{"id":2181279,"date":"2025-11-29T22:52:13","date_gmt":"2025-11-29T22:52:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2181279"},"modified":"2025-11-29T22:52:13","modified_gmt":"2025-11-29T22:52:13","slug":"execs-spill-secrets-to-bravo-stars-mega-event","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/execs-spill-secrets-to-bravo-stars-mega-event\/","title":{"rendered":"Execs Spill Secrets to Bravo Stars’ Mega-Event"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\n\tAs the fourth iteration of the BravoCon<\/a> fan convention kicked off in Las Vegas on Thursday night, thousands of women, and some men, poured into the PH Live Theater lobby at Planet Hollywood bubbling with excitement, chattering and dressed to the nines. Bar lines spilled over as the frenetic crowd filled the theater in pursuit of their seats. They were greeted by a set filled with kitschy Vegas motifs: pink curling feathers, rolling dice, a martini glass and a major-sized neon \u201cMazel\u201d sign.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tSoon that stage \u2014 which has been the home to Jennifer Lopez, Britney Spears and John Legend throughout the last decade \u2014 would be occupied by a different kind of pop star: the Real Housewife, 29 of them, actually, glammed and ready to go in sequins, stilettos and icy gazes with cocktails in hand. At the center of it all, their wizard and host for the evening, Andy Cohen<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tAppropriately, this particular broadcast, \u201cBravoCon Live with Andy Cohen: The Days of Our Wives: 20 Years of The Real Housewives<\/a>,\u201d a toast to the franchise that put the Bravo<\/a> network on the map back in 2006, was the shotgun start<\/a> to three days and nights of jam-packed panels, premieres, photo ops and broadcasts from BravoCon 2025. <\/p>\n

\n\tFrom Nov. 14 to 16, \u201cBravolebs\u201d from shows such as Below Deck, The Valley<\/a>, Vanderpump Rules<\/a>, Next Gen, Married to Medicine and every Real Housewives city and more will immerse fans in the \u201cBravoverse,\u201d both in person and streaming live on Peacock. Bravoholics will shop the Bravo Bazaar, explore the Bravoland Museum and take part in more than 75 events meant to indulge their reality-fandom.<\/p>\n

