Well, this will be no surprise but it’s just the latest shock for how the coronavirus pandemic has turned out world inside out: CCI is cancelling this year’s San Diego Comic Con. But it will return in 2021, July 22-25.
Badge holders can get a refund or transfer to 2021. Deposits for hotel reservations that had been made via OnPeak will be fully refunded. (Although the annual hotel loteery for attendees had not been made yet, certain professionals and exhibitors had booked rooms already.)
WonderCon has been rescheduled for March 26-28, 2021. In addition, Balboa Park rennovations curreounding the grand opening of the Comic-Con Museum have been scaled back.
This is a sad day. Normally, I’d already be in the thick of panel planning and wardrobe shopping fpr this year’s SDCC< and I’d probably have had my first hotel anxiety dream by now.
As sad as it is, the state of the world – and the need for safety – made this the right move. And when we do all come together in health to celebrate comics, it’s going to be one hell of a party. See you in 2021!
For the first time in its 50-year history San Diego Comic Convention (SDCC), the organizers behind the annual pop culture celebration, announced today with deep regret, that there will be no Comic-Con in 2020. The event will instead return to the San Diego Convention Center from July 22-25, 2021.
Recognizing that countless attendees save and plan for its conventions each year, and how many exhibitors and stakeholders rely upon its events for a major portion of their livelihood, they had hoped to delay this decision in anticipation that COVID-19 concerns might lessen by summer. Continuous monitoring of health advisories and recent statements by the Governor of California have made it clear that it would not be safe to move forward with plans for this year.
Similarly, WonderCon Anaheim, which was to have been held April 10-12, 2020 will return to the Anaheim Convention Center from March 26-28, 2021.
In addition to their conventions, Comic-Con has been planning a major renovation of Balboa Park’s Federal Building to be completed for the grand opening of the Comic-Con Museum in the summer of 2021. However, the COVID-19 situation has had an effect on those efforts as well. As such, they will be rephasing the Museum’s initially planned major renovations, but will not scale back the experience to be offered to visitors upon the Museum’s grand opening. They anticipate releasing building plans illustrating the Museum’s transformation and sharing more information about those efforts in the coming months.
SDCC also announced that individuals who purchased badges for Comic-Con 2020 will have the option to request a refund or transfer their badges to Comic-Con 2021. All 2020 badge holders will receive an email within the next week with instructions on how to request a refund. Exhibitors for Comic-Con 2020 will also have the option to request a refund or transfer their payments to Comic-Con 2021 and will also receive an email within the next week with instructions on how to process their request.
In the next few days onPeak, Comic-Con’s official hotel affiliate, will be canceling all hotel reservations and refunding all deposits made through them. There is no need for anyone who booked through onPeak to take any action, including trying to cancel their reservations online or contacting the company via phone as the process will be handled automatically. Those who booked rooms through onPeak will be notified when refunds have been completed.
“Extraordinary times require extraordinary measures and while we are saddened to take this action, we know it is the right decision,” said David Glanzer, spokesperson for the organization. “We eagerly look forward to the time when we can all meet again and share in the community we all love and enjoy.”
It’s the only thing to do. For a lot of reasons. Must try to put this into perspective. It’s only an inconvenience. For me. It’s not like dinner is cancelled. But for the pros who work the con, I feel sorry for.
Total gutpunch.
This year would’ve marked my 35th anniversary of going to the con non-stop.
Summer is officially over before it’s even begun.
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Coat
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