City Of San Diego Pursues Randy Moss Strategy In Wooing Comic-Con

Lori Weisberg of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports that San Diego has offered Comic-Con an additional half-million dollar inducement targeted at shuttle services in their ongoing bid to secure the show for 2013 and beyond. The money would come from a nonprofit hotelier group called the Tourism Marketing District. Factors cited in making the offer were the publicity the con brings, the overflow business it brings, its success during a down economy, and recognition of the fact that the bloc of hotels working with the con has expanded in recent years and that expansion brings with it new shuttle concerns.

Speaking for the con, David Glanzer thanked the group for the offer and said that it would be part of the ongoing decision-making process that's expected to end soon. If nothing else, this puts a new light on that process seemingly being extended a few more weeks -- if that means one of the offers is improved, it's smart for them to do.

Personally and professionally I believe San Diego is the best place for them to be. It's the best location of the three to visit, "San Diego" is a significant part of their branding, the remove from LA gives it a sexy junket feel that it wouldn't have in or near LA, the Vegas option would be a disaster based on the McCarron cab line alone, San Diego looks prepared to compete with the other cities in terms of supplying services if the show grows and I think it's the best place if the show stays at the same size or even contracts. It's also the only locale I think could facilitate a long-term shift into a multiple-location festival model. And if you read this site, you probably already know all that. But there it is.

Two things.

One, I think it's hilarious that as the city seems to be coming around in terms of recognizing the show's value, some fans seem to be pressing for what I could only call psychic reparations in terms of past, perceived-to-be snotty treatment from the city and its denizens. I've never experienced that, don't believe it's institutional, and believe the bad behavior of funnybook fans that I've seen dwarfs anything I've seen from a mostly grateful, bemused local population. But that's just me.

It's worth noting in general I think the close attention that's been paid to conventions this year within the comics community. I thought this was driven by the news gatherers themselves, but now I'm not so sure. When this story flashed across my browser yesterday I bookmarked it for a story today and in the next six hours heard from about 10 of you wondering why I hadn't picked up on it. I will say there are a lot of facets to this convention story generally, and the thing I find the most interesting about it is this notion of conventions as a significant factor in how people process and deal with comics: the notion of conventions as an alternative distribution system, the asserted necessity of face to face meetings with one's industry peers, as a natural locus for publicity, the subtle insistence that comics automatically comes with a social component that I still can't wrap my mind around -- comics as a place to hang out rather than as an industry or medium. I suspect that we're seeing a boom in conventions because the structure of comics and bookstores as a place for comics is so damaged that a surge in interest can't be seen there. I'm also coming around to the fact that people really like dressing up in costumes.

aka "straight cash, homey."
 
posted 10:15 am PST | Permalink
 

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