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COMPRESSION CALENDAR  August 2006
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Bell Ringer
Philadelphia — the most historic city in America — has become a prominent destination for business travelers, conventioneers, students and leisure travelers alike.
by Phyllis Schumann
With a population of nearly 1.6 million, it’s now the 5th largest city in the US, with a metropolitan area that is home to an additional five million.
“America’s most historic square mile” — better known as Independence National Historical Park — contains two of our nation’s most treasured freedom monuments: the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall. Although history abounds as you traverse throughout the city, it has undergone a renaissance over the past decade that began with the decision in the late 80s to locate the Philadelphia Convention Center in the heart of downtown.
Since then, Philadelphia has invested heavily in convention, tourism and cultural attractions. Conventions and tourism play a major role in Philadelphia’s economy, generating more than $458,569,000 in Center City hotel revenue in 2007. According to figures from Smith Travel Research and PKF Consulting, market mix for the area in 2007 was:
• Transient: 35 percent.
• Convention and group: 30 percent.
• Individual leisure: 25 percent.
• Group leisure: 10 percent.
In 2007, Philadelphia hotels’ ADR was $168.50; average occupancy was 74.1 percent. In 2008 through August, ADR was $169.60 with a 71.6 percent occupancy.
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Boston's 21 Varieties
Welcome to the neighborhoods! Boston — one of America’s oldest cities — beckons business and leisure travelers alike to its 21 distinct and vibrant neighborhoods.
by Phyllis Schumann
The North End, the South End, Back Bay, Beacon Hill, Bay Village, Downtown, Government Center and the Financial District are among the many neighborhoods in which business travelers and conventioneers often hang their hats.
Boston is the largest city and capital of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. With a population of more than 608,000, it also serves as the anchor to the Greater Boston area, where the population balloons to 4.4 million. Prestigious colleges and universities, as well as many world-class hospitals, occupy or surround Boston. The foundations of its economy are also in the research, finance, technology, biotechnology, and travel and tourism industries. In fact, the City of Boston hosts more than 12 million annual visitors.
Many of them are coming to meetings and conferences. The Massachusetts Convention Center Authority (MCCA) owns and oversees the operations of the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center (BCEC) and the John B. Hynes Veterans Memorial Convention Center. In fiscal year 2008, the MCCA hosted 241 events at the BCEC and Hynes with 914,759 attendees generating 627,444 hotel room nights and $522 million in economic impact for Greater Boston.
The BCEC, located near the South Boston waterfront and Boston’s World Trade Center, opened its doors in 2004. “Built by users, for users,” this state-of-the facility is the product of input from meeting and event planners from across the country. It is the largest exhibition center in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions, with 516,000 square feet of contiguous exhibit space and 160,000 square feet of flexible meeting space.
The John B. Hynes Veterans Memorial Convention Center is located in the heart of Boston’s historic Back Bay neighborhood and is connected to more than 3,000 hotel rooms. It boasts 193,000 square feet of exhibit space and nearly 72,000 square feet of flexible meeting space.
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Chicagoland Unabridged
Planning for a meeting in Chicagoland can involve consideration of hundreds of locations.
by Phyllis Schumann
There’s a magnificent assortment of hotel property types that support thousands of available rooms. And the downtown area is steadily increasing its room count and meeting space.
But there’s no denying that the area’s meetings and events industry, like everywhere else, is having its ups and downs.
Up: Meeting and convention bookings are scheduled through 2013 and inquiries are coming in for 2016 and beyond. Should 2016 bring the Summer Olympics to Chicago, purchased rooms will likely spill into the Milwaukee market. (The host city of the Games will be announced in October.) In the meantime, association conferences are still moving forward, with education being the bastion for their continued strength.
Down: Corporate short-term bookings have slowed down considerably. Even organizations that have not yet felt the economy’s painful pinch are being very cautious. And as in most convention cities, attendance is down. According to Megan Risch, director of public relations for the Chicago Convention & Tourism Bureau (CCTB), “there are three factors affecting lowered attendance: 1) People are buying less exhibit space and using less booth personnel; 2) Organizations are cutting down on number of attendees; and 3) People are staying for shorter periods of time.”
