VisitPITTSBURGH works with convention organizers, local hotels to expand reserved room blocks to accommodate wait list and plan community events
PITTSBURGH – Anticipation for the furries’ return to Pittsburgh this
summer is so high that when registration opened for Anthrocon 2023,
Anthropolis: Our Furry City [1], attendees purchased every room at
every hotel property in the event’s reserved room block in less than
one day.
Hotel reservations for the event, which takes place June 29-July 2,
2023, opened on Feb. 2, and within 24 hours, all 7,601 contracted rooms
were sold out. The capacity booking triggered a rapid response by the
VisitPITTSBURGH Business Events Services team, which immediately reached
out to hotel property partners and worked with them to secure an
additional 1,834 rooms. Room blocks were expanded at the Wyndham Grand
Pittsburgh Downtown, Omni William Penn, Embassy Suites, Doubletree
Pittsburgh and EVEN Hotel Pittsburgh, and new contracts and rates were
established with the Marriott City Centre, Hilton Garden Inn Downtown,
Holiday Inn Express North Shore and the Hyatt Place Pittsburgh North
Shore to accommodate more furry guests.
Current reservation totals stand at 2,187, resulting in 8,917 sold room
nights.
“VisitPITTSBURGH has worked with the organizers of Anthrocon since
2006, and we are delighted that they have again selected Pittsburgh to
host their international convention,” said VisitPITTSBURGH President &
CEO Jerad Bachar. “In addition to ensuring that everyone who registers
has access to accommodations, our Services and Marketing teams are
providing logistical and promotional support for the convention,
including planned citywide events such as the Anthrocon Block Party and
Parade that will take place on Saturday, July 1. And yes, once again,
our local Pittsburgh community is invited to take part in the fun!”
Anthrocon is expected to attract more than 9,700 attendees to the David
L. Lawrence Convention Center, with an anticipated total of $10.8M in
direct spending over the four-day convention. Programming includes
workshops and seminars in acting, costume-building, animation, writing,
art, and design, as well as an art show.__
“The early response to registration for _Anthropolis: Our Furry City_
shows just how much our members are looking forward to this event and to
returning to Pittsburgh,” said Dr. Sam Conway, Anthrocon board chair.
“Our ongoing partnership with VisitPITTSBURGH has enabled us to
connect with the community, expand our programming, and plan a wonderful
multiday convention for fans of the artistic and literary genre known as
furry. Our fandom includes professional sports mascots, animators,
cartoonists, puppeteers, artists, illustrators, and writers, as well as
those who simply think that it would be a wonderful thing if animals
could walk or talk. We look forward to working with VisitPITTSBURGH in
the coming months as furries from around the globe plan their trip to
Pittsburgh.”
VisitPITTSBURGH is the official tourism marketing and promotion agency
of the Pittsburgh region.
The organization is dedicated to generating business events, sports
events and leisure travel.
