BravoCon 2022: The Good, the Bad, and the ‘Karens’, According to Attendees

The highly anticipated return of BravoCon 2022 brought a mammoth amount of excitement from Bravo fans and Bravolebrities.

After a two-year hiatus, Bravo fans were excited to gobble up tickets. Bravolebs got glammed and the event essentially became a “start your engines” environment that was met with a crescendo of mixed reviews. Twitter exploded with comments about overcrowding, bad behavior, and a lack of bathrooms.

However, Twitter often leans into the den of negativity, not always telling the full story. So yes, there was a massive stampede for The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills panel. And yes, some Bravolebs didn’t show up for photos and a few fans got so drunk they passed out.

But attendees also reported that Bravo managed to create a Disneyland-Esque world inside the Javits Center that surpassed their wildest dreams. Showbiz Cheat Sheet spoke to three people who attended BravoCon 2022, who shared what they loved (and didn’t love) about the Bravopalooza weekend.

BravoCon 2022 Imagineers got it right

Several BravoCon 2022 attendees posted photos and videos of the wonderland Bravo created. “I thought the stages were beautiful, flowers were everywhere,” TikTok content creator Amir Yass recalled. “They really tried to uplift Family Karma like they had a Family Karma bar. The Summer House and Winter House installation was really beautifully done. They also had a whole Below Deck setup with 3-D photos.” He added that everyone from the Below Deck and Real Housewives of Miami casts were very friendly and welcoming.

David Yontef from the Behind the Velvet Rope podcast went to BravoCon in 2019. “A big positive for me was that this year everything was in one place,” he remarked. “If you’re a big fan of Bravo, it’s a great thing to come to one place to see like Kathy Hilton or Larsa Pippen.”

Sarah Goldman, co-host of the Above Deck podcast found it easy to snag photos with the Bravolebs, mainly on the first day of BravoCon 2022. “The Bravolebrities were out mixing with the people a little bit more, so it was easy to grab a photo and talk to them,” she said. Plus, because her podcast is Below Deck-focused, Goldman was able to connect with many of the Below Deck cast members at BravoCon. “Some of them seemed just as excited to see us,” she said laughing about how Gary King from Below Deck Sailing Yacht told her, “You guys talk so much s*** about us!”

Terrible VIP seating is just 1 complaint about BravoCon 2022

Some of the complaints Bravo fans expressed on social media could be easily remedied next year. Yass was surprised by the lack of device charging options. He had to leave the Javits Center to recharge his phone so he could film and take photos. So he was frustrated that the only solution was to purchase a $40 or $50 portable charger. Goldman and Yontef armed themselves with portable chargers before they arrived at BravoCon 2022.

Some of the panels were problematic. Yass would have preferred to have a more streamlined opportunity to see specific casts, rather than mixing them up for games. He also thinks if Bravo fans had a choice, they would opt for photos with cast members over panels.

Goldman said some of the VIP panel seating was behind a large barrier. “A lot of the VIP views were blocked by this panel. So you didn’t even want to sit in the VIP seats because you couldn’t really see the stage,” she said. Also, planning ahead for each panel was the best way to avoid getting swept up in those mad dashes for seating. “If you got in line like 30 minutes to an hour early you could get a good seat,” she said.

But waiting in line for an hour meant you would miss another opportunity. Plus, when it came to photo ops, some people waited in line for a photo op but would be cut off before they could get to the Bravoleb. ” I think what happened is fans were waiting in line and then you didn’t get to see someone,” Yontef said. “And so then you could have been in another line where you could actually get the person. The schedule was very, very tight.”

BravoCon turned into KarenCon in some instances

Because the restroom wait time was often 30 to 40 minutes, some attendees missed opportunities. Instances like that may have influenced behavior at BravoCon. Yass witnessed the stampede for the RHOBH panel firsthand and referred to it as “KarenCon” because some of the attendees were so badly behaved.

“I ran into Heather McDonald outside and she was like, ‘How did you like KarenCon’?” Yass recalled. He also thinks serving alcohol all day likely contributed to the mayhem. He saw two women pass out and some people spilled drinks on merchandise being sold in the Bravo Bazaar.

But also, “During the panels, people were screaming while people were talking,” Yass said. “So I couldn’t really hear what people were saying.”

Yontef thinks some people turned to primal behavior when they became frustrated. “Some people were like, ‘screw this.’ And were making their own rules, pushing over barriers.” He and Yontef noted that VIP and SVIP bracelets were not always given priority. So someone who purchase a general admission ticket was given the same opportunity to a panel or a Bravoleb as someone who paid thousands of dollars.

So would they do it again for BravoCon 2023? Goldman said she’s definitely ready to return. Yass and Yontef are a maybe, and hope for a few changes.