I recently had the opportunity to enjoy one of Lake Norman’s beautiful sunrises. The timing was perfect, the beginning of a crisp clear fall day, and a great day for fishing largemouth bass. And I was in good company or should I say anglers…about 300 anglers competing in The Bass Federation (TBF) State Championship Fishing Tournament that morning. I thought to myself, that this is our time, our moment to shine…and it was!
A few weeks ago, my husband Chris and I watched the Bank of America 500 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. That is, we watched it when he was not flipping channel to channel, taking in all of the other college football games taking place. Perhaps the thing that impressed me most is the precision pit stops those teams make as they take on tires and fuel, perhaps even an adjustment all in less than 15 seconds. The teams practice every single day, time after time, getting the stops down. While a great deal does rest on both the skill of the driver and the performance of the car, the efficiency those pit crews bring to the team get’s that car back on the track, perhaps in front of their competitor.
Visit Lake Norman is a lot like that NASCAR team. It feels great when months and months of work and planning from Visit Lake Norman’s staff see an event come to fruition. Over 10 days, Visit Lake Norman hosted two major fishing tournaments with 475 anglers, tournament vendors and sponsors, event organizers, media crews, and spectators. Just these two events poured a projected $172,500 into our economy. And we are just starting those engines! Visit Lake Norman is more than fishing tournaments; we bring in other sports events like soccer, wrestling, baseball, gymnastics, and more. We also promote the hotels, restaurants, attractions, festivals, and events in the Towns of Cornelius, Davidson, and Huntersville throughout the local community, statewide, regionally, and nationally. Another timely opportunity happened in the Visitor Center this past month when Visit Lake Norman had the opportunity to host the MI Connection Cable Show – LKN Savings’ Community Connections, hosted by Jennifer Cochrane and Lori Frascati. The program features interviews with local political and community leaders; and highlights area attractions, venues, arts, cultural, and events around Lake Norman.
Recently the Carolina Renaissance Festival was accepted into the American Bus Association’s Top 100 Events in North America tour operator and travel professional publication. The festival is one of the many Lake Norman events we work to promote. Why is this so important to our area? A tour bus can bring in visitors that stay at our hotels, eat at the local restaurants, and shop in our local businesses. A tour bus stop can deliver between $2,500 to $16,000 direct economic impacts with just one stop. View Visit Lake Norman’s Calendar of Events at VisitLakeNorman.org for a comprehensive list of events and happenings or join us down here in the Winner’s Circle with our award winning Visit Lake Norman staff. We might not be practicing pit stops, but we will be racing to that next event, showcasing our region as a great place to live and visit!
