UC Study: World Choir Games To Bring In $73.5 million

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WLWT Article

As Cincinnati prepares for the World Choir Games in 2012, a University of Cincinnati study shows the event’s estimated economic impact is $73.5 million.

As many as 20,000 participants from more than 70 countries around the world are expected to attend the largest choral festival in the world.

Competitions in 29 different musical genres will be open to ticket holders. Cincinnati was awarded the games in June 2009 after beating out 20 other cities across the world.

Jeff Rexhausen works as the associate director of research for the Economics Center for Education and Research at the University of Cincinnati. His group tallied the games’ estimated economic impact. Rexhausen said there is no bigger event for the Tri-State.

“The magnitude of this impact would rank the World Choir Games ahead of the year-round impact of almost every indoor arts, culture or recreation venue in the region,” he said. The center’s study said the games’ participants should account for 45,000 hotel room nights alone.

On top of that, the study stated that 90,000 people will visit Cincinnati during the games, 65 percent of whom should be from out of town.

Dan Lincoln is president of the Cincinnati USA Convention and Visitors Bureau. He said the World Choir Games will be the largest convention booking in the history of the region.

“It is also the largest international event in Cincinnati’s history,” Lincoln said. “We knew from the moment we became involved in the extensive bid process this event would be big for Cincinnati USA in terms of international exposure, civic pride and economic impact.”
The 2010 World Choir Games will start next Thursday in Shaoxing, China.