Anime Expo Set to Break Records & Signs Long-Term Agreement With LA Convention Center

Jun 23, 2015

Los Angeles, CA (June 23, 2015) – AEG Facilities’ Los Angeles Convention Center (LACC) is thrilled to announce that the venue will host Anime Expo (“AX”) for the next five years (through 2019), solidifying LA’s on-going partnership with the event organizer, The Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation (“SPJA”), while reinforcing the LACC’s position as a top destination for large-scale, multi-day events. The SPJA presented its first event in 1992; AX functions as a convention for promoting Japanese Pop Culture and the arts related to Japanese Animation and as a communication forum for fans and industry professionals. Since its inception, Anime Expo has grown to become the largest anime convention in North America.

The 2015 edition of Anime Expo is just over a week away (July 2-5) and this year’s attendance is projected to reach 100,000 unique / 280,000 turnstile attendees, exceeding previous attendance records (2014: 80,000 unique / 220,000 turnstile attendees; 2013: 61,000 unique / 180,000 turnstile attendees). “2015 marks Anime Expo’s 24th year and we are excited for another successful event in Los Angeles; the show has consistently grown in all aspects over the years and we’ve found a very welcoming and supportive home in Los Angeles,” commented Marc Perez, Chief Executive Officer of The Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation (SPJA).

AX is a critical annual event for Los Angeles; through direct and indirect spending on travel, lodging, meals, and entertainment convention attendees stimulate the City’s economy and support local businesses and jobs. “Los Angeles is excited to welcome Anime Expo back to the L.A. Convention Center for the next five years," said Mayor Eric Garcetti. "L.A. is the creative capital of the world and a perfect home for North America's largest anime and manga convention. We value our partnership with The Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation and the Anime Expo (SPJA), which generates $55 million for our local economy every year."

With Downtown Los Angeles experiencing exponential growth, the City is more equipped than ever to welcome large-scale events such as AX. “Los Angeles is booming right now, especially the Downtown L.A. area. In recent years, heavy investment in the area has led to an upswing of businesses and developments as well as to the consistent addition of hotels surrounding the Convention Center,” noted Ernest Wooden Jr., President and CEO of the Los Angeles Tourism and Convention Board (LATCB).

Preparations for AX 2015 at the LACC are well underway, with AX activating the entire facility for the first time ever for this year’s show. “We’re very pleased that Anime Expo has selected the LACC for its upcoming events, including next year’s milestone 25th anniversary, which is a great achievement for our Center and for the City alike,” concluded Brad Gessner, AEG Facilities Senior Vice President and General Manager for the Los Angeles Convention Center.

About the Los Angeles Convention Center

The Los Angeles Convention Center (LACC) is one of the most technologically advanced convention and exhibition centers in the world. Operated by AEG Facilities, the LACC attracts more than 2.5 million visitors annually and is renowned internationally as a prime site for conventions, trade shows and exhibitions. An integral economic component to the Southern California area, total sales from client secondary spending tops $1.1 billion annually, generating and sustaining over 12,000 local jobs. LACC is a model environmental-friendly facility, holding the prestigious US Green Building Council’s LEED-EB GOLD Certification. LACC is also a Bronze Level recipient of the California Award for Performance Excellence (CAPE), Eureka Award. For more information, please visit lacclink.com.

About The Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation

The Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation (SPJA) is an organization that works to promote Japanese Culture and the arts that are related to Japanese Animation. The SPJA has various ongoing projects that work to achieve this goal. These events are fueled by the dedication and support of a small workforce and over 1,500 impassioned volunteers.

The SPJA owns properties such as: Anime Conji - San Diego's premier Japanese culture event, Anime Expo - the largest anime convention in North America, and Project Anime a business-to-business event dedicated to connecting - conventions, distribution companies, vendors, and each other for the purpose of “adding fuel to the fandom.”

The Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation is a 501(c)(6) registered non-profit mutual benefit trade organization. For more info, please visit: http://www.spja.org/about-us/

About AEG Facilities

AEG, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Anschutz Company, is the leading sports, entertainment and venue operator in the world. AEG Facilities, a stand-alone affiliate of AEG, owns, operates or consults with more than 100 of the industry’s preeminent venues worldwide, across five continents, providing complete venue management, as well as specialized programs in operations, guest services, ticketing, booking, sales and marketing. AEG Facilities also provides resources and access to other AEG-affiliated entities, including live event producer, AEG Live, AEG Global Partnerships, AEG Development, AEG 1Earth, AEG Encore and AEG Creative to support the success of AEG venues and events across the globe. For more information, please visit aegworldwide.com.

About the Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board

Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board is a private, nonprofit business association whose primary mission is to market and promote Los Angeles as the premier site for leisure travel, meetings and conventions. L.A. Tourism is recognized as the City's official tourism marketing organization. For more information about meetings and conventions in Los Angeles, visit discoverlosangeles.com/meetla

Media Contact:

Los Angeles Convention Center

Victoriya Karpilovich

(213) 765-4664

[email protected]