(San Diego, CA – March 30, 2016) – The Chair of the San Diego Convention Center Board of Directors, Rabbi Laurie Coskey, has released the following statement in response to the Chargers announcing their downtown stadium/convention annex plan in the East Village.

"Our clients choose San Diego for a reason, and they told us decidedly in a recent study that they prefer a contiguous expansion. Our clients love to hold their conventions in San Diego and don’t want to be prohibited from returning due to a lack of exhibit space. We must grow as they grow. We remain committed to an on-site contiguous expansion.

A separate building, any number of blocks away, does not provide the preferred meeting model that will serve our existing and future clients.

We continue to stress, expanding on our current footprint will allow us to maintain a competitive edge and provide the greatest return on investment for the citizens of San Diego.

The San Diego Convention Center is an economic engine for the region. This year, we expect a record number of out-of-town attendees from around the world to attend conventions that bring them to San Diego to learn, dine, shop and stay for the vacation, generating $1.2 billion for the region."

The San Diego Convention Center Corporation is a public benefit corporation created by the

City of San Diego to exclusively manage, market and operate the 2.6 million sq. ft. waterfront facility.

The mission of the SDCCC is to generate significant economic benefits for the greater San Diego region by hosting international and national conventions and trade shows in our world-class facility.

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