The City of Las Cruces and the CVB are playing vital roles in the upcoming 2007 and 2008 Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournaments. The CVB was asked to sit on the Steering Committee and is also heading up the committee to coordinate the team and WAC Official housing for players and officials. The CVB has also pledged reserve lodgers tax funds to cover the cost of tournament housing as well as a community awareness public relations campaign. Conservative estimates suggest the tournament could generate upwards of $4 million for Las Cruces including nearly $200,000 in tax revenue.

The four hotels currently under construction in Las Cruces are still scheduled to open in 2007. The 89 room Hampton Inn and Suites located at the corner of Griggs and Triviz is on pace for an early 2007 opening pending corporate approval. Down the road, the Value Place is on track for early to mid 2007. The 67 room property will be primarily an extended stay hotel.

On the other side of town, construction continues on the new Holiday Inn Express on Valley. The 87 room facility is scheduled to open in early 2007. And finally, ground had been broken for the 85 room Drury Inn & Suites on Hickory Loop near the SpringHill Suites. Opening is slated for sometime mid 2007.

The Tourism Sales Department returned from a busy few months on the road of promoting Las Cruces to travel buys and consumers throughout North American. Tourism Sales Manager Larry Sutton participated in the 17th Annual La Cumbre Show of the Americas, September 5-8 in Las Vegas, NV. The show was a gathering of 1,400 industry professionals from all North and South America, interested in promoting travel to and within the Americas. The bureau was able to make numerous contacts with buyers willing to consider Las Cruces when planning future tours into the United States.

In an effort to attract Canadian visitors to our area, the CVB – along with the New Mexico Tourism Department - participated in the Addison Travel Show Fall Series in the Canadian cities of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Regina, and Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. The series brought together Canadian travel agents and tour operators, exposing them to sellers from all over North America. The CVB was able to distribute information to over 600 buyers in these markets.

And finally, the department attended the National Tour Association Annual Convention in Salt Lake City, UT. The show was a gathering of nearly 4,000 industry professionals involved in group and packaged travel. Buyers and sellers were matched with private appointments and given the opportunity to present their product one-on-one. The bureau had nearly 40 appointments directly with prospective buyers.

The Convention Sales Department attended the Meetings Quest Tradeshow November 13-14 in Dallas, TX. Convention Sales Manager John Bulla networked with corporate meeting planners, associations, and religious groups and as a result generated 29 solid contacts. This was the first time the bureau attended Meetings Quest tradeshow, which is a smaller regional tradeshow. The nature of the show allowed the CVB to meet with qualified clients that saw Las Cruces as a viable meetings destination.

• Date: December 2-3, 2006
• Organization: Alcoholics Anomymous Area 46
• Meeting: Area 46 Assembly Meeting
• Attendance: 150
• Room Nights: 30

• Date: December 16, 2006
• Organization: New Mexico State University
• Meeting: 2006 New Mexico State University Graduation
• Attendance: 4,000
• Room Nights: 2,000

• Date: February 15-18, 2007
• Organization: Red Hat Society
• Meeting: Dale Schinkendase
• Attendance: 100
• Room Nights: 0

Las Cruces will soon be a tour stop for professional golfers. Beginning in May 2007, the Tight Lies Tour – now officially part of the US Pro Golf Tour – will hold a tournament at Sonoma Ranch Golf Course.

“This is big step for Las Cruces,” said Ken Mompellier, CVB Executive Director. “Las Cruces has been very active in hosting youth golfers through the American Junior Golf Association, now we get to take it to the next level and show that Las Cruces can host a professional tournament as well.”

The tournament, which will be part of the Players Tour West, will be held May 21-27, 2007 and will be one of four stops the tour will make in New Mexico as part of the “New Mexico Challenge.” Other New Mexico cities include: Ruidoso, Santa Fe and Santa Teresa. The total purse for the 54-hole event will be $125,000.

The Sports Department recently attended three trade shows over the last couple of months. Sports Sales Manager Ed Carnathan took part in the annual Travel, Events, and Management in Sports (TEAMS) Conference October 10-14 in Las Vegas, NV. TEAMS is an opportunity for Sports Commissions and CVB’s to meet with event rights holders looking for destinations to host their events. The CVB had an informational booth focusing on Las Cruces and local sports facilities. There were also several educational seminars intended to help destinations and rights holders work better together. Ed also attended the Amateur Softball Association (ASA) and United States Specialty Sports Association (USSSA) annual meetings in Colorado Springs, CO and Scottsdale, AZ.

The third annual Holiday Hoop-La invitational high school basketball tournament will be held December 28-30 at the Pan American Center. The tournament will showcase sixteen of the best boys and girls high school basketball programs from the southwest. Eight teams will compete for the champion’s trophy in each division. This marks the third year this tournament will be played at New Mexico State University’s Pan American Center. The tournament is being produced jointly by the Las Cruces Public Schools and New Mexico State University with Memorial Medical Center as the title sponsor.

The Field of Dreams Softball Complex had been named the 2006 ASA Complex of the Year by the Amateur Softball Association. The award is presented by Stabilizer Solutions Ballyard Products. The complex is the winner of this inaugural award which was presented at the ASA Council Meeting held in Colorado Springs last month. As a result, the Field of Dreams Softball complex will receive approximately $2,000 in field maintenance products from Stabilizer Solutions.

“We are very excited to have the Field of Dreams Softball Complex named as the 2006 ASA Complex of the Year,” said New Mexico ASA Commissioner Alice Cox. “The school administration that oversees the complex has been very supportive in allowing New Mexico ASA to hold its State Championships, National Qualifiers, National Championships and large ASA sanctioned events at the facility. We are currently working with the High School Athletic Department to establish a top notch softball clinic at these facilities on a yearly basis.”

Want to find out what sporting events are coming up in Las Cruces? Click below for the Sporting Events Calendar.