It's Con-vention Season: Have No Fear, Hotels.com is Here!
'SuperBooking' expert Hotels.com provides a guide of must-see conventions for comic book, movie and gaming enthusiasts
DALLAS, July 18, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Thousands of comic book, movie and sci-fi fans are descending upon San Diego this week for Comic-Con International. While it may be too late to attend the world's largest comic book and popular arts style convention, Hotels.com® has come to the rescue of genre buffs with a list of the five most "geektastic" upcoming conventions.
"Each year, millions travel for the sole purpose of attending conventions and trade shows around a wanderlust or hobby that interests them," said Taylor L. Cole, APR, travel expert for Hotels.com. "But nowhere else do you see conference attendees go as all-out as the comic and game convention-goers. At Hotels.com, we are just as passionate about finding you the perfect place and want to help put the cherry on top of a perfect convention experience."
The Official Star Trek Convention
August 8-11, 2013 - Las Vegas
Beam me up, Scotty! Science fiction
nerds will feel right at home at this
mother ship of all Star Trek
celebrations, now welcoming Trekkies
for its 12th consecutive year.
William Shatner, George Takei, and
Nichelle Nichols are only a few of
the over 80 Star Trek legends that
will be making appearances at the
show to sign autographs, participate
in photo ops, speak on panels, and
more.
Where to Stay: The venue, The Rio All-
Suite Hotel & Casino, has super-
large suites with sweeping floor to
ceiling views of the strip that will
make guests feel like they're peering
out the window of a spacecraft.
Gen Con Indy
August 15-18, 2013 - Indianapolis
Hosting "The Best Four Days in Gaming"
since 1968, Gen Con is one of the
longest-running shows of its kind.
Specializing in tabletop games, such
as board, card, role playing and
strategy games, Gen Con is a unique
experience among many other gaming
conventions that focus solely on
digital games. Gen Con attendees
boast some of the best cos-play
costumes around and there is even a
growing Family Fun Pavilion and
Training Grounds section dedicated to
gaming for children as young as four.
As the sixth largest convention hosted
in the city of Atlanta, Dragon*Con
attracts over 50,000 entertainment
aficionados annually with its over
3,500 hours of multigenre programming
around everything "fan-culture"
including, fantasy literature,
cartoons, Asian cinema, video games,
space science, action films, and
more. Attendees can check out panels,
seminars, demonstrations, and
workshops in over 30 specialized
programming tracks specific to their
exact wanderlust. Last, but not
least, Halloween arrives early in
Atlanta when Dragon*Con comes to
town, as the event features the
largest costume contest in the South.
Where to Stay: Located down the block
from the Dragon*Con venue, the Hyatt
Regency Atlanta Downtown is the
perfect place as it just recently
underwent a $65 million renovation in
2011 that included the addition of
new restaurants, technology and
upgraded amenities.
New York Comic Con (NYCC)
October 10-13, 2013 - New York
Despite being one of the newer geek
conferences on the scene, New York
Comic Con has quickly become one of
the largest and most highly
anticipated pop culture events of the
year. Achieving an attendance of
over 116,000 comic, film, and gaming
enthusiasts in only six years, NYCC
is now ranked as the second largest
event in the city, according to
Crain's New York Business. Attendees
will be wishing for the time travel
powers of Doctor Who, just so they
can fit in all of the geektastic
panels, comic writer meet-and-
greets, video game demonstrations,
and celebrity guest surprises that
this show is known and loved for.
Where to Stay: Being that this massive
convention takes place in the most
expensive city in the U.S. according
to the Hotels.com Hotel Price
Index(TM) (HPI(R)), NYCC attendees
will have to anticipate higher-than-
usual prices. However, there are
still nearby properties, like the
DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel New York
that can offer a great value.
PAX East
April 11-13, 2014 - Boston
PAX East is the Northeastern spin-off
of the wildly successful (and sold
out) PAX Prime, which takes place in
Seattle at the end of August this
year. Developed by the founders of
the webcomic Penny Arcade, the PAX
conferences are completely dedicated
to all things gaming, from consoles,
to handhelds, to PCs and even
traditional tabletop games. This
completely fan-operated show also
has a heavy live music element that
makes it well worth a trip. Catering
to the niche, "nerdcore" genre, PAX
puts on a one-of-a-kind concert
that blends the heavy beats of rap
with the subcultural geek references
that every PAX-goer will appreciate.
Tickets for PAX East will likely go
on sale in October of this year -
grab them quick, because PAX Prime
sold out in less than six hours!
Where to Stay: PAX participants don't
have to miss a minute of the action
when they choose to stay at The
Westin Boston Waterfront, which is
connected directly to the Boston
Convention & Exhibition Center.
Hotels.com makes it easy for travelers to rack up free* nights, redeemable at a property near the conference of their choice. By signing up for the free Welcome Rewards® program from Hotels.com, convention-goers can earn a credit towards a free night every time they stay.
Tell us which #GeekCon you're looking forward to attending and follow the conversation on Twitter @hotelsdotcom.
* A free night does not include taxes and fees. Only properties marked with Welcome Rewards qualify.
Press contacts:
Ashley Aberbach - Finn Partners for Hotels.com
Phone: (212) 715-1524
E-mail: ashley.aberbach@finnpartners.com
Twitter: @finnpartners
Taylor L. Cole, APR
Hotels.com North America
Phone: (469) 335-8442
Email: taycole@hotels.com
Twitter: @TravelwithTLC
About the HPI®
The HPI tracks the real prices paid per room by hotels.com customers around the world using a weighted average based on the number of rooms sold in each of the markets that hotels.com operates. The index started in 2004, and includes all bookings across the more than 155,000 properties in over 60 countries that make up the sample set of hotels from which prices are taken.
About Hotels.com(®)
Hotels.com is a leading online accommodation booking brand. Through the Expedia, Inc. global network of websites, Hotels.com, LP connects travelers with 205,000 properties around the world, ranging from international chains and all-inclusive resorts to local favorites and bed & breakfasts, together with all the information needed to book the perfect stay. Hotels.com, LP benefits from one of the largest hotel contracting teams in the industry, obtaining the best rates for its customers, and offers frequent sales, special deals and promotions. There are more than 7 million Guest Reviews on the websites from users who have actually stayed in the hotels to ensure customers can make an informed choice when booking. Through Hotels.com, LP's industry-leading loyalty program Welcome Rewards(®), customers can earn a free night for every 10 nights stayed at more than 85,000 hotels. Under its Price Match Guarantee, if a customer can find the same deal for less on a prepaid hotel, Hotels.com, LP will refund the difference. Travelers can book online or by contacting one of the multilingual call centers. Special apps for mobile phones and tablets can also be downloaded at http://www.hotels.com/deals/mobile_app/ enabling customers to book on the go with access to 20,000 last minute deals. Hotels.com publishes an award-winning twice-yearly review of international hotel room price trends called the Hotels.com Hotel Price Index(TM), which is now produced in 31 individual country editions, with North American data available at http://www.hotel-price-index.com. Follow Hotels.com on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/Hotels.comUS, on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/hotelsdotcom and on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/hotelsdotcom. Hotels.com, LP is part of Expedia, Inc., the largest online travel company in the world with an extensive portfolio that includes some of the world's best-known brands.