We had the good fortune of connecting with Mackenzie & Kaitlynn Halley and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Mackenzie & Kaitlynn, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Final Boss Con was born out of long, sleepless nights as a new parent. Mackenzie couldn’t shake the idea, and with the support of Kaitlynn, he approached the University of Rio Grande about using their gymnasium for the event. Two weeks later, their friend and now business partner Matt Addis joined the team. What started as a fun idea with no concrete goals or financial expectations surpassed all expectations, with 1,017 attendees at the first event in July 2022. The overwhelming interest led them to establish an LLC and start researching how to grow the event further.

What should our readers know about your business?
Events are essentially an experiment. It’s important to have special guests that would attract a wide variety of fans. Food trucks should offer unique and affordable options for families and young adults. We spend a lot of time discussing our event dates and researching any conflicts. We also visit other conventions to learn how they operate and to stay updated on fan trends.

The success of our brand is rooted in the personal connections we aim to build with our fans and vendors. We enjoy attending conventions as fans and make an effort to connect with our vendors and check in to see how they are doing. Additionally, we take pleasure in engaging with fans to discuss Final Boss Con.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Luckily for us, Kaitlynn works for the Gallia County Convention and Visitors Bureau, So we have our own personal tour guide!
Favorite spots include breakfast at Twinkleberries Coffee and Bake Shop, Lunch at McClure’s Family Restaurant, and Dinner at The Colonly. Gallia County has so much cool history in the area, from the Gallipolis Train Station Museum to the Our House Tavern Museum.

Other events that we love to attend in our home town is Gallipolis First Friday and the Bob Evans Farm Festival! Our next event that we’ll be hosting is the Rio Renaissance Faire on September 28th!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Volunteers, friends, and family are the most important factors. We would not be able to host such large events without all of their help. They dedicate a lot of time and effort to ensure that everything is set up and runs smoothly. We are incredibly grateful for them!

Website: https://www.finalbosscon.com

Instagram: @finalbosscon

Linkedin: @finalbosscon

Facebook: @finalbosscon

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFruA9ffM-oobdZXyQaNIhw

Image Credits
Timothy Huffman

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