Post by markbelding on Nov 12, 2024 12:49:27 GMT -6
Cities are spending more than ever to land the biggest events, but companies have long pulled back on spending for annual conferences and attendance has dwindled.
An analysis performed by an industry logistics firm last year found that just 20 convention centers host 82 percent of the 250 largest recurring events.
www.nytimes.com/2024/11/11/business/convention-centers-revival.html
We need to talk. Taxpayers are being asked to fund increasingly more elaborate and expensive convention centers and sports stadiums. We are told that without these expensive attractions, our sports teams may move, or we won't attract all of the convention business that other cities are supposedly getting. In light of the recent cost over runs on our downtown convention center I have to ask really? The city of St Louis need somewhere to host function and events, but are we really competing with the top 20 cities in the country? I would say no. The city will see roughly the same number of events whether we have a state of the art center or not. The car show and other yearly events are going to happen regardless whether the convention center is expensive or not. And the fact is that most of these events have been getting smaller every year anyway. Most of the other events are going to happen anyway also due to proximity and cost to hold it in St Louis.
An analysis performed by an industry logistics firm last year found that just 20 convention centers host 82 percent of the 250 largest recurring events.
www.nytimes.com/2024/11/11/business/convention-centers-revival.html
We need to talk. Taxpayers are being asked to fund increasingly more elaborate and expensive convention centers and sports stadiums. We are told that without these expensive attractions, our sports teams may move, or we won't attract all of the convention business that other cities are supposedly getting. In light of the recent cost over runs on our downtown convention center I have to ask really? The city of St Louis need somewhere to host function and events, but are we really competing with the top 20 cities in the country? I would say no. The city will see roughly the same number of events whether we have a state of the art center or not. The car show and other yearly events are going to happen regardless whether the convention center is expensive or not. And the fact is that most of these events have been getting smaller every year anyway. Most of the other events are going to happen anyway also due to proximity and cost to hold it in St Louis.
