Meeting News - October 6, 2008 - (Page 10) Convention Centers Officials at the New Orleans Morial Convention Center are deploying the Conference Auditorium—the venue’s 3,600-seat theater used for convention breakouts and sessions in the daytime—for public concerts and theatrical performances at night. The “repurposing” of the hall, now called the New Orleans Theater at the Convention Center, will maximize usage and beef up the Morial’s bottom line. New revenue streams, like use fees, concession sales, and parking, will come from concerts and other By William Ng william.ng@nielsen.com Morial Center Opens Auditorium as a Public Concert Venue “non-traditional” events, according to convention center management. Naming rights to the theater are up for sale to a potential corporate sponsor, as well. More convention centers with theaters are adopting the groupsby-day, concerts-by-night formula to boost business. Like others around the country, the Morial theater is pre-equipped with advanced AV, rigging, and show production systems, offering a turnkey solution for public entertainment space. Concerts and shows can fill calendars between groups and maximize the theaters’ potential. r Branson Building, Hotel Turn One Branson, MO’s convention center recently turned a year old with 240 “event days” booked, which officials said is slightly ahead of the venue’s forecasted pace. Feedback from trade show and convention organizers on the Branson Convention Center— which has shored up the traditionally summer leisure destination’s winter calendar—has been positive, according to Bill Tirone, sales and marketing director. “It was a very successful year. We’re witnessing the creation of a year-round economy in Branson.” Hilton Hotels manages the venue, which has 220,000 sf of total space and two exhibit halls totaling 47,000 sf. The convention center is supported by the 294room Hilton Branson Convention Center hotel next door. Branson is awaiting a new 58,000-sf, single-terminal airport, set to open next May. CVBs Melvin Tennant, CEO of Meet Minneapolis, said the CVB is still “basking in the glow” of last month’s Republican National Convention, and he’s excited that the international coverage will translate into a higher profile for the city—and more meetings and conventions for 2009 and beyond. Said Tennant, “We literally had every person involved. One was handling transportation, one was accommodations, and another was the delegate experience. We had an airport welcome and roving ambassadors downtown.” His staff of 60 worked closely with the RNC’s Committee on Arrangements (the convention’s planning 10 MeetingNews October 6, 2008 By William Ng william.ng@nielsen.com Minneapolis Is Energized with Momentum After the RNC arm) and with the Minneapolis-St. Paul host committee in helping organize the first RNC in the Twin Cities in 116 years. The RNC drew 45,000 attendees and infused $160 million in economic impact, using 16,000 hotel rooms across 100 properties in the region, plus countless restaurants, shops, and venues. Connie Stelter, Meet Minneapolis’ public relations manager, said the convention’s publicity, in effect, amounted to a $330 million ad campaign. As the GOP bash remains fresh in people’s minds, the bureau will look to keep the momentum going with new marketing efforts aimed at meeting planners, the first of which will be a humorous postcard campaign featuring an elephant recalling “the great time it had at the RNC.” Tennant said the CVB will be more aggressive with planner site inspections and fams, now that “awareness is heightened.” Tennant said the RNC proved to planners and potential clients that Minneapolis is able to host big events with many components. While the RNC took place at St. Paul’s Xcel Energy Center, Minneapolis hosted a 9,000-delegate party and RNC-related events at the Minneapolis Convention Center. It also hosted a riverfront party for 10,000 media members, plus numerous civic events—such as the “spark24” arts and entertainment festival that ran around the clock. “The RNC really gave us a chance to showcase our specialevent venues,” Tennant remarked, referring to the city’s various arts and cultural facilities. What the RNC also did was energize Minneapolis’ endeavor for big events. Days after the RNC ended, the city and the Minnesota Twins announced a bid for Major League Baseball’s 2014 All-Star Game. Tennant said, together with St. Paul, the Olympics are a future possibility. But in the meantime, he said the city has its eyes on over 50 large and citywide corporate and association meetings. r www.meetingnews.com http://www.meetingnews.com
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