# Zack Hudson

> Zack Hudson is the co-founder of Golden Fandom LLC and one of the organizers behind Golden-Con: Thank You For Being a Fan, the world's first fan convention dedicated entirely to The Golden Girls. A Chicago-based social services professional and self-described hardcore fan, Hudson transformed a pandemic-era bar trivia idea into a sold-out multi-day convention at Navy Pier in 2022 that drew over 3,100 attendees from around the globe. The event grew from a single social media announcement that, in his words, 'just kind of escalated from there.'

- **Role:** Co-Founder at Golden Fandom LLC
- **Organizations:** Golden Fandom LLC
- **Nationality:** American
- **Known for:** Co-founded the world's first fan convention dedicated entirely to The Golden Girls., Grew Golden-Con from a bar trivia concept to a 3,100+ attendee convention in under two years., Expanded Golden-Con 2023 to 125,000 sq ft at the Sheraton Grand Chicago Riverwalk.

## Career timeline

- **2020** — Read a New York Times story about pandemic TV viewing habits (11M+ hours of Golden Girls streamed on Hulu in April 2020 alone), inspiring the idea for a dedicated fan convention.
- **2020-09** — Began organizing small fan celebrations at Center on Halsted, an LGBTQ community center in Chicago, alongside brothers Brad and Brendan Balof.
- **2021-11** — Approached Brad Balof about staging a larger Golden Girls event; the original plan was a simple bar trivia night, then a community center booking.
- **2022-01** — Made a single social media announcement for Golden-Con; interest exploded, including inquiries from New Zealand and other international fans. Pivoted to Navy Pier as the venue.
- **2022-04** — Co-produced Golden-Con: Thank You For Being a Fan (inaugural edition) at Chicago's Navy Pier, April 22-24. Over 3,100 attendees from around the world attended.
- **2023-03** — Golden-Con 2023 returned at the Sheraton Grand Chicago Riverwalk (125,000 sq ft), March 31-April 2, expecting ~4,000 attendees with celebrity guests including Kristy McNichol, Dinah Manoff, and David Leisure.

## Achievements

- Co-founded the world's first fan convention dedicated entirely to The Golden Girls.
- Grew Golden-Con from a bar trivia concept to a 3,100+ attendee convention in under two years.
- Expanded Golden-Con 2023 to 125,000 sq ft at the Sheraton Grand Chicago Riverwalk.
- Secured appearances from Golden Girls writers, producers, and guest stars across the show's entire run.
- Attracted international attendees from as far as New Zealand to the inaugural event.
- Appeared on ABC7 Chicago to discuss the convention alongside original series cast members.

## Latest updates

- **2023-04** — Golden-Con 2023 ran March 31-April 2 at the Sheraton Grand Chicago Riverwalk, featuring celebrity guests including Kristy McNichol, Dinah Manoff, David Leisure, and Sam McMurray.
- **2023-03** — Appeared on The Johngy 'OR ELSE' Podcast (Episode 55) discussing Golden-Con 2023 plans and the convention's origin story.
- **2023-03** — Appeared on ABC7 Chicago to promote Golden-Con 2023 alongside guest stars.

## Links

- Website: https://thankyouforbeingafan.com
- LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/goldenfandomzack

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/zack-hudson
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-05-20