Why should you care about the San Diego Convention Center?

Mayor Jerry Sanders explains the benefits the Convention Center brings to the San Diego community.

• The Convention Center reduces burden on local taxpayers.
  Out-of-town convention delegates fuel tax revenues that this past fiscal year totaled $21.2 million. Those revenues are used by the City of San Diego to pay for basic city services - including police protection, street, park and beach maintenance, as well as libraries and museums - thus reducing the tax burden on local tax payers.
  
   
• The Convention Center creates region-wide jobs and economic benefits.
  Convention Center events are responsible for supporting 12,500 jobs county-wide. Spending associated with Convention Center events interacts with all sectors of the local economy.
  
  The Convention Center's primary mission is to attract conventions and meetings that will generate economic benefits for San Diegans. When convention tourists come to San Diego they create economic activity. Activity that ripples throughout our region.
  
   
• The award-winning Convention Center is an important community gathering place.
  The Convention Center is more than just a venue for national conventions and trade shows, it is a magnet for the local community too. As the city's premier gathering place, it is where local meetings, banquets, educational, cultural, religious and social functions are held on behalf of all members of the community.
  
  We host popular consumer events like the San Diego International Auto Show that millions of San Diegans flock to every year. But, even if you have never stepped into the building, you still benefit every time you visit city parks, beaches, libraries or museums.
  
  

FY09 SUMMARY