This Just In: Austin Press Releases

In its debut as part of the Ironman 70.3 World Championship Triathlon Series, the Longhorn Ironman 70.3 Austin, swims, cycles and runs through Texas’ capital city on Sunday at Walter E. Long Metropolitan Park. Some 2,300 competitors, including legendary pro triathletes Simon Lessing and Michellie Jones, have registered, and another 2,000 fans and supporters are likely to line the course. Altogether, the race is slated generate an economic impact of $1.5 million for the city. It serves as the first in a series of fall sports events that will generate more than $8 million for Austin through early December.  (more)

With the Austin City Limits Music Festival already on the calendar and the UT/Arkansas game rescheduled for September 27, Austin is bracing for a busy weekend, September 26-28. As many as 90,000 visitors could descend on the city to contribute to an economic impact of nearly $60 million for the weekend.  (more)

- In conjunction with the opening of the UT Longhorns football season, the Austin Convention & Visitors Bureau (Austin CVB) and Austin Sports Commission today unveiled new research on the economic benefits of University of Texas Athletics.  (more)

They call Austin “the little blue dot in the big red state.” This weekend, Texas’ Capital City will be bluer than ever as the Texas Democratic Party returns to the Austin Convention Center for the Democratic State Convention. The convention, June 7-8, is poised to welcome a record 15,000 attendees – 50 percent more than previous years, which involved around 10,000 participants – and generate an estimated $15.3 million in economic impact for the city.  (more)

More than 300,000 visitors head to Austin in March to participate in conventions, compete in athletic events, discover the next big thing in music, meander among the wildflowers and more. Their presence represents an estimated economic impact of more than $150 million.  (more)

The Live Music Capital of the World® prepares for the sixth annual Austin City Limits Music Festival, September 14-16. Sold-out crowds are expected to descend upon Zilker Park and generate more than $27 million economic impact for the city. Event organizer C3 Presents reports that music fans from outside of Austin purchased more than 50 percent of the three-day passes and as much as 65 percent of one-day tickets to this year’s event. The festival, recognized among the top outdoor music concerts in the country, brings nearly 60,000 visitors to the city, contributing to a lucrative weekend for Austin-area hotels and businesses.   (more)

NAMM, the trade association of the international music products industry, returns to the Austin Convention Center for Summer NAMM, July 27-29. The annual conference and trade show brings some 12,000 attendees to Austin and could generate an estimated $14 million in economic impact.  (more)

Some 40,000 bikers are revving their engines for the 12th annual Republic of Texas (ROT) Biker Rally, which roars back to Austin May 31-June 3. Four days of rides, parades, exhibits and big-name concerts take place at the Travis County Exposition Center and throughout downtown. Over the past 12 years, the ROT Rally has grown into the most popular motorcycle event in Texas and one of the largest in the country. Attendees are expected to leave behind approximately $34.5 million economic impact on the community.  (more)

The results of a comprehensive analysis by Global Insight indicates that the number of travelers for both leisure and business purposes to Austin jumped to 19 million in 2006 and generated an economic impact of $2.84 billion. This marks a 12 percent overall increase, or a 3.8 percent compound annual growth rate, since 2003 when the last tourism study was conducted and the total number of visitors reached 16.9 million. It also shows that tourism-related jobs jumped from 65,500 in 2003 to more than 76,400 in 2006, a 5.3 percent annual growth rate. During the same time period, total employment growth in the Austin metropolitan statistical area (MSA) only averaged 3 percent.  (more)

With a busy spring still underway, Austin leads all major Texas cities in year-to-date hotel occupancy numbers at 72.3 percent. In addition to an increase in overnight stays, the average room rate has risen by nearly 14 percent. According to Austin Convention & Visitors Bureau President & CEO Bob Lander, the numbers reflect Austin’s increasingly favorable reputation among convention, business and leisure travel markets.  (more)