Tag: Conventions
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Convention Center Facelift
Last week Memphis announced a major renovation to the Cook Convention Center. The investment is welcome, but is it enough to revive the convention business?
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On the proposed Peabody Place Convention Center
Monday, Mayor Wharton opened the possibility that Peabody Place might be a good opportunity for increasing Memphis’ convention space on the cheap, without throwing more good money after bad (like we did in 2002) at the Cook Convention Center. Peabody Place has been vacant for the better part of four years, though it didn’t officially…
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Thinking about convention centers
Twice now, in the past two weeks, Memphis City Councilman Harold Collins has publicly voiced his support for at least thinking about a new convention center here and yesterday, here. Earlier this month, Kevin Kane of the Memphis CVB told the City Council that the Cook was functionally obsolete, something I could have told you…
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Memphis’ Travel Troubles Aren’t Limited to Airfare
Over the past week, much of the conversation here in Memphis has revolved around transportation and tourism. The week started with Mayor Wharton’s trip to St. Louis to try and lure COGIC back. Just a week before came news that the National Folk Alliance was moving to Kansas City. In each case, the cost of…
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Losing COGIC, and Competing for Conventions
The news that COGIC plans to move it’s annual convention to St. Louis in 2010 leaves a huge hole in the hospitality industry here in Memphis. Since the story broke, it’s been estimated that Shelby Co. will lose some $35m. While that may not be a huge percentage of the annual GDP for the county…
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Let's Talk Convention Centers
As my good friend LeftWingCracker has alerted you, and the CA reported this morning, the city has put together a panel to study a new convention center. This is an interesting development indeed. As some of you know, I spend a lot of time in convention centers, Arenas and Ballrooms all over the country. In…