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Wizard World, Inc. appoints John Macaluso to Chairman of the Board

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The Wizard World, Inc. board of directors elected John Macaluso chairman of the board, effective October 10, 2012, succeeding Michael Mathews who is stepping down from the board to pursue his passion of early stage technology ventures.  Macaluso will continue to serve as the company’s Chief Executive Officer.

Mr. Macaluso has overseen Wizard World’s impressive growth in its pop culture Comic Cons in 2012, including enjoying its most highly-attended and successful events in Philadelphia, Chicago and Columbus, Ohio.  Macaluso has shifted the company away from the prior management’s singular focus of being the purveyors of the new next thing towards a more fan-centric and balanced approach of delivering a great experience for all constituents – the talent, the sponsors and the attendees.  With this shift in strategy and business practices, Wizard World is experiencing growth in all areas of its business, from attendance, to viewership of wizardworld.com, to sponsorship sales and activations, and merchandise sales.

This broader vision has also helped Wizard World create a number of “once in a lifetime experiences” for attendees, including meet and greets with first gathering of the Captains in all five iterations of the “Star Trek” franchise, as well as the first U.S. reunion of the cast of “Star Trek: The Next Generation.”  Wizard World comic cons are now attracting the next generation of global film stars such as Marvel’s The Avengers headliners while continuing to secure industry legends like Stan Lee and William Shatner, and industry favorites like Will Wheaton, Eliza Dushku, Scott Bakula, Gillian Anderson and WWE® Superstar CM Punk®.

John Maatta, COO of the CW Network and a director of Wizard World, Inc. stated “As CEO, John has worked tirelessly to instill best practices in the company’s operations, and we look forward to having his leadership and vision at the board level.”

John Macaluso named Wizard World CEO

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Wizard World, Inc. (WIZD) Names John Macaluso to New Position of Chief Executive Officer

Successful entrepreneur elevated to lead one of North America’s most diverse pop culture events brands

NEW YORK, March 26, 2012 – Wizard World, Inc. (symbol: WIZD) (“Wizard World” or the “Company”), one of North America’s most diverse digital entertainment and events companies, announced that John Macaluso, a successful businessman and entrepreneur, has been named the Company’s new Chief Executive Officer.  He had previously been appointed to the Company’s Board of Directors (the “Board”) in May 2011.

As a Board member, Macaluso has been instrumental in Wizard World’s growth and expansion in the Comic con event space in the last year.  Event attendance at Comic Cons in New Orleans and Chicago have risen, while the Company has refocused on its core assets, added new stars to its events and cut costs.  The latest example of that revamped face was announced last week, with “Thor” and “The Avengers” star Chris Hemsworth added to a star-studded list of Philadelphia Comic Con guests in June, along with headliners such as Stan Lee, William Shatner and dozens of other stars of the pop culture industry.  The Company’s next event will be held in Toronto, April 14-15.

“We are extremely pleased to announce the appointment of John Macaluso as Chief Executive Officer,” stated Mike Mathews, Wizard World Chairman.  He continued, “John’s previous experience at founding and building a hundred-million dollar apparel company, contacts and entrepreneurial skills will certainly help the Wizard World brand expand its operations and sales base.”

John Macaluso stated, “I am excited to continue the momentum that the Wizard World Comic Con shows have built, and to help develop new strategies to take us to new levels of success.  We have an outstanding lineup of events on the schedule with highly talented celebrities and artists and an outstanding team of professionals in place to maximize the Wizard World experience.”

A California resident, Macaluso has a long history of startup and entrepreneurial success.  Most recently, his business reputation garment manufacturing company, California Concepts, sold its products to many of the major retailers in the United States, produced a private label for Wal-Mart and Target, sold branded goods to Federated Department Stores, serviced specialty chains such as Charming Shoppes and Maurice’s and purveyed an upscale label to Barneys New York.  He sold the business in 2007, with Wizard World combining his great interest in both an entrepreneurship and the fast-growing world of pop culture and event entertainment.

