Need one of these while visiting Sioux Falls? Good luck.
It’s not like a couple hundred people had to stay out of town during the recent soccer tournament;
Last week’s youth soccer tourney was a gold mine for Sioux Falls, but the city also lost a sizable chunk of business because it ran out of motel rooms.
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The U.S. Youth Soccer Midwest Regional Championship brought 12,000 players, coaches, parents and out-of-town fans to Yankton Trail Park. Most visitors stayed overnight in Sioux Falls, but about 40 percent – or 4,800 – commuted from as far away as Sioux City, Iowa, for the weeklong tournament.
This will just blow-up in our face. Why would we promote a tournament that we knew had this many people coming if we didn’t have the rooms for them? I noticed the Sioux Falls Soccer Association is not commenting either, gee, I wonder why? I’m curious why they didn’t at least try to have host families so people could stay in Sioux Falls, I guess that would have made sense and proved we are hospitable people in Sioux Falls. Maybe we are not?
Schmidt said the situation didn’t surprise her and has occurred in previous soccer tournaments. She doesn’t begrudge other cities cashing in on the overflow, though it’s her mission to fill local rooms.
If you knew there wasn’t enough room – why promote it? We have this attitude we want to be this big badass city, but at the end of the day we are still a small town on the interstate. City leaders need to come to a realization that we are not going to become Minneapolis overnight. Slow, wise growth is a better approach.
“We know most of them still ate here and filled up their cars with gas here and did outside entertainment here,” she said. “We know we still captured most of the economic impact. But we know realistically, if you get a team up in the morning, they’re not going to wait to eat until they get to Sioux Falls.”
How do you know that Terri? Give us proof. Several restaurants said they had no increase in business. No wonder, people were eating in Sioux City.
John Kaatz, vice president of Conventions, Sports & Leisure in Minneapolis, said earlier in June that too few hotel rooms could hinder efforts to lure more business to Sioux Falls.
Schmidt said the soccer tournament is a different matter.
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“No, this does not prove his point,” she said of Kaatz. “This is a sporting event that is outside at facilities other than an arena or convention center-type of building.”
Yes, Terri, because denial will solve problems everytime, won’t it?
The $10 million from the soccer tourney represents 4 percent of a year’s work. The city had $249 million in business from visitors in 2008, in restaurant, lodging, car rentals, retail and other income. Most of that form of income is from smaller events. A three-day convention of 500 people brings in about $285,000, Schmidt said.
That is why we must continue to promote smaller events. Not piss off 4,000 visitors so they go home and tell everyone how bad Sioux Falls sucks. Hopefully we learned something from this, but I doubt it.
There are several hotels going up all over town today. I just hope we can get enough capacity before the tournement decides to go somewhere that has enough now.
So that $10 million egg we were counting before it hatched was actually more like $7 million.
Denial is rampant on the Events Center Task Force these days. They don’t listen to what we are paying people to tell us, so why should anyone listen to them?
Scary Huh? These are the ‘supposed’ business and political leaders in our city. Genius pool? Huh?
John Kaatz of the study group made this point.
A 10,000-seat events center would be optimal and could attract most concerts and compete for some national sporting events on the high school and college levels.
Sioux Falls should not increase convention center space dramatically because the city is near the point of maximizing its potential in the convention business given existing support facilities such as hotel rooms.
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In view of that opinion, if we build the hotel space neede for “events”, how do these hotels survive the 340 days a year they sit vacant?
In view of that opinion, if we build the hotel space neede for “eventsâ€, how do these hotels survive the 340 days a year they sit vacant?
They don’t. Studies & history will show you that the new and improved ones will be booked regardless of event traffic and the older, crappy ones will either need to upgrade to be competitive or they will go away.
I’ll bad mouth the events center to the end. But the soccer tournement was GREAT for our region. We have to stop looking at things as Sioux Falls Vs the rest of the state and region. I am excited that a “SF” event benefiteed more than SF. Too bad Teri’s comments will piss off so many people.
