PROVIDENCE – Organizers for Rhode Island Comic Con, the city’s largest gathering of comic book aficionados, film buffs and celebrities that kicks off Friday anticipate record-breaking crowds this weekend for its 10th anniversary.
Held annually at the Rhode Island Convention Center and the former Dunkin Donuts Center now the Amica Mutual Pavilion, the all-ages event is the answer to why you might be seeing groups of cosplaying fans descending downtown over the next three days.
Canceled in 2020 due to pandemic restrictions, Comic Con returned last year, bringing about 50,000 people, far more than the estimated 15,000 who attended the inaugural event in 2012, but 30,000 less than its previous record of approximately 80,000.
This weekend, according to Susan Soares, press relations manager for Fall River-based Altered Reality Entertainment, the company that runs Comic Con, they expect more than 90,000 attendees.
These pop culture gatherings have become big business in recent years, moving from smaller iterations to major economic drivers for local economies.
In a 2015 study, the ticketing platform Eventbrite estimated Comic Con conventions in North America gross more than $1 billion annually, with 59% of survey respondents saying they spend between $100 and $500, “not including basic costs such as tickets, food and parking,” and 10% responding they spend more than $500 per event.
Soares did not have specific numbers regarding Comic Con’s local economic impact. But a 2018 fiscal impact study prepared for the convention center authority found that every $1 spent operating the Rhode Island Convention Center generates $9.30 in local economic activity.
Kristen Adamo, the CEO and president of the Providence Warwick Convention & Visitors Bureau, projects about $3 million in direct local spending as a result of Comic Con.
“It’s definitely significant,” she said. “And combined with tomorrow night’s WaterFire [lighting], it’s a big weekend in the city.”
To celebrate a decade of existence, Comic Con organizers “have pulled out all the stops,” Soares said, which includes scheduling 130 guest appearances, the highest number they have ever had, as well as a record number of cast reunions for hit films and shows such as “Clueless” and “My Name is Earl.”
Ticket holders, who Soares said come from all over the world, will also receive discounts from partnering restaurants and businesses in Providence.
Organizers pre-book hotel room blocks in anticipation of visitors, with its flagship location at the Omni Providence and back-up blocks at the Graduate Providence and Residence Inn Marriott.
The Omni is also hosting the events’ 10th anniversary after party in the Narragansett Ballroom beginning at 10 p.m. on Saturday. Tickets are $20.
This year, said Soares, the hotel room blocks are already sold-out. She has been fielding calls all week from ticket holders asking about available lodging. One attendee told her his only option was to rent an Airbnb property in West Greenwich.
“We’ve been contacted by customers all over the world, someone just called me from Europe,” she said. “We get tons of people who are flying in, messaging us saying that they are getting on a plane.”
The event has steadily grown in popularity since 2012, offering a generational bridge for parents and their children. An example Soares cited is the appearance of cast members from the spinoff Netflix series “Cobra Kai,” many actors of which first found fame from the original 1980’s film franchise “The Karate Kid,” on which the Netflix show is based. There are scheduled appearances from film and TV celebrities ranging from professional wrestler Brett Hart to actress Alicia Silverstone.
Photo-ops and guest autographs will be sold every day for ticket holders. There will be more than 300 vendors, networking opportunities for undiscovered graphic artists, memorabilia appraisers and a cosplay contest held Sunday with prizes provided by Cardi’s Furniture and Mattresses.
“Whether you approach it from fandom or you are a collector or professional,” said Soares. “You never know who you are going to see.”
Comic Con runs Friday from 3 to 9 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday from 10 to 5 p.m.
(ADDS 8th paragraph with Adamo comment, projected economic impact.)
Christopher Allen is a PBN staff writer. You may contact him at Allen@PBN.com.
