Salt Lake City (June 19, 2015) — Visit Salt Lake (VSL) presented the “Tourism Achievement Award” to the Bureau of Economic and Business Research (BEBR) during its second quarter board of trustees meeting on June 18, 2015, at the David Eccles School of Business. The annual award honors members and community organizations for “outstanding efforts in supporting the mission of Visit Salt Lake and the larger tourism community of Salt Lake County.” Jan Stambro, Senior Research Economist, accepted the award on behalf of BEBR.
 
VSL has contracted with BEBR since 1994 to conduct surveys with the goal of accurately measuring delegate spending for meetings and conventions held in Salt Lake. According to research conducted by experts at BEBR, the average convention delegate spends $930 while in Salt Lake. In 2014, visitors to Salt Lake spent $1.17 billion, generating more than $122 million in state and local taxes. 
 
“The data we’re seeing paints a clear picture: tourism spending and tax revenue are significant components of both the local and state economy,” said James Wood, executive director of BEBR. “Accurately measuring the overall impact of these activities is an important task, and we are grateful to be aiding Visit Salt Lake in this capacity.”
 
In 2015, 269,877 delegates came to Salt Lake for conventions, hotel/resort meetings, and sporting/special events. The tax revenue from these visitors is estimated to reduce the local tax burden by more than $1,000 annually per Utah household. 
 
“It’s crucial we have the ability to accurately measure the impact of our efforts, and that of visitors to our community, particularly those attending meetings and conventions,” said Scott Beck, president and CEO of Visit Salt Lake. “We are fortunate to have an incredible relationship with the team at BEBR. Their expertise places them at the top of their field.”
 
The board of trustees meeting and award presentation will take place on June 18 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Spencer Fox Eccles Business Building on the University of Utah campus. Past recipients of VSL’s Tourism Achievement Award include Jack Gallivan, Jon M. Huntsman, Jr., the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Larry H. Miller, and the Utah Jazz.
 
About Visit Salt Lake
Visit Salt Lake is a private, non-profit corporation responsible for the promotion of Salt Lake as a convention and travel. In partnership with Salt Lake County, Visit Salt Lake improves the area economy by attracting and providing support to convention, leisure travelers and visitors with a strong commitment to sustainability and stewardship of the area’s natural environment. 
 
About the Bureau of Economic and Business Research
Established in 1932, the Bureau of Economic and Business Research (BEBR) is an applied research center at The Policy Institute in the David Eccles School of Business at the University of Utah. BEBR’s mission is to conduct and support research related to the structure of the Utah economy, its resources and its potential for expansion. BEBR also analyzes the economic and demographic impacts of economic events and policy initiatives on local and regional economies, provides advice on economic issues and conducts regional economic analysis. For more information, visit bebr.business.utah.edu or call 801-581-6333.
 
About the David Eccles School of Business
Founded in 1917 and educating more than 4,500 students annually, the David Eccles School of Business offers eight undergraduate majors, four MBAs, five other graduate programs, a Ph.D. program and executive education curricula. The Eccles School is also home to nine institutes and centers that deliver academic research and support an ecosystem of entrepreneurship and innovation. It is consistently one of the top schools in the nation for startup businesses based on university research. Experiential learning is central to the Eccles experience. For more information, visit Eccles.Utah.edu or call 801-581-7676.