Portland has historically struggled to land major conventions with the main issue being the lack of a large convention center hotel. While supporters, detractors and government officials battle over new hotel space, Portland will host a major convention in a few weeks. July 5th through 9th marks the 2009 National Convention for the Benevolent & Protective Order of the Elks, also known as simply “The Elks.” Recent Elks conventions have been held in cities like Anaheim, Orlando, Reno and St Louis. Hosting an Elks convention is a big deal. The 141 year old fraternal organization boasts approximately 1 million members located in every state of the union. No numbers of registered convention goers are available but attendance for the 2009 convention in Portland is expected to be in the thousands.

The convention will appropriately call the Oregon Convention Center its home base while guests will be staying in a number of Portland area hotels. Convention organizers have encouraged the use of MAX Light Rail and have also arraigned for shuttle service to/from popular hotels. Some hotels that will enjoy an occupancy bump during the event week include: Residence Inn- Lloyd Center, The Benson, The Nines, and the waterfront Marriott.

Elks will have plenty of free time between official events and they plan to see our beautiful city. Organized events include trips to the Oregon wine country, the Gorge and the Oregon coast. Some will choose to stay in Portland for a micro-brewery tour or a Portland Beavers baseball game. Suggestion sites to see include OMSI, the Oregon Vietnam Veterans Memorial and various Portland Parks and Recreation sites.

So while the Elks may have appreciated a large convention center hotel that could accommodate their entire group, the lack of one was not an obstacle in selecting Portland as their 2009 host. Taxpayers may now be asking themselves how important a new convention center hotel really is.

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