ROGERS -- The Fishing League Worldwide Tour only concluded about 10 days ago, but officials are ready for the tour to return.
The Advertising and Promotions Commission voted to approve $22,000 in convention and event funding for the 2018 FLW Tour to take place at Beaver Lake.
J.R. Shaw, executive director of Visit Rogers, said overall performance of the tour was difficult to compare to former years of the event because of regional flooding that took place over the course of the tournament. The multiple-day event resulted in 500 rooms filled each night in six hotels in Rogers, he said.
"While it's a four-day tournament, folks are here about a week," Shaw said. The city of Bentonville and various housing options closer to the lake also share in the benefit. "Media coverage and other soft impacts come out of the event."
Shaw said the large crowds are economically helpful to the city, even when visitors stay at nearby lodges or campsites, since many will drive to Rogers for restaurants, shopping and activities to do as a family while in the area.
"We get massive media exposure nationwide, there are some people who know Rogers solely from FLW," said Commissioner David Lang, who is general manager at Embassy Suites Hotel. "We couldn't pay for the exposure we get. It's a small investment."
Shaw said the tour was unable to secure Rogers tourism a national television commercial spot this year, but he has hopes that the advertisement would be in the works for 2018. Kelly Parker, sports and tourism marketing manager, said the tournament gave Visit Rogers more social media exposure this time than it had in past years.
The commission also granted $10,000 in funding to the Senior Softball USA Midwest Championships for the 2017 Midwest Regional Tournament. The tournament, which took place in Rogers for the first time last year, will take place in July.
Shaw said the relatively high number includes funding to assist Rogers Parks and Recreation Departments with field maintenance cost.
"Based on all feedback from last year, the event was a big success," Shaw said. "It picked up robustly."
Parker said 46 teams traveled from 11 states during the 2016 event. Visit Rogers endorsed approving the funding because staff expects the event to be even more of a hit this year.
Commissioner David Faulkner, who is general manager of the Pinnacle Hills Promenade, was in favor of awarding funding because he said the fee is equivalent to less than $10 room nights, the typical funding level that the commission provides.
The Commission approved $2,650 in CEF funding to the Arkansas Bankers Association for the 2017 Central States Conference. The event in June is expected to draw people from as far away as Pennsylvania and North and South Dakota, Shaw said. The sum requested evens out to about $10 per room, based on the number expected to attend and the ability to provide local transportation for them.
Commissioner Kate Reeves was in favor of the request because the dates of the conference would bring business on days that otherwise might not be full.
"Any time we draw people from across borders, that parlays into more business for us," Lang said.
The 2017 Southeast Regional Association Conference for the Arkansas Association of Teacher Educators, which takes place in October, and Shepherd's Chapel passover events for 2018 were both approved for funding at $10 per room night.
The Arkansas Association of Teacher Educators' event experienced a large drop in attendance in recent years, but hoteliers expect this October to be a quieter than average season for the area and jump at the chance to anticipate that and fill more rooms.
Shepherd's Chapel passover event attendance has similarly waned dramatically over recent years. Commissioners agreed to welcome the group's return because Easter is a historically quiet weekend for tourism and in part because of a long standing relationship with the group.
NW News on 05/11/2017