Alaska's growing tourism industry--a new winter destination for conventions: with the new convention center under construction, more and more are signing up for winter conventions, bringing dollars to the community.

• Author: Morgan, Barbara

More conventions are happening in Anchorage in the winter. What's happening to create this?

Typically, the summer season in Alaska enjoys multitudes of tourists. At this time, hotel rooms are booked and unavailable for larger events. In the fall, rooms and meeting space are available so the convention season has relied on what is called the shoulder season--September, October in the fall; and April, May in the spring. Now even that season is expanding.

Why?

Most event planners would credit the Anchorage Visitor and Convention Bureau with the great job it is doing promoting Alaska for the increase in business.

ACVB has added one new sales person to its staff as the staff continues to travel, attend meetings, maintain booths, and share what Alaska has to offer.

NEW DEN'AINA CIVIC & CONVENTION CENTER

The new civic & convention center will make a huge difference. Anchorage will now have the opportunity to bring large groups to Alaska, in a way that has not been possible before.

Citywide conferences, which means that one group takes all the hotels in town, can be held for numbers of 2,500, or even 4,000 or 5,000. This was not possible before.

Anchorage has had to turn down such groups in the past, because it simply could not accommodate them. The dynamics are changing.

"The new Den'aina Civic & Convention Center will open doors so we can go after bigger groups," says Julie Dodds, director of convention sales, ACVB, "particularly ones with trade associations."

It also will allow for booking multiple meetings. "It used to be that if we had a meeting of 800 people at the Egan Convention center, that was it--we couldn't book other meetings," adds Dodds.

Large groups have big general sessions and dinner events. They may need thousands of square feet for exhibit space. Anchorage can now accommodate their needs and attract these types of larger conventions.

ACVB now has a research manager to find groups between 2,000 and 5,000. That opens up the possibility of hundreds of groups, but it normally takes two years to work with a group and find its next open date, says Dodds.

The new convention center has been designed to have skylights to take advantage of natural light in the northeast and southwest corners. The ballroom will have windows-much different than others in the Lower 48, says Karen Zak, general manager for Visions Meeting & Event Management.

Covered walkways and sky bridges will connect to the Alaska Center for the Performing Arts and the...