Thousands of people packed out the Trustpower ASB Arena today on day one of the Armageddon Expo. Photo / Andrew Warner
Thousands of people packed out the Trustpower ASB Arena today on day one of the Armageddon Expo. Photo / Andrew Warner
Thousands of people flocked to the Armageddon Expo at the Trustpower Baypark Arena, today, with many dressed in colourful, fantasy world costumes.
The two-day event which begins today showcases the massive wares of exhibitors from all across New Zealand with collectables, toys, games, and plenty of geek glory up for sale.
Returning for its third year to Tauranga, Armageddon Expo once again transformed the Trustpower Baypark Arena into a pop culture fantasy wonderland for those big and small.
The expo venue was packed with the latest merchandise, gaming, cosplay, and comic items and much more.
The Hewlett Packard's interactive gaming zone gave people the chance to try out some of the best gaming technology in New Zealand and proved highly popular.
Attendees also got the chance to meet a great lineup of celebrity guests from Outlander, Shadowhunters, Teen Wolf, Lucifer, Star Trek Enterprise and many more from the world of film and TV, animation, comics and beyond.
With free Lasertag (Megazone), the Airsoft shooting range, Live IPW Wrestling, Trading Card tournaments, Anime screenings, and celebrity panel discussions, there was something to cater for everyone's taste.
This included the famous Armageddon Cosplay Costume parade contest and Electric Kiwi's Armageddon Chilli Eating Challenge.
The Eady-Paterson family, from Mount Maunganui, were among the throngs of people who packed out the venue desperate to meet their Avengers character heroes.
Arlo Paterson, 3, aka Spiderman, meets Star Trek trooper Rhys Blake from Putaruru at the Armageddon Expo. Photo / Andrew Warner
Lana Eady-Paterson said her daughter Mila, 7, and son Arlo, 3, were "obsessed" by all the Avenger characters, including Arlo dressed as Spiderman, and they loved coming to Armageddon and joining in on the excitement.
"It's a fun family event, and we wouldn't we miss it," she said.
Armageddon Expo organiser William Geradts said he was rapt by the turnout and was aiming to attract 10,000 people to the two-day event.
"Each year we never know what is going to happen and this year we have more gaming events and more entries for our Armageddon Cosplay Contest in Tauranga than last year.
"It's really exciting to see how many people have poured through the doors, many who have gone all out in terms of their costumes which adds to all fun and excitement."
