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The San Diego Comic-Con Unofficial Blog reports:

In the Talk Back panel, which closes out the convention annually and where attendees can ask Comic-Con International officials questions and offer feedback, a fan asked if the convention would be returning to Anaheim next year.

And the answer, it turns out, is no — likely due to planned construction to the Anaheim Convention Center and its expansion, which breaks ground in October. Instead, it will be moving to Los Angeles, specifically to the Los Angeles Convention Center. No word on dates yet, though unofficially, we’ve heard Easter weekend is likely again.

The expansion, the center’s seventh, is scheduled to commence this Spring, with a tentative completion date of 2017.  Estimated to cost $190 Million, the city has authorized the selling of up to $300 Million in bonds. As with many such expansions (including San Diego), it is because of big shows contemplating moving elsewhere.  In this particular locale, the National Association of Music Merchants (96K attendees) and Natural Products Expo West (60K).  The annual $15 Million payment would be financed by a special 2 percent hotel tax on nearby hotels.  Of course, a possible taxpayer lawsuit is possible/probable.

The project, sited to the east of the arena and north of the Hilton, on the northern edge of the convention center, will produce two floors, each with 100,000 square feet of exhibition space, with the top floor being column-free.  (By comparison, Hall H in San Diego is 64,842 square feet.)  In addition to 1400 parking spaces, there will also be a connecting bridge to the existing convention center.

Here’s a video showcasing the architecture:

(Nice touch with the Disneyland fireworks!)

Where does this place Anaheim on the big list of convention centers?  Well, it’s already the largest on the West Coast.  Total space, it would tie with New York City and Houston for 13th place.  By exhibition space, totaling 1.015 Million square feet, it ranks…eleventh?

The Los Angeles Convention Center is about 100,000 square feet smaller, but WonderCon only used 524292, square feet of exhibition space this year (Halls B-D, and half of Hall B was used for the “stockyards” queue hall), so there should be plenty of space for exhibits in L.A.  WonderCon has experience with changing locations, as this will be the fourth city to host the event, which started in Oakland in 1987 before moving to the Moscone Center in San Francisco in 2003.  (It was the renovation of the Moscone which forced WonderCon to move to Anaheim in 2012.)

As for the reason(s) for moving…well, NAMM, which is even bigger than WonderCon (the meeting rooms on the Second and Third Floors are utilized as exhibition space!) is scheduled to return to Anaheim in January 2017, so construction might not be the reason.  It won’t affect the building that already exists, as the site under construction is a parking lot to the north of the Hilton hotel.  The convention center calendar shows nothing scheduled for March or April 2016, so space appears to be available.

More probable?  CCI is using this to test the market (much like they used the construction at the Moscone to move to Anaheim). When cities first began courting CCI:SD in 2010, it was reported that Los Angeles was offering events free rental of the center.  If this is true, that’s another important consideration.  While the rental for the San Diego Convention Center would have been $410,850 in 2014, CCI paid a discounted rate of $150,000.  Of course, CCI isn’t hurting for money (approximately $12 Million in reserve), and each WonderCon show seems to not only be profitable, but expanding as well.  (This year, the entire Anaheim Convention Center was reserved, although Halls A and E were not utilized.)  If they can fill the entire building at Anaheim, they can do the same in L.A., and get free rent, which would cover any potential loses.  If it’s a successful show, then CCI brands it and adds it to their calendar (Fall?).  If it’s a colossal failure (unlikely) or not as lucrative as hoped, then CCI can return to Anaheim with little damage to their brand, allowing the media and Internet commentators to recycle the current criticisms about the center downtown.  (But consider that Anime Expo has been located in L.A. since 2008.)

Of note, CCI has trademarked the terms “Los Angeles Comic-Con”, “Anaheim Comic-Con”, and “San Francisco Comic-Con”, back when cities were courting CCI:SD.  Given the first two, might we see an event in San Francisco as well?

A cautionary note before you start reacting… read this post from 2011, especially the comments!  A bit funny, in retrospect…

UPDATE!  Beat operative Nick Esky attended the Talk Back panel, and reports that the reason for the move is that Anaheim did not have dates available.  Which raises the question… an annual show… it’s successful… they can’t plan dates two-three years in advance? (Other non-profits can schedule large events for the next decade…)  Or was it something else?  Costs?  Does it hurt the brand to see it constantly on the move?

Might Comic-Con International actually move from San Diego?

Comic-Con International has yet to sign a contract for 2017 and 2018, and it looks uncertain whether America’s Finest City™  can convince CCI to remain in San Diego.

The Los Angeles Times reports:

With an expansion of San Diego’s convention center stalled, other Southern California convention center operators are making a play to lure away that city’s biggest and most profitable convention.

Organizers of the annual gathering of more than 130,000 comic book and pop culture fans are now considering suitors, including Los Angeles and Anaheim, as they weigh the option of signing a contract to stay in San Diego after Comic-Con’s convention next year or finding a new home.

“The proposals we’ve received are pretty amazing,” said David Glanzer, a spokesman for Comic-Con International. “It’s not an easy decision.”

