Convention centre encouraged

By RICHARD ROLKE Morning Star Staff Jul 08 2007 http://www.vernonmorningstar.com/

Greater Vernon’s new economic development manager believes conventions will continue to bypass the area until proper facilities are in place for them. Denny Raincock told a Greater Vernon Tourism event Thursday that there’s a need for a conference centre. “We’re losing business without one,” she said during an interview with The Morning Star. Raincock says many conventions — both large and small — are scouting for communities that can play host. “They are looking at Kelowna, Kamloops and Penticton. We’re not even in the game.” She believes the existing convention facilities at local hotels provide a good service, but says they aren’t large enough.

Beyond pumping money into hotels, motels and restaurants, Raincock says people attending conventions may like what they see here and decide to either holiday in Greater Vernon or make it their home. Raincock is waiting to see if Greater Vernon politicians and senior administrators want to pursue the matter further. Mayor Wayne Lippert, who attended Thursday’s event, fully supports Raincock’s call for a convention centre. “It’s something we definitely should be looking at,” he said. “A big convention would really help the community.” Raincock is also interested in seeing a hotel room tax implemented as a way of bolstering Greater Vernon’s marketing budget.

“It would take the game up a notch in terms of marketing. Marketing is expensive and if you want to play in a competitive field, you need money,” she said. Local accommodations owners have opposed a room tax before, but Lippert is convinced opinions are changing. “They are seeing what other areas have done with the extra funding,” he said. In February, the Greater Vernon Services Committee decided to develop a program to implement a hotel tax for tourism marketing. During Thursday’s event, tourism operators and civic leaders were provided with statistics on the local sector. In 2005, visitors from Alberta were up 8.9 per cent over 2005 but Washington State traffic was down 22 per cent. Jennifer Strachan, community marketing co-ordinator, says many Americans aren’t crossing the border because of passport regulations.
“People are afraid to travel and there’s the higher gas prices,” she said.