Sy, I’m not sure what studies you refer to, but if older, crappy hotels upgrade, they will no longer be older and crappy – thus it still doesn’t explain how they can remain viable for the 340 days a year there isn’t a major event taking place in Sioux Falls.
For those that “go away” as you call it, that simply removes rooms from the available pool and we are right back where we started.
Hotels are just like any other commodity – they will find their own balance between supply and demand, but having or not having an Events Center most likely won’t have a huge impact overall. It might spur the development of one or two new facilities, but it won’t cause Sioux Falls to become home to a dozen new hotels within the first year either.
Depends on what nights events will be at the Event Center. If a sold-out concert occurs on a weeknight, not as many people will get rooms, most will drive home that night after the event. If it is on the weekend, that is a whole different scenario.
What I am saying costner, is when a new hotel is built, it fills faster than even the nicer old ones. You neglect a hotel long enough it ceases to be viable, just like the Oaks never kept up with the Ramkota.
So the point is, one or two new hotels gets built next to a new EC and they will be busy year round, they won’t sit empty 90% like WP envisions.
We want repeat business, and as SF looks to step up to the next level, if we don’t address the hotel shortage, we won’t get the repeat business required to make the place fly. Like L3wis pointed out, how many of those soccer fans went home pist about driving to and from Watertown & Sioux City?
So, yes what goes in around an EC is as crucial as where it goes.
I assume, quite a few were pissed. When I ride bike to work in the morning I ride thru Yankton Trail. During the tourney I came by the park when all the cars were coming in the morning. I saw plates from Ohio, Florida, Missouri and Michigan. How would you have liked to drive that far to a tourney only to find out you get to drive an extra two hours everyday when you get here. I can tell you, I would not have been happy. Like I said, the Soccer Association should have setup host families. It is also not uncommon to charge people to stay in your home when you are a host family. Not to mention the learning experience from having kids from different parts of the country meeting each other and bonding over soccer. (Nevermind that last line, I sound like a yuppy parent).
I’ll bad mouth the events center to the end. But the soccer tournement was GREAT for our region. We have to stop looking at things as Sioux Falls Vs the rest of the state and region. I am excited that a “SF†event benefiteed more than SF. Too bad Teri’s comments will piss off so many people.
Doesn’t look so much like Teri’s the one with the SF vs. the rest of the state mentality…
The event used SF facilities, so it stands to reason that the city should get the vast majority of the benefits.
BTW, where does the vast majority of the sales taxes collected in SF end up?
Pierre.
So the point is, one or two new hotels gets built next to a new EC and they will be busy year round, they won’t sit empty 90% like WP envisions.
We want repeat business, and as SF looks to step up to the next level, if we don’t address the hotel shortage, we won’t get the repeat business required to make the place fly. Like L3wis pointed out, how many of those soccer fans went home pist about driving to and from Watertown & Sioux City?
~Sy
The point is, in your scenario, newer and better ousts the old and decripit. Just like the Oaks. We still are faceed with a shortage of hotels when special “EVENTS” come to the city. They will still stay in Sioux City and Watertown. So what’s your point?
Good thing Larchwood is building a hotel/casino.
So the point is, one or two new hotels gets built next to a new EC and they will be busy year round, they won’t sit empty 90% like WP envisions.
They might be busy year round, but there are a lot of factors that will determine that. Chances are they won’t be the number one pick for those interested in a hotel for the weekend of Lifelight or a huge soccer tournament or the family who comes to town for the kids to visit a waterpark and for the parents to do some shopping, but they will be a preferred choice if business travelers need a place to stay while they are working with one of the downtown banks etc.
If downtown becomes more of an entertainment district it would obviously help, but if they continue to prevent a nightlife of any type, the hotels out by the mall will continue to be packed instead of those downtown. In fact I know one of our city’s largest financial institutions has stopped booking people at the downtown Holiday Inn and has started booking them out near the mall instead.
In any case, the city won’t decide if an when new hotels are built – private business will handle that. The only thing the city could do is zone a specific area for hotels etc or provide some type of tax incentive, but I would guess for the most part private developers will handle the hotel issue.
