QUOTE
More visitors, more money
Regional and national sports events are boosting NW Indiana's economy
BY MARTIN ZABELL
Times Correspondent
This story ran on nwitimes.com on Saturday, December 23, 2006 12:31 AM CST
HAMMOND | The "estimated economic impact" of nonlocal sports events held in Northwest Indiana more than doubled in 2006 over 2005's figures, according to the Lake County Convention & Visitors Bureau.
The Hammond-based organization also projects that revenues in 2007 will be more than $3.5 million, more than double the nearly $1.7 million total for 2006.
At this week's visitors bureau's board of directors meeting, staff members handed out a list of sports events that will be held in the area in 2007 and were booked by South Shore Sports Promotions, an eight-month-old organization with an office in the tourism bureau building at 7770 Corinne Drive, Hammond.
All the events are regional or national, so the tourism bureau estimates that they will lure 63,000 people (18,000 competitors; 45,000 spectators) who live outside the area. This influx of people translates into 28,224 hotel room nights and, at an average of $125 per day, $3,528,000 of total economic impact to the region, the bureau says.
"We're really excited about our 2007 schedule," said Jason Sands, the director of sports development for South Shore Sports Promotions
The largest events of 2007 are expected to be the National Softball Association Girls' Fast Pitch B North World Series and the Best of the Midwest soccer tournament.
The softball tourney will be held Monday through Sunday, July 21-27, at four sites -- Hidden Lake in Merrillville, Imagination Glen in Portage, Patriot Park in Michigan City and Sportsplex in Crown Point. The soccer tourney will be held at a new 60-field complex in Lowell in September.
These two events alone will bring more than $1.6 million into the local economy, estimated South Shore Sports Promotions. Sands said the Lowell complex, which is slated to open in April, will be "the biggest outdoor soccer complex in the nation."
"(The soccer fields) will have an enormous impact on the hospitality industry," said Sands.
The 2007 "estimated economic impact" of $3,528,000 is more than double the 2006 figures. This year, 6,700 people from outside Northwest Indiana participated in regional or national sports events. This translated into 13,500 hotel room nights and an economic impact of $1,687,500.
In 2005, regional and national sports events lured 1,750 participants, 6,700 hotel room nights and $837,500 of overall impact.
Regional and national sports events are boosting NW Indiana's economy
BY MARTIN ZABELL
Times Correspondent
This story ran on nwitimes.com on Saturday, December 23, 2006 12:31 AM CST
HAMMOND | The "estimated economic impact" of nonlocal sports events held in Northwest Indiana more than doubled in 2006 over 2005's figures, according to the Lake County Convention & Visitors Bureau.
The Hammond-based organization also projects that revenues in 2007 will be more than $3.5 million, more than double the nearly $1.7 million total for 2006.
At this week's visitors bureau's board of directors meeting, staff members handed out a list of sports events that will be held in the area in 2007 and were booked by South Shore Sports Promotions, an eight-month-old organization with an office in the tourism bureau building at 7770 Corinne Drive, Hammond.
All the events are regional or national, so the tourism bureau estimates that they will lure 63,000 people (18,000 competitors; 45,000 spectators) who live outside the area. This influx of people translates into 28,224 hotel room nights and, at an average of $125 per day, $3,528,000 of total economic impact to the region, the bureau says.
"We're really excited about our 2007 schedule," said Jason Sands, the director of sports development for South Shore Sports Promotions
The largest events of 2007 are expected to be the National Softball Association Girls' Fast Pitch B North World Series and the Best of the Midwest soccer tournament.
The softball tourney will be held Monday through Sunday, July 21-27, at four sites -- Hidden Lake in Merrillville, Imagination Glen in Portage, Patriot Park in Michigan City and Sportsplex in Crown Point. The soccer tourney will be held at a new 60-field complex in Lowell in September.
These two events alone will bring more than $1.6 million into the local economy, estimated South Shore Sports Promotions. Sands said the Lowell complex, which is slated to open in April, will be "the biggest outdoor soccer complex in the nation."
"(The soccer fields) will have an enormous impact on the hospitality industry," said Sands.
The 2007 "estimated economic impact" of $3,528,000 is more than double the 2006 figures. This year, 6,700 people from outside Northwest Indiana participated in regional or national sports events. This translated into 13,500 hotel room nights and an economic impact of $1,687,500.
In 2005, regional and national sports events lured 1,750 participants, 6,700 hotel room nights and $837,500 of overall impact.