Held at the Parc des Expositions, the Animasia Festival drew more than 30,000 fans of Asian pop culture last October.Here we meet Damien Beigbeder, Chairman of the Lenno agency, which produced the event, who analyses the keys to this success and tells us exclusively about the themes for future editions.
While the Animasia festival has just celebrated its twentieth edition at the Parc des Expositions, attention is already turning to the programming of the next Geekfest, scheduled for May 2025, alongside the Foire de Bordeaux.
How have these two events evolved into iconic events?
Their story is based on two common pillars: friendship and passion. More than 20 years ago, we were a group of students with a passion for Asia, fed on Club Dorothée and manga, interested in martial arts, gastronomy and spirituality. At the time, we quickly realised that apart from Japan Expo in Paris, there were very few events linked to this culture in France. As an association, we launched Animasia in April 2005 as one of the pioneers, with no business vision and a relatively naive approach, motivated by a single objective: to enable everyone to discover parts of Asian culture in an atmosphere that encourages sharing, open-mindedness and discovery of others.
In 2014, Animasia moved from Pessac to H14 in Bordeaux. The event was a huge success and the idea of launching an event specifically dedicated to geek culture, which had been germinating in me for a long time, took shape at that point. Geekfest was created, giving pride of place to English-language pop culture, comics, cinema, technology and fantasy worlds... From the outset, we wanted to build on two different brands, linked nonetheless by many similar entry points and shared values such as curiosity, friendship, transmission and exchange. Today, these festivals have nothing in common with their first editions, either in terms of scale or resources, and they welcome between 25,000 and 30,000 people. Their DNA, on the other hand, has remained the same!
What do you think is the recipe for these success stories?
Authenticity... We came up with concepts rooted in passion. Over and above this principle, we have gradually succeeded in structuring our projects by creating a hybrid operating model that breaks down the barriers between volunteers, companies and service providers. All these teams form a single entity, working together to ensure the best possible experience for visitors. It's also very important to be identified as a festival rather than a convention. As a cultural entity, we have the opportunity to work rigorously on our themes and to roll out original programming, the creative force of which is an essential driving force. Finally, our success is based on the diverse communities that support us. While in the early 2000s we were reaching a niche audience, pop culture has grown enormously since 2010. Today, our two festivals attract the general public and speak to everyone.
What is your relationship with Beam?
Our relationship with Beam and its teams has always benefited from a closeness that goes beyond the business relationship. When we were just associations, we were already working together, particularly in the context of cultural and pop cultural contributions to the Foire de Bordeaux. Beam has supported us as we've grown, building the trust that's so important to us. That's what I call a fruitful collaboration, working hand in hand!
And what are your future projects?
We're continuing to question our modern societies and the living world through the almost infinite prism of pop culture, with one theme per festival and per year. For example, the 2025 edition of Animasia will focus on ‘cinema and the moving image’, while in 2026 we'll be honouring ‘South Korea’ to mark 140 years of Franco-Korean diplomatic relations. As for Bordeaux Geekfest, the 11th edition - which will take place on 24 and 25 May 2025 alongside the Foire de Bordeaux - will focus on ‘Super-villains’, and the 2026 edition on the ‘French Touch in pop culture’! For all these projects, we're planning to offer visitors a unique experience that's necessarily human, more immersive and demanding in both content and form.
Geekfest on 24 and 25 May 2025
during the Foire de Bordeaux from 23 May to1June 2025
