BravoCon returns with 30,000 fans, boos, cheers and plenty of 'Housewives'

NEW YORK — A scream pierces the vast convention hall. The crowd races to the scene, pulling out phones to record the moment. Another "Bravo-lebrity" sighting has occurred.

Last weekend, Bravo, the cable TV network known for its many reality shows and the celebrities they spawn, hosted its second BravoCon, three years after its inaugural convention due to pandemic delays. Bravo fans gathered en masse at the Javits Center in midtown Manhattan, many sporting "Real Housewives"-themed outfits and "Mazel" shirts at the large convention hall, which spans several city blocks.

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Fans lined up and freaked out whenever a reality star passed. Security rushed a pregnant Chrissy Teigen through the crowd of excited attendees calling her name, and "Real Housewives of Atlanta" star Marlo Hampton was mobbed by fans chanting "got that peach" in unison, after Hampton finally secured a starring role after years of being a "friend of" other cast members.

"Every single fan I weep with, I want to get their phone number," says Heather Gay of "Real Housewives of Salt Lake City." Finally, her team "took my phone away because I was getting everyone's personal numbers. I was crying with them. … I feel like every fan that likes me, it's because we have a connection that is real to me."

Since the last event in 2019, organizers listened to fan input and upped the ante. BravoCon sold more than 30,000 tickets, says Laura Molen, president of NBCUniversal Advertising Sales and Partnerships.

Three-day general admission passholder Kelsey Saunders, 40, from California, was one of the fans who loved meeting Gay, and said "Real Housewives of Dubai" couple Caroline Stanbury and Sergio Carrallo also "exceeded" expectations.

"They were so happy. Heather was just extremely fun and wanted to take as many photos and wanted to talk it up," Saunders says.

If you don’t have memes stored on your phone from all the “Housewives” or watch a minimum of five Bravo shows, BravoCon may not be for you. Online, people shared videos of the hours-long lines and chaos entering panel discussions, meet-and-greets and video opportunities, such as filming your own “Housewives” intro or strutting down the “Project Runway” walkway.

Brand activation photo areas, bars and Bravo Bazaar, where Bravo stars and other brands could sell their wares, drew fans who got the chance to see their favorite reality stars up close.

Chanting was the norm at panels – fans yelled "Kenya Moore Hair Care!" at the "Real Housewives of Atlanta" panel and booed Lisa Rinna at one for "Beverly Hills" – and during the many tapings of Bravo executive producer and host Andy Cohen's late-night show "Watch What Happens Live." (Garcelle Beauvais and Kathy Hilton both got positive chants at the "Legends Ball" episode that aired Sunday.)

For many, who spouted quotes from their favorite shows and wore some kind of Bravo apparel, BravoCon is like the Super Bowl, the NBA Finals and a trip to Disney World all rolled into one. Tickets sold out in minutes.

For a general admission single-day pass, fans shelled out $170, plus taxes and fees; three-day "SVIP" passes went for $1,950, with premium seating at panels, fast-lane priority for the many lines and access to lounges where Bravo-lebrities hung out and snapped selfies (Kenya Moore caught up with Teresa Giudice and Lesa Milan, while Giudice, Phaedra Parks and Brandi Glanville happily took photos with fans). Admission to "WWHL" tapings were not included.

"I started watching 'Real Housewives of New York' during the first season, when I was 12, because I was obsessed with New York at the time. … It's been a part of my life now for like 14 years," says three-day VIP pass holder Jack Caliva, 26, of New Orleans. Being at BravoCon is "kind of funny and anthropological to experience in real life and to watch other people experience as well."

"This became a national and global event much bigger than the first time around," says Josh Feldman, chief marketing officer for the ad-sales unit, noting that ticketholders came from all 50 states and several countries.

Anything Bravo does "fuels fandom, which allowed us to make BravoCon this holistic experience" for "hungry" fans, Molen says.

A "WWHL" taping in 2019 featured 76 stars and one performance. But "Andy's Legends Ball," the first of five "WWHL" episodes from BravoCon 2022, featured 140 Bravo stars and a medley of four songs. The 2019 Housewives Museum also received a facelift and was transformed into Bravoland, a winding hall fans could walk through to see mementos from "Housewives" reunions and the unicorn pool float from "Summer House."

"I was supposed to come last year, but then it got canceled," says Ally King, 33. "This is all I watch: Just Bravo."

Bravo fans always want more, though they'll have to wait for new locations of the "Housewives" series. "I don't think there are going to be any new franchises any time soon," Cohen tells USA TODAY in the BravoCon press room.

But Bravo fans were first in line to hear major programming reveals throughout the weekend, including a brand new cast of "Real Housewives of New York City," a spinoff featuring Sonja Morgan and Luann de Lesseps and an all-stars season of "Project Runway."

Rocking a dress featuring mugshots of former New York housewives, 27-year-old Emily Bertha attended with her mom, with whom she bonded over "Housewives" as a teenager.

Anthony Castamza, 37, Meghan Stelzer and Mick Gonzalez, both 39, who came from upstate New York, attended BravoCon together. "We've been watching all the series of 'Housewives' probably since early 2000s," says Castamza, who complained of getting "kicked out" of some panels due to "capacity issues."

Overall, the group "saw what we wanted," Castamza says, though Stelzer suggests a "little more seating with the panels, maybe some more bathrooms."

"Everybody gets along because we all love the same things," says Jessica Addison, 36. "So even if you're standing in a line, you're having a good time because you're around people talking about shows you like."

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Andy Cohen, 'Real Housewives,' more talk BravoCon, fans behind Bravo