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LA Tourism & Convention Board Lists Anime Expo as Having 'Virtual Event' Over July 4 Holiday

The Los Angeles Convention and Tourism Development Board of Commissioners has posted the information packet from a planned (but since canceled) special board meeting for March 3, and the packet lists Anime Expo 2021 as "doing a virtual event over 4th of July." The information packet also stated that Anime Expo is "g their license agreement through 2030." The document does not specifically state that the in-person Anime Expo 2021 event is canceled, nor does it state if a hybrid event is planned.

The document also lists that E3 has canceled its live event for 2021.

A packet for a previous board meeting planned on February 3 had stated that Anime Expo 2021 was planning to hold a live event, pending approval from Los Angeles County officials. That earlier packet added that the convention's staff was also looking at possible dates in the fall "as a back-up."

The 30th anniversary Anime Expo event is slated to take place at the Los Angeles Convention Center on July 2-5, 2021.

ANN has reached out to The Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation (SPJA) — the California-based non-profit organization behind Anime Expo — for a comment regarding the most recent listing, but the SPJA did not respond by press time. ANN will update this article if we receive a comment from the SPJA in the future.

Anime Expo 2020 was planned for July 2-5 but was Viz Media.

The SPJA announced last August that it had transitioned to become a 501(c)(3) charitable and educational organization effective January 1, 2020. The organization stated that it was formerly a 501(c)(6) trade association.

Source: City of Los Angeles Department of Convention & Tourism Development (link 2, link 3) via Siliconera