The center’s $2.6 billion renovation comes as big name conventions leave L.A.
From our Los Angeles magazine offices downtown, we see those swinging lanyards heading to the Metro, looking for lunch or staring up at the high-rises, and know visitors are swarming the Los Angeles Convention Center. This month, two separate conventions for mailmen filled the giant hall on South Figueroa Street. Many of those letter carriers spent money in the neighborhood and kept the lights on at the 867,000-square-foot center.
Last year, the city agreed to spend $2.6 billion upgrading and expanding the center in time for the 2028 Olympics. There will be a new bridge over Pico Boulevard connecting the two sides of the center and a new hall bigger than a Costco. The additions will bump the total size over the magic one-million-square-feet mode that unlocks the space to new users.
Times have been hard for conventions in the city and county of Los Angeles with major conventions departing for greener pastures. This week, Midsummer Scream, the world’s largest horror and Halloween convention, announced they are leaving their Long Beach home of the last decade for Anaheim. Space Tech Expo USA also moved to Orange County this year from Long Beach. WonderCon tried out the Los Angeles Convention Center in 2016 before relocating to Anaheim.
The enormous Anime Expo, for fans of manga and Japanese animation, brought huge crowds to the Los Angeles Convention Center last month, but it may not be here forever. “The Los Angeles Convention Center has been our home for more than 15 years, and we are deeply grateful to the city and community for their ongoing support,” Ray Chiang, CEO of The Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation, said in a statement. “However, our top priority has always been to deliver an exceptional experience for our attendees and partners. As we evaluate next steps, we remain committed to transparency and to finding the best possible path for Anime Expo’s future.”
With all the uncertainty posed by construction, we were excited to learn that 13 new organizations just signed on to hold their events at the LACC after the expansion. The organizations include the National Association for College Admission Counseling, American Chemical Society, Specialty Coffee Association, American Heart Association, American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology, American Immigration Lawyers Association, Association for Financial Professionals, Educause, Health and Fitness Association, American Society for Human Genetics and Leading Age.
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“Our expansion and modernization of the LA Convention Center is driving new economic growth and increased tourism to Los Angeles, bolstering our ongoing investment to revitalize Downtown LA,” Mayor Karen Bass said in a statement. “Thirteen additional major organizations have chosen LA because we’re delivering a state-of-the-art facility – and they’re ready to bring more than 103,000 convention-goers with them, delivering a more than $242 million economic impact for Los Angeles. I am grateful to the City Tourism Department and our partners for their success in driving business to the city.”
