Now is your chance to ensure your favourite true crime content from 2023 is recognised in the TCAs!
VIEWERS' CHOICE: Whether it's your favourite series, documentary film or influencer - make sure you submit your thoughts on your favourite on-screen true crime content today! Remember - only content released in 2023 is eligible and will be counted.
LISTENERS' CHOICE: All True Crime podcasts (that released content that is available in the UK during 2023) are eligible to be nominated so be sure that your go-to true crime podcast is recognised!
READERS' CHOICE:
Which true crime book caught your attention in 2023? As long as it was first published last year then it's eligible to be nominated, so cast your vote today!
Voting is now open and closes on 31st March 2024.
Those with the most votes will be recognised and awarded at the True Crime Awards which is scheduled to take place on 25th April 2024.
SERIES 5 EPISODE 2
AVAILABLE NOW
Damian Barr is joined by Shetland and Vera author Ann Cleeves to discuss her new novel, The Raging Storm. Lauren Lyle, star of the series Karen Pirie, reveals how she brings the Val McDermid character to life, and, on the 30th anniversary of Trainspotting, Irvine Welsh talks about the ITV crime series and his latest novel, The Long Knives. True crime podcasters (and our very own Nancy Baughen) rate Truman Capote classic In Cold Blood, and crime readers at the Shetland Noir Festival in Lerwick recommend their favourite reads.
If you'd like to catch up and watch this incredible episode of The Big Scottish Book Club, click here.
Tickets on sale now! Purchase your tickets
CrimeCon UK is proud to present the inaugural True Crime Awards. Hosted in London on the 9th of June 2023, it sees a line-up of leading content makers come to the city to highlight the best of all thing’s true crime.
Whether it’s documentaries, podcasts, books or dramas, the rise in popularity of true crime has been exponential.
It takes a particular skillset and expertise to research and retell a true story both accurately and entertainingly.
The ability to devote the time, effort and often mental strain needed to delve into some of the most horrific stories in order to produce true crime content for public consumption deserves recognition.
Now is the time to recognise the very best content creators, producers and storytellers across all mediums that deserve praise and celebration.
The eleven award categories will recognise the very best in podcasting, television production and publishing judged by a line-up of leading experts.
There are two additional awards voted for by the public: True Crime Personality of the Year and Top Podcast-Listeners choice.
Individual category sponsorships are available now, contact katie@theassemblyevents.com for a media pack.
Category submissions will open on 10th October, concession rates apply for independents.
Do you have a fascination with real crime stories and unsolved cases? Casefile: Truth & Deception challenges players to put their detective skills to the test to solve crimes around a quintessential small town. Players must piece together the evidence to find out where it happened, who did it, how, and more importantly, why? With a different case every time you play, and the ability to play solo or in a group, the game offers infinite replay-ability for fans of crime dramas, murder mysteries and those with a thirst for intrigue!
Available from: Smyths
CrimeCon, the world’s leading true crime event, will be hosted in London 11-12th June. It brings together leading figures from the True Crime world, for over 50 hours of talks, live recordings and immersive experiences, making it the ultimate true crime event, offering attendees the chance to interact with one of the world’s fastest growing genre through education, advocacy, and discovery.
2022 marks the start of a three-year partnership deal with CBS Reality , the #1 factual entertainment channel in the UK amongst women 16+ [1] , available on channel numbers 67 Freeview, 135 Freesat, 146 Sky and 148 Virgin Media.
CrimeCon UK and CBS Reality will bring together leading law enforcement representatives from across the globe, top level documentary makers, investigative journalists, prime podcasters, renowned criminologists, expert pathologists and true crime authors, to create over 50 wide-ranging hours of compelling and informative content through live shows, panels, immersive experiences, and live podcast recordings.
The weekend itself is as interactive as possible while remaining Covid-19 safe - CrimeCon UK ticket holders will be invited to join criminologists to get inside the minds of serial-killers and shine a light on their victims, work alongside forensic experts to examine evidence and discover what it’s like to be a real-life CSI. They’ll learn interrogation techniques, test their detective skills, meet police K9 counterparts (we have sniffer dogs), deep-dive into unsolved historic cases and, most importantly, meet survivors and victim’s families - ensuring that those whose lives have been impacted by crime are never forgotten.
