In its first year, Salt Lake Comic Con became Utah’s most well-attended convention, and the event’s success has become part of a larger debate about enticing a new mega-hotel and convention center to downtown Salt Lake City using tax rebates.
Utah legislators voted against the hotel, which was planned to be built 1,000 feet from the Salt Palace, in a narrow vote last session, but now the sponsors are bringing the bill back. Officials with the Downtown Alliance said they believe the success of Salt Lake Comic Con is helping rekindle the idea that Salt Lake City needs an all-in-one hotel and convention center.
Nick Como is the communication director for the Downtown Alliance, and he said the event was very well attended. “50,000 paid tickets and over 70,000 in attendance, that’s huge,” he said.
Officials said 90 percent of attendees were local, but organizers said they believe the event will grow and expand in upcoming years.
