Measuring the impact : Study examines economic boost of Wal-Mart Open
Posted on Thursday, May 15, 2008
URL: http://www.nwanews.com/brog/News/60252/
ROGERS — Anyone who commutes past Beaver Lake couldn’t help but notice there were a few fishermen on the water bright and early this morning. Four-hundred fishermen from 37 states and six countries, to be exact.
Well before the sun showed itself this morning, the first lines were cast in the Wal-Mart Open, an annual stop on the FLW Outdoors Tour. The event has been held on Beaver Lake for more than a decade and is the only permanent stop on the annual tour. And whether people are normally into competitive fishing or not tends to matter little from Thursday through Sunday, when a champion is crowned.
“ This is truly an international competition, with people tuning in and coming out from all over, ” said Dave Washburn, FLW Outdoors vice president of communications. “ There are pros from Australia, Japan, Mexico, Spain, Italy and right here in the states. It’s a big deal, and this area has always had two things going for it — a fantastic resource in Beaver Lake and tremendous sponsorship. ”
With a family fun zone, public weigh-ins and more every afternoon at the John Q. Hammons Center in Rogers, the Wal-Mart Open has evolved into much more than people flocking to Beaver lake to catch a glimpse of some of the world’s best anglers doing their thing. FLW Outdoors bills it as one of the most family-friendly, free events in the country, and that has translated into quite an economic impact on Rogers and the surrounding area over the years.
“ Events like the FLW Wal-Mart Open and the LPGA Tournament at Pinnacle (Country Club ) are largescale, professional events in their respective sports, ” Rogers Mayor Steve Womack said. “ These tournaments are precisely why we have done what we’ve done here in Rogers. These are opportunities to not only bring people to our community and showcase the beauty this region has to offer, but we also reap the financial benefits that go along with hosting an event like this. ”
The thousands of people who flock to the area for the Wal-Mart Open each year stay in hotels, go shopping at the Pinnacle Hills Promenade and other retail outlets across the region, order meals at area restaurants, fill their cars with gas and more. So by the end of the weekend, the economic impact this stop on the FLW Outdoors Tour has on the area is impossible to downplay, said Tom Galyon, executive director of the Rogers Convention and Visitors Bureau.
“ It’s exhilarating each year, looking around and taking in all that happens during this event, ” Galyon said. “ It has to be among the top five major annual events in northwest Arkansas. This tournament is right up there with Bikes, Blues and BBQ, and the LPGA. ”
But until this year, no study has been conducted to get an accurate estimate of just how much of an economic impact the Wal-Mart Open has on northwest Arkansas. Wednesday, however, students and faculty with the Sam M. Walton Center for Business and Economic Research at the University of Arkansas were at registration asking questions. And they will continue to ask questions, monitor activity and compile valuable information through the remainder of the weekend.
The Rogers Convention and Visitors Bureau has contracted with the University of Arkansas to put together a detailed report, answering once and for all how significant an impact this tournament has on area businesses.
Galyon, Womack and other leaders in Rogers and the surrounding area expect the results from the study will be staggering.