This year’s lead speaker will be the globally recognised, retired US Detective Paul Holes, who worked on what’s now known as “The Golden State Killer” case. His tireless work ultimately led to the cold case of at least 13 murders, 50 rapes, and 120 burglaries across California between 1974 and 1986 being resolved with Joseph De Angelo (an ex-policeman himself) being charged with the crimes.
Nancy Baughen CrimeCon’s UK Event Director says, “ There is no other event in the UK that brings fans and followers of this genre closer to leading crime experts”.
The last decade has seen an inexorable global rise in true crime fascination, driven by armchair sleuths. Propelled by the popularity of factual entertainment channels such as CBS Reality, true crime programmes have become one of the fastest growing genres in the world of media, recently challenging comedy and sport as the number one podcast subject.
The unprecedented interest in the genre seen throughout Instagram, Facebook and YouTube is immense, and the momentum continues to build with TikTok where viewing figures of true crime influencers hit the hundreds of thousands. A sharp uptake from traditional media including national papers and dedicated publications such as Crime Monthly, as well as shows premiering on CBS Reality, Oxygen, Netflix, BBC, ITV, C4, C5 to Sky Crime has fulfilled the need to better educate and inform the ever-increasing true crime communities.
Confirmed Speakers
Alongside criminal historian, writer and host of CBS Reality original series “Murder by the Sea”, Dr Nell Darby, our confirmed speakers are Paul Holes, Emma Kenny, Colin Sutton, Nazir Afzal, Kerry Daynes, Honor Doro Towsend, Christopher Berry-Dee, Dr Sohom Das, John Sweeney, Mark Williams-Thomas – full listing here: www.crimeon.co.uk/seminars
Confirmed Podcasters
‘They Walk Among Us’, ‘Mens Rea’, ‘UK True Crime’, ‘Handcuffed’, ‘Crimepedia’, ‘Generation Why’, ‘Once Upon A Crime’ - full listing here: Podcast Row | Crime Podcasters | CrimeCon UK
Confirmed Interactive sessions
Police dog demonstrations, CSI experience, Analyse a crime scene, live podcast studio, interview techniques, identity recall workshop
Ticket information – ticketing partner – Book Now | London True Crime Event | CrimeCon UK
Whole weekend tickets only
Guest tickets and VIP tickets available
Partners Partners | CrimeCon UK
CBS Reality, Crime Monthly, AudioBoom, Woodcut Media, Bonnier Books
Event organisers
Nancy Baughen – 07855 404022 – Event Director
Lucy McKillop – 07983701332 – Marketing Lead
For further press information, pre-event interview exclusives, images or access to event for media interviews/review please contact:
Lucy McKillop. E: lucy@crimecon.co.uk
CrimeCon UK
Date: 11th & 12th June 2022
Location: Leonardo Royal Hotel and Spa, St Pauls London.
Tickets:
Tickets are available at https://www.crimecon.co.uk/pricing
COVID Proof Purchase – Tickets are completely protected. Should the event in June 2022 be altered in any way due to COVID-19 the event will be moved to a later date, tickets will be transferred automatically to the new dates or refunded in full immediately.
Editor’s Notes:
About CrimeCon:
CrimeCon UK is owned and run by Exhibit A Events Ltd, a newly formed joint entity established by Kevin Balfe of Red Seat Ventures and Michael Dynan of The Assembly.
Red Seat Ventures are a US company, founders of CrimeCon and leaders in building and operating direct-to-fan live and digital businesses.
The Assembly are a UK based specialist in events, both physical and virtual and are formed to help partners from the UK and abroad in bringing overseas events or creating their I.P. into successful event formats.
Exhibit A will explore more opportunities within the true crime genre and also within the wider events sector.
CrimeCon has always helped support the families, victims, survivors, and associated charities of crime. No-one is ever featured, no case talked about without the families of any survivors or victims being consulted and approving. It is often a place where families can keep their story in the public eye and can keep media attention drawn to their plight.
About CBS Reality :
Home to authentic criminal cases that intrigue, engage and entertain, CBS Reality’s factual programming expertly dissects genuine investigations. Always factual, always true.
