Movin’ & Shakin’

Well, well, well, here we are again, gearing up for San Diego Comic Con.  I hope you aren’t just now thinking about going ‘cause it’s too late.  Hotels are pretty much sold out (well anyone you could afford,) tickets are pretty much sold out (well the days you actually wanted to attend,) and tables/booths (especially for artist’s alley) are pretty much gone.

SDCC has become a mad-house in the last few years, it’s hot, stinky, and WAY overcrowded.  You can’t get a meal without standing in line for an hour and don’t even think about taking a car down near the Gaslamp or the Convention Center.  Everything is overpriced, overbooked, and generally a pain in the ass, that being said…

What the hell do you mean you are thinking about moving it somewhere else?

That’s not funny man!  I mean I like to bitch about Con as much as anyone but you can’t just up and move it.  It has heritage, it has style, it has all those hotels and restaurants wanting my business. You can’t go changing it willy-nilly now that I can finally find my way around!  Seriously, there is nothing like SDCC.  The location is actually quite fabulous there are things to do (Sea World, the beach, the Zoo, Museums) quite close so that you can turn this into a real vacation or family holiday but not so close that your attention is divided.  Besides where else can you pack in 1 million nerds without so much as a scuffle (usually) from the locals.

Ok, ok, Con has some problems (see paragraphs 1 & 2) but do we really want it to move?

As those of you in the know already know, San Diego’s contract with Con is up in 2012 and it’s causing panic in the streets–or at least on the forums.  Where will it go?  What will we do?

Let’s look at some of the options if it does decide to move: Las Vegas, Anaheim, Los Angeles.

Las Vegas–no way.  Any of you ever been to Las Vegas?  Ok, let me rephrase, any of you ever REMEMBER your trip to Las Vegas.  That is my point.  There are about a million things to do (& drink) in Las Vegas who will have time for Con?  Sure there are a ton of rooms in Vegas but are there rooms that everyday people can afford to buy for a week?  What about food?  There are some super fun, expensive restaurants but what about snack food… ok there is the famous buffet but unless you have a coupon your paying $30 a meal… of course you could eat enough that you only need one per day.  Do we want all the fans spending there money on wine, women, & song when they are supposed to be buying action figures and original art?  There was a Con in Vegas several years ago and it was a total disaster, you could hear crickets in the very large convention center.

Anaheim–no way.  Mickey Mouse already gets too much of our money we don’t need him to be next door to Con!  What I mean is we are going to be competing for rooms & restaurants in Anaheim with Disney-goers.  Not to mention if you have a choice of going to Disney for $80 or for Con what are you going to pick–see how many 4 day passes you sell then.  Again, things aren’t cheap in the land of Mickey–there are more average priced hotels & restaurants but still not as many as in San Diego.  (Actually, I can’t really think of any super good reasons why Anaheim is bad, except change is bad therefore Anaheim is bad!)

LA–no way.  Seriously, no way!  You ever driven in LA, you ever been from po-dunk WI or WY or IL and then tried to drive in LA–they will run you off the road.  People will be spread all over hill and dale.  No more camaraderie, no more fans roaming the streets at all hours (safely) dressed as there favorite what-the-hell-ever. Sure there are lots of places to eat and sleep in LA but there are also a lot of distractions for you money and your time.  Again, hard to sell four day passes when people are off wondering around (lost) in your city.  Besides, I don’t think LA is mentally ready for Con.

So, what if it stays in San Diego.  There is a $700 million plan to expand by 2015 and to use some of the surrounding hotel facilities until that expansion is ready.  They expanded before and Con grew by leaps and bounds, I’m sure it will happen the same way again. There are also plans for hotel expansions in the works.

And with the expanded space, we will all be happier not to be standing in Chewbacca’s armpit while we wait in a three hour line so that we can get a ticket to wait in another two hour line so that we may or may not win the lottery to get our favorite actors autograph.

If you build it they will come.

If you move it they will be drunk and not spend their money on the right things.

Kristy Miller

VP, Development

Hi-Fi Design