\n\tBehind the scenes, a small cadre of NBCUniversal executives from marketing, sponsorships, content, talent and public relations \u2014 and their teams \u2014 under the leadership of Frances Berwick, chairman of Bravo & Peacock unscripted, have worked nonstop for the last 11 months to pull off this feat.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tWhile fan conventions are nothing new, ranging from Comic-Con to Star Trek, a gathering as large as this to celebrate a collection of one network\u2019s shows is unheard of.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cListen, nobody\u2019s going to CBS-Con,\u201d Cohen tells The Hollywood Reporter days before the event. \u201cPeople don\u2019t say \u2018I\u2019m going to go home and watch CBS.\u2019 People say, \u2018I\u2019m going to go home and watch Bravo.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tThe Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen host joined Bravo in 2004 as the vice president of original programming and was one of the execs instrumental in bringing the Real Housewives into millions of homes across the country. He left the network in 2013 and now serves as executive producer for all of its editions, ranging from Orange County to Dubai, and hosts the reunion shows. And he\u2019s a Bravoleb in his own right, thanks to his late-night talk show.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cThe truth is that the germ of the idea [behind BravoCon] has existed for many years. We used to have off-sites every year, and in the early 2000s, we would talk about doing it around Top Chef with little ancillary buckets related to our other shows. We weren\u2019t calling it BravoCon then, but the idea of it was there,\u201d Cohen recalls. \u201cIt was never something we were truly serious about until 10 years ago, and we started small. We did a beta test in New York [in 2019] and another [in 2022], and now what you\u2019re seeing are the fruits of that testing. We\u2019ve created a happy place for many people who love this brand. Vegas is everybody getting on a plane to put on the greatest circus we possibly could. For me, it\u2019s like being Mickey Mouse at Disney World. There will never be a moment when I feel more like Elvis.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\t\t\t\t\tJennifer Geiser, evp of communications & talent relations unscripted, NBCUniversal; Karen Kovacs, president of client partnerships for advertising and partnerships division; Frances Berwick, chairman of Bravo & Peacock unscripted; and Alison Levin, president of advertising and partnerships for NBCUniversal at BravoCon 2025 on Friday.<\/span><\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tRich Polk\/Bravo<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n\tBerwick, who joined the network in 1996 and took over as its head in 2010, says the BravoCon light bulb switched on after she witnessed an early outing with the Vanderpump Rules cast.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cI remember when Jenn Geisser\u2019s [executive vice president of communications for Bravo and Peacock unscripted] team did a pub crawl with the Vanderpump Rules cast. This was after we\u2019d only done two seasons, and it was absolutely mobbed,\u201d she says. \u201cWe realized we bit off more than we could chew. We were taking talent around to three different bars in the West Village, and it was very oversubscribed. We started to get the impression that something like this would work.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tSezin Cavusoglu, senior vice president of unscripted current production at NBCUniversal, has been producing shows for Bravo since 2009.\u00a0 Her first on the network was Real Housewives of New Jersey in an era she characterizes as the \u201ctable flip heard around the world that put Jersey on the map in a big way.\u201d She now oversees all the creative for BravoCon\u2019s main stage, the five shows Cohen is taping at PH Live and the Bravoland museum.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cI remember when we first started talking about BravoCon in spring 2019. That summer, for New York Pride, we had a float filled with Bravo talent.\u201d Cavusoglu says. \u201cThere was such a jovial, fun feeling of \u2018wow, look what happens when you put all these people together.\u2019 The fans were losing their minds, screaming at everyone as we marched down Fifth Avenue. The planning for BravoCon actually ramped up right after that.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\t\t\t\t\tThe cast of The Valley at BravoCon on Friday (left to right): Zack Wickham, Jasmine Goode, Michelle Saniei, Jason Caperna, Lala Kent, Janet Caperna, Brittany Cartwright, Danny Pellegrino, Moderator; Kristen Doute, Luke Broderick, Jesse Lally, Tom Schwartz, Nia Sanchez Booko, Danny Booko.<\/span><\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tTrae Patton\/Bravo<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n\tBerwick recalls how in 2019 they did the first BravoCon across three different venues. \u201cIt was incredibly successful and one of the most joyous weekends,\u201d she recalled. \u201cPeople were so happy with it. They had no expectation. After that, we did a post-mortem and consumer research, and what we came back with was a tremendous outpouring of love for the brand. That really cemented it. The first one sold out in minutes for about 10,000 people. Then we focused on how to scale this.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tIn 2022, BravoCon moved to the Javits Center, which Berwick says was challenging due to the \u201cdisproportionate amount of bathrooms for men that we didn\u2019t need,\u201d and then in 2023, Las Vegas, a no-brainer for the \u201cproximity of Caesars Forum to a range of different hotels for different budgets.\u201d And let\u2019s not forget the glam \u2014 a city like Las Vegas might not even be a match for this amount of setting powder and lip gloss required to fuel this event.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cI can\u2019t tell you how many glam squads are involved in bringing in almost 160 people who all like to look their best at all times \u2014 that\u2019s the infrastructure that goes along with BravoCon,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

\n\tBerwick delights in both the community that fans the casts have formed as a result of what she calls a \u201clove fest\u201d for audiences and talent.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cPeople now look forward to meeting up with friends they met at BravoCon. There are an amazing number of mash-ups among the cast because they all enjoy meeting each other. Some of them watch each other\u2019s shows. Some don\u2019t. But there is a shared experience,\u201d she says. \u201cWe\u2019ve created a beautiful, joyous event and experience and as a result, we are thoughtful about our choices around the shows.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tCavusoglu uses her deep knowledge of the shows and talent to put together the panels. \u201cWe have a strong sense of what our fans want,\u201d she says. For example, BravoCon attendees will get an exclusive first look at the premiere of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills<\/a>, followed by a Q&A with Lisa Vanderpump. Cavusoglu also masterminded an editor\u2019s panel.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cLet\u2019s teach people what editing is about and how editors help shape our show to demystify some of the editing process, and help end the vilification of editors,\u201d she says. \u201cThere\u2019s such a misconception about what editors do behind the scenes. I\u2019m really hoping that this panel can shed light and make the process a little bit more transparent for the fans.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tThe panels begin on Friday with The Valley and end on Sunday with Next Gen NYC, two new generation shows. \u201cThese are the future of our network. It\u2019s great to be able to bring these casts into the BravoCon-verse,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

