Reed Pop, showrunners of events such as New York City Comic Con and PAX East announced today their 2020 Seattle Washington convention Emerald City Comic Con would be postponed until Summer 2020.
The show which was to take place March 12-15 will not be moving to Summer of 2020. Reed Pop issued a statement on the show’s website.
Each year the Emerald City Comic Con team works their hardest to do right by the thousands of fans that come together in Seattle. We want to create a space for you to gather, be yourselves and make memories with those who matter to you most. We have been closely monitoring the situation around the COVID-19 virus in Seattle, and, after many hours of conversation internally and consultation with local government officials and the tourism bureau, we have decided to move next week’s Emerald City Comic Con to Summer 2020 with date and detail announcement forthcoming. We did everything that we could to run the event as planned, but ultimately, we are following the guidance of the local public health officials indicating that conventions should now be postponed.
Our hearts go out to the entire Seattle community, everyone impacted by the COVID-19 virus, and all of you, the nearly 100,000 amazing human beings who look forward to this event each year. Our team was incredibly excited to see you at Emerald City Comic Con next week, however, fans, artists, exhibitors and the rest of the community are what make Reedpop events so special and it is our duty to make sure that your safety comes first.
We know that this decision is going to greatly impact many of our individual creators, small businesses and service workers. To those whose careers depend on ECCC – we will do everything that we can over the coming days and weeks to highlight your work and we ask that our entire community support you as we realize your personal livelihoods may be impacted.
To all of our fans – you will receive a refund on your tickets, no further action is needed on your part. Due to the volume, we expect you will receive your refund in 30 days. We appreciate your patience and understanding.
Reedpop remains determined and committed to running Emerald City Comic Con in 2020 and we are working closely with Visit Seattle and the Washington State Convention Center to secure alternate dates this summer. As we explore options for new dates, please know that our priority is to bring you an equally amazing event.
We appreciate all the messages that we have received over the course of the past week. The feedback was invaluable in helping us determine next steps.
Stay tuned to our website and social channels for additional information about when we will next see you in Seattle.
The show had already seen numerous cancellations from celebrities and comic creators in the past two weeks. Multiple publishers and companies also pulled out over fears of the Covid-19 epidemic.
There are still lingering questions which fans are getting answers for on social media
Will you need to re-buy a ticket to the Summer 2020 show?
- Yes, Reed Pop is issuing refunds for all purchased tickets automatically.
If you won a drawing, is it still valid?
- ECCC’s twitter states, “we will be re-running any drawings as necessary for the new show.”
Will purchased autograph and photo op sessions be refunded?
- Yes, according to Reed those pieces will be refunded and new sales will go up once the Summer event takes shape and guests are announced.
Personally, I’ve been to a handful of ECCC over the past few years. It’s one of the best comic book focused conventions in the country. While it is a necessary decision to postpone the event, we can all help support creators and artists who rely on shows such as these for their income. Check out this virtual sale from creators who wanted to be at ECCC but had to cancel.
With the situation across the globe showing no signs of slowing down more events will be examining the situation and making decisions regarding whether the show must go on or not. Expect an announcement soon regarding Comic Con International run shows such as Wondercon and SDCC. In the meantime, Wash your hands!
