Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-01-21
RICHARD /. AUSTIN
D iladeIphia as Convention City


FJTIE advantages of Philadelphia as
convention city. both to the residents ot
the city and to those who attend the con-
ventions from all parts Of the country. are
becoming more apparent each year in the
larger number Of conventions which are held
here and the interest that is taken in them
according to Richard Austin, chairman of
the Board of Directors Of the Federal Re-
serve Board here. and treasurer of the
Chamber of Commerce.
''rhr records of tho Chamber Of Com
mcrcc" said Mr. Austin, 'shOw that
during the year just closed there were 40
conventions held in Philadelphia. and that
more than 2JO.O persons attended them.
These were practically all persons from out
Of town who would probably not have
visited the city had il not been for the
conventions which brought them as dele
gates or as spectators.
''Thc value to any city Of having a large
number Of conventions mrCt annually in 1t
is very great. Take. for one reason, the
money value alone. At q recent meeting by
convention secretaries from more than thirty
cities il was estimated TINT the average eX-
pCndturc day Of Il convention visitor
is $S.I5 This sum docs not include mer-
chandsc purchased in the stores nor
umuscmentS; II embraces only hotel eN.
r"necs. food aud miscellaneous daily exprn-
dlturcs.
Each Spends so Il Day
"If 10 this $S.I5 is added tho money
spent in the stores of IL" convention "rN
and other expenses which convention
visitors always inCur, such as sightseeing
| theatre attendance and entertainment. the
average expenditure would doubtless be
more than $40 II day a person. As each
| convention visitor remained on an average
| of three days in the city, this means that
| every ono Of them spent at least $50 here.
| Consequently. the quarter Of u million CON
| vcntion visitors 10 Philadelphia spent moro
| than 81 600, 900 among the business houses
of the city. last year. And this was all
new. cash business which otherwise would
not have come to the city.
THE other point of value to Philadelphia
| is the great and favorab" publicity which
! the city receives from successful conventions,
| the visitors carrying stories of It's facilities
and cOnvcnicncCs 10 every part Of the
| country.
! "On the other band. phiadplphin has
| many and obvious advantages as Il con.
| vcntOn city. One Of the greatest Of these
| is the wonderful historical background
| which it possesses. \ visit to Independence
| Hall and the other places Of interest asso.
| ciatcd with the early days Of the Republic
| is almost essential to every young Amcri-
| can or every American Of any age. 50 far
as that Is concerned.
'AddCd to this are the ma, natural sd
! vantagcS of thc city, aS we'll aS it, enormous
! manufacturing establishments in almost
! every line, which make it peculiarly suit.
| able a. place for the holding Of business
! conventions. Then, it is an easy city 70
| reach from any point in the United States
| ''PMlndophiR is now one of the great
| convention cities of the United States, and
! already there are fifty eight conventions
! scheduled for the present year, and ncgotia.
| tions for II greater number of others are
we'll under way.
Convention Attitude Changed
"Out Of every ono hundred conventions
! now held, fully seventy five are business
! meetings. The other twenty five nrc cithcr
| fratcrnal or associations banded together for
| some purpose other than business But IT
| is the business convention which IS valuable
! to n city.
! ''Thc attitude of the average convention
I visitor toward the convention which he is
! attending has changed very much IN the
| lat few years. Formerly ii was considered
more in the light Of u vacation of few
| days, with the business of the convention
| Itself as more or less incidental. But this
attitude no longer exists; the business men
| who attend conventions now do so purely
! ns a-tnatter Of business, for they have found
| that they learn much TINT Is exceedingly
valuable 10 them in their lines of work
| from these meetings.
, "Much that IL of value to the city has
accrued 10 Philadelphia from this chaneed