And a fourth factor has begun nipping at Chicago’s heels. “We are certainly aware that Tier Two and Three cities are now in the playing field and, that you can get a good deal in St. Louis and in the Quad Cities,” comments Risch. “But it’s more than price and still about value. Twenty percent of the population is within a day’s drive to Chicago and the foot traffic is obviously present here.” The Bureau isn’t resting on these assets to meet the competition from alternative markets. Its Destination Marketing Kit (DMK) provides digital marketing materials, templates, editorial, photography, and maps gathered to increase show attendance, attract exhibitors and promote Chicago — and attendance.
In addition, the CCTB launched a meetings promotion — Chicago Select — in September 2008. This program is in place for 10 or more people and offers discounts on meeting space, tours and heavily-discounted fares on American Airlines. The program was originally set up for the months of January-March of 2009 through 2011. It is now in place for all of 2009 and 2010. All Chicago hotels participate.
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Easy Does It
Known as the Big Easy or Crescent City, one principle rings true: New Orleans is a city of pride, character and fortitude.
by By Phyllis Schumann
Although storm damage remains widespread in some areas, the city has made great strides since August 2005.
Prior to Katrina, there were 265 hotels with 38,000 hotel rooms available in the greater New Orleans metropolitan area. Today, 208 properties are open with more than 33,000 hotel rooms available. Hundreds of millions of dollars have been spent on hotel renovations.
And investments continue to be made in local properties. The Hilton New Orleans Riverside has undergone an approximate $65 million in improvements. Renovations were designed to complement the city’s renaissance and revitalize the 30-year-old property. It is now a “city within a city.” The Hilton has 130,000 square feet of flexible meeting/ event space and is host to numerous major meetings. The 1,622 room hotel is adjacent to the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center and is frequently the headquarters hotel for events and conventions held there.
You’d think that New Orleans and its hoteliers are experiencing a double whammy — first Katrina, then the downturned economy. That’s not necessarily how the residents see it. “Katrina was our recession,” comments Eric Janecke, director of sales and marketing for the Hilton Riverside. “Post-Katrina allowed us to look at our city and rediscover what makes us so vibrant and then communicate that to everyone.” New Orleans personifies culture, music, architecture, food and its people. And, New Orleans stronghold is as a meetings destination, not necessarily business travel. The Hilton created a meetings promotion that offers extra perks to meeting planners, attendees and serves the community, based on “corporate social responsibility.” It’s a win-win proposition that has been received well and “will be received more strongly going forward as corporate social responsibility becomes part of meeting agendas,” predicts Janecke. More information can be found on Hilton’s web site.
Small to large meetings are held at the Hilton with the average meeting length 3 to 3-1/2 days with 700-800 peak nights. Overall, the booking window has shortened — a situation that’s not unique to this hotelier or to New Orleans. “I think we hit our down, and New Orleans will once again be a leader in the meetings industry,” says Janecke.
The former Fairmont New Orleans, also known as The Roosevelt, has yet to reopen but it’s close. This historic hotel, opened in 1893 as the Grunewald, was renamed The Roosevelt in honor of President Theodore Roosevelt in 1923. The Roosevelt was known as “the pride of the South” with its luxurious style and classic venues making it a favorite for generations of New Orleans residents as well as visitors. Now Hilton Hotels Corporation is redeveloping this property as part of the Waldorf=Astoria Collection(r). The cost will likely exceed $100 million as attention to every detail from restored chandeliers to first-class accommodations is realized. The Roosevelt is scheduled to open this summer and will afford 500 guest rooms, nearly 60,000 sq. ft. of event space and 23 state-of-the-art meeting rooms.
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Livin' Large
by Phyllis Schumann
As the Southwest’s leading business and financial center, Dallas is the third-most popular business travel destination in the US. This diverse city does, indeed, offer something to everyone. Leisure and business travelers alike enjoy the many historic museums and collections of artwork, world-class golf courses, exceptional culinary offerings, and countless shopping opportunities.
Hosting a convention or event here — large or small — has its advantages. The Big D encompasses 384 square miles. Metropolitan Dallas has more hotels than New York City, with more than 65,000 hotel rooms available in the Dallas area, from budget-friendly to first-class luxury properties. A wide range of hotels can be found in the Downtown/Convention Center area with additional concentrations of properties near DFW International and Love Field airports, as well as the Galleria Area, Market Center, LBJ Freeway, North Central Expressway and Las Colinas.
