TrotCon
{{Short description|Annual My Little Pony fan convention}}
{{Infobox Convention
| name = TrotCon
| image = TrotCon_2021_logo.png
| caption = Official logo for TrotCon 2021
| status = Active
| genre = My Little Pony fan convention
| venue = Ohio State University Union (2012)
Sheraton Columbus at Capitol Square (2013–2014)
Crowne Plaza Columbus North (2015–2022)
Dayton Convention Center (2023–2024)
Wyndham Columbus (2025–)
| location = Columbus, Ohio
| country = United States
| first = July 2012
| last = July 2024
| organizer = Dragon Adventures LLC (since 2015)
| attendance = 750 in July 2024
| website = https://trotcon.net/
}}
{{My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic sidebar}}
TrotCon is an annual brony convention held in Columbus, Ohio organized for the fandom of the animated television series My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, whose adult fans are commonly referred to as bronies.
Overview
{{See also|My Little Pony fan convention}}
TrotCon is an annual convention primarily dedicated to fans of the animated television show My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, particularly the adult fans known as "bronies".{{cite thesis|last=Palmer|first=Zachary|title=Gender in Equestria: an examination of reconstituted forms of masculinity and their consequences for gender relations in the brony community|year=2019|publisher=Purdue University|type=PhD thesis|page=19}} The event features various activities including panels, artist vendors, and appearances by voice actors and writers from the show.{{cite web|title=Pony Party: Columbus convention offers inside look at adult fans of "My Little Pony"|last=Mantey|first=Jackie|website=Columbus Alive|access-date=2025-04-15|url=https://www.columbusmonthly.com/story/entertainment/human-interest/2013/06/12/pony-party-columbus-convention-offers/22983997007/}}
The convention was founded in February 2012 by a group of staff members who had previously been involved in organizing anime conventions throughout Ohio. They wanted to create a convention that wasn't focused on anime and would allow fans of animation from around the world to come together.{{cite web|url=https://trotcon.net/about|title=About|website=TrotCon|access-date=2025-04-15}} The first TrotCon was held at the Ohio State University's Union in July 2012 with 700 attendees.
In 2013, the convention was held at the Sheraton Columbus at Capitol Square from June 14–16; rates were $40 for a three-day pass, and single-day badges priced at $25 on Friday, $30 on Saturday, and $20 on Sunday. The 2013 event featured Dave Polsky, one of the show's writers, along with numerous electronic musicians including Eurobeat Brony, who was noted as the first DJ to remix a song from the show.
In 2017, the convention theme was Fallout: Equestria, a popular My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic fan fiction that places ponies in the post-apocalyptic world of the Fallout video game series. The convention featured ponies dressed in armor with guns, and many attendees wore paintball armor and other quasi-military attire.{{cite journal|last1=Palmer|first1=Zachary D.|date=April 2022|title="I'm Going to Love and Tolerate the Shit Out of You": Hybrid Masculinities in the Brony Community|journal=Men and Masculinities|volume=25|issue=1|pages=87–105|doi=10.1177/1097184X211031969}} TrotCon features both daytime programming suitable for all ages and adult-oriented events in the evening, including an "Artist Alley After Dark" where explicit My Little Pony artwork is displayed and sold during late-night hours. TrotCon has been noted to be more adult-oriented than other conventions. As researcher Zachery Palmer writes in his recollection of TrotCon 2017,
"Behind the first booth is a man in his mid-20s drawing in a sketchbook ... he has a portfolio in front of him displaying some of his prints. It is open to a picture of Rainbow Dash with her legs spread showing off her genitalia. The next table seemed to be hosting a mini-party of their own and had a huge stash of alcohol taking up one side of the table and a handwritten sign that read “shots here! Alcohol free with ID” ... this isn’t just where people buy art, it’s also where they are coming to hang out, drink, and leisurely browse."
During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and part of 2021, TrotCon was held as virtual events, with in-person conventions resuming in December 2021.