In its second full year in operation, Owensboro Convention Center in Kentucky has doubled the number of conventions booked over the original feasibility projections. Five are returning conventions and over 15 new ones have been scheduled so far.
Many of the conventions currently scheduled were brought to Owensboro with the help of the local community. The facility encourages assistance through recommendations for scheduling conventions and other events through the Bring Your Meeting Home program.
“The expectation for this building is to book conventions,” said Dean Dennis, general manager/vice president, Spectra. “Our purpose is to bring visitors to town.”
Once the event is booked, the referring individual will be designated as an Owensboro Convention Center Ambassador and rewarded with a Visa gift card for up to $200 per lead. To date, the Bring Your Meeting Home campaign has generated over 5,300 hotel rooms and has paid out over $1,200 in gift cards.
Facility manager Spectra Venue Management, formerly Global Spectrum, expects a great start to the new fiscal year at the Owensboro Convention Center in Kentucky with over 20 conventions already scheduled.
From July 1, 2015 to June 30, 2016, these conventions are forecasted to generate over 6,700 hotel room nights and more than $4.3 million in economic impact for the City of Owensboro, according to regional tourism spending estimates from the KY Department of Tourism.
“Our goal is to promote the Convention Center as the ideal destination for our region,” stated Laura Alexander, director of sales & marketing, Owensboro Convention Center. “Many associations have a heavy membership in the western part of the state, and Owensboro is very centrally located for their members.”
For more information, visit OwensboroCenter.com or contact 270.687.8800.
