Brickfest Live is making its way through the United States, offering a series of events for LEGO fans; on April 27 and 28 it will visit Uniondale, NY. With over 50 dates planned and additional ones anticipated, this event aims to provide a LEGO-themed experience that includes various activities. Attendees can participate in Derby races to build and race LEGO cars, explore a large LEGO brick pit, and contribute to a LEGO graffiti mural among other activities.
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In particular, the Long Island event at the Nassau Coliseum features attractions such as a large LEGO pit with more than 200,000 bricks and appearances by contestants from the LEGO Masters TV show.
Originally conceived as a convention for Adult Fans of LEGO (AFOLs) in the Virginia/DC area, Brickfest Live underwent a transformation. Now, it targets a younger audience and focuses on providing a few hours of LEGO-related entertainment. Despite its attempts to attract families, the event has been critiqued for its high entrance fees and commercial focus, with less emphasis on community-built LEGO models (MOCs) and more on merchandise sales.
Critics argue that Brickfest Live has shifted from its roots as a community event to a more commercial venture, not officially affiliated with LEGO but using the brand’s appeal to attract attendees. Feedback suggests the event varies in quality, with some locations offering better experiences than others.
(brickfestlive.com)The business model behind Brickfest Live appears to leverage the physical events as a way to drive traffic to their online store. While presenting an opportunity for attendees to buy LEGO sets and pieces, it raises questions about the primary motive of the event. This strategy of linking event attendance with online sales might be seen as problematic when considering the incentive structure it creates for hosting these shows.
While Brickfest Live offers a LEGO-themed experience for families and fans across the U.S., it also embodies a shift towards commercialization, with a significant focus on promoting its online store, a move that has received mixed reactions from the LEGO community. A positive note to highlight for fans is that their online store also sells niche Lego sets that are traditionally difficult to find. Die-hard fans of the Lego craze fully appreciate this.
