SD's Premier Gathering Place
Hosting Life-Changing Events
The San Diego Convention Center (SDCC) is the region’s premier gathering place, hosting conventions, trade shows and community events that economically benefit our city and advance the region’s convention and tourism industry.
The SDCC is a 2.6-million-square-foot facility located along the waterfront in downtown. It opened in November 1989, after two and a half years of construction.
Delivering Economic Benefit to the City
“We build big cities each week”
Holding Premier Events
While not the biggest convention center in the country, SDCC is one of the top picks for meeting planners. San Diego is desirable due to our location, weather, stellar team, proximity to tech and other major industries, and spirit of hospitality that extends across the city. As far as size, SDCC is currently the 22nd largest convention center in the US. Should the long-proposed expansion on the current available footprint, it would rank as the 12th or 13th largest convention center.
SDCC is on track to host 98 events in 2023, including:
DistribuTec - record attendance of 17,0000 increase of 4000 year-over-year
Optical Fiber Communications (OFC) - estimated 15,000 attendees
American College of Physicians - estimated 10,000 attendees
American Diabetes Association - estimated 20,000 attendees
ESRI User Conference - estimated 13,000 attendees - bring staff and clients to the area throughout the year
SDCC Convention organizers and attendees spend monies in our region. Events are measured on spend per individual, with some in the medical industry at the high end at $2200 per person and ComicCon at the low end at $800 per person.
Corporate events are another significant source of revenue and profit for the convention center.
Hosting a Signature Global Event
Comic-Con is the single largest contributor to our city’s economy. The truly worldwide event has been in existence for more than 50 years ago. It will be back again in San Diego this July for the second time since the Pandemic. More than 135,000 attendees are expected to attend over the four days of the convention, and another 100,000 visit downtown to participate, observe and engage. ComicCon 2023 is projected to generate over $164 million dollars in regional impact.
Lighting Up our Community
The nautical theme of the convention center glows in honor of holidays, San Diego initiatives, awareness days …. and the Padres! The iconic Sails Pavilion rooftop features LED lights (installed 5 years ago), that can be customized to support causes. Organizations can request a ‘Light-Up” which the SDCC is happy to accommodate, if sails not being used by a customer.
Community events are also held at the SDCC. These events are open to the public. Some of the events planned in 2023 include:
Dreamhack San Diego This gaming festival is has the potential to be as large as ComicCon, so stay tuned!
Supporting a Community & Nation
At the request of local government agencies and SD’s mayor, the SDCC became a homeless shelter during the Pandemic. The team had less than a week to mobilize and reconfigure to support this new initiative. This program served more than 4,000 people and connected nearly 1,200 individuals and 43 families to long-term housing during the months it was active.
Once the Pandemic subsided, the mayor and US secretary of housing and human services requested that the SDCC serve as an asylum for refugees. The center and team housed, fed and cared for 1400+ minor girls from ages 5-11 mainly from Honduras and other Central American countries. This was an unconventional request, with many unexpected and rewarding moments caring for children who were not English speakers or familiar with automation, like escalators. Some things are universal, though, as the children became comfortable in the surroundings and requested hot dogs. Strong security was in place with 14 federal police officers stationed full-time during their stay.
Employing a Talented Team
1,000+ people are employed by SDCC and the business partners that provide services at the center (Sodexo, Smart City, FedEx, Digital Conventions).
The team has never missed an opening deadline and sometimes responds to an All-Call to turn over and re-set rooms overnight to meet client requirements.
SDCC supports jobs in many other sectors, including: restaurants, hotels, attractions, transportation, and small businesses — printers, designers, photographers, AV companies, florists, dry cleaners, and more. The unified Team represents our community, drives economic results, and advances our convention and tourism industry.
weathering the Pandemic
SDCC recovered more quickly than other venues, and was front-and-center in leading a coalition that outlined updated policies and procedures for post-pandemic convention center operations. Since reopening some interesting changes in conventions have occurred, including:
More awareness and attention to safety
Attendees are registering much later than normal (a week before)
Hotel rates are up dramatically
Booths are getting lighter ie: fabric which means more approvals by Fire Marshalls to ensure structures are flame retardant
Looking inside the SDCC
Did you know that:
SDCC is a 501 3(c) corporation and is not permitted to conduct lobbying activities
Cultivating relationships is key to success, many sales cycles are 8 years long, and typical go-to-contacts are signed 5 years in advance
Most SDCC clients and prospects are located in Washington DC, Chicago and San Francisco
Scheduling is the SDCC’s biggest challenge - two staff members are dedicated to scheduling
There is big demand for SDCC in the summer months because of our wonderful weather
Big shows have lots of freight! One tractor trailer holds 10K lbs freight. ComicCon involves 400 trailers. It’s complex to manage freight, as no more than 6 trucks can be idling at one time on the center’s grounds. There is an off-site staging facility in Chula Vista where trucks can queue.
Top competitors for convention business are:
Las Vegas and Chicago - for major shows
San Francisco, Boston, Washington DC, sometimes Atlanta, occasionally Dallas - for mid-sized shows that are SDCC’s sweet spot
Most shows are on a three-year rotation (east, central and west coast venues). Existing customers have first right of refusal
The new Gaylord 1300 / 1400 room facility in South Bay is expected to impact hotels more than the SDCC’s convention business. Gaylord’s business model is to only build when they have shows booked and under contract.. The main concern about this new facility is talent, as its opening in May 2025 coincides with projected retirement of many SDCC employees. To address this, SDCC is already focused on recruitment and retention efforts. This is especially significant because a large number of current SDCC employees reside in the South Bay and Tijuana.
The long-discussed expansion is expected to finally resolve some time in 2023 via court case where it will be decided if the latest ruling is/is not valid.
About our Speaker
Clifford "Rip" Rippetoe, CVE
Rips, a convention and meeting industry leader, has served as President and CEO of the San Diego Convention Center Corporation since 2016
He has worked for organizations hosting top national tradeshows and conventions, including the Olympic Winter Games of 2002, and for large-scale public assembly facilities such as the Las Vegas Convention Center, the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake, and the Kentucky Expo Center. From 2020-2021, Rip served as Chair of the International Association of Venue Managers (IAVM) Board of Directors.
In San Diego, he serves as Chair of the Sports San Diego Advisory Board. He also serves on the Boards of the Downtown San Diego Partnership, Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank, San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce, San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation, and San Diego County Credit Union Holiday Bowl. In support of arts and tourism, he is a Steering Committee Member for the Comic-Con Museum and an Advisor for the San Diego County Lodging Association and the San Diego Tourism Authority.
