Faithful events: Religious gatherings provide boost to Louisville convention, tourism industries

May 11, 2009
Faithful events: Religious gatherings provide boost to Louisville convention, tourism industriesBusiness First of Louisville - by Nicole Hendricks Correspondent
About 4,000 attendees came to meet and worship at a regional Women of Joy Ministries Convention in April. The four-day event was held at the Kentucky Exposition Center.Inspired to share their faith and attend meetings and conventions despite the slumping economy, attendees of religious conventions are making faith-based conventions good business for Louisville businesses.

For 2007, the Louisville Convention and Visitors Bureau booked 21 religious-affiliated conventions that had $14.2 million in economic impact. And those numbers have grown as Louisville has expanded its capacity to house larger numbers of conventioneers and convention bureau staff have honed efforts to attract these groups.

For 2008, the bureau booked 28 religious conventions that generated an estimated $20.8 million for the local economy, and the bureau booked 28 religious conferences for 2009. Those conventions are expected to have an estimated economic impact of $32.1 million.

Jim Wood, president and CEO of the Louisville Convention and Visitors Bureau, said “we’ll probably pick up a few more small ones before the year is out.”

Wood said since conventions tend to be booked as far as five years in advance, Louisville already is set to host 31 religious conventions between 2010 to 2013.

That growth is in sharp contrast to other conventions, which are expected to see 5 percent to 40 percent fewer attendees this year due to the economy, Wood said.

“As a city, we know what our niche is, and we pursue that type of business,” he said. “We’ve gotten good at marketing to the religious convention business.”

Focus on faith
The religious segment is so strong, the Galt House hotel has a staff member who is dedicated to work with religious-oriented groups.

Leah Hutchinson, national sales manager for religious markets at the downtown Galt House, said she works with planners of large and small religious conventions.

About 80 percent of The Galt House’s business comes from conventions, and a high percentage of that is the religious market, she said. “In this economic climate, the religious market is a very viable market, but the youth ministry area is especially hot.”

Dedicated to attend
Hutchinson said she expects the religious segment to continue to be strong because leaders and members of religious groups tend to be a bit more dedicated than a typical conventioneer.

“They may not know how they have the means to do so, but if they feel the conviction, they’ll go,” she said. “I think they are driven by a higher power to make the decision to attend conventions. So I expect to see this market continuing to thrive.”

Paul Kiley, director of sales and marketing for the Louisville Marriott Downtown, said the nature of religious conventions makes it worthwhile to pursue them. Most, he said, last longer than typical conventions, therefore bringing larger revenues to the hotel and businesses around it.

Typically, regional religious conventions last three or four days, and national ones can last up to a week, compared with corporate conventions that typically last two or three days, he said. “The larger the meeting the longer the time frame.”

Lower costs, more amenities
Kiley noted that while all convention planners want to keep costs down, religious conventions differ from others in that the nonprofit groups typical to the industry often do not have big budgets.

Kiley, who said conventions comprise 68 percent of the hotel’s business, said religious conventioneers often bring families, meaning they need activities outside the typical meetings.

The hotel promotes amenities such as a fitness center and swimming pool and plans entertainment for children and spouses to meeting planners who choose locations and block rooms, Kiley said.

“There is a genuine hospitality that the city lends to religious groups, and the proximity to local support from other religious institutions helps,” he said.

Hutchinson said controlling costs is something she also keeps in mind when working with planners of religious conventions. Louisville is fortunate, she said, because it is accessible by three major intestates that make it within a half day’s drive of many major cities, and “being a Southwest Airlines gate city is also a draw because Southwest fares are so reasonable.”

The hotel also offers incentives such as discounted tickets to area attractions to sell rooms. “Faith-based and other nonprofit convention planners have unique needs in terms of budget constraints, so we try to partner with the (bureau), other local hotels and area attractions to provide incentives that would help a ‘fence sitter’ make the decision to bring their convention to Louisville,” she said

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