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Keith McCord Reporting Salt Lake is getting ready to host one of its largest conventions of the year, the Outdoor Retailers Market. It gets underway later this week. Attracting conventions is great for the local economy, and now convention planners have a new attraction that they are using to bring groups here.
It's called "The Depot", and yes, it's inside the old Union Pacific Depot, on the north end. It's a new music night spot with an auditorium that'll hold 1200 people. Downstairs is a brand new restaurant, as well as a VIP room. Workers are still scurrying around painting, hanging pictures, and testing the sound system.
The Depot has held a few concerts already, but the big grand opening is the first weekend of February. Having a new food and music venue like this provides convention planners in Salt Lake a new nugget to promote our city, which has a reputation of not having much of a nightlife.
Mark Bennett, Salt Lake Convention & Visitors Bureau: "They definitely need strong selling points to convince people that there are exciting events in Salt Lake. There are misperceptions out there. We in Salt Lake know there are things to do, but a facility like this that comes online is great, it really helps us with our sales mission."
The Depot will host a variety of music acts, but will also handle corporate meetings and weddings. The restaurant, called the Butterfly, is open for dinner already; there are plans in the weeks ahead to be open for lunch as well.
