San Diego bids to keep Comic-Con

San Diego is launching a bid to keep Comic-Con International, after other cities expressed interest in hosting the event.

The convention is the largest comic book conference of the year, attracting over 126,000 annual visitors to the city and generating millions of dollars in revenue.

With the event growing in scope each year, there have been doubts that its regular venue, the San Diego Convention Centre, will be able to continue hosting it, with Las Vegas and Los Angeles considered as alternate stages.

However, the centre and the city itself are taking measures to keep Comic-Con. "We're working hard to keep them in San Diego," said Steve Johnson, vice president of public affairs at the San Diego Convention Centre Corporation. "The economic impact to San Diego is profound."

Johnson went on to reveal that the organisers are working to expand the centre's surrounding area by some 200,000 square feet to accommodate the crowds.

Comic-Con International 2009 takes place from July 23 to 26 at the San Diego Convention Centre.