Los Angeles has managed to land Microsoft’s Worldwide Partner Conference for next year — a coup for the city and the largest convention in its history. But a bigger prize may yet await: the behemoth international Comic-Con event that has called San Diego home for more than 40 years.
Comic-Con is seeking a new venue because it draws huge crowds from around the world that have overwhelmed the San Diego Convention Center and led to ticket sales caps. Los Angeles and Anaheim are courting organizers pretty aggressively — but San Diego won’t let its cash cow go without a fight. Recently, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported that city fathers there are offering half a million dollars in hotel tax revenue over five years to compensate organizers for the cost of shuttling attendees around the four-day convention.
A decision on the future of Comic-Con in San Diego is expected soon. Meanwhile, conventioneers are preparing their costumes for this year’s event, July 22-25.
