Effort To Relocate Comic-Con From San Diego Could Spell Out Big Business For LA
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — One of the most lucrative conventions in the country could be moving to Los Angeles.
A competition is underway to relocate Comic-Con, a summer festival that celebrates comic books, fantasy and science fiction, from San Diego.
The event is attracting larger crowds every year. This year, an estimated 130,000 Comic-Con attendees filed into the San Diego Convention Center. Many people camp out overnight to get a ticket.
It's grown so popular that some argue it's outgrown the convention center.
"It's spread out into the local hotels, into their ballrooms and their conference rooms. It's in the parking lot now. You feel those 130,000 people," according to Variety Senior Editor Marc Graser, who covers the event each year.
Other cities with larger convention centers, including L.A. and Anaheim, are making a bid to host Comic-Con, according to Steven Johnson, public affairs vice president for the S.D. Convention Center.
It could spell out big business for the victor.
"They've been very upfront with us and told us what I've said to you about other cities reaching out to them. And I would argue Anaheim is a more direct competitor than L.A. would be," Johnson said.
Graser says L.A. was so bent on luring the event away from San Diego that they offered to host the event for $1.
And with good reason: Last year, attendees racked up $61,000 hotel nights during the four-night convention, which contributed an estimated $180 million to the local economy.
But Johnson says San Diego officials and tourism groups will fight hard to keep the event in the city where it began more than 40 years ago: "Comic-Con grew up in San Diego, they are based in San Diego, they'd love to stay in San Diego. So we're doing everything we can to make sure we keep them."
