Anthrocon 2023 – Pittsburgh’s Premier Furry Convention – Sells Out Hotel Room Block Within Hours
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, 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.”