MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The National Baptist Convention will have a huge economic impact in Memphis.
It is estimated 50,000 people will attend the weeklong convention that started Monday at the Cook Convention Center.
The convention is expected to bring in about $50 million into the local economy. People who live in Memphis like the economic impact.
The convention attracted people from across the country, such as Ethel Minniefield who is in town from Texas. She and her friends said Memphis is an attractive location to have an event of that size.
“We just happy to be here because we’re looking forward to it,” Minniefield said.
Organizers said businesses will boom this week. Hotels are booked.
“We’re looking to increase the revenue as far as food services, the many hotels and restaurants that are present, it will be impacted with our delegates coming from across the United States,” National Baptist Convention representative Marvin Mercer said.
Councilwoman Wanda Halbert said she is hopeful this is the beginning of even more big conventions coming to Memphis.
“We’ve seen a lot of the cities take some of the former conferences and events that were longstanding in the city of Memphis, and so for them to recognize the value of our city and be willing to invest their tourism dollars and their convention dollars into our city, it’s big for our city,” she said.
Other people who live in the city are hopeful, too.
“Every city looks forward to money coming in to help their economy, and what better thing than to celebrate good money coming in with the Baptist Convention right here in Memphis,” Vera Harmon said.
The convention ends Friday. It will celebrate its opening Monday night with recording artist Tamela Mann who will be at the convention center at 7:00.
