Disastrous Florida gaming convention goes viral with bizarre camel petting zoo & missing talent
What was billed as a major gaming convention in Tampa, Florida, has instead gone viral for all the wrong reasons.
The National Gaming Expo, held at the Florida State Fairgrounds from August 8 to August 10, promised appearances from major video game talent, includingGTA V’sNed Luke,Red Dead Redemption 2’s Rob Wiethoff,Mortal Kombatactors, and even the former voices of Princess Peach and Bowser.
Weekend passes were priced at $90, with single-day tickets going for $40. Naturally, this attracted a fair few fans, most of whom were left utterly disappointed as they were met with “maybe 10 vendors,” missing celebrity guests, and a camel?
Florida gaming convention labelled a “con” by GTA voice actor
Photos and videos from the event spreadquickly across X, showing vast empty spaces, sparse booths, and the unexpected appearance of a live camel petting zoo in place of actual gaming attractions.
So this was my first con and didn’t what to expect but this was definitely not it. Don’t support Mike wittenberg, because I was at the national gaming expo and it was so awkward and unorganized 😬pic.twitter.com/vgi2D7DWvD
In fact, even GTA actor, Ned Luke said “It was a scam, the guy who ran it was a con artist. He put the con in Comic-Con”to IGN, showcasing how disappointing the event was for both the talent and the attendees.
His claim that “the guy who ran it was a con artist” refers to Wittenberg, who formerly ran the National Vape Expo before it was shut down during the pandemic. He started the National Gaming Expo just months after returning from ayear-and-a-half-long stint in a Dominican Republic prisonfor international narcotics trafficking during a networking event at a resort.
Only one panel happened during the weekend, in which,according to one fan, Ned Luke “took the MC’s job cause he was doing such a bad job.”
Fans also began hitting out at the event, saying, “The National Gaming Expo has gotta be the worst convention ever produced – all they got is a camel and no games.”
The fallout has extended to the convention’s own presence online. Its official Instagram account has been deleted, and its Facebook event page is now locked.
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With no official statement from organizers, attendees have turned to demanding refunds. Some have reported success securing refunds, but others are still unsure how to get their money back.
