Four Cities Try to Keep FFA Down on the Farm

Four Midwestern cities await a big decision next year: which one will get the attendee-rich Natl. FFA Convention for seven years, beginning in 2013.

Of the candidates, Minneapolis is the only one that has missed out so far on the swarm of blue jackets – part of FFA delegates' official dress. The other three – Kansas City, Mo.; Louisville, Ky.; and Indianapolis – have played host before.

The convention has a long history, dating back to 1928, of supporting agriculture education. And for 70 years, that legacy included a convention each year in Kansas City, the host city until 1998.

“We just outgrew them,” said Dale Crabtree, director of convention, awards, recognition and events management for the Natl. FFA Organization, the show's owner, based in Indianapolis.

The convention location was put out to bid and moved to Louisville through 2005, Crabtree said. Indianapolis was picked for the next seven years, through 2012.

“(When the convention left for Indianapolis) it felt like we lost a friend,” said James Wood, president and CEO of the Louisville Convention & Visitors Bureau.

But now Louisville – and others – have the opportunity to attract the convention back, keep it or host it for the first time. Natl. FFA has specific requirements, though, and it won't budge from them.

“We need, on our peak nights, ... 15,000 rooms, of which 85 percent of those must be double (or) double occupancy within a 40-mile radius,” Crabtree said. On top of that, besides the main venue for its exhibit hall, it needs a second one for entertainment, facilities for educational sessions and about 3,000 volunteers from the area, at least half of them with agricultural backgrounds.

The meeting typically draws 50,000 to 60,000 attendees. Indianapolis has gained about $30 million in direct spending each year it has hosted the convention, said Doug Bennett, vice president of sales at the Indianapolis Convention & Visitors Assn.

“It's the largest … in terms of peak room nights (and) direct visitor spending,” he added.

“We're expecting every city to be a very competitive bidder on this,” Bennett said. “We'll match their desire with our own to keep it.”

Indianapolis already is adding more hotel rooms downtown with an inventory of 8,000 by 2010, he said. By the time the FFA is looking for a home in 2013, Indianapolis' convention center's exhibit space will have expanded from 493,123 square feet to about 745,000 sq. ft.

Minneapolis is ready to make a case for itself too.

“Minneapolis and the surrounding area has a very strong agribusiness (industry),” said Allie Gray, communications coordinator for Meet Minneapolis, the convention and visitors bureau for the Twin Cities area. It was the first time Minneapolis was invited to bid for the convention.

Louisville, like Indianapolis, also is adding new infrastructure that Wood said he hopes attracts the convention back.

By 2013, Louisville will have a new amphitheater, a renovated exhibit hall at the Kentucky Exposition Center with more space and more hotel rooms.

“We understand the business very, very well,” Wood added of hosting the convention. “And we really, genuinely, want them back.”

But so does Kansas City.

“It was very painful for this community to see their very good friends and neighbors leave the city,” said Rick Hughes, president and CEO of Kansas City Convention & Visitors Assn.

It's the nature of events to keep growing, and “I think (the community) recognized that sometimes to grow, you must go,” Hughes said.

Now, Hughes added, he can make the case that his city has grown: The Kansas City Convention & Entertainment Center's expansion opened in May, giving the city the opportunity to bid again on the convention.

Crabtree said a decision will be made in November 2008.