About

History of Domcon

DomCon is now in its 17th year and is”The World’s Premier Professional and Lifestyle Domination Convention”. The convention is the result of Mistress Cyan’s dedication over the years to bring a better understanding of BDSM in The Adult Alternative Lifestyle and to bring the BDSM, Leather, Fetish and Professional Communities together to share our common interests, celebrate our diversity, and promote awareness through education and social interaction.

The history of DomCon dates back to early 2001 in Los Angeles when the disparity and disassociation between those involved in Professional Domination and those in the “Lifestyle” became very apparent to Mistress Cyan. Having been in the lifestyle for more than 10 years, and a professional Dominatrix for about 4 years, she encountered a situation which became her inspiration to found DomCon.

“One day I tried to log in to one of the BDSM discussion groups I was a member of and couldn’t log in”, she recalls. “I emailed the moderator of the group to find out what was wrong and was shocked when I was told the I was banned from the group because it was for people in the lifestyle, not professionals.”

Despite being the President of Los Angeles Dommes and subs, and later SoCal Bound, she was still denied because she was a professional. Wanting to do something that would help bridge that gap between the two communities, she developed the concept of DomCon. It would be an event that would help bring everyone together and help unite the “lifestyle” and “professional” communities with a better understanding of each other. However, she abandoned the idea while attending BondCon in 2002 and being invited to be a Special Guest of a new Domination Convention that was to take place later that year. Since there was already such an event being planned, Mistress Cyan did not see the need to do something that someone else was already doing. But, after attending that event, she realized that the convention that she had just attended was drastically different than the concept of the type of convention that she wanted to do, and decided to resurrect her idea and move forward on what was later to be known as DomCon LA. Over the next few months, she worked on developing the concept and paying attention to the details while defining the goals and objectives of DomCon.

During the summer of 2003, Mistress Cyan searched for a venue to hold the first DomCon LA, which proved to be much easier said than done. Most of the hotels she spoke with were concerned about the content of the event, and the taboo associated with BDSM in regards to the mainstream public. The hotels that were open to discuss having the event at their venue proved to be too small and did not have the space available to host an event of it’s size, despite it being a first-time event. Finally, following a suggestion stemming from a conversation with Veronica Vinyl one day in Mistress Cyan’s Dungeon, Sanctuary, she made an appointment to meet with The Beverly Garland Holiday Inn located in North Hollywood near Universal Studios, The meeting went well and after explaining, in detail, what the event would be all about, the hotel agreed to have Mistress Cyan host the first DomCon LA in April, 2004. The contracts were signed, the deposits made, and what had been a concept for so long, was now becoming a reality.

The website was launched with an impressive list of Guests of Honor which included Domina Irene Boss, Mistress Porsche Lynn, the late Sabrina Belladonna, Mistress Vendela Zane, and more. Within a month, the buzz about DomCon LA made it a national event of major interest. While promoting DomCon LA in January 2004 at The Las Vegas BondCon, Mistress Cyan was approached by Ms Whip, the owner/operator of 1763, the largest dungeon in the country at that time. Ms Whip and 1763 were based in Atlanta, and Ms Whip asked Mistress Cyan to consider bringing DomCon to Atlanta. Mistress Cyan had already been thinking of expanding the event to the East Coast, perhaps New York, but had not thought about Atlanta, especially so soon since the first DomCon LA was still more than 3 months away. But after a trip to visit Ms Whip and 1763, Mistress Cyan made the decision to produce the East Coast DomCon in Atlanta. The event would take place in November 2004. Meanwhile, DomCon LA was attracting members of the professional BDSM Community as well as many in the lifestyle Community, and even drew from within the Leather Community despite many who proclaimed it to be a “Pro Domme Only” or “Female Domme Only” event. DomCon LA proved to be the largest BDSM/Fetish/Leather event in Los Angeles in 2004, proving wrong everyone who stated, and many who believed or hoped, that such an event would never work, or last.

DomCon Atlanta 2004 was held in November 2004 at The Hilton Hotel in Atlanta. Despite the overwhelming attendance of all the surrounding southern states, DomCon did not get a warm welcome from the Atlanta community. After a number of discussions to decide whether to have another DomCon in Atlanta or move it to another city, Mistress Cyan decided to fly to Atlanta and asked Ms Whip to set up a meeting with all of the Lifestyle-oriented groups in Atlanta. In that meeting, Mistress Cyan discussed DomCon, its philosophy, and why and how things were done the way they were. She asked those in attendance if any other producer might fly 3000 miles to meet with them to discuss such things. The members of the Atlanta community respected that and “got on board” Another date was set to bring the convention back in 2005.

Back in Los Angeles, Mistress Cyan was busy planning the next DomCon LA, and although she felt that DomCon had already outgrown The Beverly Garden Holiday Inn, she made the decision to return since they were the hotel that was willing to take a chance on her event and host it the first year The event was expanded from 2 days (Sat/Sun) to 3 days (Fri/Sat/Sun) and the event continued to grow. In Atlanta, the decision was made to change locations and moved to a beautiful hotel called Magnolia Manor, known for it’s Southern Hospitality and for its close proximity to 1763. Both events in 2005 were overwhelming successes, with the Atlanta community showing up in very large numbers and supporting the event more than what was hoped for or expected.

Now DomCon is a 5-day event, which started in 2008 when The Industry Only Seminar Series was added to help educate the professional community about such things as safety and BDSM techniques. DomCon brought together professionals from all over the world to teach, learn and share experience and business practices. DomCon has been nominated on a number of occasions for Large Event of The Year in The International Pantheon of Leather Awards and was named Event of The Year in the TSR Network Viewer’s Choice Awards for 2011. DomCon has been the proud home of The Southeast Olympus Leather Contest, The Pantheon of Leather Awards and The International Mr. & Ms Olympus Leather Contest in years past.

After 12 years in Atlanta, Mistress Cyan made a decision that it was time to move DomCon. A number of cities were considered, but ultimately the decision to move DomCon from Atlanta to New Orleans was made with the full support of the management team and DomCon Advisory Board. The first DomCon New Orleans was held in November 2016 and was a smashing success. DomCon was warmly embraced by the local community and those coming from out of town fell in love with New Orleans. Contracts were signed for 2017 and 2018 and the dates were once again on Columbus Day Weekend both years, which is the weekend DomCon had traditionally been held for the previous 10 years in Atlanta. Everyone is excited to call New Orleans the new home of the winter DomCon!

For years Mistress Cyan was told over and over again why her concept of a professional and lifestyle domination convention would not work, she believed otherwise. DomCon has been called one of the top 5 Fetish Events in the world, and regularly draws attendees and guests from all over America, Canada, Europe, Mexico and South America, Asia and Australia, making it more than a large national event, and is instead a large international event.

DomCon brings the lifestyle and professional BDSM Communities together for a weekend of social and educational interaction with themed socials, parties, classes and workshops, panel discussions, stage shows, vendors, and exhibitors. So, come join the world’s top Dominatrices, Switches, submissives, Bondage & Fetish Models, Webmasters, Fetish Photographers, Performing Artists, Educators, and Lifestyle Practitioners for a fun, educational, and unforgettable experience. No matter how you identify, DomCon welcomes you!

DomCon® is a registered Trade Mark