Unfair Park put the question to Dallas Convention & Visitors Bureau head Phillip Jones: why didn’t they show Fair Park to the Professional Convention Management Association meeting that was in town last week? Jones answers that they highlighted Fair Park in promotional materials, but that he was more concerned with emphasizing downtown.
Since the DCVB’s brochure featured “an entire section” about the State Fair, were the convention planners given the impression that nothing happens out at Fair Park, other than when the Fair is running? Wick said in the January “print product” that Fair Park is too valuable to continue to let the State Fair occupy it.
A few weeks ago I spoke with Michael Morris, the transportation guru for the North Central Texas Council of Governments, about Dallas’ effort to make a bid for the 2012 Olympics, for which he developed a transportation plan. When I asked what lessons had been learned from that failure, his response centered on Fair Park.
The Olympic people were very clear on this: “You’re so close to your amenities, you underestimate their value. Fair Park–there’s nothing else in America like Fair Park. You should have talked about it more in your Olympic bid … the historic nature of it, the size of Fair Park.”
3 comments
It would be interesting to know the number of people who attend events in Fair Park other than during the State Fair. For example, the Irish Music Festival draws about 75,000 over a three day period. City Arts is moving to Fair Park and will draw many thousands, after Phillip Jones and the DCVB gave up on doing it in the Arts District. There are many other events that attract people to Fair Park besides the State Fair.
Dallas underestimating its history? Nahh, that could never happen. Perhaps they should build a hotel next to fair park.
How about spending $550,000,000 on Fair Park instead of a convention center hotel?
A much better investment IMO.