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Photo Credit: Experience Rochester
Events such as concerts and sporting events draw in large crowds to the Rochester area.
And according to Andy Thilges, area director of sales, North Rock Hospitality Group, at the start of the pandemic in April 2020, we saw citywide occupancy of only 15.9%. That compares with a normal City of Rochester occupancy during the previous comparable year of nearly 70%. “Every event from volleyball competitions to dance contests to annual corporate meetings came to a big halt,” Thilges says. In 2022, Rochester is expected to host 90 major sports events. The economic impact of sports is tremendous when you think of $16.6 million dollars, over 17.000 room nights, and 118,000 visitors – all in 2021. The Rochester area is pushing to add more physical building space so more events can be held. Infrastructure investment in the $65 million range is being sought. This will enhance our ability as a city to host more events citywide.” In addition, over the past year occupancy has stabilized against the pre-pandemic rise in occupancy to a high of 65%.
“Guests are finding their way back to Rochester and this is due first to Rochester being home to Mayo Clinic. It is also a testimonial to the resiliency of the medical market – clearly showing the patient segment still needing care despite being in a pandemic,” Thilges says. The average rate for a guest room was $109.45 in the City of Rochester in 2021, up only 1.3%. But, in 2022, the rate is coming around and is now increasing 12.9% for 2022. “In addition, the convention market took a big drop in 2021 with $1.2 million in cancelled events at the Mayo Civic Center. However, Mayo Civic Center still had $5.3 million in confirmed bookings for 2021,” Thilges says. “And, lodging tax revenue for the City of Rochester continues to improve from a high of $10.556 million in 2018 to a low of $5.679 million in 2020 to improved hotel lodging tax revenues of $7.877 million in 2021.” Adding to a growing field of new hotels, Rochester saw hotel openings in the Hyatt House, Staybridge
| Advantage Magazine 6
June 2022
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