San Diego, CA: Officials from the San Diego Convention Center Corporation are mobilizing resources to ensure attendees, exhibitors and meeting planners are updated on the impact of the devastating fires in the San Diego County region on events occurring or planned over the next two weeks at the downtown Convention Center. San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders issued a statement today urging event attendees to continue with their plans to attend previously scheduled events at the Convention Center. "Public safety and responding to these devastating fires continue to be our top priority," said San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders, "however we encourage those who are scheduled to attend events at the Convention Center to move forward with their plans." Currently, more than 6,000 attendees are participating in the American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG) annual meeting (http://www.ashg.org/genetics/ashg/menu-annmeet.shtml) at the downtown convention center. "We are open for business despite the challenges posed by these devastating fires," said Carol Wallace, President and CEO of the San Diego Convention Center Corporation which markets, manages, operates the San Diego Convention Center. "Downtown San Diego, the location of the Convention Center, hotels, restaurants and shops utilized by attendees and exhibitors, remains open and in no way threatened by the fires, winds or smoke generated by the fires, Wallace added." "Our team, many who were forced to evacuate their homes over the last several days, continues to go above and beyond to ensure guests attending events at the Convention Center receive all the support and assistance they need to ensure they have a successful event," Wallace added. We have been deeply touched and appreciative of the incredible efforts made by ASHG attendees, exhibitors, as well as ASHG meeting organizers who have gone above and beyond in their efforts to support the relief efforts currently underway in San Diego," said Wallace. Event attendees freed up hotel rooms for local evacuees by doubling-up on hotel rooms, volunteered to provide medical assistance to evacuees, and ASHG has launched a relief fund to help provide additional resources to local relief efforts. Information on those efforts can be located at www.ashg.org. The Mayor said the City of San Diego and those impacted by the fires were "profoundly grateful for the outpouring of support from attendees, exhibitors, and event planners" associated with ASHG. "The message we want to send far and wide is that San Diego, and the San Diego Convention Center, remain open for business. We are ready to ensure the success of events held in San Diego despite the devastating fires impacting the region," said Steven Johnson, VP, Public Affairs for the San Diego Convention Center Corporation. "We are mobilizing to ensure updates are provided regularly on our web site at www.visitsandiego.com so attendees, event organizers, exhibitors, etc. have the latest information on the fires, the impact on the airport, roads, hotels, etc.," Johnson said. Only one large group, Sharp Healthcare’s annual employee meeting expected to attract 12-14,000 local attendees, has cancelled their event at the Convention Center due to the fires. Attendees, primarily healthcare providers from the San Diego region, were asked to mobilized in response to the fires. The San Diego Convention Center Corporation is a public benefit corporation created by the City of San Diego. The Corporation is exclusively responsible for marketing, managing and operating the Convention Center. In its 18-year history, the Center has generated nearly $13 billion in economic impact, over $270 million in tax revenues and continues to serve as San Diego’s premier gathering place. # # #
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