VidCon 2019, a convention that celebrates the online video community across genres, is rapidly approaching, and the latest confirmed attendee may shock some YouTube loyalists. Polarizing YouTube creator Tana Mongeau confirmed to her more than 4 million subscribers Monday that she will attend VidCon, despite Mongeau's anti-VidCon video and the disastrous rival event she attempted to host last year, known as TanaCon.
The 20-year-old regularly sparks controversy online, and made headlines last year after publishing a rant on YouTube against VidCon, making plans for TanaCon to take place right across the street. Her vendetta against VidCon stemmed from not being given a partner pass and special meet-and-greet area, which allowed fans to overwhelm her at past events.
TanaCon quickly went viral. Tickets were free but fans could purchase "feature f*cking creator" tickets for 40 to 65 dollars, which offered gift bags and exclusive meet-and-greets with creators. Mongeau said in a tweet at the time that around 5,000 tickets to the event had been issued.
On the morning of June 22, 2018, thousands of fans, content creators and YouTubers gathered outside the Marriott Suites in Anaheim, Calif., for what they thought would be an unforgettable event. However, the venue quickly reached capacity, leaving many to bake in the sun while waiting for several hours.
Fans waiting outside TanaCon all day were furious, chanting "refund" over and over. Security ushered those lucky enough to make it inside back out into California sun, where they were told that convention would resume the following day at a larger venue. Early the next morning, Good Times released a statement saying TanaCon was canceled until further notice.
"When you have your own convention, sh*t can go crazy," Mongeau said on an Instagram Live after the failure of the event. In her video, she claimed the venue had room for 5,000 people, but on the Marriott Suites booking page, you can see that it was meant to hold around 3,000 people. She claims that 15,000 people waited outside to get in, a number she never imagined would have wanted to come, despite having roughly 100 popular YouTubers confirmed to attend.
Following the controversy, Shane Dawson released a three-part YouTube docuseries called "The Truth of TanaCon," which delved into the behind-the-scenes of the so-called "free version" of VidCon.
Now, less than a year after the infamous TanaCon debacle, the 20-year-old is confirmed as a Featured Creator for the very first time. Mongeau will make her VidCon main stage debut to discuss her life, music, and highly-anticipated docuseries MTV No Filter: Tana Turns 21, according to VidCon's press release.
"VidCon knew how important it was for me to attend as a Featured Creator, and I am so glad that this year we were able to work together to make something happen," Mongeau said in the press release. "My number one priority has always been my fans and as a Featured Creator, I'm excited to have the opportunity to meet with them on-site, thank them for all their support, and discuss my many new projects, including my new reality show, and doing it in a safe and comfortable environment - both for them and myself."
Jim Louderback, General Manager at VidCon, told Newsweek Monday that after Mongeau's anti-VidCon video went live, the corporation needed to look within itself and see whether the 20-year-old's rant had truth to it. As a result, VidCon began to implement a new level of inclusivity within the YouTube-based conference.
"[After Tana's video,] we looked at ways we could be as inclusive as possible," Louderback said. "[In 2018,] Tana felt like she was being excluded and [since the video] we've changed the way we invite creators and the amount that we bring in so that creators don't feel that way."
"The last thing we wanted was for creators to feel that way, for any reason," he added.
In Mongeau's most recent video, "I'm Attending VidCon," she noted that she had experienced a lot of growth in the past year and is "embarrassed" for the girl in the anti-VidCon video from 2018.
"I have not watched that f*** VidCon video since I put it out," Mongeau said in her video Monday. "I'm embarrassed for that girl. I don't regret that video ... but I am happy with how much I have grown from that entire situation."
"I never thought that after what happened with TanaCon that VidCon would be open to a conversation," she added. "Just because I threw this s****y convention doesn't mean I wasn't deep-down longing for that same acceptance and validation [from VidCon] I had always wanted."
Mongeau will be joined by YouTube creators Brent Rivera, David Dobrik, Simply Nailogical, Andrea Russett, Rhett & Link, The Try Guys, Kristen McAtee and many more. VidCon kicks off in Anaheim on July 10 and will run until July 13. Tickets are available here and prices are set to rise on June 28.
UPDATE May 20, 2019, 8:57 p.m.: This article was updated to include Jim Louderback's comments to Newsweek.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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