(03-27-2017 07:24 PM)Dynamos Wrote:  Memphis should have went full retard on being a tourist town years ago

Never go full retard.

But we do need more rooms downtown. Go to any convention city and see the stark difference. More rooms downtown will also help to narrow the pricing gap.

(03-28-2017 10:13 AM)salukiblue Wrote:  

(03-28-2017 08:52 AM)Marc Mensa Wrote:  

(03-27-2017 11:39 PM)ncrdbl1 Wrote:  

(03-27-2017 04:21 PM)memp600 Wrote:  Been to a bunch of conventions through work and personal. Memphis has the foundation to compete in this industry. Just have to figure out the hotel problem downtown. And yes, Kane is right. Having big hotels where companies/organizations can meet and sleep under one building is a big deal.

Chicken and Egg situation.

Need more hotels downtown to get more conventions. But without more conventions there is not enough people wanting to stay downtown when you have other options to keep the downtown hotels viable.

If your tourist or your business is not downtown few visitor will want to take the chance of staying downtown.

Memphis just had 2 neighborhoods named in the top 15 most dangerous neighborhoods in the US and one was close to the downtown area.

It's cheaper to stay out East. Most people I work with who come into town want to stay downtown but rates are high and the supply is usually low. Hampton downtown runs about $200 per night... Hampton on Walnut Grove is closer to $100 per night. Tough to justify the additional cost on an expense report.

For sh!ts and giggles, go check out a wednesday night hotel price for a 4* downtown in Nashville.

Hampton Inn (downtown Nashville) Wed. April 26: 1 King: $339
Hampton Inn (downtown Memphis) Wed. April 26: 1 King: $295

Nashville also has a dearth of downtown hotel rooms. When I left last year, they were breaking ground on 2 huge projects that will largely fix that problem.

The good news, One Beal complex with one 200 room hotel will be a start and then if they convince a major developer for new hotel 800 room beside convention center then there is 1,000 new rooms.

If the city is able to attract bigger hotels and add substantial more room over the next few years... then they can bid for the NBA All Star game!!

I though that the convention center was the issue. To small for major or multiple events and that hotel rooms were the secondary issue.

The city has two issues... your right Convention Center is dated big time.. and not enough of large hotels with 500 + rooms. There beginning to address the convention center issue and hotels will come afterwards.

(03-28-2017 10:36 AM)dcg141 Wrote:  I though that the convention center was the issue. To small for major or multiple events and that hotel rooms were the secondary issue.

I always thought a trip to Memphis would be one of the best....if not the best....road trips for a BIG 12 team and fans to take. If you have ever been to Stillwater, you would know what I mean.

(03-28-2017 12:06 PM)DallasTiger Wrote:  I always thought a trip to Memphis would be one of the best....if not the best....road trips for a BIG 12 team and fans to take. If you have ever been to Stillwater, you would know what I mean.

Maybe Memphis can land a low cost Norwegian Air nonstop TATL for a couple of flights a week at least seasonally in a couple of years. The CEO has mentioned Memphis before. I believe their could be lots of untapped music tourism to make such a thing successful plus if Viking ever gets the boat issue figured out, there's the cruise segment of that as well.

weak

(03-28-2017 10:19 AM)Tiger87 Wrote:  

(03-27-2017 07:24 PM)Dynamos Wrote:  Memphis should have went full retard on being a tourist town years ago

Should have went? Did you go the Greg Gaston school of grammar?
Never go full retard.

But we do need more rooms downtown. Go to any convention city and see the stark difference. More rooms downtown will also help to narrow the pricing gap.

(03-29-2017 08:12 AM)selleg1 Wrote:  

(03-28-2017 10:19 AM)Tiger87 Wrote:  

(03-27-2017 07:24 PM)Dynamos Wrote:  Memphis should have went full retard on being a tourist town years ago

Should have went? Did you go the Greg Gaston school of grammar?
Never go full retard.

But we do need more rooms downtown. Go to any convention city and see the stark difference. More rooms downtown will also help to narrow the pricing gap.

I disavow the above quote attributed to me. (I think you got your quote lines wonkied up and questioned Dynamos grammar within the body of my quote.) Personally, I would never question someone's verb tense in a sentence when they're lamenting that someone else didn't go full retard.

I disavow all quotes attributed to him... except the ones I am going to attribute to someone else.