Contact:
James Williams
Go Wichita Convention and Visitors Bureau
Communications Manager
jwilliams@gowichita.com
316.660.6305

Go Wichita to release convention marketability findings

WICHITA, Kan., Oct. 21— At 5:30 p.m., Monday, Oct. 28, in meeting room 101AB at Century II Performing Arts & Convention Center, Go Wichita will unveil findings from a study commissioned to assess Wichita's convention market.

This study is the first phase of a comprehensive plan. While this phase addresses only the market and economic assessment of Wichita’s convention potential, phase two will incorporate the performing arts as a part of the planning and utilization while phase three will cover the cost/benefit analysis.

"Convention visitors to our city provide a multi-million dollar economic impact to Wichita," said Go Wichita President and CEO Susie Santo. "So positioning ourselves to be competitive is truly important."

The meeting will include Mayor Carl Brewer, Wichita Downtown Development Corporation President, Jeff Fluhr, and Bill Krueger from Convention Sports & Leisure. The speakers will discuss the importance of visitors to the local economy, how the findings fit into Wichita's master plan and how our current convention facility compares to our competitors. The findings will also explain industry standards and Wichita's potential to attract convention business.

“We wanted to understand the potential for new convention business and to take a look at our current product offering. We must be intentional about our convention future and make market based decisions,” Santo said.

About Go Wichita Convention and Visitors Bureau Go Wichita markets the greater Wichita area as a major convention and tourism destination, thereby enhancing the economic development of the city, county, region and state. Go Wichita is led by president and CEO Susie Berglund Santo, and in 2011 Go Wichita spurred travel and tourism to the greater Wichita area that provided $712 million in economic development. For more information about Wichita as a destination for work and fun, visit www.visitwichita.com.

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