Available in over 25 million UK households, CBS Reality is the #1 factual entertainment channel in the UK amongst adult women, and a Top 10 most watched non-PSB channel amongst all adults.
The channel has invested significantly in original true crime programming, including popular CBS Reality original series including “Donal MacIntyre: Released to Kill”, “Murder: First on Scene”, “Murder by the Sea”, “Evidence of Evil”, “New Scotland Yard Files”, “Donal MacIntyre’s Murder Files”, “Voice of a Killer”, “The Real Prime Suspect” and many more.
Mango Books
Mango Books was formed in 2015 by true crime enthusiast Adam Wood, who is Editor of Ripperologist magazine, the leading publication on the Whitechapel murders, and from 2017-2020 was Editor the Police History Society Journal. In the past six years they've gone from strength to strength, publishing Lady Lucan's memoirs, reviving the revered official Notable British Trials series, and releasing a wide catalogue of crime titles including the final book from true crime doyen Richard Whittington-Egan.
Crime Viral
Crime Viral Shop features handmade gifts for true crime fans.
Always tastefully well done and with a pinch of dark humour - you won’t find these unique products anywhere else! From welcome signs to beverage coasters to greetings cards and tote bags - all designs are from the minds at Crime Viral!
For Real? Serial
For Real, Serial? is a true crime merchandise creator - gift wrap, cards, t-shirts, stickers and much more - with a dark humoured flavour! Beginning in 2018 with some Christmas cards, FRS has since gone from strength to strength, shipping true crime goodies all over the globe. We are always making new products, and love working with true crime podcasts for their merch too!
Just Killin Time
The one and only true crime mystery subscription box with items hand-picked by their specialist curators and delivered directly to your door every month.
Featuring a haul of exclusive collectable items, including our signature exclusive t-shirts, limited edition art prints and much, much more making this the perfect treat for true crime enthusiasts!
Curious Crimes
Curious Crimes is a Murder Mystery Puzzle game that arrives through your door, ready for you to crack the case. The case file includes potential suspects, physical evidence, DNA reports, receipts and much more, you will need to solve the puzzles, decipher codes, piece together the evidence and find the killer. Our newest case, The Case of the Bloody Salesman is our most immersive yet, you can now text and email characters, search websites and piece together clues to bring justice to Oliver Black.
Murder Apparel
Murder Apparel sells vintage spooky merch inspired by true crime and horror with a touch of witty. Halloween is everyday here for us and we want you to dress your dark souls in our soft goodies. CrimeCon UK fans get 20% off their first order using the code CRIMECON.
Old Bailey Insight
Tim Wood, the man behind Old Bailey Insight and Legal London Tours, has more than 30 years’ experience of working at the Old Bailey as a court reporter. He has built up a wealth of knowledge about the Criminal Justice System and the newspaper industry and has covered the Old Bailey cases that gripped the nation. Meet Tim at CrimeCon UK!
The Crime Writers Association
The Crime Writers’ Association was founded in 1953 by John Creasey. Its aim is to support, promote and celebrate this most durable, adaptable and successful of genres, and to support every kind of crime writer of both fiction and non-fiction and to promote their work. Bring your questions to CrimeCon UK to ask the team.
Bonnier Books UK
Bonnier Books UK is a major UK publisher with sales of £80m. Home to 13 adult and children’s imprints, we publish across a wide variety of genres for different ages. From true crime to reading group fiction; memoir to self-help; activity to reference – they believe every book matters.
Crime Monthly Magazine
Crime Monthly is a magazine dedicated to true crime, where you’ll find in-depth features on all the biggest investigations, cold-cases re-examined, serial killer profiles, interviews with leading experts, and so much more. Plus, they’ve got an essential true-crime entertainment guide for the month ahead.
Pod Bible
Pod Bible is the essential guide to podcasts. Their magazine is distributed across the country with The Sunday Times, their website features additional interviews, reviews and recommendations and their podcast speaks to podcasts of all sizes about their shows and the shows they love. Whether you want to hear from the biggest names in podcasting, gain tips on how to make your own show or pick up new recommendations on what to listen to, Pod Bible is the hub of all things podcasting.