Historic hotels are widespread throughout Dallas. Among them, the legendary Adolphus Hotel, built in 1912 and considered an architectural gem. It offers more than 24,000 square feet of event space. The Hotel Indigo (the Aristocrat Hotel before becoming part of IHG’s new brand portfolio) was built in 1924 and is a nationally registered landmark. Dallas is also home to the only hotel in Texas with a Mobil Five-Star and AAA Five-Diamond rating: the Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek, once the palatial home of a Texas cotton magnate. The Hotel Lawrence, which is the closest hotel to the Dallas Book Depository and the Sixth Floor Kennedy Museum, was built in 1925; this European-style boutique has five small meetings rooms. The largest is able to accommodate 38 people.
While we’re thinking big: the Dallas Convention Center’s expansion in 2002 included the world’s largest column-free exhibit hall, at 203,000 square feet. The Convention Center now affords more than 1 million square feet of exhibit space.
Encompassing the years 2000 to 2023, there are more than 250 specific conventions, and an additional 250+ unconfirmed city-wide conventions, booked in Dallas. In combination, that represents more than 7 million room nights. That’s quite a forecast for the first quarter of the century!
Hotel meeting space is readily available throughout the city with the Hilton Anatole offering more than 340,000 square feet of banquet and meeting space. An additional 160,000 square feet of space is available at the Hyatt Regency Dallas at Reunion and the Sheraton Dallas Hotel offers 230,000 square feet of meeting space.
Notably, as of March 2008, the Dallas CVB reports an occupancy rate of 60.2 percent. An understanding of a city’s hotel occupancy rate and expected visitors, i.e., convention/meeting attendees, will provide insight into why your travelers may or may not be able to secure your contracted rates.
To assist with that comparison, here are some of the leading hotels’ guest room capacities:
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Location, Location, Location
When it comes to locating a convention or large event in Minneapolis, organizers have, in effect, three for the effort of one.
The market area really involves three cities — The Minneapolis/St. Paul twins plus Bloomington, the address for the Mall of America. The Mall is across the highway from Minneapolis St. Paul International Airport. The address for the airport’s Humphrey Terminal is Minneapolis but the Lindbergh Terminal’s address is St. Paul.
By last count, 95 hotels serve the tri-city area. State figures show an occupancy rate of 65 percent for 2007 but the area has several large meeting facilities, increasing the likelihood that business travelers backed by contracted rates may be walked.
It will be more than a simple likelihood over this year’s Labor Day weekend when delegates, media, volunteers and staffers begin arriving for the 2008 Republican convention. Early estimates are that over the course that the week, they will total 45,000 visitors — and they’ll need an average of 20,000 rooms per night. The entire metro area’s room inventory has been estimated at 35,000 rooms, 5,000 of them downtown where the Minneapolis Convention Center is Located.
Trouble is, the convention site is downtown Saint Paul, at the Xcel Energy Center, home turf of the Minnesota Wild hockey team and the Swarm lacrosse team. The neighboring Saint Paul RiverCentre and its Roy Wilkins Auditorium will also be used. There are six hotels nearby including an Embassy Suites, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn, Best Western and the historic Saint Paul Hotel.
The market’s room inventory will be increased by 229, possibly in time for the Republican convention, when Starwood Hotels & Resorts opens the W Minneapolis in the renovated Foshay Tower, an art deco building erected in 1929 in the heart of what is now downtown Minneapolis. In addition to the guest rooms, a signature restaurant and two bars, the hotel will feature 7,000 square feet of meeting space, wired “to meet the needs of the surrounding business community.” Despite its modern infrastructure, the new W will retain many of the building’s original design touches: Italian marble, terrazzo floors, ornamental bronze and a gold- and silver-plated lobby ceiling.
Minneapolis is also home to one of the nation’s favorite meeting venues among meeting planners polled by Eventective, a national search portal for meeting venues and vendors. The company claims to attract more than 35,000 planners daily; they’re searching through 105,000 venues and 338,000 event spaces on the Eventective database. Their favorites were identified by two criteria; the number of times their listing was viewed and the number of event inquiries received.
