Thursday, October 25, 2012

Spokane's National Conventions


Millions in economic impact and priceless exposure in the next two weeks
(Spokane, WA - October 25,2012) - The Society of American Foresters, World Accordion Championships and National Preservation Conference, highlighting two weeks of national and international conventions in Spokane.

With an estimated economic impact of $3.4 million, nearly 1,700 attendees are in Spokane for the Society of American Foresters (SAF) Annual Convention until October 28. As the largest professional society for foresters in the world, the biggest professionals in the forestry industry will be attending this convention. Tom Tidwell, Chief of the U.S. Forest Service and Mike Pool, Acting Director of the Bureau of Land Management, will both be in attendance, along with an international contingency that includes groups from Finland, Japan and Korea.

Overlapping with the SAF is the World Accordion Championships. This is a much smaller group (less than 100 attendees), but it brings big international representation. Accordionists from Asia, Europe, Australia, North America, South America and Africa will showcase their talents in this prestigious five-day competition. This is the first time this world-wide competition has been in the United States and Spokane was selected!

The National Preservation Conference unfolds in Spokane October 31-November 3. Spokane will be spotlighted for its historic gems when nearly 1,800 attendees arrive from across the country. The Davenport Hotel, Steam Plant Square, Historic Browne's Addition and our Native American heritage are just a few of the conference highlights. As the smallest city to ever host this convention, Spokane is poised to impress attendees, many of whom are preservation leaders in their own communities. The Preservation Conference will bring $4 million dollars in economic impact to our city.

"For the next two weeks our restaurants will be bustling, registers will ring at our retailers and hotels will be hopping. We told you at our Big Meeting that Spokane is a 'big deal.' Hosting such important conventions proves our point," says Cheryl Kilday, Visit Spokane President and CEO. "You never know who might decide to move a company to Spokane, expand a business to include our area or just book a family vacation, based on visiting Spokane during a convention."

You might see attendees from these three conventions throughout Spokane. Society for American Foresters Convention is based at the Spokane Convention Center but will also include educational sessions in our region's forests. The Accordion Championships will be held at the Martin Woldson Theater at the FOX, The Bing Crosby Theater and River Park Square. The National Preservation Conference will be headquartered at The Davenport Hotel with programs at the Convention Center and field sessions at many dozens of our historic sites throughout the region.

About Visit Spokane
Visit Spokane generates economic growth for Spokane County by successfully marketing the Spokane Region as the destination for conventions and leisure travelers from around the world. The proof is in: Visitors to Spokane County spent an estimated $856.1 million in 2010, providing jobs for nearly 9,240 residents in the region and generating $56.9 million in non-resident tax dollars collected in Spokane County.*

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