City promoters plan to use EPB's announcement of the nation's fastest broadband service to woo a new segment of conventions.
The gigabit service - a speed more than 200 times faster than the average Web connection - could entice gaming and computer conventions to Chattanooga, bringing in a potentially hefty source of revenue, officials said.
"We're now trying to identify groups where that [speed] makes a difference," said Mike Shuford, executive director of the Carter Street Corp., which oversees the Chattanooga Convention Center, after the group's monthly meeting Wednesday. "For anybody who deals with that kind of speed, this is going to be a big sell."
Shuford said the convention center hasn't yet hosted a gaming convention, but he hopes the increased speed will make the Scenic City a magnet for such events.
"EPB has said they'll give some tours of infrastructure to these groups on a limited basis, so hopefully that will give us a hook to entice them to come here," he said.
Bob Doak, president and chief executive of the Chattanooga Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, said he's "more than excited" to tout the claim of being home of the nation's fastest broadband.
"The amount of horsepower is beyond anything that you can see in any convention center in the U.S.," he said. "And for us to have the ability to now parlay that - it just opens up the market for us."
Coming off a record year of booked hotel room nights - 142,000 total - Doak said continual aggressive marketing of the area during tough economic times will help pick up market share from competitors and enhance the city's appeal.
Contact Brittany Cofer at bcofer@timesfreepress.com or (423) 757-6476. Follow her on Twitter at twitter.com/brittanycofer