WATERDOG
Gemini
HDF Silver Supporter
Don't Bother Me, I'm in Havi
 
MENIFEE, CA
Posts: 10,292
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ELIMINATOR EAGLE
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Posted: Mar. 09 2009,9:17 am |
Post # 11 |
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The Results Are In.
CVB has record numbers
Nearly 13,000 visit center in February
By Jayne Hanson
Sunday, March 8, 2009 7:36 PM MST
A local visitor information center is reporting the highest number of visitors thus far, and a recent professional research study for Winter Blast shows people plan to return next year.
Lake Havasu City Convention and Visitor’s Bureau Visitor Information Center located just in the English Village has experienced record numbers of visitors the past few months, according to a press release issued by the CVB.
“The upsurge has been tremendous,†said Char Beltran, president and CEO of Lake Havasu City Conventions and Visitors Bureau. “The jump from last year to this year have been substantial and also very encouraging considering the nation’s current economic situation,†she said.
According to the press release, the local visitor center reported 10,273 visitors in January this year compared to 6,690 in January 2008, which is a 45 percent increase.
In February 2008 there were 12,953 visitors, the press release said.
“As spectacular as January was, February was even better,†said Jan Kassies, CVB director of visitor services. “A lot of people are coming in from a lot of different places,†he said.
“I’m pretty positive about what is going on right now. Maybe this is the lucky side of our economy,†Kassies said. “I feel with these numbers, it is more visitors in town than we have ever seen. More people are calling our bureau and asking for information.â€
The spike in Lake Havasu City visitors could be linked to a number of things in play.
“It is a combination of things,†Beltran told the Today’s News Herald. The presence of the new English Village docking location of the Dreamcatcher that ferries people across Lake Havasu to Havasu Landing Casino as well as CVB’s extensive measures of campaigns to promote the city are two key ingredients, Beltran said.
CVB launched a huge promotion in Quartzite in January and February of this year featuring billboards along Interstate 10. “If they bring in their card, which were available at Quartzsite locations, to the Lake Havasu visitor center then they received a free gift. The free gift was a value guide and we gave 500 of those away,†Beltran said.
Beltran thinks it may also be in part to people taking trips closer to home.
More specifically, one heavily promoted event was the 20th annual Pyrotechnic Western Winter Blast in February.
CVB employed Behavior Research Center from the Phoenix area to measure the Winter Blast’s impact on the area.
The study was based on a two-phase measure of collecting data. One included 202 in-person interviews conducted with individuals attending Winter Blast at SARA Park Feb. 13-14. The second was a self-administered survey distributed to participants involved with the pyrotechnic convention. Of the 450 participant surveys distributed, 161 were collected by the survey cut-off date and represent a 36 percent response rate, according to reports.
According to the study’s statistics, Winter Blast attendees and participants collectively spent $1,719,717 while in town for the event. The Attendee/Participant Characteristics statistics show 84 percent of attendees surveyed were from out of town and 93 percent of participants were from out of state. The report also shows the typical attendee was 61 years old.
The study’s Attendance Patterns statistics show Winter Blast played a major role in attracting eight out of ten out-of-area individuals to the area. Of the attendees surveyed, 98 percent were likely to attend again next year, according to reports.
“The findings are truly significant. It validates our investment and we plan to measure more of these events,†Beltran said.
The next event to be measured will be the Desert Storm event in April for the powerboats, Beltran said.
"Damn you sure know how to fock things up."-GFR
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11-23-2024 Gas price in your area (Rep.#7,276) from: stingray
Lots of fun. Next year I'll be more organized...BBQ, etc. 
