Cashing in on geek culture at Sci-Fi on the Rock

A science-fiction convention may seem like a place for fun and fantasy, but it's also an opportunity for serious business.

Sci-Fi on the Rock is now in its 11th year, and a few Newfoundland and Labrador entrepreneurs say it's become one of their biggest sales events.

The convention begins Friday at the Sheraton Hotel in St. John's.

At Bricks and Minifigs, a Lego specialty store on Stavanger Drive, staff have been preparing all week.

"We're finding figures, sets, minifigures, bulk, anything we can find to bring into the convention," said owner John Gillingham.

Gillingham said he used to sell Lego collectibles as a hobby, attending flea markets on weekends.

"I was told, 'You should go to Sci-Fi on the Rock.' So Sci-Fi on the Rock 5 was my first time there, and it was at that point I realized maybe this was something we could take further than just a weekend hobby."

Gillingham now co-owns the first Bricks and Minifigs franchise in Canada, something he said never would have happened without the convention.

"I don't think that we would be anywhere near where we are now without Sci-Fi on the Rock." he said.

'We're all geeks'

At Midnight Tailors, Shara King and Dave Mullett are cutting and sewing fabric as fast as they can.

The business and life partners run a home-based fashion studio, making men's clothing accessories such as bow ties, pocket squares and suspenders. But they say the business really took off with their first trip to Sci-Fi on the Rock.

"We started off making jackets and pants and things like that," said Mullett. But when they were invited to Sci-Fi, their accessory pieces featuring superhero or science-fiction patterns were instant hits with conventiongoers.

"It almost changed our business model a little bit by doing the first Sci-Fi on the Rock we did. Because we came back from that like, this works way better than what we had set up!" said Mullett.

Ties and bow ties provide men a rare chance to express their personality through fashion, said King.

"We're all geeks," she said. "Everybody's a geek in some way, everybody geeks out for something."

King said many attendees at Sci-Fi Rock on the Rock now look forward to seeing what's new at the Midnight Tailors booth.

"There's nothing more amazing than going to a convention and seeing someone with a tie that was bought last year. Or the year before."

CBCNL will have extensive coverage from Sci-Fi on the Rock, from Friday to Sunday. For more great videos, subscribe to the CBCNL YouTube channel.