Wildwoods Convention Center Predicts Strong Year Despite Weak Economy

WILDWOOD — Despite a weak national economy, the Wildwoods Convention Center continues to book a full slate of events and convention and continues to funnel business to local motels and restaurants.
The Greater Wildwoods Tourism and Development Authority, Convention Center and Suasion Communications held an event May 21 inviting the media, tourism and hospitality industry representatives.
On day with weather warm enough for an afternoon on Wildwood’s wide beach, Convention Center Director of Sales and Entertainment John Lynch gave guests the figures of how the facility is an economic engine for Five Mile Beach.
He said the convention center has hosted over 1,200 group bookings since it opened in 2002, welcoming over 1.7 million persons through the front doors. Lynch said the center has generated over 900,000 sleeping room nights for hotels.
The center has provided over 7.75 million dining opportunities, said Lynch. Overall, group business at the conventions center has brought an economic impact of over $375 million, he said.
In its final year of operation, 2001, the old Wildwood Convention Hall hosted 14 events. From January this year to the end of May, Wildwoods Convention Center will host 61 groups, said Lynch, representing attendance of about 54,000 people.
Lynch said last year the center hosted 162 group bookings generating attendance of 243,000 people. He said that generated 132,000 sleeping room nights.
“In a calendar year, of those 52 weekends, we had 49 weekends booked,” said Lynch.
He said the center was quiet Sunday through Thursday and the staff was trying very hard to fill those days. From May 1 to October 17, 2009, there were 200 days with the center booked for 139 of those days, said Lynch, representing 69 percent occupancy.
In peak season from June to September, the convention center had an 81 percent occupancy rate representing 100 days booked out of 120 event days.
For 2010, Lynch said 143 groups are booked, up from 132 events at this time in 2009.
He said the center would bring in 1 million opportunities for the food and beverage industry. In a given year, the convention center has an economic impact of $45 million, said Lynch.
He said youth events were very successful at the center including four major cheerleading events, two major high school and elementary school wrestling tournaments, a gymnastics championship, two high school band competitions, dance competitions and hosting the largest holiday basketball tournament in the country with the Wildwoods Boardwalk Classic.
He said he has learned corporate business groups are not ready for the Wildwoods but educational groups are booking events in the center.
Lynch said he wished the center hosted more concerts. He noted an upcoming Celtic Crossroads concert in the center that will be filmed by PBS Television, a country music weekend starring Sawyer Brown and a show featuring the Spinners, Temptations and Little Anthony.
He noted the next Fifties Weekend will star Chubby Checker who will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Twist. Lynch said he did not expect large concerts such as Bon Jovi or Bruce Springsteen in the Wildwoods Convention Center.
He said weather would play a role in creating a good season noting how much it rained last June.
“I think people are ready to get the heck out of their houses,” said Lynch.