Local News
Bike rally meant big bucks
By KURT HAUGLIE, DMG Writer
POSTED: June 24, 2008
Article Photos
Mike Abbott, Tech director of sports and recreation, said fees from the group for rentals of facilities totaled about $14,000, but there are expenses, including labor and the rental of a power generator, that have to be deducted.
“We will clear over $10,000,” Abbott said.
It’s important for the university that sources of revenue be found during the summer months, Abbott said, and the rally helped this year. About four years ago, the Professional Walleye Tournament used the universities facilities, and that was a big revenue maker, also.
“We’re trying to bring in special events when we can,” he said. “Anything I can do to make more revenue ... that’s a good thing.”
Although much of the revenue from the event stays in his department, Abbott said some of it goes to the Tech general fund, also.
Abbott said local businesses benefited from the rally, also, since the approximately 1,200 attendees spent on average $1,000 over the event’s four days.
“It’s over a million dollars coming into the area,” he said.
Dallas Bond, executive director of the Keweenaw Peninsula Chamber of Commerce in Houghton, agreed that the BMW rally was an economic benefit for the area and estimates the riders spent about $1.2 million locally.
Besides spending money at hotels, motels and restaurants in Houghton and Hancock, Bond said many riders made day trips as far as Ontonagon and Copper Harbor and probably spent money in those communities.
However, Bond said because motorcycles get better mileage than four-wheeled vehicles, he doesn’t expect the impact for gasoline purchases locally was as significant compared to other businesses.
Paul Wood, co-owner of the Travelodge on Shelden Avenue in Houghton, said the BMW rally was an important boost for his business over the four days it was in town, but he didn’t want to say exactly how much he took in.
“Eighty percent of our rooms were with those people,” he said. “People like staying with us because they can walk to the restaurants (in Houghton).”
In the Upper Peninsula, the summer vacation season traditionally starts about a month after it starts in the Lower Peninsula, and Wood said the rally came just in time.
“We start getting going right now,” he said.
From talking to riders and other business owners, Wood said having the rally in Houghton was a big help economically.
“There’s no question that had a big impact for us in the area,” he said. “I think (the rally attendees) had a good time in the area. I think it was a success.”
The people attending the rally had to eat, also, and Mary Datto, manager of the Kaleva Cafe in Hancock, said many of them spent time there.
“Thursday we had a few,” she said. “Friday we had a few more and Saturday we were really busy.”
Although she doesn’t know exactly how many coming into the restaurant over the four days of the rally were riders, Datto said it was fairly easy to tell who they were from what they were wearing. She also talked to many of them.
About a month ago, Datto said some riders came to town to scout out locations, and they gave the Kaleva a vote of confidence.
“One of my waitresses said they voted the Kaleva their favorite restaurant,” she said.
Bond said the rally went so well for the riders, he expects they may return another year.
“Many of them talked about how nice it was and they’ll be back,” he said.
Kurt Hauglie can be reached at khauglie@mininggazette.com
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