to access the elevator around the corner, and it was a chaotic situation that could’ve easily been avoided.
Too many things were placed in The Rink. A third of the space was devoted to the DWTS Museum, and another third to that venue’s breakout stage. That left the last third of the rink’s floor for two high-traffic meet & greet locations — one for signings, one for photos (you couldn’t do both in one encounter). The lines between these venues got out of control, a situation made worse by the event’s refusal to let anyone know who would show up when, so some attendees committed to waiting around for their most sought-after encounter.
On Sunday, the only venue open from 9:00 am to 12:15 pm was The Rink, with the Arena opening in the afternoon for the finale event. The Rink hit its maximum capacity per the fire marshal in the 10 o’clock hour, barring paying attendees from entering that space. The Arena obviously holds more people than The Rink, and someone didn’t seem to consider this when deciding on DWTS Con’s capacity and/or offerings. With no counter-programming to draw people out of the space, it created a situation where paying guests were standing along the wall watching others do the things they came to do, which is well below reasonable expectations for a convention.
Lastly, communication was almost non-existent from the event itself. Most of the workers we came in contact with were either employed by the venue and didn’t have event-specific knowledge, or they were assigned to a location to help with photos and nothing else.
The “VIP”
Since DWTS Con tickets were based on your arena seat location and subject to Ticketmaster’s demand pricing fluctuations, attendees paid between $200 and $1,000 per person to attend. Outside of the three marquee events in the Arena, access to other elements of the convention was first-come, first-served. Enter the VIP upgrades.
Unsure of what we were heading into, we upgraded to the Mirrorball Oasis Package ($449 + fees). The nice-to-have was a dedicated security lane outside with a walk-through metal detector that got us out of the heat quickly when the venue opened (it wasn’t backed up if you came outside of rope drop).
Similar to VIP packages for DWTS touring shows, it also came with a lanyard credential and a Meet &Greet photo opp with an unadvertised roster of talent. After checking in on Friday, we were placed in a line on a staircase without any heads-up that it was the meet-and-greet we were waiting for. The experience was like A Christmas Story when Ralphie meets Santa Claus. You turned around a corner, barely had time to even see who was in the room with you, someone else snapped a pic, and you were rushed out the other side. Photos weren’t allowed on your personal devices, and the event has yet to share them with attendees, so I still don’t know who we got a picture with, beyond Ezra Sosa, who was closest to the entrance and welcomed us in.
The “VIP Hospitality Lounge” was an unused bar area on the arena’s third floor. Its remote location from all other areas, plus the barstool seating, made us uninterested in returning beyond the “Friday night welcome toast hosted by select DWTS CON Talent.” That was a bit of a kerfuffle for our group, where many in attendance thought it was a private meet-and-greet and started forming lines for the talent, who were really just there to say a few words without a microphone, leaving anyone more than a few feet away struggling to hear what they said.
All in all, the VIP upgrade wasn’t worth it. The photo experience with the Pros on tour has a smaller capacity, giving fans a much better experience. The early entry on other days allows VIPs to be first in line for the random meet & greet, but they still end up waiting around 2 hours to meet talent they had no way of choosing.
Final Thoughts
There’s room for improvement, but the first Dancing with the Stars Convention delivered what was promised. The entertainment itself was worth going for, in my opinion. There were a few operational hiccups that could be solved in the future through better communication and planning, but more often than not, it was well done. I walked away from the weekend with a lot of energy from the infectious passion that all of the DWTS Pros exude, eager to see them back on the show when Season 35 kicks off on ABC.