E3 may relocate in 2013 - Report

LOS ANGELES--The video game industry's annual trade show, the Electronic Entertainment Expo, may be moving away from Los Angeles next year.

According to a Los Angeles Times report, E3 organizer the Entertainment Software Association is thinking about moving the trade show away from its current home at the Los Angeles Convention Center. The LACC has hosted all but two E3s in the show's 18-year history.

According to the report, ESA president Michael Gallagher said the show might relocate in 2013 if proposed construction at the LACC is not resolved.

"We're still in discussions with the city of Los Angeles," Gallagher said, "but we have a number of issues that still need to be resolved. If we can't resolve them, we are preparing to go elsewhere."

This is not the first time the organization has thought about moving the show outside Los Angeles. Last year, the ESA expressed concern about a proposed construction of a football stadium where the LACC West Hall currently resides.

While the ESA did not identify which locations it is scouting for a possible move for E3, the report cites executives close to the association listing cities such as San Francisco, New York, Chicago, and New Orleans as among the candidates.

"We need assurances on things like square footage, the quality of the space, the ease of loading and unloading equipment, signage throughout the convention center for marketing and sponsorships," Gallagher said. "We love being in Los Angeles, but we also have a show to put on."