About Wizard World:

Wizard World, Inc. produces Comic Cons and pop culture conventions across North America that celebrate graphic novels, comic books, movies, TV shows, gaming, technology, toys and social networking.  The events often feature celebrities from movies and TV, artists and writers, and events such as premieres, gaming tournaments, panels, and costume contests.

Wizard World’s full event schedule can be found at www.wizardworld.com.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Statements in this press release relating to Wizard World, Inc.’s future plans, expectations, beliefs, intentions and prospects are “forward-looking statements” and are subject to material risks and uncertainties.  When used in this press release, the words “will,” “future,” “expect,” “look forward to,” similar expressions and any other statements that are not historical facts are intended to identify those assertions as forward-looking statements.  Any such statement may be influenced by a variety of factors, many of which are beyond the control of Wizard World that could cause actual outcomes and results to be materially different from those projected, described, expressed or implied in this press release due to a number of risks and uncertainties.  Accordingly, no assurances can be given that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will transpire or occur. A detailed discussion of these factors and other risks that affect Wizard World’s business is contained in its SEC filings, including its most recent reports on Form 10-Q, particularly under the heading “Risk Factors.”  Copies of these filings are available online from the SEC or by contacting Joe Favorito, Public Relations, at (917) 566-8345.  All information set forth in this press release is current as of March 22, 2012. Wizard World undertakes no duty to update any statement in light of new information or future events.

Wizard World, Inc. appoints John Macaluso to its Board of Directors

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Official Press Release

Wizard World, Inc. (WIZD) appoints John Macaluso to its Board of Directors

Macaluso Brings to Wizard World a Track Record of Success as an Entrepreneur

NEW YORK and LOS ANGELES, May 13, 2011 – Wizard World, Inc. (symbol: WIZD) (the “Company”), a digital entertainment and event company, today announced that John Macaluso,  a successful businessman and entrepreneur, has been appointed to the Board of Directors. The new appointment follows the naming of Greg Suess to the Board, and is another step in the Company’s effort to add directors with successful track records of building and operating companies through their hyper-growth phase.

Mike Mathews, Wizard World Chairman states that, “John’s previous experience at founding and building a hundred-million dollar apparel company adds a great dimension to the Wizard World Board of Directors. His contacts and entrepreneurial skills will certainly help the Wizard World brand expand its operations and sales base.”

John Macaluso states, “The more time I spend with Gareb and his Wizard World team the more I want to be involved. After going to a Wizard World Comic Con event and seeing the excitement and sheer joy of the people attending, I was hooked. This was exactly the kind of opportunity I wanted to invest my time and money into. The Company and its team have an incredible energy in all that they do. I hope to offer them my years of experience and practical approach to growing their business.”

Gareb Shamus, Wizard World CEO states, “I liked John from the minute I met him, he was one of the most energetic and personable people I have ever met. John grew his manufacturing company from the ground up and knows what it takes on a daily basis to build a profitable enterprise. His experience and enthusiasm embodies the spirit of Wizard World.”

Macaluso’s garment manufacturing company, California Concepts, sold its products to many of the major retailers in the United States, produced a private label for Wal-Mart and Target, sold branded goods to Federated Department Stores, serviced specialty chains such as Charming Shoppes and Maurice’s and purveyed an upscale label to Barneys New York.  After achieving success in the garment manufacturing business, Macaluso sold the business in 2007, and is now pursuing new ventures.

About Wizard World:
Wizard World, Inc. produces Comic Cons and pop culture conventions across North America that celebrate graphic novels, comic books, movies, TV shows, gaming, technology, toys and social networking. The events often feature celebrities from movies and TV, artists and writers, and events such as premieres, gaming tournaments, panels, and costume contests. Wizard World, Inc. also produces Wizard World Digital, an online publication covering new and upcoming products and talents in the pop culture world, and is distributed on a weekly basis to online and iPad users worldwide.

Wizard World’s full event schedule can be found at www.wizardworld.com.