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Cat lovers, artists, and advocates in Florida are in for a deal with this January with the launch of Space Cats Florida, a brand new conference designed to have fun the whole lot feline. Founded by Leeza Hernandez, a lifelong cat fanatic, artist, and entrepreneur, the occasion guarantees to unite creativity and compassion in help of cats in want.
Space Cats Florida is going down on January twenty fifth and twenty sixth 2025 on the Space Coast Convention Center in Cocoa, Florida.
Catster is happy to announce this occasion and share extra details about the way it obtained began and what guests can count on. We spoke with Leeza to get the within scoop.
From Sketching Cats to Convention CEO: Leeza’s Journey
Leeza’s profession has at all times been deeply intertwined with artwork and her love for cats. From her early days as a graphic designer and illustrator to authoring and illustrating the youngsters’s e book Catnapped! in 2013, she has frequently discovered methods to merge her inventive abilities together with her ardour for felines.
In 2017, Leeza’s journey took a brand new flip when she attended the Catsbury Park Cat Convention in New Jersey. Initially planning to go to as a fan, she determined to showcase her work as an alternative, combining e book signings with artwork prints impressed by her cat sketches. “My booth was a hit, and I quickly realized I could turn my love of cats and art into a flourishing creative venture.” Leeza quickly started touring to cat conventions nationwide, a few of which included CatCon Worldwide, Meow MeetUp, SeaMeow, and Catsbury Park, connecting with the colourful group of cat lovers.
However, when the pandemic paused in-person occasions, Leeza discovered herself lacking the group and vitality of those gatherings. After relocating to Florida and studying that no East Coast conventions had been returning, she determined to take issues into her personal arms. With encouragement from fellow distributors and her husband, Leeza launched into a mission to create Space Cats Florida.
“I never imagined hosting my own convention, but when no East Coast cat events returned after the pandemic, I realized it was time to step up and create something for the community I love,” Leeza shared.
The Heart of Space Cats Florida
Space Cats Florida, going down on January twenty fifth and twenty sixth on the Space Coast Convention Center in Cocoa, FL, is greater than only a celebration of cats—it’s a motion to make a tangible influence. Partnering with the Brevard Humane Society, the occasion goals to help their efforts find endlessly houses for cats and elevating consciousness about animal welfare.
“Space Cats Florida isn’t just about celebrating our love of cats—it’s about uniting as a community to make a real difference for the cats who need us most,” Leeza defined. “[It’s] a celebration of everything I love about cats and community with a deep desire to connect cat lovers, experts, and beyond in this state. As an artist who has always donated a portion of my art sales to help cats in need, this event felt like a natural extension of that mission.”
The conference will characteristic distinctive distributors, interactive Cativity stations, and academic shows from cat consultants. Special friends embrace social media star Nathan The Cat Lady on Saturday and a meet-and-greet with a Maine Coon named PEAK on Sunday. With a mix of enjoyable and advocacy, the occasion is ready to be a spotlight for cat fans throughout the area.
A Community Effort
Organizing a conference is not any small feat, however Leeza has obtained immense help from her household, buddies, and volunteers, in addition to the audio system and distributors who share her imaginative and prescient. While the inaugural 12 months’s staff is small, their dedication and fervour are the driving forces behind the occasion’s creation.
“We might be small in our inaugural year, but we will be mighty!” Leeza shared.
Event Details
- When: January twenty fifth and twenty sixth, 2025
- Where: Space Coast Convention Center, 301 Tucker Lane, Cocoa, FL
- Tickets: Available at spacecatsflorida.com or by way of Eventbrite at https://SpaceCatsFlorida.eventbrite.com Tickets vary from $10 to $55.
The weekend of feline enjoyable guarantees an thrilling expertise for cat lovers, breeders, and professionals, that includes a dynamic lineup of audio system and actions:
- SurferCat Mavi: Star of Cat People on Netflix and featured on The Today Show and People Magazine, Mavi the Bengal cat is an excessive athlete—browsing, snowboarding, and extra. He’s at present filming a journey present in Italy.
- Kate Benjamin: Founder of Hauspanther and co-author of Catification, she’ll share her experience in trendy and useful cat design.
- Sterling ‘TrapKing’ Davis: A former rapper and TNR advocate, Davis promotes variety in animal welfare and contributes to controlling feral cat populations.
- Ellen Carozza: Known because the “Cat LVT,” Carozza will supply helpful tips about feline well being and care, selling adoption via the Chris Griffey Memorial Feline Foundation.
- Nathan Kehn (Nathan The Cat Lady): A passionate cat welfare advocate, Nathan has labored throughout the nation with shelters and rescues to enhance the lives of cats.
Activities embrace:
- Lunar Lounge: Cats for adoption from the Brevard Humane Society.
- DIY Cat Toy & Friendship Bracelet Station: Fun for households and cat lovers.
- Intergalactic Photo Backdrop: Perfect for social media images.
- Celebrity Cat Meet ‘n’ Greets: Photo ops with well-known cats.
- Art Wall: A coloring station for teenagers.
- Fundraising Activities: Support native cat charities.
- Cat Product Giveaways/Vendors: Browse the “Space Cat Walk” for merchandise and win prizes.
A particular thanks is given to sponsors like Zymox and CatLady Box for supporting this occasion!
Looking Ahead
Leeza’s final aim is to determine Space Cats Florida as an annual occasion that continues to increase the cat group, educate attendees, and lift consciousness. “This convention is a celebration of everything we love about cats—community, creativity, and compassion—all coming together for a purr-pose,” she mentioned.
With plans to develop and evolve, Space Cats Florida goals to turn out to be a trusted occasion for cat fans within the Southeast—a must-attend conference that blends enjoyable, schooling, and advocacy.
For extra info and updates, go to spacecatsflorida.com.
The publish Space Cats Florida: The Southeast’s Newest Cat Convention Launches This Weekend by Nicole Cosgrove appeared first on Catster. Copying over complete articles infringes on copyright legal guidelines. You will not be conscious of it, however all of those articles had been assigned, contracted and paid for, so they don’t seem to be thought-about public area. However, we admire that you just just like the article and would find it irresistible for those who continued sharing simply the primary paragraph of an article, then linking out to the remainder of the piece on Catster.com.