Grey Cup 2020 a ‘kingpin’ event for economic association

When Regina played host to the 101st Grey Cup in 2013, the event generated about $90 million in economic activity for local businesses.

This year, the impact could be even bigger.

“We’re predicting — along with the (Saskatchewan Roughriders) — that the economic impact of this Grey Cup could likely be in that $95 (million) to $100 million-plus range, so that’s significant for our city,” Regina Economic Association president John Lee said on the Greg Morgan Morning Show on Wednesday.

He said those numbers take into consideration all the business generated from stores, hotels and restaurants over the week-long celebration.

“I sort of characterize the Grey Cup as the kingpin of events for our city,” Lee said.

By comparison, events like the NHL Heritage Classic brought in about $15 million worth of economic activity.

Lee encouraged football fans from out of town not to worry too much about the high prices and low availability of hotel rooms that pop up in a search for Grey Cup weekend.

One online search showed rates as high as $750 or $1,000 per night at a Regina hotel. Yet the hotel association and the economic association are assuring people hotels are not sold out just yet.

Lee explained many of the hotel rooms initially get locked up by key stakeholders and partners for any major event, but many of those rooms will be freed up once organizations know how many rooms they actually need.

Lee added some of the inventory of hotel rooms has not been listed online for November.

“We really don’t expect that to be a problem and I just encourage folks not to be discouraged. There will be rooms available and I think there will be lots of reasonable room rates in the coming months,” Lee said.

He said Grey Cup 2020 is also a great marketing opportunity for tourism in Regina, because it gives the city a chance to showcase what it has to offer to new visitors who might come back.