Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/875690
EIGHT LARGE CONVENTIONS C H O O S E K C F O R F U T U R E Y E A R S More Than $60 Million in Economic Impact will Pour Into KC Over Next Several Years T R AV E L DATA MIAMI AND BEACHES APRIL REPORT For April 2017, hotel room occu- pancy in Greater Miami and the Beaches reached 81.0 %, increasing by +0.9% year on year. ADR increased by +2.3%, and RevPAR increased by +3.2%, ranking Greater Miami's hotel market as one of the top five in the nation among the top 25 hotel markets in the U.S. as reported by Smith Travel Research. Hotel rooms sold for the same time peri od increased by +5.5 % compared to the same time in 2016, absorbing the +4.6 % increase in hotel room inventory year on year. The destination continues to be impacted by global economies, Miami Beach Convention Center expansion and renovation, an increase in hotel room inventory, and other factors includ- ing alternative accommodations. On the heels of the NCAA's recent award of six sports champi- onships to KC totaling $27 million, Visit KC announced seven major convention bookings for future years. These groups represent the sports, military, religious, agricultural, multi-cultural and nonprofit seg- ments. Together, these events will generate a combined total of more than $60 million into the local economy. Economic impact is based upon a combination of attendance and room nights. The largest anno uncement is Triple Crown Sports, which man- ages nearly 300 youth events across the country in baseball, basketball, drift car racing, fast pitch softball and volleyball selected KC for its Volleyball NIT President's Day Weekend for multiple years. Starting in 2019, this group brings an estimated 8,500 attendees annually pouring an estimated $24.5 million over the course of five years. "As with any national-scale event, it makes sense to use Kansas City as a central, crossroads-type location that will ease the travel burden for many of our teams," said Sean Hardy, executive director of volleyball, Triple Crown Sports. "But more importantly, there's the manageable cost of air travel to the city, and the fact our partner hotels and the Kansas City Convention Center are ideally located to make the event a graceful fit for the hundreds of elite programs we are fortunate to host. When we needed to find another location after our time in Salt Lake City, we found Kansas City to satisfy all of the priorities of our staff, and our customers." Another large group most recently secured is The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. (VFW). This group returns to KC in 2022 for its annual convention bringing nearly 10,000 veterans and generat- ing an estimated $10.3 million into our local economy. In 2013, KC secured this group for its July 2018 National Convention, which will coincide with the centennial anniversary of the end of World War I. The last time this group held its convention in KC was 2007. Other conventions announcing their selection of KC for future years include: USA Elite Select returns to KC this year bringing its 2017 World Fastpitch Championships July 10-16, bringing 10,000 attendees gener- ating $7.6 million in economic impact. National Main Street Center, a nationwide network of programs and local communities intended to encourage preservation-based community revitalization, will hold its annual conference in March 2018, attracting 1,600 attendees with an economic impact of $1.6 mil- lion. This is the first time this conference will be held in KC. Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association – This non-profit war vet- erans' organization brings its National Reunion to KC in May 2019, attracting 1,000 attendees with an economic impact of $1.2 million. The last time the group held their convention in KC was in 1995. National Baptist Convention, USA is the nation's oldest and largest African American religious convention with an estimated mem- bership of 7.5 million. This group will hold its National Congress in KC in June 2020, bringing an estimated 20,000 attendees and pouring more than $13 million into the local economy. National Association of Sports Commissions – The most trust- ed resource for sports commissions, destination marketing organiza- tions, vendors and sports event owners will hold its Sports Event Symposium in April 2020, bringing an estimated 1,000 attendees and producing more than $1.1 million in economic impact. American Angus Association – This agricultural organization will bring its national convention to KC in November 2020. The group will attract an estimated 1,500 attendees and an economic impact of $1.6 million. "Nine billion dollars and growing," said Cori Day, vice president of Sales and Services. "That's the investment the city, attractions, hotels and other businesses have surged into our city and Kansas City is get- ting national attention as a result. Our walkable Downtown, Streetcar, renovated and new hotels, restaurants and entertainment near the con- vention center are leveraged in every sales discussion and our overall marketing approach to win more business repositioning Kansas City as a premier convention destination." The largest announcement is Triple Crown wn w Sports wh wh w ich man- B M & T ••• July/August 2017 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 39