Atlanta’s Dragon Con suspends new eternal memberships for first time ever

But “projecting that forward,” a spokesperson told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, “they believed the program was growing too fast.”

On a members-only Eternals Facebook page, Dragon Con noted that the Eternals program is not dead: “We will evaluate it in the future. This change will not impact our current eternal members.”

About 1,200 people have purchased Eternals memberships since the program launched in 1993 and approximately 600 of “The Eternals,” as they call themselves, attend the convention each year. Since about 75,000 people attend the popular five-day convention in downtown Atlanta each year, Eternals represent less than 1% of attendees.

Credit: 1993 ADVERTISE

Credit: 1993 ADVERTISE

Credit: DRAGPOMC

Credit: DRAGPOMC

The Eternals membership program, which cost just $250 in 1993, now provides more bragging rights than financial benefit unless someone comes back over multiple decades. In a few cases, attendees have purchased Eternals membership for their children.

“It’s a very special thing Dragon Con has offered, and I’ve always been very grateful for it,” said Zan Bowden, an Eternal who lives in Florida and spends significantly more in hotel, food and travel than the membership fee every year. “I never saw it as a return on investment but a way to contribute to a convention I love.”

Anyone who purchases an annual membership early for the following year could pay as little as $110 to attend all five days, though the entry fee rises progressively to $180 if you wait longer. (One-day passes go on sale Aug. 1 and range from $35 for Thursday and Monday to $80 for Saturday.)

Eternals can skip lines to pick up their VIP badges and can attend a special Thursday night party. But otherwise, Eternals do not receive special VIP treatment in terms of access to seats at popular panels or access to big-name celebrities.