Recently, San Diego Comic Con tweeted that the highly anticipated 2020 event is not officially cancelled. We break down four definitive reasons why it should be…
Most of the biggest events of the year, whether it’s conventions, films, or entire sport seasons have been cancelled or postponed, due to the unfortunate COVID-19 pandemic that the entire world is battling. For most of February going into March, companies and productions were hoping for the best while waiting for the other shoe to drop.
The organizers of E3 had to pull the plug once numerous travel bans were put into place. Coachella and SXSW who are notoriously known not to cancel or postpone did so to protect public health. So how ridiculous would Bonnaroo look if they didn’t. The 25th installment in the James Bond series, No Time To Die, was the first major motion picture to be pushed to a later release date in light of the growing infection rate, in not only China, but also the US.
RELATED: SXSW SHORT FILMS ARE STREAMABLE FOR FREE DUE TO PANDEMIC
While conventions such as Vidcon, E3, and Cinemacon, have been outright cancelled. Others such as Wondercon and Emerald City Comic Con have been rescheduled to later this year. Then there are conventions that seem to be holding onto a Superman level of hope that this pandemic will pass come Summer of 2020.
Yes, we’re looking at you Blerdcon, Anime Expo, and San Diego Comic Con.
While the former two are large demographically focused in their own right, here are the reasons why CCI has to take an even bigger step and cancel what’s arguably the biggest convention of the year.
TO PAY FOR FOOD AND RENT; OR TO PARTICIPATE IN HOTELPOCALYPSE ?
Right off the bat it would be incredibly tone deaf for CCI at this point to even tease the possibility of hotelpocalypse. For those who are unfamiliar with the term, it’s the annual hotel sale for San Diego Comic Con which even puts the badge sale to shame. There are hundreds of thousands of people vying for 55,000 hotel rooms in the vicinity of the convention. To book a room for the five day event could easily cost more than $1000.
RELATED: HOLLYWOOD SOUNDSTAGES COULD BECOME CORONAVIRUS HOSPITALS
The United States has hit a record high in unemployment, with 3.3 million Americans filing claims over the past week. Let’s not forget about our neighboring countries. To ask loyal con-goers to shell out money for a hotel room, even if it’s just a 2 day deposit, while we live in these uncertain times, is irresponsible and is inviting harsh criticism. Hotelpocalypse is stressful enough without the worry of contracting a virus hanging over our heads.
WILL THE TRAVEL BAN BE LIFTED BY SUMMER?
Currently, there are more than a dozen countries subject to a travel ban made by the U.S., that include: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. The US and Canada have closed their borders as did Mexico.
Although, most of these only have a 30-day ban, as we have seen with shelter-at-home mandates, this ban can be extended until however long it takes to flatten the curve of public infection. There are numerous international attendees, exhibitors, and major companies, who fly to San Diego Comic Con each year. Experts speculate that we will be living this “new normal” well into the Fall.
