Motorcycle group one of several to bring conference dollars to Fort Smith

The Fort Smith’s Convention and Visitors Bureau is focusing on the details to recruit large groups and their dollars to the city. Just four large groups on the books for 2025 could bring an estimated $2.456 million economic impact to the area, according to the bureau.

Eagle Wing Motorcycle Association, a national organization dedicated to the mission of friendship and safe riding, announced in August that their Eagle Wing Rendezvous Conference 2025 will be in Fort Smith, said Ashleigh Bachert, executive director of the Fort Smith CVB.

“After attending the 2024 Green Bay event, we found that this group of motorcycle enthusiasts are looking to gather with like-minded individuals from across the nation to share their love of riding the open ride, while doing so in a safe way. They enjoy going to new destinations and they have yet to be in Arkansas since their inception 3 years ago,” Bachert said.

Even when the group had been a previous association, it had been over 10 years since they had been to the state, Bachert said. Hoping to draw them back to the Natural State, Bachert’s team “rolled out the red carpet” during a site visit and convinced the group that Fort Smith was the place to visit.

“We are excited to bring them in and showcase the growth and natural beauty of the River Valley region,” she said.

Fort Smith was chosen due to multiple reasons including great location, history of being motorcycle friendly, and budget-friendly hotels and facility packages.

“However, the one thing I heard over and over again from the organizers is that during the site visit we ‘rolled out the red carpet’ and made sure to think of details that would matter to their attendees. Our focus on the attendee experience is really what won them over,” Bachert said.

The event is expected to bring 2,000 attendees with a majority staying in Fort Smith during the convention, which is slated from Aug. 28-30, 2025, at the Fort Smith Convention Center and Wyndham Fort Smith. Convention bureau projects estimate an economic impact from the event of $795,000.

And they are just one of the groups the convention bureau has recruited in 2025.

“Big groups are all relative. We look at the impact they have on our community since we are limited in the size of events we can host. However, we do have some great events that will be coming,” Bachert said.

The 2025 Great American Conference Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championship is scheduled for March 6-9. The conference is expected to draw 1,300 attendees and have an economic impact of $551,367.76, which does not include spending by the fans, she said.

The 2025 Regional Dance America Southwest Festival will be March 13-15. The event is expected to have 800 attendees and an economic impact of $419,252.

The 2025 Arkansas Bandmasters Annual Conference is scheduled from July 30 to Aug 2. The expected 600 attendees are projected to create an economic impact of $690,605.

Bachert said the bureau also has a handful that they are waiting on decisions to be made to determine if they are coming to Fort Smith or not.