Conference center is serving as an economic engine for Davis County

LAYTON — Success in this case might seem strange to some. When the county built the Davis Conference Center in Layton last year, they knew it would never really make money — they just hoped it would break even.

One year and 900 conferences later, the conference center is progressing as county officials hoped it would for the first year, said Kent Sulser, manager of economic development for Davis County. Instead of making money for the county through fees from the various business conferences, the center is working as an economic engine for the area, bringing in conference attendees who will spend money at local hotels, restaurants and stores.

"We've got a product that truly is working," Sulser said.

The Davis Conference Center and attached Hilton Garden Inn are located in the heart of Layton within walking distance of the Layton Hills Mall, eight hotels, and 12 major restaurants along the popular "restaurant row." With 32,000 square feet, 147 hotel rooms, and the ability to host up to 1,000 people, the conference center is well placed to caters to the smaller conventions the Salt Lake convention centers often pass up, said Scott Lunt, who has managed both the conference center and hotel since 2003.

The addition of the conference center to Davis County adds an element to local commerce that had previously been missing — a venue for large gatherings in the community. Building a space to meet and bringing in more business opportunities were some of the goals the county originally considered when deciding whether to build the conference center, Sulser said.

"One of our concerns is making sure we have business, commercial growth," he said.

Although there aren't any black-and-white numbers that can show a direct relationship between the new conference center and the local economy, the increase in revenue from local taxes shows increased spending at restaurants and hotels, said Barbara Riddle from the Davis Area Convention and Visitors Bureau.

To see some of the impact the center has had in the community, Riddle looks at revenue from taxes placed on restaurants and hotel rooms, or the transient room tax. For 2005, the county projected an increase of 8.5 percent in the transient room tax and a 5.9 percent increase for the restaurant tax. In 2006 it expects a 7.7 percent increase in tourism overall for the county.

"You have to think in large part that it is because of more people coming into the county," Riddle said.

The convention center is one of the reasons those people are coming into the county and spending money shopping, eating at restaurants and staying in hotels, she said.