Sacramento, CA (1888PressRelease)
March 15, 2007 - SACRAMENTO—With Sacramento serving as a venue for the NCAA playoff basketball games, the issue of the region needing a modern sports and entertainment facility comes to mind once again.
“The March Madness playoffs, the recent Amgen bicycle tour and the Olympic Track Trials all taking place here create an awareness that Sacramento credibly can host large sporting events and are giving our region notice we wouldn’t otherwise achieve,” said Matt Mahood, Metro Chamber president & CEO. “To be able to attract more of these events—which have substantial economic impact on the area—we need a credible sports and entertainment facility. ARCO is wearing out and may soon not be viable.”
More than 17,000 fans are expected during each of the Thursday and Saturday NCAA playoff games. Many of these coming from outside the region have filled up local hotels. Beyond the hotel bill, the fans will each leave on average $75 a day here—making an economic impact on the city of $3 million to $4.5 million, Mahood estimated.
“We need to figure out how to build a new sports and entertainment facility—and give it a location that will have the most economic impact, that will make it convenient for out-of-town guests and local residents to spend their money in as many places as possible,” Mahood said.
People who travel from different destinations to sporting events are a different type of tourist—not typically targeted through traditional convention or tourism marketing. “They bring in found money for our businesses.”
All around, sports events like the Olympic Trials and bike tours and tournaments of all kind provide mutual benefits, he said. “They foster community pride, build regional awareness and help business.”
“A funding mechanism must be found to finance a new world-class venue for our region’s center,” Mahood said. “I hope that the NCAA playoffs will again remind all parties of what needs to be done.”
