Rogers Ropes Conventions

The Arkansas Governor’s Conference on Tourism will be coming to Rogers in March 2008.

Beth Stephens, vice president of marketing for the Rogers-Lowell Area Chamber of Commerce, said the conference should bring in 500 to 800 people. It’s the first time the area has hosted the event.

That’s just one of the bookings the new Hammons Center on the Embassy Suites property in Rogers will have.

Scott Beal, director of sales for Embassy Suites Northwest Arkansas said that because of the new convention center, not only are new events coming to the property, but existing events are able to expand seating capacity.

The 120,000-SF space is expected to open in July with the first event booked for July 15.

Beal said bookings for the new convention center are at about $2 million so far and he expects to bring in $4 million in business once the convention center is open a full year.

“If you looked at [revenue] for fall 2005, frankly you are looking at least a one-third increase in revenue with the convention center,” Beal said of bookings at the Embassy Suites and Hammons center.

The center can seat up to 3,400 for a sit-down dinner function, he said.

Right now, the adjacent Embassy Suites meeting space is about 20,000 SF.