On the heels of the postponement of the massive Natural Products Expo West trade show, other top attendance and revenue generating events in Orange County have been canceled as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
Upward of 40 trade shows, conventions, meetings and tournaments have been canceled or postponed in the city of Anaheim.
Some of those events were scheduled to take place in June, signaling a longer time frame of uncertainty for the area’s tourism industry, a key driver of Anaheim’s economy.
One such event is VidCon, a show for visual entertainment media that’s been held every year in Anaheim since 2010.
Slated to take place June 17 to 20, the event has been called off for now, “due to the continued uncertainty surrounding COVID-19, and the precautions being taken by authorities worldwide to manage this pandemic,” Jim Louderback, general manager of VidCon, said in a statement.
Plans are in the works to hold the event later this year, though details aren’t finalized.
“We are working hard to bring you a VidCon US experience this fall,” Louderback said.
WonderCon, a comic book and science fiction-focused event scheduled for this month at the convention center, has also been postponed, while several other events planned for May and June have been taken off the roster, adding up to hundreds of millions of dollars lost for the local economy.
80K Lost
VidCon is a fast-growing event that has expanded globally with events at other venues, and draws attendees and presenters ranging from fans and YouTube personalities to Hollywood moguls and big corporate sponsors.
The event typically brings in 30,000 attendees.
WonderCon, a subsidiary of ComicCon, brings in closer to 50,000 exhibitor and attendees.
Both event organizers said they would reimburse attendees.
“This is obviously a significant loss for the community, and we are working hard to rebook the events for a later date,” said Anaheim Spokesman Mike Lyster.
NAMM, NAPEW
The first quarter of the year typically holds the top three events for the Anaheim Convention Center: music trade show NAMM, Natural Products Expo West, and the Advanced Manufacturing Expo.
The three events, held in January, March, and February, respectively, bring in a collective 250,000 attendees.
The postponement of Natural Products delivered a blow to the industry, potentially costing the city and county nearly $100 million, and set off a chain of cancellations. An East Coast companion event held in the fall will take the place of the Anaheim event this year.
“Any events we had been scheduled to host in March and April, we aren’t,” said Lyster. “It’s had all of the effects you can imagine.”
For the time being, events are being canceled through June, and the city is looking to rebook this business for after the typically busy summer months.
Foggy Timeline
It’s unclear when business will return to normal. The reopening of Disneyland, the city’s largest revenue generator and employer, will play a large part.
The park closed its two theme parks, three hotels and Downtown Disney shopping district in mid-March with the initial intention of reopening at the start of April, but a reopening date has yet to be set.
“Disney, like many other companies, initially followed the public gathering directive that came from the governor on March 11, but the supplemental stay-at-home order has taken precedence, which is in place until further notice,” Lyster said.
