Rotary Convention Short of Attendance Goals, but Still Slated to Succeed

None by KCPW

(KCPW News) Last year, organizers of the Rotary International Convention tapped more than 150-thousand public dollars to tout Utah as this year's event destination. Original attendance estimates ran 30-thousand people. But as of this week, registrations are closer to 17-thousand. Scott Beck of the Salt Lake Convention and Visitors Bureau says that's actually great news because it's more than the last Rotary International Convention held in the U.S.

"The last time it was in America was in San Antonio," says Beck. "We really felt the risk was not hitting the rotarian's number of 30,000, but falling below the 16,000 who attended in San Antonio. So knowing they're at 17,000, we feel all that money was absolutely vital to the success of this convention."

The convention was originally slated for New Orleans, but damage from Hurricane Katrina bumped it to Utah. Organizers had only 18 months to plan, rather than five years. That's partly why the public money was crucial, says Beck. Besides, he expects total Rotary Convention attendance to be 26-thousand, including family members who come for the trip. Rotary Convention Organizing Committee Chair Eugene Banks says they've spent 300-thousand dollars marketing the convention and Utah tourism to rotarians in 150 countries.

"I don't think it's bad to promote a community, state and city, no matter when the people finally come," says Banks. "If they're not able to come at this time, they might come later."

The Rotary Convention starts Sunday, June 17th, and if it meets projections, Beck says it will pump 22-million dollars into the local economy. It will also be the largest convention Salt Lake has ever seen - surpassing even the long-running Outdoor Retailer trade show.

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