Los Angeles Set to Host WonderCon 2016

April 7, 2015

Previously held in California’s Bay Area before growing to 60,000 attendees and moving to Anaheim, WonderCon, sister show to Comic-Con International, will be held March 25-27 at the  Los Angeles Convention Center next year,

“Los Angeles is honored to have been selected as the destination for WonderCon 2016. We look forward to establishing a long-term partnership with Comic-Con International, the presenter, and helping them establish a home-base in L.A. We anticipate the show to be highly attended and to set the precedent for future successful Comic-Con events in L.A.,” said Mayor Eric Garcetti.

The projected total economic impact of WonderCon for L.A. is more than $32 million dollars during a 3-day period.

“The Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board (LATCB) sales and marketing team, the Los Angeles Convention Center (LACC), AEG, and the hotel and business community have extensively collaborated to offer a mutually beneficial proposal that would be appealing to WonderCon and its attendees, while simultaneously driving millions of dollars in economic impact for the City of Los Angeles,” said Jon F. Vein, President, Board of Los Angeles Convention & Tourism Development Commissioners.

Comic-Con International took over the show in 2002 and moved it from Oakland, Calif., to downtown San Francisco in 2003.

After 15 years as a Bay Area event, WonderCon moved to Anaheim in 2012 because of construction at San Francisco’s Moscone Center.

According to local Anaheim press reports, the venue could not accommodate 2016 dates for the show, but it could possibly return in 2017.

In the meantime, Los Angeles looks forward to welcoming the event.

“We’re accustomed to hosting large-scale, highly attended events here at the Los Angeles Convention Center and our neighboring L.A. Live Campus,” said Brad Gessner, AEG Facilities Senior Vice President and General Manager for the Los Angeles Convention Center.

He added, “Los Angeles is the second largest market in the country, positioned at the doorstep to Hollywood and offers unparalleled natural growth for WonderCon.”

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