Meeting News - April 7, 2008 - (Page 15)

Edited by Elizabeth West elizabeth.west@nielsen.com Convention Centers Raleigh Center Already Enjoying Solid Bookings Raleigh, NC—The Raleigh Convention Center, set to open in September, reportedly is enjoying strong bookings into future years. Reservations up to 2023 have been secured at the venue, according to officials. Newly booked into the convention center is the major AfricanAmerican fraternal organization Omega Psi Phi, which will meet in the city in 2011, bringing 14,000 room nights to the North Carolina hub. The fraternity—which counts basketball legend Michael Jordan, comedian Bill Cosby, and activist Jesse Jackson among its members— is the largest booking so far at the new center. The city estimates that the group will inject $11 million into the city’s economy. “If this is successful— which we know it will be—then I know it will bring a lot of fraternities and other groups interested in finding another place to do some good business,” said Raleigh city councilman James West, who was instrumental in attracting the Omega Psi Phi conference. The new Raleigh Convention Center will have a 150,000-sf exhibition hall and 500,000 sf of event space in all. Merchandise Mart Properties Inc. (MMPI), will invest $20 million and run the complex. The existing 85-year-old Cleveland Convention Center consists of a gracious performing arts hall, but all town near Lake Erie. Also under consideration is the Tower City Center, also downtown, where the Medical Mart would nestle on the Cuyahoga River, behind a large shopping and hotel complex. Both sites are Cleveland, Long Eager for a New Center, Inks Deal for Medical Mart in Downtown New venue, doubling as med equipment showroom, will end city’s reliance on aging CC Cleveland—The city of Cleveland, which for years has been attempting to find the political and financial wherewithal to gain approval for a new convention center that would replace its venerable but outdated facility, finally has approved a plan for a new 1-million-sf building. The Cuyahoga County Commission inked a deal last month with a private partner in Chicago to develop a “Medical Mart,” which will pull double-duty for the city as a 500,000-sf permanent showroom for health care equipment and as a venue for exhibitions and meetings. “We’ve debated building a new convention center for years but have gotten resistance from folks who don’t understand the impact of a competitive center on the community,” said Dennis Roche, president of Positively Cleveland, the city’s convention bureau. “The Medical Mart concept has given the commissioners the hook they need to invest about a half-billion dollars into the new center.” Helping fund the project is a sales tax increase that would generate about $38 million. The city’s partner, other cities “It has been frustrating to seeat any defibuild new centers. If you look nition of a competitive set for Cleveland, we’ve been at the bottom of the list. —Dennis Roche, president, Positively Cleveland ” of its 278,000 sf of exhibition space is underground. Its multiple building-support pillars severely limit exhibition space possibilities. “It has been frustrating to see other cities build new centers,” Roche added. “If you look at any definition of a competitive set for Cleveland, we’ve been at the bottom of the list. We’re not getting our share of convention business.” Still undetermined is where the Medical Mart will be located. One possible site is where the existing convention center now sits, down- near numerous hotels. The Medical Mart, to open in 2011, will be patterned after Chicago’s famed Merchandise Mart and run by the same company. Despite the large investment, the city is not hanging its hat on the new facility as a revenue generator itself. “It’s going to be an economic driver,” said Roche. “We’re going into this deal with eyes wide open. Nobody expects this to make a profit, and that’s not our intent. Our intent is to drive business into Cleveland and the local hospitality venues.” Atlanta’s Facilities Sustain Damage from Freak Twister Atlanta—Last month’s tornado in downtown Atlanta, one of the worst storms ever to hit the city, severely damaged the Georgia World Congress Center and the Georgia Dome. The GWCC, which, at 3.9 million sf, is the fourth-largest center in the country, was hit hard, with its roof ripped off in many parts. Extensive water damage from rain and broken www.meetingnews.com sprinkler systems also occurred. As for the Georgia Dome, part of its roof was pulled off, and two of the landmark 65-foot-tall “Hermes Towers” in nearby Centennial Olympic Park were blown over. More than 65,000 people were in town for the Southeastern Conference college basketball tournament, the Atlanta Home Show, and the Hinman Dental Meeting. The SEC’s games were moved to Georgia Tech’s much smaller gym, but the home show and dental convention were canceled. A number of other small shows were canceled or postponed. Reno-Sparks CC Gains West Plaza Expansion Reno, NV—A new $2.37-million development at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center includes a new limousine staging area, additional parking, lighting, ramp access, and landscaping. The expansion is part of a long-term plan to convert 35 acres surrounding the convention center into one contiguous “super block.” Currently under way is the construction of a new skybridge that will connect the convention center building with the Atlantis Casino Resort Spa, at the north end of the building. r —Section by Christopher Hosford April 7, 2008 MeetingNews 15 http://www.meetingnews.com

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