San Diego Comic-Con appears to be waiting for the right time to make the announcement for cancellation. They are currently weighing their options and seeing exactly what a cancellation will mean for them. There is a lot to think about regarding how it will affect them financially. There is no doubt that they will be back next year but it is just a matter of time until they announce that’s what they will be going for.
In a new piece by the San Diego Union-Tribune, San Diego Tourism Authority chief executive Joe Terzi says a final decision regarding whether the convention will take place this July is imminent.
“They are evaluating any financial liability they might have with a cancellation, and once they determine that, they’ll make a decision,” Terzi tells the paper. “Based on our knowledge of the event, it will be very difficult for them to have that event in July. With other events you could do things to keep people separate, but Comic-Con is a whole different animal, it’s a massive sea of people.”
The Union-Tribune also reported that they are in the process of working with the hotels to see what kind of deals they can cut with patrons for cancellations. “any cancellation fees or penalties for this year’s event be waived as we work through this challenging process. Comic-Con continues to be a loyal partner and important economic generator for the City of San Diego and has been for over 50 years.”
They bring in a crowd of over 135,000 people who all join together to celebrate cosplay, comics, movies and pop culture. Every year there are huge announcements that cover everything from Marvel, DC to Warner Bros. and Universal Studios. The convention this year will be sorely missed as many were hoping that they would be in the clear by the time the convention was supposed to start.
Currently the convention center is housing homeless people who were staying in many other shelters. They moved them in order to keep them safe though many people are saying it’s only a matter of time before they have a massive outbreak.
Regardless of cancellation for Comic-Con or not the convention center will need a massive cleaning before any other convention is held at the facility. If only to get it sanitized from potential contamination from COVID-19.
*cover image credit: Doug Kline
