To an event planner, the numbers are scary.
For Lee Harkness, the executive director of the Downtown Jamestown Development Corporation, the numbers are exciting.
Jamestown is the host for 1,100 athletes from 88 track clubs across five states during United States Track & Field Region 2 Championships, which will run through Sunday at Strider Field.
An event of this magnitude means more to the greater Jamestown economy than just a few people coming into town for a few days.
''According to the Convention and Visitor's Bureau, an average visitor spends $189 and stays for an average of 2.34 days,'' Harkness said. ''In this case, it will be for four days and the impact will probably be in the millions.''
For a community the size of Jamestown, anytime numbers being discussed even hover around seven figures, the impact on the community is obvious.
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For Mayor Sam Teresi, there's another way to analyze the impact without looking at the numbers.
''Generally this event and events like these have a fantastic economic impact in both a tangible and an intangible way,'' Teresi said. ''In the past, people have established relationships that go on for many years - both personal and long-standing business relationships. There's no better way to market the community than to get people here.''
Well, mayor, the people are here.
But just how many visitors and how does the million-dollar mark get met? Harkness doesn't want to throw gaudy numbers around, but even conservative thinking posts pretty impressive statistics.
''Conservatively, 1,100 athletes bring at least two people with them,'' Harkness said. ''It will end up totalling about 5,000 people. If they only spend $30 a day and they're staying four nights, the dollar figure should be in the millions.''
With all of this money coming into the city, many local businesses are reaping the benefits of a four-day weekend for track & field athletes. Restaurants are gaining patrons, travel around the county is increased and sales tax revenue is funneling into the local economy.
It's all because of one track and field event hosted by the Chautauqua Striders.
''The same thing that makes us a good fit for world-class ice skating, ice hockey and Babe Ruth baseball tournament makes Jamestown a great fit for this,'' Teresi said. ''Number one, we clearly have outstanding facilities. Number two, we've got the network of people here in the community to organize and pull these events off. It's an unbeatable combination of people and facilities.''
Jamestown's unbeatable combination of people and facilities doesn't start and end with David Reinhardt, the program director of the Chautauqua Striders and the USATF Niagara Association chairman and Strider Field. The Jamestown Savings Bank Ice Arena, which is being used as the main hub for athletes and administrative services for the event, is also one of the premier event facilities in the area.
According to Teresi, every hotel in the greater Jamestown area is filled through the weekend. That may seem like an exaggeration, but it's not.
But without adequate hotel facilities in the area, this event wouldn't be here.
''This meet could have been here 20 years ago,'' Ron Graham, co-founder of Chautauqua Striders said. ''The track hasn't changed. It's still eight lanes with the same dimensions. The key to this meet is the fact that there are now 500 hotel rooms to support it.''
The hospitality industry is beaming with delight.
Now with adequate accommodations, an event of this size will could return in the future. The USATF Region 2 Championships will only add to Jamestown's reputation as an event-destination city for Western New York.
''We already are an event destination,'' Teresi added. ''That's built on the framework that's in place and the reputation we have. We have invested in and developed facilities and we have the network of people to organize and deliver these events. That's what our people have developed a reputation for.''
Successful events can't happen without the right people. In Jamestown, Teresi feels the right people are in place.
''We have the community volunteers to help pull these things off,'' Teresi added. ''People are impressed by our facilities but are bowled over by our hospitality. That's why they keep coming back.''
The event future in Jamestown is a very bright one. This weekend's event at Strider Field is just the beginning of good things in store for the city and the local economy.
''Strider Field is a wonderful facility,'' Teresi continued. ''They're doing a terrific job now and they'll be pleased to do it again. I see this as part of a building process. It's part of a continuing step for people to come back in the future.''
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Scott Kindberg contributed to this report.