The world’s number one live true crime event, CrimeCon, hits London for the first time ever on the 25-26 September 2021, offering fans of the world’s fastest growing genre the ultimate true crime weekend through education, advocacy, and discovery.
Partnering with true crime TV channel, Crime + Investigation®, CrimeCon UK will bring together renowned criminologists, pathologists, leading law enforcement representatives, top level documentary makers, investigative journalists, prime podcasters and true crime authors, creating over 50 wide-ranging hours of compelling and informative content through live shows, panels, immersive experiences, and podcast row.
CrimeCon visitors aren’t passive viewers, they participate themselves, joining leading criminologists to get inside the minds of serial killers and renowned forensic experts to help examine evidence. Pathologists will help attendees discover what it’s like to be a real-life CSI, getting hands-on by examining forensic evidence. They’ll learn interrogation techniques, test their detective skills, meet police K9 counterparts, question reformed criminals, deep-dive into unsolved cases and, most importantly, meet survivors and victim’s families - ensuring that those whose lives have been impacted by crime are never forgotten.
Confirmed are over 90 guest speakers including: Deanna Thompson, from the popular Netflix docuseries “Don’t F**k With Cats,” who dedicated herself to tracking down a brutal killer; Nazir Afzal who during a 24-year career as Chief Crown Prosecutor prosecuted some of the most high profile cases in the country; Kerry Daynes, instantly recognisable as the UK’s best known and most respected forensic psychologist; Christopher Berry-Dee, the world’s best-selling true-crime author and Chris Atkins, ex-con author and BAFTA-nominated filmmaker.
The well-known true crime TV personalities, broadcasters and newsmakers will be joined by survivors’ families including Richard Lamplugh, Marie McCourt & Amanda Eales along with Survivors Bethany Merchant, and Sammy Woodhouse.
Suzy Lamplugh was abducted and murdered in 1986, her remains have not been found. Her brother, Richard Lamplugh, and Criminologist Dr Cheryl Allsop will discuss the lessons for today about solving historic cold cases. Marc Sigsworth, the filmmaker behind ‘The Vanishing of Suzy Lamplugh’, described by The Times as an “an excellent, meticulous documentary”, will lead this discussion.
On 9 February 1988, Marie McCourt’s 22-year-old daughter Helen disappeared. Overwhelming forensic evidence resulted in local pub landlord Ian Simms being charged with her murder, but he has never disclosed the whereabouts of Helen's body. Marie has spent the last three decades both searching for her daughter’s remains and campaigning for families of missing murder victims resulting in 'Helen's Law' being added to the statute book in January this year.
Coventry teenager Nicola Payne left her seven-month-old son at her boyfriend's home when she took a 10-minute walk to her parents’ house in December 1991. She never arrived. The police believe she was murdered. But her body has never been found. It’s one of Britain’s biggest unsolved murder cases and has baffled detectives for nearly three decades. At CrimeCon formidable Investigative Reporter Mark Williams Thomas, best known for exposing Jimmy Savile; will present unseen evidence and welcome representative from the Payne family Amanda Eales to share their story. Mark's research means that we will be able to reveal new information and evidence that has never been in the public domain. We have detailed interviews with Nicola’s family, friends and witnesses, and will be following up on lines of inquiry and new leads. This is very much a real time live investigation.
Bethany Marchant, Survivor. At the age of 24 and with no previous warning signs of abusive behaviour Bethany’s ex-partner Stefan Carr subjected her to a three-hour torture session resulting in significant physical and mental trauma.
Sammy Woodhouse, Survivor. At only 14 Sammy became a victim of the Rotherham child sexual exploitation scandal where more than 1,000 children were abused between 1997 and 2013 at the hands of the child exploitation gang. Sammy suffered horrendous sexual abuse, physical assaults and coercion at the hands of the gang leader.
Both women feature in the Crime+Investigation® hit series, Survivors with Denise Welch, broadcast in April this year, and at CrimeCon UK will talk to Denise about how they not only survived their terrifying ordeals but are determined to help others avoid a similar fate. The session also features crime author and ex-Metropolitan Police Detective Inspector, Neil Lancaster.
