Meeting News - June 16, 2008 - (Page 24) Convention Centers NASCAR Hall of Fame Poised to Rev Up Charlotte Convention Center’s Business Charlotte, NC—The Charlotte Convention Center is expected to be a big beneficiary of the NASCAR Hall of Fame, when the ode to American stock car racing opens directly across the street in the first quarter of 2010. The $157-million project, which broke ground last year, will include a 40,000-sf ballroom that is being sold essentially as a second convention center ballroom—the building’s own such space is 35,000-sf—given the close proximity of the two buildings in downtown Charlotte. The larger ballroom and Hall of Fame already have been credited with luring the Shriners Imperial Council of North America to hold its 2012 convention in Charlotte. The city expects about 50,000 Shriner attendees because of the NASCAR-related offerings. Looking ahead, the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority is considering a 10-year, $33-million plan to upgrade the convention center and two other large meeting and event venues: Ovens Auditorium and Cricket Arena. Paying for the overhauls and renovations likely will require the CRVA to seek $11 million in public money, while funds generated by the facilities and hospitality taxes collected from the venueswill cover the balance of the upgrade costs. The biggest tab is for the convention center, which is budgeted for $12 million in improvements, including a new marquee, new carpeting, and the relocation of a cafe. The Charlotte Convention Center offers 280,000 sf of exhibit space and 90,000 sf of flexible meeting space, in addition to its ballroom. Ovens Auditorium, a performance venue, seats 2,457, while Cricket Arena is a multipurpose sports and concert venue that offers 9,605 seats. In addition to its big ballroom, the NASCAR Hall of Fame will feature 50,000 sf of exhibit space, auto racing simulators, a ceremonial plaza, a 250-seat theater, a Great Hall greeting area, a restaurant, and some retail stores. Edited by Rayna Katz rayna.katz@nielsen.com Nashville Pushes For an HQ Hotel After Center OK’d Nashville—Now that construction of the $595-million Nashville Convention Center has been approved, the city’s attention is turning toward securing a headquarters hotel of about 1,000 rooms. Candidates include Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt, and Starwood, while Memphis-based Peabody Hotel Group is a likely nominee, as well. The new convention center—set to break ground next year and pegged at 1.2 million sf—is slated for completion by 2012, with the city targeting simultaneous completion of the center and hotel. Conventional Wisdom, an Orlando-based convention center designer, will create the facility, tentatively named Music City Center. A 2006 study on the need for a new facility recommended a 375,000-sf exhibit hall, 75 to 100 meeting rooms, two ballrooms and a theater with 2,500 to 3,000 seats. The current center, which was built in 1987, is considered too small and outdated. This spring, it failed a food safety inspection following a roach infestation. This snazzy museum will include a ballroom upon opening in 2010. A Center in Southern Texas Struggles to Attract Business McAllen, TX— Perhaps representative of the plight of smaller facilities in second- and third-tier destinations, the McAllen Convention Center is contending with the sticker shock its prices are giving to exposition organizers. According to the Monitor, a local newspaper, exhibitors and trade show organizers are threatening to patronize other cities, even as McAllen’s center is struggling to lower a $1.9-million budget deficit. 24 MeetingNews June 16, 2008 The cost of renting the center’s exhibit hall is $8,300 a day—comparable to centers in Austin and San Antonio—according to the newspaper, and higher than the typical rate in Corpus Christi and Laredo. The $62.2-million center was launched last year, replacing the McAllen Civic Center. Unlike centers in major destinations, which mainly draw visitors but aren’t expected to make money, smaller centers like McAllen generally shoot to break even or make a profit by hosting niche markets and consumer shows. McAllen’s high rates, however, have caused its bookings to total just seven conventions this year, and 13 for 2009. The ballroom is booked for 99 days this year, a 27-percent occupancy rate. Some concessions to private functions and nonprofit groups are being planned. Boston Convention Center Hits 1 Million Room Nights Boston—The Boston Convention & Exhibition Center (BCEC) has attracted more than 1 million hotel room night bookings since it opened in 2004, a milestone hit it with the start of the American Society for Microbiology’s meeting this month. Official statistics from the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority, which oversees three centers around the state, said the BCEC has attracted nearly 1.4 million national and international visitors out of 520 meetings, conventions, and trade shows, and generated $910 million in economic impact for the city and the region. r —Section by Christopher Hosford www.meetingnews.com http://www.meetingnews.com
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