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Burlington-area businesses, chambers press state task force to study convention‑center feasibility
Summary
Local hoteliers, industry groups and chambers told the Vermont House Committee on Commerce and Economic Development on May 7 that a state-led study should examine whether a convention center or performance facility could capture more midweek business and retain large meetings now going out of state.
Business and tourism leaders told the House Commerce and Economic Development Committee May 7 that Vermont should study whether a convention center or performance facility could expand midweek demand, support anchor industries and keep larger meetings in-state.
"The data were $4,000,000,000 industry, employing about 30,000 people in the state of Vermont," Hans Van Ruiz, managing director of Westport Hospitality, said, describing tourism's scale in Vermont and arguing that a well-sited convention center could capture meetings currently going to other New England states.
Witnesses said feasibility work should consider hotel-room inventory, airport access, walkability, parking and spillover benefits for smaller hospitality properties. Jeff Lawson of Hello Burlington and the Lake Champlain Chamber said Burlington's downtown room inventory is expected to approach 1,000 hotel rooms within a few years, which is a key threshold for sustaining a modern meeting facility. Lawson also said the region needs state involvement because counties elsewhere (the typical governance unit for destination marketing and facilities) carry responsibilities that Vermont municipalities cannot manage alone.
Several witnesses cited captive-insurance meetings as an example of a business that already strains existing venue capacity. "We want to keep the Vermont Captive Insurance Association meeting in Vermont," Hans Van Ruiz said, adding that some organizations are "growing out" of current facilities.
Lake Champlain Chamber leaders said they will commission a feasibility study that could take about 16 weeks from contract signing, and they expect to align that work with the task force report deadline in S.122 (an interim report the bill specified for Nov. 1). Chamber members said a consultant-led study should examine demand generators, competitive destinations, transportation, and the region's capacity to host larger events without overbuilding.
Witnesses emphasized the potential economic benefits beyond large conferences: midweek room-night gains, higher rates during peak events, and spillover business for smaller hotels, restaurants and retailers. They suggested the task force include economic-development and infrastructure expertise, and not reduce the discussion to tourism marketing alone.
The committee accepted testimony and said it will review feasibility work and task-force outputs as they become available.
