Press Release

ONTARIO, CA (April 14, 2004) - The Ontario and Convention and Visitors Bureau continues to have a positive financial impact on the city of Ontario, despite a competitive landscape in the industry.

"The upward swing is encouraging," stated Amita Patel, OCVB's director of sales and marketing. "More people are bringing their conventions and business to Ontario and having a great experience which creates repeat business."

Patel noted that Convention Center rental revenues are projected to reflect an increase of 3.3 percent for the current fiscal year (July 1, 2003 to June 2004) compared to 2003, which in turn reflects an increase of 16.1 percent when compared to 2002.

For the past six months, web site tracking statistics show that the OCVB has received 4,547,408 hits to its re-designed site. According to the February 2004 issue of Successful Meetings magazine, Ontario was ranked among the top convention and visitor's bureau web sites in the nation, and was ranked as one of the top two in the state.

Over the past fiscal year, hotel room nights booked by the Bureau in Ontario hotels are up 14.6 percent when compared to 2003, which in turn equates to a 30 percent increase since 2002. The city's hotel occupancy numbers are especially impressive when compared across the board with the rest of the country. Ontario's hotel occupancy rate is much higher at 78.0 percent--16.8 percent higher than the current national average of 61.2 percent.

Patel expects the upward trend in convention center business to continue. Research compiled by an independent marketing firm, Wilkin Guge Marketing shows that meeting planners select a destination based on affordability and accessibility. These meeting planners seek hotel guestroom rates from $91 to $131. The average daily hotel guestroom rate for Ontario is $93.64. This shows that Ontario is a viable destination when hotel rates are a decisive factor in selecting a convention location.

Projected total economic impact ending this fiscal year in June shows a 29.9 percent increase compared to 2003, also showing huge gains of 61.9 percent from 2002. The projected economic impact for 2004 is $24,484,556. Economic impact is defined as convention attendee spending in the host city on such items such as lodging, restaurants, recreation, retail stores, auto rental, gasoline, parking and other expenditures. The average spending per convention attendee in Ontario is $99.00 per day, not including hotel rooms. The tax revenues generated from the economic impact help to financially support the Ontario police and fire departments, maintain local streets and sewers, as well as funding other city projects.