Georgia Thespian Conference generates more than $1.3M in economic impact for Columbus
Meetings and conventions hosted in Columbus are helping to drive the city’s economy, evidenced by the annual Georgia Thespian Conference that boosted the economy by $1.3 million.
Uptown Columbus hosted approximately 5,500 attendees and more than 100 volunteers from Columbus State University for ThesCon 2023 on Feb. 9-11, said Paul Hampton, the chapter director for the Georgia Thespians.
“The economic impact that this type of convention brings to Columbus is important because it stimulates the local economy,” said Peter Bowden, president and CEO of VisitColumbusGA. “Meaning that if that convention had not come here those new dollars would not be circulated into the community.”
The $1.3 million that ThesCon generated during those three days is direct spending, Bowden said. He added that one of VisitColumbusGA’s goals is to attract more of these types of conventions to the city.
Between July 2021 and June 2022, meetings and conventions in Columbus had an economic impact of just more than $21 million, and $304 million of total visitor spending.
“The visitor spending is new money to Columbus,” Bowden said. “And it helps prop up the infrastructure for quality of life amenities here in the city.”
Sold out hotels, business for local restaurants
ThesCon’s students, teachers and special guests from around the state and country sold out most of the hotel rooms in Columbus, Hampton said. The Marriott and new Hampton Inn downtown were both sold out during the event.
“(The Hampton Inn) opened our doors to a sold out house,” said Cassie Meyers, director of marketing and public relations for Valley Hospitality. “In all the hotels that we’ve owned and operated, we’ve never had that happen.”
When it was announced that new hotels were going to be developed or renovated downtown prior to the pandemic — the Hampton Inn, the AC Hotel by Marriott and Hotel Indigo — VisitColumbusGA began strategizing on promoting the area as a new meeting destination.
“The hotel developers have invested in the Uptown area,” Bowden said. “The Trade Center had gone through a major renovation back in the early 2000s. So, the dream or vision of creating this meeting campus was suddenly coming together in almost a perfect storm type of situation.”
Before the investment in more hotels and event space, conventions could not hold significant attendees.
“We could potentially do 500,” Bowden said. “But it really was stretching it. But now with this new hotel inventory, the sky’s the limit. And we’ve sort of set a new standard with those cities that we compete against.”
The city can now host 5,000-6,000 person conventions, he said, but VisitColumbusGA is not putting a ceiling on the size of conferences.
Along with hotels, increased business to local restaurants, gas stations and other businesses also help the economy, Bowden said. Although the students were focused on their curriculum during ThesCon, they still had an impact on other businesses.
“We have heard stories about Fountain City Coffee selling out of coffee,” he said. “It’s other types of retail that have been tremendously impacted in a good way by this student body being in town.”
Tailoring Columbus for each conference
VisitColumbusGA has created four different meeting districts in the city, Bowden said. These include North Columbus, Midtown, the Victory District (Infantry Museum) and Uptown Columbus.
All of the major meeting spaces are supported with hotel infrastructure, he said, and the organization can help identify the best district based on what each client wants.
“They can tell us what they’re looking for,” Bowden said. “And then we can give them all of these options, and they can weed out those properties or venues that don’t quite fit.”
ThesCon found Columbus appealing because there are five real theater spaces all within walking distance of each other, Hampton said.
“In most conference centers, you have what’s called a pipe-and-drape format,” he said. “Where they just put up a platform for you to perform on, and then you have drapes on poles hanging down to kind of block off backstage.”
The real theaters provide space with actual sound and lighting capabilities, Hampton said, which makes a difference in how the students behave and how they’re able to teach them onstage, backstage and as an audience member.
ThesCon utilized the Trade Center, Marriott Hotel, Columbus State University, Springer Opera House and the RiverCenter, he said. If other organizations are looking for a possible convention location, they should do a site visit to Columbus, Hampton said.
“They will see the generosity of the staff members and the excitement of the Columbus Visitors Bureau,” he said. “And they are so willing to work with people to try to make sure that every conference is a unique and incredible experience.”
Hampton thinks that the biggest benefit of hosting ThesCon in Columbus is that the high school students who attend are able to explore Columbus State University and the downtown area.
“We have an opportunity to have over 5,500 attendees to come and see our city,” Hampton said. “And hopefully come back to our city and experience what we have to offer outside of the conference. And I think that’s important for everybody to realize.”
This story was originally published February 24, 2023 at 5:00 AM.
