2009 in review
In a difficult economy, when most of our nation’s convention
and visitors bureaus struggled to attract new business to their
communities, Experience Columbus and the Greater Columbus Sports
Commission turned in an impressive 10 percent increase in production in
2009, generating more than 350,000 hotel room nights in group business
alone.
Online hotel room nights booked by leisure travelers increased 36
percent over 2008. In its second year, the Downtown Visitor Center had
a 38 percent increase in visitor traffic over 2008, and more than
71,000 visitors were served at the Easton Visitor Center and the
downtown location in 2009. And ExperienceColumbus.com logged 3,074,564
visitor sessions, a 62 percent increase over 2008. Online, print and
broadcast media exposure generated in 2009 had an estimated advertising
value of more than $3.8 million.
Experience Columbus membership is at an all-time high of 950, and,
perhaps even more impressive during an economic downturn, the 2009
member retention rate was 91.6 percent. “We like to think of this
as an indication of the value we provide to members,” said Xenia
Palus, Experience Columbus director of membership.
| 2009 Room Night Production | Actual | Quota | % of Quota |
| Convention Sales/Services | 301,323 | 281,000 | 107% |
| Leisure Tourism (online) | 4,792 | 3,500 | 137% |
| Group Tours | 10,902 | 9,000 | 121% |
| Sports Commission | 43,327 | 40,000 | 108% |
| Total | 360,344 | 333,500 | 108% |
While all this is good news, there is a cautionary note. Experience Columbus' sales and marketing efforts are funded in large part by a percentage of revenue from the City of Columbus hotel/motel tax, which declined steeply, by 14.78 percent in 2009.
“The majority of last year’s production can be
attributed
to sales efforts two to three years prior,” said Brian Ross,
Experience Columbus vice president of sales. “We’ve had
budget decreases of
$1.2 million dollars over the past two years that
have made it necessary to substantially cut advertising, trade show
participation and promotions. This likely will begin affecting
production this year and into future years.”
Reflecting a nationwide trend, Columbus and Franklin County
Convention
Facilities Authority (FCCFA) hotel/motel tax collections as of Dec.
31, 2009 were down 14.78 percent, a steep decline following five
consecutive years of growth and 2008’s 1.28 percent decrease.
Based on the hotels reporting to Experience Columbus through December
2009, the year-to-date average citywide occupancy rate was 55.78
percent, compared to 60.47 percent for year-end 2008. According to the
same reports, the citywide Average Daily Rate (ADR) through 2009 was
$98.73, down $5.61 from year-end 2008.
2009 conventions, trade shows and events, ranked by estimated attendance
| Group Name | Meeting or Event Name | Date | Attendance |
| 1. Ohio Quarter
Horse Association |
2009 Congress | Oct. 5-25 | 650,000 |
| 2. Arnold Sports Festival | Arnold Sports Festival | March 4-9 | 170,000 |
| 3.
Ohio High School Athletic Association |
Boys State Basketball Championships | March 26-28 | 132,083 |
| 4. Equine Affaire, Inc. | The Great American Horse Exposition | April 2-5 | 92,500 |
| 5. Goodguys Rod
& Custom Association |
PPG Nationals | July 10-12 | 80,000 |
| 6. Ohio
High School Athletic Association |
Boys State Wrestling Championships |
March 5-7 | 56,324 |
| 7. Ohio
High School Athletic Association |
Girls State Basketball Championships | March 19-21 | 38,548 |
| 8. Ohio
High School Athletic Association |
State Track and Field Championships | June 5-6 | 26,769 |
| 9. Ohio Cattlemen's Association |
2009 Ohio Beef Expo | March 20-22 | 25,000 |
|
Target Communications Corp. |
18th Deer and Turkey Expo | March 19-21 | 25,000 |
Experience Columbus is the official travel and tourism resource for
Columbus, Ohio
277 W. Nationwide Blvd., Ste. 125 - Columbus, Ohio 43215
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