New York Comic Con (NYCC) is making room for the professional side of pop culture with an expanded slate of programming for industry insiders at the 2026 show.
Taking place in the River Pavilion, the five-day schedule features a mix of discussions, networking opportunities, and sessions exploring the behind-the-scenes of the entertainment industry. While the programming spans multiple lines of business, including comics, film and television, publishing, marketing, gaming, and more, several sessions will be of particular interest to professionals working in licensing, consumer products, toys, and retail.
The response to last year’s expansion of Professional Programming was overwhelmingly positive, and we wanted to create even more opportunities to bring our community of professionals and aspiring professionals together this year. For 20 years, NYCC has offered industry pros a space to gather to network, introduce new work, and celebrate their wins, and we look forward to continuing to grow those opportunities in the years to come.”
Retailers get an early start with the third annual NYCC Retailer Day, Wednesday, Oct. 7. The event features presentations from publishers, networking opportunities, creator signings, and keynotes from Stephanie Philips and Todd McFarlane. Additional speakers include Dark Horse, eBay, Ignition, Universal, Women in Comics Collective, and more.
Marketing and fandom will take center stage Friday, Oct. 9. The Syndicate’s “Marketing Art with Art” will explore the role of visual identity in brand-building, while Experience12’s Popcultr Marketing Summit will tackle shifting fandom behavior, the trading card boom, the value of live experiences, and the marketing strategies competing for consumers’ attention in the digital age.
Then, Saturday, Oct. 10, Universal Studio Group executives join Dungeon Crawler Carl author Matt Dinniman to pull back the curtain on one of the most highly anticipated page-to-screen adaptations of the year. Using the upcoming Peacock series as a case study, the panel will explore how television executives discover, evaluate, and develop stories for the screen inspired by existing books, comics, games, and more, from spotting strong potential and collaborating with creators to the ways media translates from one format to another.
All professional programming is open to those with Artist Alley, Writers Block, Pro Thursday, Pro 4-Day, Press, Content Creator, Panelist, Exhibitor, and Sidekick badges.
For the first time, NYCC will also open select sessions to fans through its new Aspiring Professional Program. With the new system, single-day and four-day ticket holders will be able to secure a limited number of seats in professional panels to encourage curious creatives to learn more about their industries. Reservations will open online the week before the show.
NYCC 2026 is Oct. 8-11 at the Javits Center in New York City. Industry professionals can apply for a Professional Badge now through NYCC’s website.
