Have you followed the stories about the mega-hotel/convention center? Estimates are it will generate $600 million in tax revenue over the next 30 years. Apparently the demand for such space is high. Senator Adams is sponsoring SB 267, New Convention Hotel Development Incentive Act, asking for $30 million from the state coffers.
It begs the question, though – if there is such a high demand, why do the developers need funding from the state, city and county to buy land and get started?
A recent article in the Salt Lake Tribune talked about the “fine art” of convention bidding. It starts like this:
Salt Lake City offers trade shows and conventions some distinct advantages.
These include a state-of-the-art 679,000 convention center in the heart of downtown, an airport that is a hub for a major airline, a nonunion labor force that makes staging a conference less expensive, large numbers of volunteers, great mass transit and a setting that includes nearby natural wonders.
What’s the number one issue, then, that prevents conventions from choosing Utah?
Scott Beck, president and CEO of Visit Salt Lake, says:
“The No. 1 reason we lose business is the perception that we lack dining and nightlife,” he said, adding that “our liquor laws really hurt us. People have experiences that point out the peculiarity of our alcohol service.”
For example, a Utah law that requires someone going into a restaurant to order a meal before purchasing an alcoholic beverage is difficult to explain or understand.
“Reality is a problem, but perception is even worse,” said White.
Instead of pouring $30 million into buying property, maybe we could just inject some sanity into Utah’s liquor laws……
