Two vendors wonder where their deposit of $1500 to Sask Expo is, accusing unavailable organization owner.
“The biggest lesson I learned was to have a contract,” said Lorne Oliver, owner of AP Spray Arts, who had put in a deposit to be a vendor, “I know the money is all gone and it’s not coming back but I’d still like an apology.”
Starting in 2014 under owner Mike Fisher, the Sask Expo brought together pop culture fans of all ages every spring to meet celebrities, cosplay, and buy exclusive merchandise. In May of 2018, the team announced that the event would be expanded and taking place in the spring and fall, only to revoke the announcement from the social media pages. The Expo would run for five more years before mysteriously shutting down in 2024.
On Saturday, September 28th, 2024, fans would be met with a locked door to the Regina Exhibition Association Limited District (REAL) and a vague social media statement about the event being postponed due to ‘personal health concerns’. A promise was made that tickets and vender spots would be on hold for next year’s event, temporarily pacifying disgruntled messages to the organization from fans and vendors alike.
Since then, the organization has dissolved completely, dodging messages from ticket buyers, vendors, and the media. Finally, in July of 2025, the organization reappeared to make one final statement regarding the fate of the expo – that it would be permanently withdrawn from the public due to a reduced attendance after the COVID-19 pandemic and issues with the venue. To counter the blame placed upon them, Tim Day, the owner of REAL, released a counterstatement that the organization had issues with debt to the venue.
“All financial transactions, including deposits, were managed directly by the event organizers of Sask Expo Regina.” The statement said.
The debt to the venue isn’t the only debt that the organization has, as vendors from the cancelled 2024 event were never refunded. After numerous unanswered emails and social media messages, the vendors came together in the hope of pursuing a lawsuit.
“Our last tally of fees that were not being returned was almost $100,000,” said Brody Weber, owner of Stars and Stone, “We can’t even file a lawsuit because there’s no guarantee we would get our money back. A vendor needs to trust an organizer, and when something like this happens, it has a trickle effect.”
Fans who also saw their money disappear, paid $30-$50 for a ticket and never got a refund but more importantly, they lost their community.
“I know many people are upset about the loss of money, but there are even more upset that they no longer have an event to go to.” said an anonymous computer science student at the University of Regina. “It felt great to know that there was such a large local community of nerds, weebs, and other fans. It felt especially great because it was at a time when people were still being frequently bullied for being into those types of things. I really hope it doesn’t dishearten local fans.”
Mike Fisher has avoided speaking with multiple reporters, including CBC and CTV, and has deleted his social media accounts, including his LinkedIn.
“If the expo came back and Mike – as well as anyone affiliated with Mike – was not a part of it, I would sign up in a heartbeat. I love doing pop culture expos, but I do not appreciate unethical show organizers who take advantage of vendors.”
