"It's all but a done deal that 'cross nationals will be held in January 2010 right here in my newly adopted hometown of Bend!"
All but a done deal. That's not quite a done deal. When I see THAT press release I'll believe it. Meanwhile, this press release came out yesterday.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 10, 2008
Contact:
Justin Yax, DVA Advertising/PR, 541-389-2411,
justin@dvaadv.com
Doug LaPlaca, Bend VCB, 541-382-8048,
doug@visitbend.com
BEND VISITOR & CONVENTION BUREAU INITIATES BID PROCESS TO HOST 2009 AND 2010 USA CYCLING CYCLOCROSS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS IN BEND
Local Organizing Committee Being Formed, Potential Race Venues Identified
(BEND, Ore.)--The Bend Visitor & Convention Bureau today announced that it is forming a local organizing committee and has initiated conversations with USA Cycling in an effort to secure the 2009 and 2010 USA Cycling Cyclocross National Championships in Bend.
The USA Cyclocross National Championships attract approximately 1,800 competitors annually, and between 3,500 and 4,000 people including support staff, families and media. Because the championships typically take place the second weekend in December – a traditionally slow tourism period that falls between the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays when occupancy levels at Bend lodging properties are well below 40 percent – they would provide a welcome boost for the local tourism economy.
In a letter of intent being sent to USA Cycling, Bend Visitor & Convention Bureau president and CEO Doug LaPlaca cited Bend’s unique combination of scenic beauty, world-class recreation, outstanding amenities and overwhelming enthusiasm for cycling throughout the community as reasons why the organizing committee believes Bend is the perfect destination to host the Cyclocross National Championships.
“Bend has all the amenities, resources and enthusiasm needed to host a national event such as this, especially at a time when tourism numbers are typically slow in the region,” said Doug LaPlaca, president and CEO of the Bend Visitor & Convention Bureau. “By identifying windows when occupancy levels are low, and targeting major events that can help fill those gaps, we have the opportunity to generate significant incremental tourism revenue which in this case would equate to more than $1 million in tourism spending per year.”
The organizing committee that is being assembled to pursue the event includes representatives from the Bend Visitor & Convention Bureau, Oregon Sports Authority, the City of Bend, Bend City Council, the Riverhouse Conference Center, Central Oregon Velo, and representatives from Bend’s cycling community, including professional and former professional cyclists who call Bend home. Renowned national cyclocross race director Brad Ross is also part of the committee and has already scouted potential race venues.
According to USA Cycling, Cyclocross races are typically held on grassy loops, no longer than a few miles in length, with a few short road or dirt road sections. There are numerous sections where riders must dismount to run over man-made barriers placed around the course. Mud and slippery conditions are very common, and the best courses are serpentine loops that give spectators plenty of viewing opportunities while challenging riders with steep, short hills and sharp, technical corners.
In recent years, the Cyclocross National Championships have been held in Portland, Ore. (2003, 2004), Providence, Rhode Island (2005, 2006), and Kansas City, Missouri (2007, 2008).
About the Bend Visitor & Convention Bureau:
The Bend Visitor & Convention Bureau is a non-membership, non-profit economic development organization dedicated to promoting tourism on behalf of the City of Bend. For more information or to order a complimentary Official Visitor’s Guide to Bend, contact the Bend Visitor & Convention Bureau at 1-800-949-6086 or visit
www.visitbend.com .
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