An evening function at Little Rock's Robinson Center
Hello, I’m not a gambling man.
Other than placing two-dollar bets at Oaklawn every five years or so, filling out an NCAA bracket in March, going in on a lottery pool or betting my son he couldn’t eat a whole plate of spaghetti, I’ve avoided games of chance.
I lost the spaghetti bet, I didn’t win a fortune and my basketball bracket should be renamed the “One and Done” in my honor. A 50-50 bet, for me, adds up to a 100% certainty my guess will be incorrect.
Clearly I’m better off hanging onto my money so I can make impulse buys at book sales, overspend at happy hour and feed my sport coat habit.
Nonetheless, I of course realized the importance of the historic, 2018 vote that allowed for the expansion of casinos in Arkansas.
An Arkansas Economic Development Institute (AEDI) report forecast the creation of 6,000 jobs, a $5.8 billion increase in gross domestic product (GDP) over 10 years and a $39 million increase in annual state and local revenue.
An estimated 30% of Arkansans surveyed said they regularly crossed borders to wager in neighboring states, and keeping Arkansans home while drawing new visitors is expected to generate $120 million in tax revenues.
But, like me, some of those new visitors aren’t necessarily going to be interested in playing games of chance.
Luxury hotels at Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort in Hot Springs, Saracen Casino Resort in Pine Bluff and Southland Casino Racing in West Memphis will have convention centers, banquet rooms, events centers and other amenities.
It’s early, but in this year’s Arkansas Business Publishing Meeting Planner guide, we begin to examine the potential effect on tourism that these new spaces will have. Spoiler: it’s positive.
Groups, conventions, receptions, awards ceremonies and trade shows will now have more options as organizers and planners seek the perfect fit. And while visitors may drop a coin in a slot or place a bet on the ponies while in town, communities are examining ways to develop other attractions that will keep people around an extra day or so.
In this issue we also take a quick look at some of the state’s more prominent and unique conventions and trade shows. It’s by no means a comprehensive list, but it provides an idea, perhaps, of what kind of events can be lured to the state as tourism options expand.
And of course we have caterers, floor plans and facilities listings to help meeting and event planners find the perfect place at the perfect rate. (Look inside the digital edition.)
So welcome to this year’s Meeting Planner. We hope your next event is a success and we hope we can help. If you are a facility manager or planner and want to update or change information or correct an omission, please contact me at TTraub@ABPG.com or researcher Roxanne Jones at RJones@ABPG.com.
Sign up for Daily E-news
