By BJ Austin, KERA News
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kera/local-kera-914674.mp3
Dallas, TX – The annual Mary Kay convention is underway in Dallas. It's a two week event that brings more than 30 thousand cosmetics-selling entrepreneurs to the Convention Center for seminars and awards ceremonies. KERA's BJ Austin says Mary Kay's annual "Seminar" has kept the Dallas convention business in the "pink" during some lean times.
The first of the Mary Kay conventioneers rolled into Dallas last week. The predictable appearance of Mary Kay "pink" cadillacs, cosmetics and couture on downtown streets has been an anchor in the storm for the Dallas convention business, which is down 20% from two years ago.
Mary Kay's "Seminar" means nearly 80 million dollars in annual economic impact according to President of the Dallas Convention and Visitors Bureau, Phillip Jones. He says Dallas is fortunate to have that - especially during these tough economic times. But he sees better days ahead.
Jones: We have booked 19 citywide conventions for the first nine months of this year, which is a record for the Dallas Convention and Visitors Bureau and the city of Dallas.
Jones says that was this year's goal, and with three months left on the fiscal calendar, he expects to beat the record by half a dozen new convention bookings. He says Dallas has a lot going for it right now.
Jones: Much of it has to do with the fact that we have this new 1,000 room Omni Hotel under construction and additional meeting space as part of that package. There's a lot of interest in meeting in Dallas, and we're seeing a lot of positive buzz.
The convention center hotel is scheduled to open late next year. Jones says easy airport access and affordability are also key selling points for Dallas.
But there are challenges. The recession made webinars and "virtual" conventions more popular according to the U.S. Travel Association. And, Dallas officials say the lack of a pedestrian friendly, 24-hour downtown is a drawback they're trying to fix with more residential and retail development. Jones says the expanded Arts District, and the Woodall Rogers Deck Park, under construction, help the Dallas pitch to convention planners. He says Dallas is # 6 in the U.S. for big conventions, and determined to move up.
Jones: Our goal is to be "top five". Right now, for us to be in the top five, we'd have to knock off Atlanta. And I think we can do that in the next couple of years.
The Dallas convention and visitors industry is already a three billion dollar a year business; generating millions in local taxes, and providing jobs to 50 thousand people. Dallas City Council member Linda Koop credits the annual Mary Kay convention with helping maintain that, and thanked them at the kick-off ceremony.
Koop: We appreciate so very much you keeping your convention, your seminar, in the city of Dallas. It means a great deal to us.
Mary Kay has held its annual "Pink Cadillac" awards convention in Dallas for almost 50 years. This year's seminar runs through August 7th.