Pigeon
Forge, TN – October 2018 / Newsmaker Alert / The LeConte
Center at Pigeon Forge (Tennessee) recognizes a significant milestone
on Oct. 9 as the multi-purpose event facility marks completion of its fifth
year of operation.
The $45 million facility
has delivered a significant return on the city’s investment. Since the
LeConte Center opened on Oct. 9, 2013, it has driven an additional $175
million in attendee spending in the city. For the past three years, the
city’s gross revenue has exceeded one billion annually. Pigeon
Forge is home to approximately 6,000 residents but welcomes more than
10 million visitors annually. Tourism is the city’s only industry.
“When Pigeon Forge committed
to building the LeConte Center, our city leaders knew that we would have
to remain true to the facility’s mission, which is to serve as a catalyst
for development in our city, stimulate investment, create jobs, and create
economic vitality and impact through scheduled functions that attract large
numbers of out-of-town visitors,” said Pigeon Forge City Manager Earlene
Teaster. “Over these past five years, the LeConte Center has exceeded expectations
across the board.”
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The 232,599-square-foot
LeConte Center at Pigeon Forge was designed for many types of activities
and that variety is a key factor in welcoming new visitors. The 147 events
that have taken place in the facility over the past five years include
athletic competitions (cheerleading, gymnastics, volleyball and basketball),
faith-based assemblies (youth, women, senior adults and marriage), trade
shows (gift/souvenir, hardware and food), automotive expositions, and musical
concerts. The facility was home to 18 events in 2013; 37 events are scheduled
for 2018.
“The LeConte Center’s significance
to our city is demonstrated by the estimated 429,000 additional room nights
generated for our lodging properties along with new businesses that now
call our city home,” said Pigeon Forge Mayor David Wear. “This translates
to approximately $19 million in state and local taxes generated by the
folks who use and enjoy the LeConte Center, taxes which provide for our
city’s infrastructure to benefit both our residents and visitors.”
New businesses within the
facility’s immediate vicinity include Black Fox Lodge, Hilton Garden Inn,
Home 2 Suites and Tru, both Hilton properties, as well as The Island in
Pigeon Forge and the Mountain Mile, two retail, entertainment, and dining
complexes.
The LeConte Center is strategically
located adjacent to the city’s greenway, the Pigeon Forge Riverwalk, and
a city-owned parking facility with 1,600 spaces and motorcoach access.
It is in close proximity to restaurants, shops and lodging.
Since 2014, the LeConte Center’s
100,500-square-foot, clear-span (no columns) exhibit space has been home
to the National Quartet Convention (NQC), Southern gospel music’s largest
musical event. In 2016, NQC committed to a five-year contract extension
that keeps the event in Pigeon Forge through 2021.
The LeConte Center at
Pigeon Forge features:
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An exhibit hall of 100,500-square-feet;
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A multi-purpose hall of 12,000-square-feet
that can be divided into three separate spaces or linked to the exhibit
hall, expanding the exhibit hall to 112,500-square-feet;
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Eight multi-purpose rooms that
can be configured into 15 spaces ranging from 750 to 2,000-square-feet;
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Six loading bays.
Additional information about
the LeConte Center at Pigeon Forge is available
here. To learn more about Pigeon Forge, visit MyPigeonForge.com.
About Pigeon Forge
Pigeon
Forge is located in East Tennessee, approximately 35 miles from Knoxville
and McGhee-Tyson Airport. Two-thirds of the nation’s population east of
the Mississippi River lives within a day’s drive, making it an easily accessible
family vacation destination. The city’s neighbor is Great Smoky Mountains
National Park, the most-visited national park in the U.S. It also is home
to Dolly Parton’s Dollywood theme park, Tennessee’s most-visited ticketed
attraction. More information about all aspects of Pigeon Forge are available
at MyPigeonForge.com or toll-free
at 800-251-9100.
Media Contact:
Trish
McGee
for Pigeon Forge Department
of Tourism
615-327-1189 |