The bridge was built "to make Reno a more competitive site to hold conventions by giving convention attendees even more convenient access to on-site lodging," Reno-Sparks Convention and Visitors Authority President and CEO Ellen Oppenheim said. The airport display was created to show people who come through the airport that, as UNR President Milton Glick explained, "Reno is proud to have such a wonderful university."
The new bridge represents an effort by the RSCVA marketing department to change the way Reno is perceived. RSCVA marketing director Michael Thomas explained that Reno is no longer just a place to gamble.
"In 1996, a gaming pact was passed in California that allowed for casinos to be built on Native American land," Thomas said. "Once the pact was passed, these casinos became a competitive threat to the properties in northern Nevada. As a result, there was a lot of discussion in the tourism community to find a different focus to bring new visitors to Reno."
Thomas explained that 48 out of the 50 states permit gambling in some form, and because gambling is no longer unique to Nevada, it was necessary to find a new way to attract visitors to the cities.
"We needed to find a way to quickly diversify," Thomas said.
The Reno-Sparks Convention Center has provided for another way to bring in new visitors to the area. The creation of the bridge between the Atlantis and the convention center will "hopefully help Reno to raise the number of visitors to the city by making it a desirable place to hold a convention," Reno Mayor Bob Cashell said. "Visitors who come to Reno to attend conventions make up 17 percent of the total number of tourists and we hope to increase this number."
The Reno-Sparks Convention Center now ranks in the top eight convention facilities connected to a lodging site based on square footage. According to RSCVA's annual visitor profile study, an estimated 5.1 million people visited Washoe County in 2007, and the RSCVA hopes that this number will increase with the new improvement to the convention center.
With the current state of the economy, the RSCVA hopes to bring even more visitors to the Reno-Sparks area to help support local businesses.
"There haven't been any major convention cancellations," Thomas said. "There is less activity taking place over all. For example, companies are scaling back the number of attendees that it takes to the convention, but the conventions are still being held." Although there have been no major convention cancellations, the average amount of money spent by visitors has decreased, which has affected local businesses.
The sting of the weak economy has been felt more acutely by the Reno/Tahoe airport, which delayed creating the university display due to a lack of funding.
"We wanted to do this project for a long time, and the only thing that was holding us back was money," President and CEO of the Reno/Tahoe airport Krys Bart said. "We eventually asked someone who contributes to the university if they'd be willing to sponsor the project, and he agreed, asking only how much to make the check out for."
Despite facing economic hardship, Bart felt it necessary to show the airport's support for the university by creating the display.
"Today's unveiling is a celebration of the airport's partnership with the university," Bart said.
The display features a series of photographs depicting university sports and academics. There is also a flat screen television that adds music, video clips, interviews and more pictures to the display.
"We anticipate 4.3 million people will go through this airport next year and we want all of them to see the accomplishments of our great university," Bart said.
Glick said he hopes that the new display will show visitors that Reno is "Wolf Pack country" and will "show people who visit that our university is a gem we are proud of."
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