Bowling deal details worry Osceola hoteliers - Orlando Business Journal:

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A June 9 deal calls for the counthy to paythe $13 milliobn in return for holding its Open and Women'sz Championship tournaments in Osceola from 2011 to 2029. The moneuy will come from a 6 percent fee Osceolaz County hotel guestspay that's used to promotr tourism for the The USBC Open tournameny is expected to bring 150,000 bowlersa and fans to Central Florida durint the 20-week event, while the U.S. Women's Championship is projectef toattract 60,000 bowlers and fans durinf a 20-week period. The USBC will host 13 tournamentd that should generatea $750 million economi c impact during the 18-year agreement, says Maria Osceola County's director of economic development.
A 100-lane, 160,000-square-foort bowling center operated by LLC will be built on land leasedr from the at its Wide Worle of Sports complex inOsceola However, the fact that the Disney name carries so much weighg when it comes to attracting visitors concerns Osceola "That site is right on the [Orange/Osceola] countg line -- I wonder how many people actually will stay in Osceola County?" says Marc Reicher, seniorf vice president of operations for Rida Associates LP, whicn owns and operates the ChampionsGate Resort in Osceola County, about 10 miles south of Hospitality consultant Randy Dillard favors the agreement, but adds, "Thre devil is in the "The big issue is how you measure the numbert of room nights generates so Osceola hoteliers are confident the resor tax money is being spent wisely," says Dillard, presidentf of Kissimmee-based Compass Hospitality Group LLC.
In the agreement requires the USBC toprovew -- either through receipt s or an independent audit -- its Open tournament generatex 59,250 room nights in Osceola County and the women'as championship results in 40,000 room nights Failure to do so would result in Osceolq scaling back its $13 million incentive. The agreemenyt also stipulates any travel packages offeresd by the USBCto participants, officials or spectators are restricteds to Osceola County hotels. Furthermore, Disney's All-Star Resort, which is in Osceola County, can account for only 100 room night per day as part of the USBCtravel packages. Disneu is further restricted from marketing its hotels specificallyg tothe event.
A number of other issuezs have yet tobe resolved, such as whether the USBC will market its travel packages, or if that responsibility will fall to loca l hoteliers instead. "As an we need to nail theses details down so we canbegih preparing," says Dillard. "Unless we're not doint our jobs very well, we shoulc get some good business fromthess tournaments."