N. Nevada’s tourism priority — special events
By Rob Sabo, Northern Nevada Business Weekly
Big special events such as Hot August Nights, Street Vibrations and the National Championship Air Races help define tourism in Northern Nevada, and the Reno Sparks Convention and Visitors Authority wants to bring more of them to the region.
New special events — either homegrown or wooed from other locations — would fill slow winter months and generate business on free weekends during the summer, says RSCVA President and Chief Executive Officer Ellen Oppenheim.
Events like Street Vibrations attract crowds, bring money to region. Photo/Brenda Knox
But the challenge is balancing the needs of existing special events with the energy needed to bring new ones to the calendar.
“Special events are very important to this community. They are a proven draw for bringing visitors here, and as locals we have the added benefit of taking advantage of those events and being able to enjoy them,” Oppenheim says.
Ideas for new special events include a Western heritage festival, or a singles festival.
The RSCVA seeks both small events that might establish a strong following, such as the Santa Pub Crawl, as well as large-scale events. However, Oppenheim cautions, such events often come with large price tags.