This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Boise Convention and Visitors Bureau (BCVB). For 30 years, the BCVB has found new and different ways to draw crowds to The City of Trees. Fortunately for them, their product has always remained consistent, and consistently enticing to meeting and convention planners. From the late ’70s until today, the city of Boise has only expanded and improved, with tour- ism transforming into a multimillion-dollar industry. “The truth is, tourism is an incred- ible economic engine for Boise, but it doesn’t happen without a lot of hard work by a lot of people in the community,” said Bobbie Pat- terson, executive director of the BCVB since its inception in 1976. By 1982, the 12,000-seat Boise State Pavil-
ion arena was under construction, the Velma V. Morrison Center for the Performing Arts was in the works, and interest in building a convention center in downtown Boise was renewed. The bureau, operating at the time under the direction of the Boise Chamber of Commerce, became its own not-for-profit entity, with few employees and little resourc- es — they had to do all the photography for the brochures themselves, and printed their business cards on the recycled paper that was left over. That didn’t stop them. Soon Boise began hosting large events like the National Governors Conference and the U.S. Cycling Championships. More recently, the BCVB took a lead role
in bringing the Society of American Travel Writers, the Special Olympics World Winter Games, and the Iron Man 70.3 triathlon to the Treasure Valley — generating more than $100 million. Boise now offers the 50,000-square- foot Boise Centre, with a 25,000-square-foot ballroom and a 375-seat auditorium. The center has undertaken a number of green initiatives, ranging from recycling and low- energy lighting to compostable tableware and locally sourced foods and products, and is within walking distance of 800 hotel rooms and a variety of restaurants and must-see attractions. These include the Idaho State
Capitol and the Basque Museum & Cultural Center on the Basque Block. Just a few miles away from the Boise Centre are top-notch nature centers and the beautiful Idaho Botan- ical Garden, which hosts live music events among the foliage. Boise consists of an amalgam of eclectic
cultures, including one of the largest Basque communities outside of northern Spain, with more than 15,000 Basque residents. Boise’s world-famous event, Jaialdi, is held every five years, and is the city’s largest cultural event. It lures thousands of Basques from all around the globe, celebrating the distinct cul- ture through food, music, dance, and sport- ing competitions, including wood chopping
and strength events. Other events include the annual Sheepherder’s Ball, Wine Fest, and St. Ignatius Basque festival. Follow-up surveys from the BCVB show
that 80 to 85 percent of visitors think they could live in Boise, a sign their experience was positive on a very personal level. “Visi- tors come here and feel very welcome, very comfortable,” Patterson says. “It’s a combina- tion of the friendly nature of Boise residents and the services we provide to make sure they feel important.”
For more information: The Boise Convention and Visitors Bureau — (208) 344-7777; boise.org
Flashforward Present-day downtown Boise, a bustling cultural epicenter nestled in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, plans to draw larger events as they continue to grow. “The opportunities are endless,” said BCVB Executive Director Bobbie Patterson.