Then again, where will they be built and what needs to be torn down in order to make it happen? Is that the real reason Schonemans is moving to Harrisburg – so they can build a 200 room hotel? Doubtful.
“but I would guess for the most part private developers will handle the hotel issue.”
Exactly, demand would drive the city to build more hotels. It’s just like Jamison’s half-crocked property tax discount to encourage commercial development. If businesses are looking for office space, they will demand it from the commercial developers, not the other way around.
Costner,
“Is that the real reason Schonemans is moving to Harrisburg – so they can build a 200 room hotel? Doubtful.”
Acutally, Schoneman’s first proposed concept drawings inluded several multi-story, multi-use buildings and just like Uptown, it included a hotel and a bunch of parking. There was another multi-story hotel being proposed for the vacant lot between First National and River Centre.
I wonder how many of these big ideas are banking on the railroad switching yard being moved. What is the fallback plan if that never comes to fruition?
That’s already underway.
Sorry Mr. Epp, your comment must have gotten spammed (see below) it doesn’t surprise me that they wouldn’t let you play on Yankton Trail. It is only for games. No one is allowed on the filed for practice of any kind, I have even heard police have threatened people they catch on the fields playing frisbee or other activities. Elitism is right.
Scott:
This is one of the best posts you’ve had on any subject and brings to light some severe problems SF has if it is going to go to “the next level.”
The Regional Tournament in many ways was a fiasco even for those of us who love youth soccer in SF. There were at least two instances I know of that the city would let rec games go on because of “wet field conditions” in April and May. Both days were sunny and great to play. The city was more concerned about keeping Yankton Trail’s pitches pristine for the “$10M economic impact” elite teams in than letting the taxpayers’ kids play soccer on a sunny Saturday. Believe me, the fields were completely playable.
Even Dakota Gold got screwed over by the city on the Yankton Trail fields for their
tournament the week before the Regional. There had been some rain that Friday but the city again said there were “wet field conditions.” The Friday YT games were moved to 7 a.m. the next day. People from Pierre, Aberdeen, the Twin Cities, and elsewhere didn’t find out until they arrived at their fields.
The city didn’t pull the plug until 3 p.m. and games were set to begin at 5 p.m. Hell, I didn’t even find out until I got to the field and I’m a local assistant coach and ref. The DG people were steamed. Again, the city thought it more important to keep the fields perfect for the Regional and screwed over people from Sioux Falls and the five state area and Canada.
To add injury to insult, the city failed to open the bathrooms up at YT and Tomar for the new 7 a.m. games. Not only did I end up refereeing a game with a full bladder and colon, I can’t tell you how many kids and parents thought they could hit the facilities before their now early games. Again, this was unexcusable and a terrible way to treat visitors. I talked to a number of people who were deeply offended that not only did they have to waste an extra day in Sioux Falls then have to get up early, they couldn’t even use the public bathrooms. I was embarassed for our community at such rude treatment of our guests.
They were also crying for volunteers. I don’t know how many emails I got from the SFSA and other groups begging for volunteers. Non-elite club and rec teams, players, and coaches get treated like crap most of the year by the elite teams then they want us to volunteer at their big dance. Then they can’t understand why people won’t help.
The hotel room situation is unexcusable. I’ve faced similar problems when Aberdeen hosts the state soccer tournaments. No rooms. But at least they open up the NSU dorms for summer tournaments. Rapid City has no such problems when they host a major tournament even during tourist season.
I want to see tourism, soccer, and Sioux Falls grow and prosper. But if I were commuting from SUX to play a once in lifetime tournament, I’d be major ticked off. That’s not a way to treat people you’ve invited and recruited to your community. We have to actually be able to pull off these events, not cobble them together and just pick people’s pockets.
I’m just curious… would it have been possible for Augie and USF to open up their dormitories during the this competition for teams/families to stay in? I bet that would have helped ease the housing crunch, not to mention make the schools a little extra dough.