LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Lafayette has been serving as host to the 2008 Indiana State USBC Open Championship Bowling Tournament every weekend since mid-February and will continue through the conclusion of the tournament on May 19, 2008. The event has brought nearly 5,000 bowlers and their families to the Greater Lafayette area over a 13-weekend period.

The Lafayette area hosted the tournament in 2003 and the numbers increased for the 2008 event, as well as the anticipated visitor spending to the community, which is estimated to be $500,000. According to the Indiana Bowling Association tournament history, no other city has hosted the event twice within a span of 5 years.

“These kinds of sports tournaments are a great fit for the area,” said Jo Wade, President of the Lafayette-West Lafayette Convention & Visitors Bureau, “local residents and businesses benefit financially from having these events in our community as they provide an increase in business and positive exposure.”

The large number of visitors to the area during the tournament weekends generated visitor spending to many local hotels, restaurants, shops and attractions. “As a hotel, we benefited greatly, the bowlers occupied nearly 400 room nights at our property,” said Brooke Perez of the Best Western Lafayette.

Brad Cohen, owner of Arni’s Restaurant said they certainly noticed additional business in their Market Square Arni’s because of the Men’s Bowling tournament. “This is great additional out-of-town spending that we love having here during those slower winter months and on into the spring. All of us in Lafayette could use more of these events with their spending in our community.”

The Lafayette Bowling Association (LBA) along with the Lafayette-West Lafayette Convention & Visitors Bureau (L-WLCVB) and Lafayette Mayor Tony Roswarski, partnered to bring the tournament to the area. The L-WLCVB worked closely with the LBA in the bid process, which included everything from putting together a presentation to the Indiana State USBC BA tournament site selection committee, to securing hotel rooms & discounted rates for the teams, arranged site visits, to putting together gift bags from local area merchants and various giveaways. Lafayette competed against Evansville and Terre Haute to host the tournament.

“From the beginning of our bidding process in 2005, to the culmination of the event in 2008, the L-WLCVB assisted in many ways to help in the planning process. We will definitely try to bid for other events like this and the CVB staff made it easier to organize,” stated Tony Peterson, President of the Lafayette USBC.

Mike Aulby’s Arrowhead Bowl hosted the Singles and Doubles events and Market Square Lanes hosted the Team events.