SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL SECTION
generated from a contract — won’t be re-
alized unless new hotels are added to the
downtown and overall market.)
The benefits seemed too good to pass
up, Warren says, so instead of waiting for
the City to pay later, hotel operators agreed
to create a tourism improvement district to
The Sacramento Convention
Center entrance on J Street.
raise the necessary $40 million. About 70
percent of hoteliers in various zones voted
in favor of the assessment, which will be
added to hotel room rates, according to
Warren.
“Bottom line is with the additional ball-
room and a focus on going after groups
that other markets turn away regularly due
to smaller size,” he says, “we see a great
opportunity to marry together and secure
new group business and keep our current,
very important groups as well.”
For Testa of Visit Sacramento, this as-
sessment signifies the power of collabora-
tion, and how local businesses can work
together for the common goal of driving
the whole region to a better, more compet-
itive tomorrow.
“Private businesses were willing to as-
sess themselves to drive public revenues,”
Testa says. “City, county and local resi-
dents will reap financial rewards of some-
thing they don’t have to pay for.” n
Russell Nichols is a freelance writer who focus-
es on technology, culture and mental health.
His work has appeared in The Wall Street
Journal, The Boston Globe, Governing
Magazine and Government Technology. On
Twitter @russellnichols.
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