Right now, there is a lot of concern when it comes to navigating comic conventions with COVID-19 (Coronavirus). There are also a lot of scary headlines out there being circulated on social media. This article is purely informational. The nature of this article is to inform convention-goers on what is happening around the country. We want to give you peace of mind when it comes to planning for conventions this season. We are here to let you know what has been cancelled so far, postponed, and if there is still no word.
Emerald City Comic Con postponed due to Coronavirus
Emerald City Comic Con is a very popular convention in Seattle, Washington. Due to the coronavirus outbreak, the staff has made the difficult decision to postpone the convention. While it was supposed to be the weekend of March 13th, it will be moved to summer 2020. No official dates have been released. ECCC is issuing refunds to anyone who requests one.
Each year the Emerald City Comic Con team works their hardest to do right by the thousands of fans that come together in Seattle. We want to create a space for you to gather, be yourselves and make memories with those who matter to you most. We have been closely monitoring the situation around the COVID-19 virus in Seattle, and, after many hours of conversation internally and consultation with local government officials and the tourism bureau, we have decided to move next week’s Emerald City Comic Con to Summer 2020 with date and detail announcement forthcoming. We did everything that we could to run the event as planned, but ultimately, we are following the guidance of the local public health officials indicating that conventions should now be postponed.
Our hearts go out to the entire Seattle community, everyone impacted by the COVID-19 virus, and all of you, the nearly 100,000 amazing human beings who look forward to this event each year. Our team was incredibly excited to see you at Emerald City Comic Con next week, however, fans, artists, exhibitors and the rest of the community are what make Reedpop events so special and it is our duty to make sure that your safety comes first.”
For more information and the full statement, visit Emerald City Comic Con’s website.
ACE Comic Con Northeast cancelled
ACE Comic Con Northeast would have been held in Boston, MA the weekend of March 20th. Chris Evans, Tom Hiddleston, Chris Hemsworth, and many other big names were scheduled to appear. Because of the outbreak of the Coronavirus on the east coast, convention runners want to assure everyone’s health and safety. It is never easy to cancel a convention.
Update on ACE Comic Con Northeast pic.twitter.com/4BmpgvLEYX
— ACEcomiccon (@ACEcomiccon) March 11, 2020
ACE Comic Con will be issuing refunds within 30 days.
SXSW in Austin has been cancelled
The city of Austin, TX has decided to cancel their convention that was planned for this month.
As recently as Wednesday, Austin Public Health stated that “there’s no evidence that closing SXSW or any other gatherings will make the community safer.” However, this situation evolved rapidly, and we honor and respect the City of Austin’s decision. We are committed to do our part to help protect our staff, attendees, and fellow Austinites.
We are exploring options to reschedule the event and are working to provide a virtual SXSW online experience as soon as possible for 2020 participants, starting with SXSW EDU. For our registrants, clients, and participants we will be in touch as soon as possible and will publish an FAQ.
For the full release, visit SXSW website.
E3 Expo cancelling their June event due to Coronavirus
As of March 11, E3 has decided to cancel their June event. It is farther out than the other conventions that have cancelled, but it doesn’t hurt to play it safe.
After careful consultation with our member companies regarding the health and safety of everyone in our industry – our fans, our employees, our exhibitors, and our longtime E3 partners – we have made the difficult decision to cancel E3 2020, scheduled for June 9-11 in Los Angeles.
To read their full statement, visit the E3 Expo website.
WonderCon Anaheim Postponed due to Coronavirus
As of today, March 12, WonderCon has been postponed. You will find the information provided by Comic-Con on Twitter.
Comic-Con (organizer of WonderCon) will abide by this recommendation. Therefore WonderCon Anaheim, scheduled for April 10-12, 2020 in Anaheim, California, will be postponed until a later date. (2/4)
— WonderCon Anaheim (@WonderCon) March 12, 2020
Conventions that are still proceeding
There are still conventions that have not planned to reschedule or cancel.
Anime Expo 2020 is held in Los Angeles the weekend of July 3-5. As of right now, the convention will still be taking place.
Anime Expo 2020 is still planned to take place as scheduled in Los Angeles in early July, and our team is working hard to deliver a fun and memorable experience for our attendees. With that being said, the health and safety of our community is our number one priority. During the coming weeks, we will continue to monitor the situation, review the guidance by global health authorities, and consider all factors as it relates to the Anime Expo community.
For the full statement, visit the Anime Expo website.
Anime Pasadena is scheduled for April 18th and 19th. So far, we have not heard one way or the other if they plan to keep the dates, reschedule, or cancel.
San Diego Comic Con which is scheduled for July 2020 released this statement:
“Comic-Con is working with local officials as it pertains to the COVID-19 situation and continues to monitor developments closely. At this time both shows, WonderCon Anaheim and Comic-Con in San Diego, are moving forward as scheduled. As always, the safety and security of all our attendees is of utmost importance. Please rest assured that these concerns are being taken very seriously and we will not make any decisions regarding the rescheduling of shows without weighing all considerations carefully.”
San Diego Rocket Con is scheduled for March 21 and 22. It will take place in the Scottish Rite Event center as planned. For more information about this convention, check out their website. San Diego Rocket-Con
Stranger Con 2020 will be held at the Los Angeles Convention Center on April 4 and 5. This convention is planned to continue forward with these set dates. Visit the Creation Entertainment website for more information.
Staying healthy during this outbreak
Recently, Temple of Geek wrote up an article about Coronavirus & Con Crud: Staying healthy during convention season. The best thing to do is to be sure you are washing your hands regularly, covering your mouth with your elbow or tissue when you cough and sneeze, and being mindful of others. Stay home if you are feeling sick.
Whether a convention has been cancelled or not, do what is best for you. If you feel anxiety around travel or being in crowded areas, then stay home. It is always unfortunate when we don’t get to participate in conventions, but your health and safety is more important than the fear of missing out. If you have plans to attend a convention that has not been cancelled and you feel ill, then please stay home. You are not only helping yourself get well, but you are also reducing the risk of the spread of illness.
The State of California issued a guidance for large-group events:
To stay up-to-date with your favorite conventions, set up notifications on Twitter and Instagram. This way, you stay in the loop as to whether or not they are cancelling or postponing or continuing as scheduled.
We will be updating this post as needed if and when new information arises.
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