Among the 30 venues thus identified: The Depot Minneapolis — a Rennaisance Hotel. Built in 1899, The Depot began as the depot for the Milwaukee Road railway company, which connected the two mid-sized cities via Chicago. In 1920, its peak year, 29 trains arrived daily. But rail service ceased in 1971 and the depot was converted to office space. Seven years later it was registered as a national historic site. But it was until 1998 that developers turned it into a complex that includes the Renaissance (227 rooms), a Residence Inn by Marriott (131 rooms), an indoor waterpark, ice rink, several restaurants and 60,000 square feet of meeting space.
And yes, Minneapolis does have suburbs. Residents of one of the most affluent, Edina, are watching the development of The Westin Edina Galleria Hotel & Residences, a mixed use hospitality project whose hotel (225 guest rooms and 9,000 square feet of meeting space) and 82 condominiums are due to open in the fall.
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New York, New York
Start spreading the news ... New York City wants your business. By last August, it had pushed hotel occupancy above 90 percent — and the average daily rate down to $285.
by Phyllis Schumann
Make no mistake, the city has a lot going for it, beginning with its commanding influence over worldwide commerce, finance, international affairs, culture and entertainment.
Ranked as the largest US city since 1790, its population tops 8.2 million, packed into 303 square miles that are divided into five boroughs: The Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens and Staten Island. According to the US Census Bureau, this equates to 26,402.9 persons for every square mile. Manhattan alone has a population density of 66,940 persons per square mile. To put this into perspective, the entire state’s population density is 401.9 persons per square mile.
And NYC is bulking up its marketing muscle. NYC & Company, the official marketing, tourism and partnership organization for the City of New York, is the result of a 1999 merger of the New York CVB and New Yorkers for New York. In 2006, Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced the merger of NYC & Company, NYC Big Events and NYC Marketing into a single organization to achieve his goal of attracting 50 million visitors annually by 2012.
Indeed, the last seven years have produced a healthy, total increase of 10.8 million visitors to NYC, including 3.69 million more international travelers. “Our focus over the past two years has been to stimulate international travel, a segment that generates more than half of total visitor spending for the city’s tourism industry — international visitors stay longer and spend more money,” says Christopher Heywood, vice president, travel & tourism public relations for NYC & Company. “We will be focusing on developing more international MICE and leisure business as well as stimulating domestic travel in the coming year.” Over the last two years, NYC & Company has opened 11 new offices, bringing the total to 18 offices reaching 25 global markets.
Forty-six million people visited NYC in 2007; 47 million are anticipated for 2008. According to the NYC & Company web site, the city welcomed 4,289,000 convention delegates in 2007; that includes a 19 percent increase in international delegates. They attended tradeshows, conventions, corporate meetings or seminars and contributed $3.13 billion of the total $28.85 billion in visitor spending that year. It generated total taxes of $6.74 billion, yielding $2.3 billion for NYC.
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Of Monuments & Memorials
Our nation’s capital is always interesting, but becomes even more intriguing as another presidential election looms on the horizon.
by Phyllis Schumann
Past inaugurations have generated a 4 percent increase in January occupancy over non-inaugural months and increases of up to 50 percent in total room revenue
for the month. And look for a 4-night minimum to be associated with hotel stays during this timeframe.
But the rush hasn’t started yet. Most individuals and groups wait until the ballots have been counted before reserving meeting space or guest rooms associated with the inauguration. Reservations made prior to the election are subject to all typical clauses — non-transferable, non-refundable, etc.
However, most events that are booked early will take place regardless of the election results. “Room and event inquiries are occurring now,” says Rebecca Pawlowski, director of communications at Destination DC. Several media conventions are already planned. So is the Presidential Youth Inaugural Conference, which is held every four years and drew about 400 students in 2005.
Despite its relative youth on the world stage, Washington has a rich history. Its spacious boulevards and ceremonial spaces can be attributed to Pierre Charles L’Enfant, a native of France appointed by George Washington in 1790 to plan the layout of the new capital city. The nation’s capital was moved from New York to Washington, DC 10 years later.
During the War of 1812, most of Washington’s public and government buildings were burned to the ground. Today’s appearance can be credited to the 1902 McMillan Commission, which developed a plan for the Mall and monuments (thought to be the grand completion of L’Enfant’s intended design), that are now baseline to many of Washington DC’s 16 million+ annual visitors.
