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CVB projects revenue bump as Hilton Garden Inn and sports events boost conference center
Summary
Sherry Matlock told the council the Convention & Visitors Bureau expects 2027 innkeeper-tax revenue of $1,595,000 driven by a new downtown Hilton Garden Inn and recurring sports tournaments; the CVB also budgets hotel-related bond repayment and conference center operating revenue in its presentation.
Sherry Matlock, manager of the Convention and Visitors Bureau, told county officials the visitors bureau is funded "100% by innkeeper's tax" and that the CVB projects $1,595,000 in innkeeper-tax revenue for 2027. The forecast relies on the Hilton Garden Inn in downtown Kokomo opening fully in 2027 and continued growth in sports tourism, including multi-day softball events that bring teams and hotel stays to Howard County.
Matlock outlined the bureau's 2027 operating plan, which includes personnel for two full-time CVB staff, marketing and advertising to drive visitor stays, research subscriptions and a meetings-module purchase to better quantify economic impact. She said the Kokomo Conference Center is currently in a soft-opening period with an expected first major public event on Aug. 20 and budgeted roughly $1.4 million for both gross revenue and operating expenses for conference-center sales in 2027.
Matlock also told the council the CVB has a pledge to the city for Kokomo Conference Center bond repayment of about $425,000 and a sinking fund of roughly $50,000 to help cover payments during a downturn. She said special-project dollars of about $250,000 are being held and that the conference center will house the permanent collection of the Kokomo Automotive Museum at its lower level with free public access planned. The CVB presentation concluded with Matlock answering questions about ballroom capacity (about 1,000 theater-style, 675 banquet-style) and museum opening timeline (soft opening in August; hotel expected to open in September).
