Building Utah

This is Derek Miller, Speaking on Business. Conventions, meetings, and leisure travelers have a remarkable impact on our economy. After shuttering the Salt Palace in 2020, it has now reopened to meetings and events, and is helping Salt Lake’s tourism industry bounce back. Visit Salt Lake President & CEO Kaitlin Eskelson shares more. KAITLIN ESKELSON: 2023 has been remarkable so far! We just had our biggest booking year ever, with 198 meetings, conventions, and sports events booked in 2022, representing nearly 900,000 room nights. We welcomed Outdoor Retailer back with a 5 year & 3 shows per year contract. Our first in-person Sundance Film Festival was a success with downtown Salt Lake activations like our Festival Music Lounges. And we just witnessed a record-setting NBA All-Star Weekend that created an estimated economic impact of $288 million and 33,000 booked room nights bringing more than 100,000 visitors. Tourism is a key economic driver for our state and county. In fact, It’s the 8th larges