This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
The American Choral Directors Association has announced its 2015 biennial conference will be coming to Salt Lake City.
The conference is expected to attract 10,000 visitors, and those attending will utilize downtown venues that include the Salt Palace, Abravanel Hall, the Capitol Theater, the Cathedral of Madeleine, the First Presbyterian Church, Assembly Hall and the Mormon Tabernacle.
The event is expected to generate more than 10,500 room nights and $9.23 million in direct spending.
The association offers its members a forum in which to develop their skills and professional knowledge, while its biennial conventions include concert performances by accomplished choirs, educational clinics led by leading experts and exhibits by music-industry representatives. While in Salt Lake, members will perform concerts for local schools and the general public.
Although the group typically meets in larger cities such as New York and Chicago, the association's executive director, Tim Sharp, narrowed the site for the 2015 conference to Dallas and Salt Lake after a visit to Utah in 2008. Thanks to a concerted effort by Visit Salt Lake's Tori Piersante and association member Mack Wilburg, music director of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Sharp's interest in Salt Lake City grew, especially after he viewed performance venues and facilities.
"We were able to distinguish Salt Lake with our commitment to ACDA's business objectives, [which was] reflected in our cutting-edge attendance promotion and community welcome campaign," said Scott Beck, president and CEO of Visit Salt Lake.
After Salt Lake won the bid, Wilburg worked with Sharp to shape the preliminary outline for the 2015 conference.