Wizard World
NEW YORK - Wizard World, Inc. (symbol: WIZD) (“Wizard
World” or the “Company”), one of North America’s most diverse digital
entertainment and events companies, announced that John
Macaluso, a successful businessman and entrepreneur, has been named the
Company’s new Chief Executive Officer. He had previously been appointed to the
Company’s Board of Directors (the “Board”) in May 2011.
As a Board
member, Macaluso has been instrumental in Wizard World’s growth and expansion in
the Comic con event space in the last year. Event attendance at Comic Cons in
New Orleans and Chicago have risen, while the Company has refocused on its core
assets, added new stars to its events and cut costs. The latest example of that
revamped face was announced last week, with “Thor” and “The Avengers” star Chris
Hemsworth added to a star-studded list of Philadelphia Comic Con guests in June,
along with headliners such as Stan Lee, William Shatner and dozens of other
stars of the pop culture industry. The Company’s next event will be held in
Toronto, April 14-15.
“We are extremely pleased to announce the
appointment of John Macaluso as Chief Executive Officer,” stated Mike Mathews,
Wizard World Chairman. He continued, “John’s previous experience at founding
and building a hundred-million dollar apparel company, contacts and
entrepreneurial skills will certainly help the Wizard World brand expand its
operations and sales base.”
John Macaluso stated, “I am excited to
continue the momentum that the Wizard World Comic Con shows have built, and to
help develop new strategies to take us to new levels of success. We have an
outstanding lineup of events on the schedule with highly talented celebrities
and artists and an outstanding team of professionals in place to maximize the
Wizard World experience.”
A California resident, Macaluso has a long
history of startup and entrepreneurial success. Most recently, his business
reputation garment manufacturing company, California Concepts, sold its products
to many of the major retailers in the United States, produced a private label
for Wal-Mart and Target, sold branded goods to Federated Department Stores,
serviced specialty chains such as Charming Shoppes and Maurice’s and purveyed an
upscale label to Barneys New York. He sold the business in 2007, with Wizard
World combining his great interest in both an entrepreneurship and the
fast-growing world of pop culture and event entertainment.
Wizard World, Inc. produces Comic Cons and pop culture conventions
across North America that celebrate graphic novels, comic books, movies, TV
shows, gaming, technology, toys and social networking. The events often feature
celebrities from movies and TV, artists and writers, and events such as
premieres, gaming tournaments, panels, and costume contests.
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