VISUALIZING THE WORLD EQUESTRIAN GAMES IN KY
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Betty Burns
(816) 679-4074
Pat Frew, Director of Communications
859-655-4163
E-Mail: Pressroom@nkycvb.com | www.nkycvb.com
VISUALIZING THE WORLD EQUESTRIAN GAMES IN KY
Covington, KY/September 7, 2006—Fresh off an international trip to Western Europe, Northern Kentucky Convention & Visitors Bureau President and CEO Tom Caradonio can’t wait for the Year 2010.
That’s when the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games come to Lexington and to the United States for the first time. Caradonio was part of a Kentucky delegation (including Governor Ernie Fletcher and state Tourism chief Randy Fiveash) that visited Aachen, Germany, site of the 2006 Games, the week of August 27th. The Games began on August 20th and ended September 3.
The Aachen event drew anywhere from 40,000 to 80,000 people a day, some commuting from as far away as two-and-a-half hours in Amsterdam, said Caradonio.
“Having an international airport with direct flight connections to several major European destinations helped Kentucky secure the Games. With Northern Kentucky 81 miles and approximately an hour away from the main site, that puts us in a pretty good situation. In addition, the host site, the Kentucky Horse Park, and its 1,200 acres is a more spacious venue than what we saw in Germany,” said Caradonio.
The Kentucky group staffed a promotional booth touting what the state offers in terms of attractions and other activities available in addition to attending the games. The delegation also quizzed the host team on how they handled the tricky logistics given the huge influx of guests from all over the world. “We now have a good idea what we’re in for in 2010,” added Caradonio. The Horse Park plans to build a large arena and an adjoining hotel to the property to further prepare for 2010.
Economic impact estimates haven’t been released yet, but the staging budget is $50 million. The 2010 Games (September 25 through October 4) will be a month later than Aachen. Caradonio also noted that a very large number of volunteers will be needed.
The mission of the Northern Kentucky Convention and Visitors Bureau is that of an aggressive sales, marketing, service and informational organization whose primary responsibility is to positively impact the Northern Kentucky economy through conventions, meetings and visitor expenditures. The direct economic impact of visitors’ spending in Campbell, Kenton and Boone Counties in 2005 was $255 million.
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