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Southern Steel
Atlanta’s symbol is the Phoenix — a legendary bird of Egyptian mythology that rose from its own ashes with renewed strength and beauty....
by Phyllis Schumann
It’s an apt emblem. The city’s been marked throughout its history, from the flames of Civil War in 1864 to the tornado that badly damaged the Georgia World Congress Center this year on March 14. Each time it rebuilds. GWCC was repaired and reopened a month later, in time for the April 26 opening of an international career development conference sponsored by the Distribution Education Club of America (DECA).
Long ago, city fathers envisioned Atlanta as a leading city of the progressive “New South.” Today, Atlanta is just that — an international city with the third largest concentration of Fortune 500 companies and home of the world’s busiest airport. In the first six years of this millennium, the metropolitan area grew by more than 20 percent, making it the US’s fastest growing metropolitan area, now home to nearly 5 million people and more than 137,000 businesses. The City of Atlanta is 131 square miles in size and is comprised of three districts: Downtown, Midtown and Buckhead. Nearly all hotels in the Downtown District are within walking distance of the Georgia World Congress (convention) Center, the Georgia Dome, Centennial Park and other Atlanta attractions.
From an architectural perspective, Atlanta opted for modern, striking structures and chose not to preserve its historic “Old South” structural designs and/or buildings as other southern cities such as Charleston and Savannah have done. John Portman, one of Atlanta’s most notable hometown architects, whose design of the atrium hotel began with the Hyatt Regency Atlanta in 1967, created a significant impact within the hospitality sector. Today, the Hyatt Regency is among the 31 hotels in the Downtown District that afford nearly 12,000 guest rooms and/or suites. In total, there are approximately 90 hotel properties in the city of Atlanta. According to Kate Stuart, director of research for the Atlanta CVB, metropolitan Atlanta boasts 759 hotel properties that house 91,534 rooms with an overall April YTD occupancy rate of 62.1 percent. The ADR for this same time period is $93.48. When the W Atlanta Downtown opens — that’s scheduled for January 2009 — it will add another 214 rooms and 23 suites to the mix.
Atlanta hosts approximately 3,000 annual conventions and ranks 5th nationally. Its convention center, The Georgia World Congress Center, is the fourth largest convention center in the US, with 1.4 million square feet of space. And, with Atlanta you get options — two other convention centers are available. The Georgia International Convention Center (GICC) is often used for local meetings, but it is also a desirable convention destination for all size meetings due to its close proximity to the airport. Fly in, stay at an airport property (there are 64, totaling 10,290 rooms), and fly out. The GICC has a 40,000 sq. ft. ballroom, six 2,000 sq. ft. meeting suites and 150,000 sq. ft. of exhibit space. On the drawing board is a train that will connect visitors from the airport to the car rental area and to the GICC.
Likewise, the Cobb Galleria Centre is another option for hosting an event and is a wonderful space, according to Dan Domanik, national director of sales for Worktopia, an Atlanta-based provider of online booking of venues in 65 countries for meetings of up to 100 attendees. In Atlanta, ease of entry is always important and two major highways make traveling to Cobb Galleria straightforward. Cobb encompasses 320,000 sq. ft. of overall space and 144,000 sq. ft. of exhibit space.
Hotel meeting space is also readily available throughout the downtown area and includes the Marriott Marquis offering 54 meeting rooms with 130,000 sq. ft. of space; the Omni Hotel at CNN Center with 120,000 sq. ft. of space; and the Hyatt Regency Atlanta with 180,000 sq. ft. of meeting space.
Atlanta is home to seven major sports teams. Except for the Atlanta Falcons, attendance by out-of-towners is not substantial (unless the Braves are in the playoffs). Even with an influx of sports fans, there are ample rooms available and compression may not be an issue.
In addition to the Hartsfield Jackson International Airport, Atlanta is very accessible by corporate and private aircraft through its 20 general aviations airports located throughout the metropolitan area.
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That Toddlin' Town
There is not another major US city with as many nicknames as Chicago. Regardless of which you prefer — it is definitely a city for both work and play.
by Phyllis Schumann
Chicago realized more than 46 million visitors in 2007. Of these, 12.31 million were domestic business and/or convention travelers. They spent $5.8 billion — half of the total direct spending ($11.5 billion) by all visitors, including leisure and international visitors. Another confirmation that business travel drives the economy.
