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Randall Jeppesen reportingConvention centers can bring a huge boost to local economies - if they're kept full. But while the Salt Palace is expanding, another Utah city is looking at cashing in on a small piece of the convention center pie.
Inside the Salt Palace between conventions there's actually a movie being shot here. The halls are decorated to look like the inside of an airport at Christmas time. Vice President of Marketing Mark White says it's a fight to keep conventions coming.
Mark White: "We're typically competing against mid and larger cities. The competition is very fierce."
Now Provo has a task force looking to see if they can financially support a new convention center or possible expand what they have at the city's Marriott Hotel.
Joel Racker, Utah County Tourism: "The shopping that goes into the local businesses, the restaurants you know, and copy centers and office supplies I mean there's all sorts of benefits."
Utah County Tourism Joel Racker say they need to look at hotels available, the number of restaurants and more to see if they could support a convention crowd but he's confident groups would come.
Joel Racker, Utah County Tourism: "I believe absolutely, it's not just Provo it's Utah County. I think we've got a lot of very unique things in our county."
Mark White: "There's a possibility that we could lose some potential business to Provo."
But White says the two cities would likely be aiming for different crowds but right now they're focused on keeping their Salt Palace guests happy while the building is under expansion construction.
Mark White: "We have to move some of their nice meetings into the large, fairly stark exhibit halls. We also had to move some of the meeting into some of the surrounding hotels."
It's going to be tight to get all the work done before the outdoor retailers show up in August but the larger Salt Palace has already added seven, new major conventions that could bring an extra two hundred five million dollars to the local economy.