Variables include:

• The San Diego Chargers want a new stadium/convention center to be built nearby, but the Hotel owners favor a contiguous space.  (Although, plenty of people walk over to Petco to take part in that comic-carnival.)  If the Chargers don’t get their way, they may move to Los Angeles.  (Yeah… good luck with that.)
• Financing the $520 Million was derailed when the state appeals court struck down the taxation scheme created to fund the expansion.
• The agreement with the hotels to provide event space for free and lock in hotel rates (which can be pricey, if you can reserve one) has been extended to 2018.
• CCI gets a discount rate on convention center rental.  In 2014, they paid $188,925, discounted from $479,535.

• Anaheim, the largest convention center on the West Coast, is starting its seventh expansion of their convention center, building a 200,000 square foot addition on the parking lot north of the Hilton Hotel.  It’s scheduled for completion in 2017.  Meanwhile, the rest of the center is available, and WonderCon has been there since 2012.  (Although, financing might be subject to a legal challenge.)
• Nine new hotels have been built or are being constructed near the ACC, adding 1500 new rooms to the 13,000 already nearby.
• The reason for the expansion?  Trade shows are threatening to leave for larger spaces!  (NAMM arrives next week.  WonderCon will be there in early April, and will use the entire building?)

My point of view?

I attended the American Library Association annual conference in Anaheim in 2012.  They use a lot of conference space for committee meetings, which limits them to locales with large convention centers and numerous hotels.  (They held a winter conference in San Diego in January 2011.)

I stayed in a motel near the interstate, a twenty-minute walk to the convention center.  The weather was nice for late June.  Sometimes I took a shuttle bus, most times I walked, as Anaheim is very flat.  There is Anaheim Resort Transit which offers trolley buses around the area, as well the expected convention shuttles.

Could Comic-Con work in Anaheim?  I think so.  Would fans have to compete with Disneyland for hotel rooms?  Possibly, although I had no trouble booking a room.  How much of Disney’s attendance is regional, and how much is transient?  (Don’t forget… there are three Disney hotels on site, and many more north of the park.  Families can also plan their vacations around Comic-Con, if hotel rooms are scarce.)  (Have people attending WonderCon had any trouble booking hotels?)  (What about NAMM?)  (Oh… and it’s not a major holiday, like the surge seen during Winter Break.)

Does Anaheim lack the ambience of Old Town?  Sure.  But thanks to Disney, there are numerous eateries nearby at a wide range of budgets.  (My fave: Star Burger, a korean burger joint!)  And let’s face it… Downtown Disney is better than Horton Plaza!

The convention center?  Bigger and easier to move around in.  It’s not as long (four halls instead of eight), so you’re not walking as far to get somewhere.  (A fifth exhibition hall is located underneath the main floor, and the expansion pictured above will connect via a pedestrian bridge.)  The two upper levels of meeting space are easy to access, and have roomy pre-function space.  There’s an attached arena for 8,700 spectators.  The biggest Hall, D, can seat 15,000 in a theater configuration, and use Hall E below as a holding pen!  San Diego’s Hall H?  6,130.

CCI already uses the facility for WonderCon, and this year (the fourth in Anaheim) seems to have rented the entire building.  Thus they have local experience.  Attendance is in the neighborhood of 50,000, but that can change rapidly, especially in the current climate of media shows, and it being one of the first big shows of the year.

I wouldn’t be surprised if it does move.  I wouldn’t be surprised if it doesn’t.  San Diego doesn’t want CCI to leave, as evidenced by the current Mayor and hotels eager to please.  CCI could stay through 2018, use Anaheim as a backup plan, and ankle if the expansion funding isn’t solved by then.  CCI could flip the two shows…  WonderCon in SD in April, CCI in Anaheim in July.  Maybe a third show in LA, just to test the waters.

John Rogers looking as stoic as usual.

Though WonderCon has been in Anaheim for three years now, no event goes without some sort of hiccup or two. Myself being more use to the larger conventions like Comic-Con in San Diego, I was prepared to hear a pummel of negative feedback from the line gathered for this year’s Talk Back panel. A familiar face, president of Comic-Con Internation John Rogers, sat alone at the table, thick notebook at the ready. Those not in the know, this panel is geared toward hearing the thoughts and concerns of fellow convention goers to see what was done well, or what issues need to be addressed. Comic-Con’s Talk Back’s are known for some heated words and hurt feelings.

But for WonderCon, that really wasn’t the case.

What I thought would have been a large line actually only mounted to maybe about a dozen individuals, almost of which had positive things to say about the convention. The compliments ranged from, “easy check-in process,” “great hotel selections,” to “very well managed.” The consensus though was “please keep WonderCon in Anaheim.”

The few meager grievances that were mentioned were the lack of chairs afforded to exhibitors, and of security. It seems that every year, despite what convention you go to, security is always an issue. Since these conventions get so large, a third party security company is needed to help. They aren’t direct employees of the convention, but of the security company, and this allows for a lot of the security personal to be unaware of certain comings and goings. “One security guard told us to wait in a line against the wall for one of the halls, and then later another security guard told us we couldn’t be there,” says one man. “It’s hard to have to listen to someone when they don’t all communicate.”

