The Los Angeles Convention Center has booked 30 major conventions for 2016 — a 30 percent increase over last year and a new record for big multi-day gatherings at the city facility, it was reported today.
The conventions this year include a celebration of comic books and movies, a gathering of experts on allergies and a conference of builders of environmentally friendly structures. The new events are expected to boost the center’s annual attendance 22 percent this year, convention representatives told the Los Angeles Times.
The surge in convention bookings comes two years after the city turned over management of the convention center to a division of AEG, the entertainment group that owns and operates the adjacent Staples Center and L.A. Live. The 30 big conventions are expected to generate $7.5 million in rental fees, up from about $5.5 million in 2015.
In addition to the 30 multi-day conventions that require booking several hotels, the convention holds nearly 300 other events, including smaller consumer shows, meetings and special events.
AEG executives attribute the increase in bookings to improved efforts to work with the Los Angeles Tourism and Convention Board, which books the multi- day events. AEG books most of the smaller events.
“This partnership continues to evolve as the teams work in tandem to develop business for the convention center while driving revenue to the city of Los Angeles,” Brad Gessner, general manager for the convention center, told The Times.
Los Angeles County has been breaking tourism records for five years in a row, with a record 45.5 million visitors estimated for 2015.
