5 Resources which prove the power of Comic Con to San Diego

It’s an event that grabs the headlines around the world, but few people realize the power that Comic Con has for the city of San Diego.

In short, its existence is bordering on crucial for the city. Without giving too much away in our brief introduction, we’re now going to point you in the direction of five resources which highlight the power of Comic Con.

It’s worth $150 million to the city

Well, we were almost a little disappointed when we penned this first resource. After all, for years there was a rumor doing the rounds that Comic Con was the most profitable event for San Diego. Unfortunately, it’s not quite possible to prove this, but the above link does provide some hard and fast numbers that show just how crucial Comic Con is for the city. The headline stat is based on the 135,000 people or so who visit this event, who are said to spend on average $600 each. The result? A cool $150 million to San Diego’s economy.

…it didn’t used to be like this though.

While we never thought that Comic Con started off as grand as it is now, we didn’t think it was the small-scale event that it was bad in its inaugural year back in 1970. Back then it attracted just 145 people, while tickets were $3.50. Suffice to say, things have changed – and San Diego is laughing as a result.

It could be worth even more in a few years.

It’s worth gross amounts of money at the moment, and these figures are very likely to increase in the next few years. No, we’re not referring to the next version of Comic Con (scheduled for July 23 2020 for those unaware). Instead, this next point is all about the museum that is set to come to Balboa Park in 2021. That’s right, there is going to be a permanent Comic Con attraction based in the city, allowing enthusiasts to dive back in time and reap the history that the event has provided.

But loyal fans will never desert the event itself

The future of Comic Con may have been thrown into complete disarray in its early days. Back in 1979, around $12,000 was stolen from the treasurer of the conference. Back then, this was a huge sum of money, particularly for an event which was still attracting small crowds.

As such, the response still raises eyebrows. Fans of the event got together and replaced the money, meaning that the show could go on, to coin a phrase.

So, what’s the moral of the story? As long as the organizers continue to pledge their faith in San Diego (as they have for the past 50 years), the fans will keep flocking up and supporting. And, at the same time, supporting the city.

It naturally attracts the big names

We’re going to assume this final point isn’t going to raise many eyebrows. As well as ploughing millions into the San Diego economy, Comic Con has the side effect of directing umpteen celebrities to the area each and every year as well. The link above managed to grab 133 faces but in reality, it’s a whole lot more. After all, this event is effectively a promotional vehicle for most of Hollywood.