These days there’s a convention for everything.
If you’ve got a mean sweet-tooth, there’s a CookieCon to fix your needs; if conspiracy theories are your thing, there’s a ParanoiaCon to tickle your fancy; even when it comes to the massive all-encompassing genre that is pop-culture, there’s a convention for that — ComplexCon, which dubs itself as the Super Bowl of the internet.
Now, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson and his business partner Dany Garcia are bringing their field of expertise to the convention world in 2020 with an exciting new venture called ATHLETICON.
Set to take place next October in Atlanta, Georgia, ATHLETICON has the same concept of any convention — groupies and superfans stepping out of their virtual worlds and into the physical manifestation of an obsessiveness bred by the Internet.
ATHLETICON, however, is billed as the first of it’s kind.
In an exclusive interview with CNN earlier today, Garcia, who is CEO and Chairwoman of The Garcia Companies and TGC Management, said the convention has been three years in the making and is the “culmination” of her and Johnson’s body of work throughout the years.
According to Garcia, who is a former bodybuilder herself, the plan is to have panels, speakers, interactive experiences, competitive athletic events, performances and exhibitors that appeal to people of all ages and on all levels of the fitness spectrum.
They even plan on hosting a movie premiere in hopes that the current craze in superhero flicks will create a “natural” and accessible entry point for conversations about fitness and health. Johnson said in a statement,
“We’ve always been committed to fitness and health — it’s what sustains us mentally and physically. Creating Athleticon is a natural extension of everything we do for our global audience who are connected to the people and brands that inspire them. Whether you’re at the peak of your fitness game or fighting for every gain, I can’t wait to see your transformative journey at Athleticon.”
There will be more announcements to come as the date gets closer Garcia tells CNN but even still, there’s something to be said about health being made popular and a priority by people that matter.
The Rock leveraging his platform to promote physical health not only normalizes fitness and the need to get be responsible for our health but it gives kids a positive influence and a reinforcement that isn’t being shared online.
All you hear nowadays is kids overdosing on Fentanyl becoming addicted to Juuls and that because what the majority of they’re consuming on a daily basis is content on drug abuse. That’s what makes Athleticon so important.
Dwayne Johnson, being as influential as he is, still dedicating so much attention to well-being says a lot about his character, and for that alone deserves support.