Nancy Baughen CrimeCon’s UK Event Director says, “ Fans of true crime are not ghoulish macabre fans of serial killers or psychopaths but instead are sympathetic and empathetic fans of justice who are intrigued by the mysteries.”
The last decade has seen an inexorable global rise in true crime, driven by armchair sleuths. Propelled by the popularity of true crime channels such as Crime + Investigation which is home to top-ratings series such as Murdertown, I am A Killer, The Jail: 60 days in, Crimes that Shook Britain and Homicide Hunter, it has become one the fastest growing genres in the world of media, recently challenging comedy and sport as the number one podcast subject. Social media’s unprecedented interest through Instagram, Facebook and YouTube is immense, and the momentum continues to build with TikTok where viewing figures are astronomical. A sharp uptake from traditional media including the launch of dedicated publications such as Crime Monthly, as well as shows premiering on Netflix, ITV, C4, C5 to Sky Crime has fulfilled the need to better educate and inform the ever-increasing true crime communities.
Novelist Lynda La Plante’s bestsellers have long been celebrated for their authentic depictions of crime scenes and police procedures – something she achieves through meticulous research with her colleague, former Met detective and CSI Cass Sutherland. Both will be appearing at CrimeCon having teamed up with Bonnier Books UK on a true crime podcast, ‘Listening To The Dead’, delving into the secret world of forensics. Bonnier Books have formed a partnership with CrimeCon to showcase over 10 of their renowned true crime authors.
Woodcut Media, one of the fastest growing Indies and leading true crime producers in the UK who specialise in a broad range of factual programming, will present their TV brands as part of CrimeCon’s live experience. During the ‘How I Caught the Killer’ case focus session, visitors will be able to take a deep dive into a high-profile crime case with a panel of experts looking at how the killer was brought to justice. ‘The Murders That Shocked A Nation’ feature will look at some of the most infamous British crimes of the 20 th century, including the Moors Murders, John Haigh and 10 Rillington Place, the disappearance of Lord Lucan and Ruth Ellis.
Partnering with Audioboom, Podcast Row welcomes some of the world’s favourite true crime podcasters, including ‘They Walk Among Us’, ‘Mens Rea’, and ‘UK True Crime’. In addition, new British content will be championed such as ‘Handcuffed’ and ‘Crimepedia’ and joining from overseas, international podcasters ‘Generation Why’, ‘Once Upon A Crime’ and ‘True Crime Garage’.
With more exciting features, content and speakers confirmed, check out the full line up
Live Discussions | Live Show | Authors | Law Enforcement Officers | CrimeCon UK
Mark Thomas, Head of Marketing UK, Benelux, Nordics at A+E Networks® UK - owner of the Crime + Investigation channel says: “We’re incredibly excited to be the headline partner for the first ever CrimeCon event in the UK. Speaking to such a dedicated and enthusiastic true crime audience is a fantastic opportunity to cement Crime + Investigation’s
authority in the true crime space
. We’re looking forward to bringing the brand into the real world with some exciting activations that will allow us to communicate with true crime fans across all our platforms.”
CrimeCon was created in 2017. Kevin Balfe, co-founder of Exhibit A Events Ltd, says; “Year after year UK true crime fans ask us if we’ll ever bring CrimeCon across the pond. We’re thrilled to have found the right partners so we can finally answer yes! As new fans will soon find out, CrimeCon is more than just an event: it is a platform for advocacy, education, compassion, and justice. From cold cases to forensics, from psychology to cybercrime - it’s a weekend experience that has something for everyone.”
Michael Dynan, co-founder of Exhibit A Events Ltd, says in response to the latest Government COVID-19 announcements; “We launched CrimeCon UK on 24 th September 2020 during the pandemic and it’s been a very challenging past year but extensive focus group feedback demonstrates a real desire to look ahead and plan experiences. Having needed to move our original June date, we are preparing positively for September 2021 and putting in place all the necessary measures to react swiftly to any future changes due to COVID-19. We’ve had an incredible amount of support from the true crime community, five major international partners are confirmed and actively working on the event, and we’ve sold COVID-proof tickets including to international visitors, the audience is capped at 700 guests, and we are at 90% occupancy with 3 weeks to go with only SILVER tickets remaining.”
