Salt Lake to host 2011 Rotary Convention

Utah's Rotary Clubs have announced that Salt Lake City has been selected to host Rotary's International Convention in 2011. This is the largest single convention ever to come to Salt Lake City, with an estimated 31,000 attendees from 166 countries.

The Rotary Convention will bring nearly twice the number of delegates as the semi-annual Outdoor Retailer shows, which have previously been Salt Lake's largest convention client.

Based on research from the University of Utah's Bureau of Business and Economic Research, the Salt Lake Convention & Visitors Bureau estimates that Rotary delegates will spend more than $27 million in local businesses during the event.

Utah's Rotarians worked closely with the bureau to convince the international board that Salt Lake could handle the convention. Competing host cities included Denver, Minneapolis, Washington D.C., and Cairo, Egypt.

"When we compete for convention business against larger cities, one of our biggest strengths is the support of local chapters and members," said Dianne Binger, president of the Salt Lake Convention & Visitors Bureau. "The bureau put together a compelling bid presentation, but in the end, it was the vocal and dedicated support of local Rotarians that put Salt Lake over the top."

Last August's announcement of the Salt Palace Convention Center expansion was also a necessary condition of Salt Lake City's winning bid.

"Rotary's convention will use every inch of the expanded Salt Palace," Binger said. "Our commitment to expand the Salt Palace was driven by Outdoor Retailer trade shows, but we were confident we could also attract other big conventions. Today's announcement reconfirms that the Salt Palace expansion makes good business sense for our community."

According to an independent study commissioned by several civic organizations in 2003, the expanded Salt Palace will allow Salt Lake to book an additional $40 million worth of convention business on an annual basis.

"Not only is Rotary a very large convention, it is also extremely prestigious," Binger said. "Rotarians are highly successful business leaders and civic-minded professionals, representing a wide range of communities across the world. We applaud their commitment to service and we will be honored to welcome this distinguished group to Salt Lake."

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With some exceptions, the Sandy Rotary Club meets at 12:15 p.m. each Wednesday at Carver's Restaurant, 10720 Holiday Park Drive.

Anne Peterson, director of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, will be the speaker at the Feb. 9 luncheon.