Summer in San Diego
Summer always marks some fun, exciting, and impactful moments for San Diego’s community and economy. The Padres have continued to play great baseball as they head into the upcoming MLB All-Star Break. The Rady Shell is packing in world-class acts along with performances from our own San Diego Symphony. The San Diego County Fair in Del Mar continues to host concerts, agricultural exhibitions, and some of our region’s most creative food and drink offerings. And of course, when you are home to the nation’s largest population of active-duty military and veterans, Independence Day takes on a greater meaning. To celebrate, an estimated 800,000 travelers made their way through San Diego International Airport over the Fourth of July holiday.
When it comes to impact, our San Diego Convention Center has been in full swing. After hosting tens of thousands of life sciences leaders from across the globe at the BIO International Convention, San Diego is gearing up for 2024’s Comic-Con International, welcoming more than 100,000 visitors, generating $160 million in local economic impact, and boosting small business revenue.
Another event that has become synonymous with the summer months and has generated a great deal of pride within the San Diego community (no pun intended) is San Diego Pride. The San Diego Pride Parade and Festival is celebrating 50 years, having grown to become one of the largest civic events in the San Diego region and among the largest Pride celebrations in the country. The weekend-long event brings together more than 300,000 people and has an economic impact of almost $30 million.
As we focus on the continued advancement of a regional economic development agenda where inclusion is a cornerstone and economic imperative, we need to continuously reassess and re-evaluate what inclusion (and our related actions) truly means. Our economic development dialogue, agenda, and goals must recognize and remember the impact that small and LGBTQ-owned businesses have on our economy throughout the year and see the stimulus effect that events like San Diego Pride and others have on our community.
As ever, we invite you to lean in with us:
- Endorse the Inclusive Growth goals
- Learn more about our region’s progress to inclusion
- Join us for upcoming events and discussions
Looking forward to the weeks ahead and making the most of this summer season with our investors and partners.
Mark Cafferty
President & CEO