or at least the con-goers...

http://www.pinkraygun.com/2007/07/31/th ... e-comicon/

http://blogs.amctv.com/scifiscanner/200 ... an-di.html

For a city with a struggling economy, you think he'd be grateful for the 150k people in his city spending money during the show.

Mike is this guy for real??

There was a news show I watched while I was at the con last year that reported that SDCC is one convention the economy sees comparatively little benefit from. Most of the smaller conventions actually pump much more money into the economy than the huge crowd at CC. For all the money spent on geek hobby items inside the center, as a group the fans are very frugal out on the street. And it costs a lot for the city to provide services for the convention...so I can understand the other sides point of view.

I can see that. Most comic fans aren't going down to the Gas Lamp district, dropping $50 on dinner and another $50 on drinks every night. I know when I go to WWC, the only meal we eat out is dinner, but it's not like we're dropping a ton of money like people going an industry convention who are on per diem or something.

I know when I go to a convention for my work, my company gives me actuals and my spending habits are MUCH different.

Well, San Francisco has been trying to get the Con to move up there. Comic Con has outgrown San Diego.

Oh boy, you can say that again....

This was my first time visiting San Diego and the Comic-con. It's a beautiful city that is full of great day activities, but my day is monopolized by the Con. I felt the night life and dining experience was not up to snuff. Service was slow, restaurants close to early, and last call is too early in some bars/clubs. It's a great city for family vacations, corporate conferences, and R&R. It's not the best locale for excitement.

Well, I'm not sure if the Mayor was making a joke, having a bad day or what, but as far as I know, he's always been a huge supporter of SDCC. This goes all the way back to when he was the Chief of Police. He worked overtime during the weekend of the convention to make sure there was extra security and more traffic cops in the gaslamp.

I know it's difficult to measure because of the con's non-profit status, but SDCC's economic impact on the city of San Diego is enormous. According to the San Diego Convention And Vistors Bureau, the city made nearly 700,000 dollars in tax revenues from SDCC last year. Believe me, the Mayor and the City Council are keenly aware of how important Comic-Con is to the city of San Diego. It was announced before the show started that the convention organizers signed an agreement with the city that will keep them here through 2012.

I know that the show's too big. I know that we've outgrown the facility. I know that some people have suggested splitting the con up over two weekends (The movie stuff one week and then the comic stuff the next). I don't know what'll happen, but I know that SDCC is going to be here in San Diego for awhile.

>>This was my first time visiting San Diego and the Comic-con. It's a beautiful city that is full of great day activities, but my day is monopolized by the Con. I felt the night life and dining experience was not up to snuff. Service was slow, restaurants close to early, and last call is too early in some bars/clubs. It's a great city for family vacations, corporate conferences, and R&R. It's not the best locale for excitement.<<

Interesting that you say that. My first Comic-Con was in 1982 and downtown San Diego was a very, very different place then. There was no Gaslamp Quarter, no Seaport Village, no Horton Plaza, no Petco Park and no Convention Center. The con was held at the San Diego Concourse and Golden Hall. Downtown was basically nothing but a few hotels, office buildings, tatoo parlors, card rooms and strip joints. There was one, count'em, ONE place to eat that was within walking distance of Golden Hall: A Denny's on 11th Avenue. That was it. If you didn't care for Denny's, you had to drive out to the suburbs. And there was no trolley then, either.

Now, the events guide has six full pages of different places you can get something to eat that are within walking distance of the Convention Center.

Mike
(Which is nice. I was getting sick of Denny's.)

Could this be part of the problem? I"ve been hearing some flack somewhere (don't remember where -- maybe G4's ComicCon specials?) about how the Con's having to try to justify why it should get non-profit status. Not sure who's giving them the flack, but perhaps it's San Diego, wanting more money?

Davy

I know we tried our best to be frugal, but had limited success. I find it hard to believe there isn't a huge economic shot in the arm provided by SDCC. We took some taxis, we went to bars, we ate dinner in downtown (the mahi-mahi tacos at Fred's Mexican Rest. were great!) and we generally spent money here and there even as we tried not to spend too much.

I think the majority of the con attendees are not showing up with a loaf of bread and a jar of peanut butter from home for the entire stay, but rather, spending money for food and entertainment after the con.

Too funny. I know people who vacation this way. One big meal per day at a restaraunt and the other two meals are PB or canned ravioli to balance out the cost.

In my personal con experience, I usually am so busy I forget to eat mid day. I've done this so often I consider having granola bars an essential item in attending.

That Ralph's Supermarket on First and Broadway is always swarming with con-goers buying up soda, sandwiches and candy.

Here is my con-related spending:

Hotel in La Mesa
1 4-day trolley pass
Dinner at Denny's
Breakfast food from Albertson's
Lunch at Sammy's wood-fired pizza (excellent)
Went to Comickaze and SoCal Comics (bought comics)
Doughnuts!
Mailed a box from the post office at Horton Plaza
Dinner at the Strip Club (It's strip steaks, I tell you! Steaks!)
Meals at Wendy's (twice)
Candy from Ralph's
2 movie tickets to the Pacific Gaslamp Theater

It was close to $600 in total for San Diego's coffers.

Chris and Hutch...have either of you been to Comic Con? This is not a shot at either of you but the gaslamp and its restaurants were flooded with Congoers. Ralph's always had people going in and out of it and at just about every tourist attraction around San Diego there were a lot of people with Con badges on. I just find it very hard to believe this isn't a huge boost to the San Diego economy every year. I didn't see a lot of frugality downtown and I know I wasn't frugal. I can't wait till next year. In fact I am gonna go register now it's $50 until tomorrow for 4 days and preview night.

Side note though...can anyone explain to me how I was in line 3 times at the Hasbro booth including preview night and I still didn't land even one Destro? That woman manning the Hasbro booth was more annoying than the broad in charge of Ballroom 20.

Hitman, not taken as a shot at all. I'm just going by what I observe at WWC. I'm VERY glad to hear that the Congoers are putting money in the city's coffers, that's what keeps cons successful (and probably partly why WWC is having so much trouble).

I plan to be there next year to support SDCC and San Diego regardless.