MANILA – A lot of Filipinos are so much into pop culture that it was not difficult at all for the organizers to choose the Philippines to host AsiaPOP Comicon (APCC) for two years in a row.

In an interview at the sidelines of the APCC press conference on Wednesday, Abdulla Mahmood, marketing and business development head of the Al Ahli Holding Group, said they actually didn’t have to sell the concept among Filipino fans because “they already knew” what it is about.

“All we needed to do is give them a platform where they all could come together and celebrate this. That’s exactly what we did last year and we got an overwhelming response,” he said.

Compared to the normal conventions in other countries, Mahmood said the APCC will be a lot bigger and more exciting because they have managed to tap into the different strata of society.

“What we wanted to do is to expand our horizon. It used to be traditionally gaming, movies, toys, collectibles and cosplays. But this year, we have added elements of beauty, fashion, lifestyle and sports. With this, we have actually covered all the pop culture elements,” he said. “We have something for the kids, teenagers, geeks, beautiful woman, the family crowd. It turns out to be a complete carnival event.”

For this year, the convention will feature interesting personalities during the three-day event to be held at the SMX Convention Center from Friday to Sunday.

Among the Hollywood headliners who will grace the pop culture convention are Nicholas Hoult from “X-Men,” Claire Holt from “The Originals,” Joe Dempsie from “Game of Thrones” and Millie Bobby Brown from “Stranger Things.”

The event will also feature comic artists including Mike Zeck, Ken Lashley, Billy Tan, Jason Palmer and Whilce Portacio.

Furthermore, the APCC will see a cosplay competition -- dubbed The CAGE -- which will feature cosplayers like Alodia Gosiengfiao, Myrtle Sarrosa, Riddle, Ani Mia, Lindze Merritt and Yugana Senshi Uon.

Another highlight would be the Hall M which will treat fans with exclusive content from Marvel’s movie, television and web series.

“We have managed to tie up with big studios like Marvel Studios and we are showcasing the Hall M concept where there will be exclusive showcase of Marvel movies, gaming, TVs and never before seen footages which will really excite the geeks and the fans,” Mahmood said.

Tickets for APCC, which will be held at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City on August 26 to 28, are already available in all SM Ticket outlets.