A look back at BravoCon 2022’s messiest moments
Between the long lines at concession stands and even longer lines for bathrooms, the Javits was simply not equipped to accommodate the influx of Real Housewives fans from across the globe.
With BravoCon 2023 headed to Las Vegas this fall, it’s time to take a look back at last year’s convention.
The three-day event, which included more than 130 Bravolebrities, brought over 25,000 fans to the Javits Centre in Manhattan.
It’s no surprise Bravo is moving the venue. Between the long lines at concession stands and even longer lines for bathrooms, the Javits was simply not equipped to accommodate the influx of Real Housewives fans from across the globe.
When women weren’t using urinals out of desperation, there were issues with Housewives like Karen Huger no-showing their photo ops, safety concerns, and an overall lack of coordination between volunteers, which often led to SVIP and VIP ticketholders losing their priority access to panels.
For some fans, it was clear: Bravo put the "con" in BravoCon.
Sonja Morgan’s great escape
The line-up to meet the dynamic duo of Sonja Morgan and the Countess herself, Lu Ann de Lesseps, stretched outside of the room and well into the hallway of the Javits Center.
In typical BravoCon fashion, the 30-minute meet and greet began 20 minutes late.
Feeling Jovani, the Countess stuck around for an extra 20 minutes, partly to make up for lost time but mostly to urge fans to buy tickets to her cabaret shows.
The same couldn’t be said for Sonja, who gave me the most awkward hug I’ve ever received. I chalked it up to, despite the fact it wasn’t even noon, a few morning mimosas.
Knowing that Summer House’s resident married couple, Kyle Cooke and Amanda Batula, were up next, I stuck around for a photo.
But after ten minutes, I heard an NBCUniversal executive worriedly tell the others, "We lost Sonja."
It turns out the former Real Housewives of New York star decided she’d had enough.
"Rob, I’m done," Sonja told the event coordinator.
"It’s Dave," he replied.
"Well, I’m calling you Rob," Sonja quipped, walking out on the hundreds of fans who paid a pretty penny to see the dynamic duo.
A desperate plea for attention
"Ashley Darby, I fucked your ex-husband."
You could hear a pin drop in the On Display Ballroom as a fan took to the Q&A mic to brag about his so-called one-night stand with Michael Darby.
Ashley, who is going through a bitter divorce with her husband Michael, was speechless.
In the front row, the press in attendance gasped simultaneously.
"They really should be screening these questions," I told a Today Show producer sitting to my right.
Marlo Hampton and Caroline Manzo huddled together as if they wanted nothing to do with the spectacle.
But Ashley got the last laugh — after all, the fan paid hundreds, if not thousands, to have his five seconds of fame.
Teresa Giudice and Joe Gorga separated at BravoCon
Going into BravoCon weekend, fans of The Real Housewives of New Jersey were clamouring for a face-off between siblings Teresa Giudice and Joe Gorga.
Leading up to the convention, Bravo advertised a panel called Jersey Ladies and Their Men. Many expected the must-see event to shed light on Joe and his wife Melissa’s failure to attend Teresa’s wedding, which is expected to air later in 2023.
But on Friday, the day before the panel, Bravo announced a huge change. There would be two Jersey panels instead, with Teresa and her husband Luis on one and Joe and Melissa on the other.
The decision to separate the family members was shocking, leaving fans wondering if the move was made by network executives or if the Jersey mainstays refused to appear on the same stage.
The stampede that almost ended it all
Leaving the Real Reunion Tea with Bravo Producers panel, I had no idea what I just missed.
Before long, social media was buzzing about BravoCon for all the wrong reasons. Some were comparing it to the Fyre Festival.
Videos began circulating of Bravo fans stampeding into the Don’t Be Tardy auditorium (no pun intended, Kim Zolciak) to see The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.
But the panel, which made news for Lisa Rinna giving fans the finger after being loudly booed like a WWE superstar, was almost abruptly cancelled altogether.
With every seat in the auditorium full, guests began blocking emergency exits by seating themselves on the floor. The organizers had clearly lost control of the crowd.
Before long, the fire marshal took to the microphone and warned attendees the panel would have to be cancelled if officials couldn’t get things under control.
Faced with the threat of not seeing Kathy Hilton, fans acquiesced and calmed down. Crew members pulled back a curtain to allow room for overflow, revealing the auditorium was just a fenced-off area of the Javits Center.
Not all of BravoCon 2022 was bad, but the logistical troubles often overshadowed what eventually proved to be a once-in-a-lifetime event.
With BravoCon 2023 headed to Vegas, it’s clear the cable network is learning from its missteps and believes the event can continue to grow.
While we wait with bated breath for the three-day convention to begin Nov. 3, The Blueprint will continue looking back at what made BravoCon 2022 one to remember.