CONVENTION CENTER REPORTS LARGE SCALE INCREASES Room night bookings soar nearly 50%; rental revenue spikes too
08.07.2008 -- The George R. Brown Convention Center has ended its fiscal year with nearly a 50 percent jump in hotel room night bookings and a strong increase in facility rental revenue, convention officials announced today.
Room nights associated with GRB conventions booked during the fiscal year ending June 30 totaled 385,241, a 48.6 percent increase over the total of 259,283 from the previous fiscal year.
Facility rental income - derived from groups that lease space inside the building for conventions, trade shows and other events - rose to $2,748,688, a gain of 22.7 percent from $2,239,851 the previous year.
"We are ecstatic with our year-end numbers," said Dawn Ullrich, director of the City of Houston Convention & Entertainment Facilities Department, which manages the municipally owned convention center. "One of our top priorities is attracting major events that generate more room nights and reliable hotel occupancy tax revenue.
"This is the lifeblood of our operations. We're creating real momentum in Houston , and we're pleased to play a vital role in this important economic engine," Ullrich said.
Luther Villagomez, general manager of the GRB, said the convention center attracted major shows like Heli-Expo and the American Wind Energy Association in the 2008 fiscal year and started the new fiscal year in July with the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference.
"We hit some big home runs in the past year, no doubt about it, but they weren't just lucky swings," Villagomez said.
Villagomez emphasized that it's not just attracting major events to Houston that's important, but it's delivering for the clients when they are here.
"It's all about keeping promises," he said. "Microsoft wrapped up here last week and they were effusive in their praise of the GRB, the Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau and all of our partners. Anybody can make big promises, but it takes a committed team to deliver the goods for a show with as many variables as Microsoft."
Art Zehnder, director of sales for the GRB, said the future looks just as bright for conventions in downtown Houston.
"Some of the big events coming here in the next six or seven months are the Latin GRAMMY Awards, John Deere, the National Council for Social Studies and National Precast Concrete," Zehnder said. "We'll help each of them put on a really good show."
Zehnder also said retaining existing clients is a vital function.
"It's always exciting to bring new visitors to Houston , but it is just as important, if not more so, to take care of the clients who return to our city on a regular basis," Zehnder said. "Next month, for example, we welcome back Texas Nursery & Landscape Association and in October we will host the grandmother of all our shows, the International Quilt Market and Festival."
Ken Middleton, vice president of sales for the Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau, said the GRB's success is vital to Houston 's citywide convention business.
" Houston 's convention and hospitality industries are united on many fronts," Middleton said. "Everyone is committed to making sure that every T is crossed and every I is dotted. The recent success of some of our bigger shows at the GRB - like Heli-Expo, Wind Energy and now Microsoft -- is proof that Houston offers a winning package."
