Convention Business in Tucson

In my opinion, Tucson, Arizona is no longer in the Convention Business. In the 70's and 80s there were enough hotels of a smaller size, plus air service into the town to attract medium size groups into the city.
      "High-End" resorts such as Westin, Hilton and the like were years away. Downtown hotels: Marriott, Ramada and an ancient hotel that housed movie crews were primary for whatever convention business Tucson enjoyed.
      In the intervening years, everything has changed. The older hotels and motels have dried up, been levelled, bought out, converted to other purposes, and lost business to the newer Foothills resorts high up in the nearby Catalina Mountains.
      The Metropolitan Tucson Convention & Visitors Bureau's influence over the new mega resorts waned over the years as single destination business meetings focused in on these resorts, and conventions dwindled away.
      Downtown hotels fell into new or old owners, disrepair, one was levelled, the Ramada switched owners a half dozen times and deteriorated. The Marriott switched tags so often it was common to see the sign comprised of a flag across the entrance, changed often.
      An indian tribe south of town opened a casino, made a ton of money, followed up with their own
"resort and convention hotel" and now compete more vigorously than the center city marketplace.
      Conclusions: in my opinion, downtown Tucson needs more convention hotels, and an updated Convention Center which has fallen into disrepair. Bring lawyers. Local infighting has persisted for decades, but once the decks are cleared, new, LARGER hotels are built, marketing power infused into the MTCVB, the downtown area will enjoy an infusion of new business, new conventions and revenue not realize by the Democratically controlled government short of Economic education.
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