Trending
HOLLIDAYSBURG -- The Blair County Convention Center's latest financial report shows 2023's revenue exceeded $2 million for the first time since 2019 and projects 2024's revenue as slightly higher.
While the 2023 figures are subject to confirmation through audit, convention center authority members meeting Wednesday were encouraged by the fiscal improvement.
"We're back," authority member Donna Gority said of the rebound since 2020, the year the convention center closed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. That was the year when revenue dropped to $596,901, forcing the facility to rely on reserves to pay the bills adding up to $1.26 million.
Efforts to rebuild business started in 2021 and continued in 2022 and in 2023, when revenue hit $2.137 million, just slightly less than 2019's revenue of $2.21 million.
Convention Center President and Executive Chef Tom Schilling, who reviewed the financial report with the authority, showed 2024's projected revenue at $2.216 million, almost the same as 2019's revenue of $2.218 million.
Schilling said the 2024 projection is based on scheduled events and could end higher, depending on business that gets booked during the year on available dates.
As for already scheduled events, Marketing Manager Garrett Gierdroc said the facility has a mix of returning and new clients for 2024.
New clients include the Pennsylvania State Education Association, the Pennsylvania State Diabetes Association, the Behavioral Health Alliance and the Heart of J Co. organization from Huntingdon County.
The facility is also hosting Momento Con, Gierdroc said, for the first time in November. It's a convention for science fiction enthusiasts and was held in 2023 at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh.
Schilling, in presenting the financial projections, also pointed out to the authority members that even if 2024's revenue surpasses 2019's revenue, 2024's expenses will be higher as well.
"The servers are now getting
$13 to $14 an hour but back in 2019, they were getting $10 or $11 an hour," he said.
Utilities are projected to come in at $207,860 in 2024, in comparison to 2019 when the report shows them at $163,642.
Based on the projections, that means the convention center could end 2024 with an operating profit of $156,570, in comparison to 2019 when it ended with $295,043.
"As an authority, we're not here to get rich," Schilling said. "We're here to bring in money to the community and have the money to keep the place up."
In 2022 and 2023, the facility spent about $450,000 in capital improvements and purchases. That included carpeting, window treatments and related improvements to a portion of the lower level exhibit hall, replacement carpeting for meeting rooms and their hallway, the sealing and restriping of the facility's main and overflow parking lots, installation of new flatscreen TVs with wireless connections, installation of computerized directional signs to assist arriving patrons and utility-related upgrades.
Authority member Patrick Schurr, director of partnership development at Explore Altoona, also offered a synopsis of a developing effort aimed at attracting overnight business to the area.
Schurr said he has created an online spreadsheet to track the availability of area lodging on dates presented by potential clients. So if the convention center or any local venue wants to host an event with overnight lodging, Schurr said the spreadsheet should provide a quick answer on the number of rooms available and where.
"This is something we've needed for a long time," Gority said.
Schurr said he expects the spreadsheet will put the convention center personnel in a position to provide a faster answer when potential clients indicate a need for a larger amount of rooms.
He also has plans, he said, to demonstrate how the spreadsheet can be beneficial to other local venues.
Mirror Staff Writer Kay Stephens is at 814-946-7456.