EP 16 - Worlds Collide: European Photo Cons

European Photocons are booming — but how do they actually work? In this episode, we sit down with organisers and community leads from Focus Cosplay (France) and Picvetia (Switzerland) to unpack costs vs UK cons, application criteria, location scouting, crew/assistants, scheduling, cancellations, and how to get the most from a photocon weekend.

Guests:

• Chouchou — Cosplayer & President/Founder of Focus Cosplay (France) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chouchougeekart/

• Giulee Cosplayer — Cosplayer & Community Manager, Picvetia (Switzerland) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/giulee/

• RomaiLee — Photographer & Cosplayer, President/Founder of Picvetia Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/romai_lee/

• Valentin (Valentin Pictures) — French Cosplay Photographer Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/valentinpictures/

Website: https://valentinpictures.com/

Photo Con Website & Socials:

Focus Cosplay Website: https://focuscosplay.fr/en/

Focus Cosplay Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/focus_cosplay/

PicVetia Website: https://picvetiaevent.ch/en/home/

PicVetia Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/picvetia/

il.Volta Website: https://www.ilvolta.com/en/

il.Volta Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/il.volta/

PixelMania Webiste: https://pixelmania.ovh/

PixelMania Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pixelmaniaevent/

Secret Con Website: https://secretcon.co.uk/

Secret Con Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/secretcon.co.uk/

Hosts:

Darren - iPhotoUK - Insta: https://www.instagram.com/iphotouk/

Tom - Switch Photography - Insta: https://www.instagram.com/switch_8.9/

Podcast Socials:

LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/CosplayTogsAndAllThingsNerdy?utm_source=linktree_profile_share<sid=adde6ee7-75be-4b74-a829-fb406f933f8c

What you’ll learn:

• How Focus Cosplay & Picvetia recruit, review, and select applicants

• What makes European Photocons different from UK conventions (pace, access, cost)

• Real-world cost breakdowns and why EU events can be cheaper to attend

• Location scouting tactics (travel time, geography, weather, permits)

• Why assistants matter (efficiency, safety, comms, gear wrangling)

• Handling cancellations, reshuffles, and maximising your time on site

• Tools & workflows (yes, Google Sheets can save your weekend)

• How to prepare a strong application (diversity, quality, collaboration mindset)

Chapters:

00:00 — Intro: What is a Photocon?

04:05 — Photocon format vs UK comic cons

07:45 — Focus Cosplay: origin, growth, how it runs

12:06 — Picvetia: the Swiss perspective (rotating regions)

16:32 — Costs: UK vs Europe

21:04 — Applications: selection & quality/diversity

25:19 — Assistants: roles, etiquette, impact

43:24 — Getting the most value from a photocon

49:55 — Commitment & reliability in applications

56:49 — Cancellations: problems → opportunities

01:01:51 — Communication that keeps shoots on track

01:07:01 — Event reflections & lessons learned

01:12:17 — Planning & organising shoots (tools/process)

01:18:41 — Assistants (deep dive): safety, logistics, speed

01:26:24 — Photographer experiences on the ground

01:33:33 — Scheduling to avoid burnout

01:43:08 — Locations & logistics (travel time matters)

01:48:14 — Geography: picking the right spot

01:59:09 — The economics of running a photocon

02:05:52 — The future of European Photocons

If you enjoyed this, hit Subscribe and drop your questions below — we’ll pull the best ones for a future Q&A on how to prep your portfolio, find assistants, and plan a two-day photocon like a pro.

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