Jul 30, 2010 11:21 pm US/Eastern
Otakon & Soccer Descend On Baltimore This Weekend
BALTIMORE (WJZ) ―
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Die-hard soccer fans and die-hard anime fans are invading Baltimore this weekend. Both are two very different interests, but they equal one big interest for Baltimore: money.
CBS
Die-hard soccer fans and die-hard anime fans are invading Baltimore this weekend. Both are two very different interests, but they equal one big interest for Baltimore: money.
Weijia Jiang explains local businesses say the more, the merrier.
Downtown Baltimore is buzzing with tens of thousands of visitors. From sultry witches and fair princesses to heroes and villains, the 2010 Otakon Convention is in town.
Last year, the ode to Japanese cartoons and pop culture drew in 25,000 visitors who made 4,500 hotel bookings and spent nearly $22 million. The city expects similar numbers this year.
Heather Lewis and Kristin Nahley from Jacksonville have been saving up since February.
"We wanted to make sure we had enough to go back and forth, have enough to eat and have spending money," Lewis said.
"We try to budget more than we did last year and the year before that," Nahley said.
It's not just anime fans shelling out the cash. At M&T Bank Stadium, the Inter Milan and Manchester City soccer teams are duking it out on Saturday. Last year's international game drew in 71,000 people who poured $14-$20 million into the economy.
For struggling businesses, that's a great forecast for sales.
"We pay a lot of money for our licenses down here and we're not receiving much in return, so when we have huge conventions that last three, four days, it's lovely," said downtown vendor April Markiewicz.
This is Otakon's 17th year and 11th here in Baltimore. Organizers say they don't plan to go to any other city any time soon.
"It's an excellent convention center--the hotel space, the flexibility of everyone, all willing to work with us. I love Baltimore, honestly," said Otakon
Convention Chairman Sean Chiochankitmun.
Chiochankitmun says the convention grows every year. This year, they expect more than 30,000 participants.
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