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\t\t\t\t\tBravoCon 2025 fans at the Caesars Forum in Las Vegas.<\/span><\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tTodd Williamson\/Bravo<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n\tThe legacy and future of the shows became even more important when, earlier in the year, Comcast began spinning off the majority of its networks into a new company. They kept Bravo, and NBCUniversal now comprises the NBC broadcast network and stations along with the Peacock streaming service, Bravo, NBC News Group, NBC Sports and the Universal theme parks and resorts and Telemundo, Film and TV Studios. Bravo has been a driving force behind Peacock\u2019s success.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cWe\u2019ve developed a whole new audience for Bravo than was watching just on linear. With the next day availability of the content on Peacock, that\u2019s opened it up to a much broader, younger audience,\u201d Berwick says.<\/p>\n

\n\tThat audience, in turn, wants more experience. \u201cThat has informed things like watch parties with talent. Last year, we held a Bravo Fan Fest in Miami, a miniature version of BravoCon. That worked well as a stopgap until the next BravoCon. It\u2019s a heavy lift for us to do BravoCon every year,\u201d Berwick says.<\/p>\n

\n\tThis year, BravoCon will live-stream its Bravoverse Live Stage panels on Peacock, with its Gold and Glam stage content available the next day.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cIn the past, we have not streamed all the panels on Peacock, but we want to make this broadly accessible,\u201d Berwick says. \u201cIf you come in person, there\u2019s an intimacy, a camaraderie. But we also wanted to open it up to people who don\u2019t have the resources or can\u2019t travel, so they can experience it. And aren\u2019t just reading headlines, but can watch for themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tFor Alison Levin, president of advertising and partnerships, and a self-proclaimed\u00a0Bravoholic, the engagement and reach of BravoCon\u2019s in-person experience isn\u2019t something she\u2019s witnessed before.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cIt\u2019s an intersection for fans, talent and brands to come together in a way they never have before, to reach this highly engaged, affluent female audience,\u201d Levin says. \u201cThis year, BravoCon has 22 sponsors, 15 of them new, nine custom builds, which is up 125 percent year over year, and 32 talent partnerships, up 33 percent year over year. Fans are 66 percent more receptive to endorsements made by Bravolebs versus an average TV personality.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tAccording to Levin, three central components bring BravoCon to life for fans and sponsors. \u201cThe lead up to the event, the event itself and then all the extensions on the event \u2014 digital or social. Thirteen brands launched pre-BravoCon campaigns, including custom content with Jake from State Farm and Craig from Southern Charm<\/a>, and we have Amanda [Bautula], Ariana [Madix] and Dorit [Kemsley] with custom video for Unilever,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

\n\tWayfair is bringing immersive rooms designed by the Housewives that highlight their style, and fans can shop for items featured in those experiences. Melissa Gorga\u2019s will feature Sprinkle cookies. Heather Gay will showcase spa bathrooms.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cFans can walk into those spaces, and they can shop in those spaces, and it will also exist on wayfair.com,\u201d Levin says. The Bravo Bazaar features 30-plus talent-led businesses.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tJennifer Storms, chief marketing officer at NBCUniversal Television & Streaming, leads strategy, integrated marketing, media and consumer engagement for all NBCUniversal entertainment content and sports, including content and brand marketing for Peacock. She originally came into the fold via NBC Sports.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cOne might not think that a woman with a heavy sports background would have a really good connection to come into a position like this, but it\u2019s the perfect translation from sports to Bravo. A lot of our fans describe it as their Super Bowl,\u201d Storms says. \u201cThe preparation, excitement and energy around a Super Bowl is not dissimilar to what we\u2019re doing here with BravoCon. In sports, we work with leagues, teams and athletes. This is real life. This is happening in real time. There\u2019s nothing scripted. These are real people, whether it\u2019s on the field of play or a Beverly Hills Housewife; they have a lot of similar traits.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tAnd like sports, they have their fandoms.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cPeople say, \u2018Oh my gosh, I\u2019m a VPR and I can\u2019t wait for the new season, new cast.\u2019 And then you have others that say \u2018I\u2019m an OG of the OC,\u2019\u201d Storms asserts.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cThere was a survey that went out after the last BravoCon,\u201d Levin adds. \u201cEighty percent of people who went said it was the best weekend of their lives, ahead of the birth of their child and their wedding. I\u2019m not sure what else you would compare that to.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n

\u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.hollywoodreporter.com \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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