7/19/2011
By CHRIS HUNTER Salina Journal

Salina's lack of a convention center with an attached hotel is costing the city an estimated $650,000 annually as five of the city's top 10 conventions from 2008 have left town, Salina city commissioners were told Monday.

"That (loss) is just from visitor spending," Sylvia Rice, director of the Visit Salina division of the Salina Area Chamber of Commerce, told commissioners at their study session. "That is on hotels, meals, a little bit of gas and shopping." And it could get worse.

Rice said two other groups, with an estimated spending effect of $321,000, are also looking to leave. She said the seven groups do not want their names released.

Rice said the biggest concern for the city is the lack of a "meet/sleep" facility. She said Wichita, Overland Park, Topeka, Dodge City and Manhattan have convention facilities connected to hotels.

"Our competitors can meet the needs of the conventions," Rice said. "They can offer the under-one-roof experience. Quite bluntly, Salina can't."

Rice said Salina has long been a good candidate for conventions because it is centrally located, but groups are now looking more toward Manhattan because of new facilities.

She said a new Hilton Garden Inn Hotel and Conference Center, which is still under construction, in Manhattan is already taking convention business from Salina.

"The basic norm is a convention has five communities that it is looking at," Rice said. "They (organizers) want to have their folks in one facility with an enclosed walking space and no transport. We are not even able to bid. We can't even get to the table.

"Our facilities are deteriorating," Rice said. "People in this business can be loyal, but there are other facilities that are coming on line."

Not just the BiCenter

Rice said one convention that left said it liked Salina, but the lack of a "good meeting space connected to a good hotel" was the city's "biggest obstacle." The group said they would come back to Salina if it had a convention center and a hotel.

That prompted this response from Commissioner Aaron Householter.

"We just need to forget chasing this pipe dream," he said in reference to previous proposals to build a hotel next to Salina's Bicentennial Center.

"We are not going to build a new Bicentennial Center, and no one is going to build a hotel in the center of town.

"We are beating a dead horse because no one is going to build something that spectacular in town," Householter said.

Householter suggested looking at tax incentives to help hotels willing to step up.

A huge economic effect

Dennis Lauver, president and CEO of the Salina Area Chamber of Commerce, said the loss of the conventions can have a huge effect on the local economy.

"There are about 2,000 hospitality related jobs in this community," Lauver said after the study session. "It (the loss of conventions) is becoming an important factor we have to address."

Lauver said the need for a hotel convention center is something that needs to be addressed. He said he has been working with local hotels to seek a solution.

"I believe chamber and city staff are aware of the problem and are looking for a solution that fits the community," said Mayor Samantha Angell after the study session.

And now, some good news

While conventions have been lost, Rice said the city has been able to bring in many sporting events. She said four of the city's largest sporting events eclipsed $3.5 million in visitor spending in 2010.

Rice said Salina has become a "sweet spot" for sporting events because it has the facilities, location, organizations and support.

Commission Norm Jennings said sports is a bright spot for Salina.

"They (chamber staff) have done a good job of seeing the decline in conventions and going after sporting events to fill that," Jennings said after the study session. "Maybe that will become our new niche."

nReporter Chris Hunter can be reached at 822-1422 or by email at chunter@salina.com.

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