Buoyed by the success, which prompted industry publication Tradeshow Week to say the facility "astonished industry observers," Salt Lake Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) President Mark Beck on Thursday announced an ambitious goal for 2007.
The bureau expects area hotels to fill 480,000 room nights next year, 41 percent more than the 340,000 room nights targeted in 2004.
Achieving that goal would lift Salt Lake County's hospitality industry to unprecedented heights, he added. This year already it is poised to generate more revenue than in the 2002 Olympic year.
"Growing at an astonishing 11 percent for 2005 and on track for 11 percent growth in 2006, hotel revenues in Salt Lake County are greater than they have ever been," Beck said, streaming customers to restaurants and rental car companies as well.
Beck expressed confidence an aggressive Utah Office of Tourism promotional campaign will extend the growth curve. Still, he added, the CVB is redoubling efforts to take advantage of other opportunities.
The bureau and the Utah Sports Commission are teaming to hire a full-time sales person to bring amateur sporting events to the Salt Lake Valley. "It's an extension of what we're doing in the marketplace and a great way to leverage our resources," said Jeff Robbins, executive director of the Sports Commission, a nonprofit agency created to attract sports business.
Beck said additional state funding will be used to promote the Ski Salt Lake Superpass, which allows out-of-towners to buy a ski pass at their hotel for use at any of the four Salt Lake County resorts they choose, be it Alta, Snowbird, Solitude or Brighton. The CVB sold 29,000 Superpasses in the inaugural 2002-03 season, 67,000 last winter.
The CVB's budget this year will rise 9 percent to $7.5 million.
mikeg@sltrib.com
S.L. convention goals for 2007 รค Fill 480,000 room nights in hotels
* Increase post-convention satisfaction score from 4.2 to 4.5
* Generate $4 million worth of advertising from "positive" media about Salt Lake
* Sell 80,000 Ski Salt Lake passes, 20 percent more than last winter
* Increase "Be a Tourist in Your Own Backyard" visits by 2,000, or 50 percent
* Increase visitor center visitation by 15 percent
* Increase traffic to VisitSaltLake.com Web site by 35 percent
Source: Salt Lake Convention & Visitors Bureau