With the number of visitors to Chicago, it is reassuring that Chicago is following New York City’s lead and is mandating its fleet of nearly 7,000 taxicabs to go green by January 1, 2014. In fact, Mayor Daley’s commitment to the city and the green initiative is evident with the appointment of a Chief Environmental Officer to his cabinet to oversee citywide environmental efforts — the first position of its kind in the nation.
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The Desert No More
“Only Vegas,” with more than 9.7 million square feet of meeting and exhibit space and in excess of 136,000 rooms city-wide, will host nearly 24,000 meetings, conventions and/or incentive programs this year, according to the LVCVA.
In terms of attendance, they’re almost guaranteed to be a success. The LCCVA reports that on average, attendance increases 18 percent when conventions rotate into this metropolis. Not bad when not too long ago, the consensus was that Corporate America would not embrace this city as a meeting and convention destination.
Las Vegas boasts three of the ten largest convention venues in the US. The Las Vegas Convention Center with 2.3 million square feet of exhibit space and 144 meetings rooms (241,000 sq. ft.) is within a short distance of nearly three-fourths of Las Vegas’s hotel rooms. The Mandalay Bay Convention Center (on the south Strip) has 1.7 million sq. ft. of space and also offers the Events Center, featuring 38,818 sq. ft. of exhibit space and 26,120 sq. ft. of meeting and function space. The Events Center seats 12,000 in a full arena setting where headline concerts and world-championship boxing events often take place, but is also available for meetings or conventions. Another 20,000 sq. ft. of conference and function space is available at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino. Adjacent to The Venetian is the largest hotel convention facility in the world: The Sands Expo and Convention Center, with more than 1.9 million sq. ft. of combined meeting, convention and trade show space. The Sands Expo is directly connected to 4,000 suites at The Venetian and is a 10 minute walk to another 40,000 hotel rooms in close proximity to the complex.
Beyond these top three convention venues, other centers and meeting facilities abound at hotels throughout the city. For instance, one million square feet of meeting space is available through the Harrah’s Entertainment umbrella of properties that consist of Bally’s, Caesars Palace, Harrah’s, Flamingo, Imperial Palace, Paris and Rio. “Host your meeting at one hotel and stay at a different Harrah’s property using one contract and working with one contact. It provides both options and simplification,” says Rina Foster, the senior account executive at Preferred Public Relations & Marketing which handles Las Vegas Meetings by Harrah’s.
Meeting space will continue to grow — as will Las Vegas — as evidenced by the scheduled expansions, as well as the construction and planned construction of numerous properties scheduled for opening in 2009. These projects will add more than 1 million sq. ft. of meeting space and nearly 17,000 more rooms to the city. The M Resort, Spa and Casino, which will be located at the south end of the Strip, is already booking meetings for 2009 and will offer 60,000 sq. ft. of meeting space. In fact, by year’s end 2011, expansions and new construction will have increased the city’s room count by more than 32,000 and have added nearly 3.4 million sq. ft. of convention/meeting space.
The 2007 hotel occupancy rate for Las Vegas was 90.4 percent and the average nightly room rate was $132. As of May 2008, the hotel occupancy rate was 89.7 percent and the average nightly room rate slightly higher at $135.17. Although you can now secure a room at bargain pricing at some properties ($50 or less), that’s more indicative of summer temperatures than the effects of the economy. Thus far, says the LVCVA, there have been no reported meeting cancellations.
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The Golden City
San Francisco calls out not only to its estimated population of 765,000, but to the 16 million+ visitors who traveled to the City by the Bay in 2007.
by Phyllis Schumann
In fact, travel and tourism is the underpinning of San Francisco’s economy and has been for more than a century. The San Francisco Convention & Visitors Bureau (SFCVB) was established in 1909 to “reclaim the city’s position as a world-class destination in the wake of the devastating 1906 earthquake and fire.”
Today, tourism supports more than 72,000 jobs and reflects $1.94 billion in total payroll. The purpose of more than 57 percent of San Francisco’s visitors is to do business and/or to attend a meeting or convention. The average daily expenditure per convention delegate is $303. Total visitor and convention spending in 2007 was $8.24 billion, generating $497.8 million in taxes that support the city’s general budget and various city-wide initiatives. Last year’s visitor volume and spend represented an all-time high for the city — having surpassed pre-2001 statistics — and established a new benchmark for this “golden” city.
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