As for suggestions for the future of WonderCon, one gentleman asked if there were plans to expand into the other halls and rooms of the convention center. John Rogers answered, “We’ve added some additional space compared to last year. We don’t want to go too crazy too fast. That’s what happened with Comic-Con, and now it’s just too hard to manage.”

As I mentioned earlier on how everyone asked to keep WonderCon in Anaheim, the very last person in line posed the question directly; “Will WonderCon be back in Anaheim next year?” In reply, Comic-Con president said, “At this time nothing is finalized if WonderCon will be back in Anaheim next year. We are looking at a few other options, so we’ll make that announcement once we know.”

I was happy to hear all the great things said by WonderCon attendees. The air was positive, and everyone seemed generally happy with how the convention was slowly evolving. Whether or not WonderCon will be back in Anaheim next year and keep these good vibrations, it will remain to be seen.

~Nicholas Eskey

Fox pictures have a number of exciting movies coming out this year, spanning a number of different audiences.

Guest moderator Ralph Garman introduced the first movie, How to Train Your Dragon 2. Director Dean DeBlois and surprisingly Jay Baruchel (voice of Hiccup) took to the stage. After showing a completed first five minutes of the movie (which looked fantastic by the way) DeBlois elaborated that this second film of what is to be a trilogy takes place five years after the first movie, showing how our characters and the village have both grown and learned to make living with dragons part of their daily lives. “We also see that Stoick (Hiccup’s father) has changed from seeing his son as an embarrassment, to becoming an overly proud dad that has high hopes for his son. Hiccup can’t deal with these aspirations.” And we’ll be introduced to a new villain, Drago Bludvist, and how he plans to put a permanent wedge between the humans and dragons. How to Train your Dragon is coming to theatres June 13th.

Following next, Ralph Garman introduced the cast of Dawn of the Planet of the Apes to the stage. Director Matt Reeves, Keri Russell, Gary Oldman, and Andy Serkis. “This movie follows years after the virus is released from the first movie and humans are extinct, or that they are thought to be,” says Matt. “We see that Caesar now is the leader of his tribe, and he has a family; a wife, one teenage son and a new baby.”

As it later introduced into the film that humans are still alive, it creates a conflict between the two species and inside Caesar himself. “Caesar is an ape, but he also had a human dad,” explained the director. “And he knows how it is to lose someone you love, so he’s empathetic to the survivors. He has to walk a fine line between his feelings and keeping his tribe together. And we see how there was a possibility that two could have lived together, but of course we all know what happens. That’s not a surprise.”

After watching the short movie clip they show us and listening to the discussion of the internal struggles on both the important parties of the movie, it’s difficult to decide who you want to root for. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes will be seeing theatres this July 11th.
Based off the widely popular young adult book by the same name, Maze Runner is what I see as a futuristic Lord of the Flies. This movie adapted by James Dashner’s book has all the makings of the next Hunger Games, by which I mean futuristic technology set in a forest setting, and the murder of teenagers. The movie does have some exciting action shots for those who like to run and fight, thrown in with a lot of CGI.

Presenting the movie were the director Wes Ball, author James Dashner, actor Will Poulter, and actor Dylan O’Brien (made famous by the series Teen Wolf). The author confessed that for his book a number of influences were the book Ender’s Game, the book Lord of the Flies, the show Lost, and his fear of mazes. “Remember in the Shining with the maze scene? Mazes creep me out. If you’ve ever been in a corn maze then you know.” The anticipated Maze Runner will be out September 19th of this year.

Moderator Ralph Garman introduced a last minute addition into the screening lineup. Coming out this fall is a spy movie called Secret Service. Its notable actors are Colin Firth (famous for many things including his portrayal of Mister Darcy in a BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice) and Samuel L. Jackson who will be playing the villain in this movie. Its setting is somewhere in the U.K., and the premise is that it deals with an organization that is funded by private investors as to not be hampered by politics and bureaucracy. The action sequences appear to be a faster paced Avengers, and technology stolen by Spykids. Still a work in progress.

And finally, what the Arena seemed to be waiting the most for, Ralph Garman introduced X-Men: Days of Future Past. The extended trailer and snippet of the movie looked beautiful and action packed. Unfortunately as a last minute change up, director Bryan Singer didn’t show (for reasons I’m sure we all know), but in his stead we had writer Simon Kinberg. He elaborated on things in the movie spanning from the politics in the 70’s, art styles of the bleak future and bright past, and as well as the convoluted concept of time travel. “Even though in the original comic that the movie is based off of they had Kitty go back in time, we decided that Wolverine worked better. James Cameron really helped us with the idea of time travel and how it scientifically would work, so you’ll see a lot of that in the film.”

In part of his final words, Simon Kinberg also added that he hopes this movie will make up for the failures of the 3rd X-Men movie, which was based off of the Dark Phoenix comic arc. X-Men: Days of Future Past will be out May 23rd; Not soon enough.