Central Illinois’ Tourism Economy Revs Up With Annual Automotive Event in Springfield

CHICAGO – Continuing to deliver on his Opportunity Returns pledge to increase tourism in the Central region, Gov. Rod Blagojevich today announced that four national car events will take place at the Illinois State Fairgrounds thanks in part to a $100,000 state investment.  Bringing thousands of cars and visitors to Springfield, and throughout the Central region, the Hot Rod Power Tour is scheduled for Sunday, June 5th and the Hot Rod Super Nationals’ three-day event begins Friday, August 26 and runs through Sunday, August 28.  An additional two events will take place within the next two years.

“Central Illinois continues to grow in its stature as a tourism destination, and I’m pleased that even more guests will have another great reason to visit the region when these exciting new car events come to Springfield,” Gov. Blagojevich said.  “Tourism is such a significant part of the local economy and, through this Opportunity Returns grant, thousands more visitors will come from far and wide, bringing new revenue that will support local businesses and spur the regional economy.”

The $100,000 in state support is offered through Gov. Blagojevich’s Opportunity Returns strategy to spur the economy and create jobs.  The four events are coming to the Central region thanks to partnerships between the State of Illinois, City of Springfield, The Promotion Company and Hot Rod Magazine, with millions of dollars injected into the local economy.

Not only will thousands of guests visit Springfield, this event attracts Hot Rod, Car Craft, Rod & Custom, Street Rodder and Chevy High Performance magazines, which will increase the city’s national exposure to an estimated 69 million readers.  This is the 11th year for the Hot Rod Power Tour, and the goal is that Springfield will become the permanent site.  The seven-day tour begins in Milwaukee, hits Springfield on the second stop and crosses the finish line in Kissimmee-St. Cloud, Florida.  Last year more than 3,700 hot rod enthusiasts from every state, plus entries from Canada and Europe, participated in what many consider the finest high-end automotive tour in the world.

“Gov. Blagojevich and I understand the important impact that tourism has on our region, and this investment will pay tremendous economic dividends for years to come,” said State Senator Larry Bomke (R-Springfield).

“It’s exciting to watch the Central Illinois tourism industry grow - both in the experiences we’re providing and the number of guests who will be attending.  These events will inject millions of dollars into the region’s economy, thanks to Gov. Blagojevich’s strategic investments to grow tourism in Central Illinois,” Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportuntiy (DCEO) Director Jack Lavin said.  “It takes an intense amount of cooperation to land a major event like this, and Gov. Blagojevich is happy to lend Opportunity Returns funding to support Springfield’s efforts to grow the local economy.”

“The Illinois State Fairgrounds are an incredible asset that we are putting to even better use by bringing these new automotive events to Springfield,” said Illinois Department of Agriculture Director Chuck Hartke.  “Gov. Blagojevich has asked that we more aggressively promote the fairgrounds as a year around destination beyond the annual fair.  This is just another way we’re optimizing the state’s resources during these tight fiscal times.”

Gov. Blagojevich’s Opportunity Returns regional economic development strategy is the most aggressive, comprehensive approach to creating jobs in Illinois’ history.  Since a one-size-fits-all approach to economic development just doesn’t work, the Governor has divided the state into 10 regions – each with a regional team that is empowered and expected to rapidly respond to opportunities and challenges.  Opportunity Returns is about tangible, specific actions to make each region more accessible, more marketable, more entrepreneurial and more attractive to businesses.  It is about upgrading the skills of the local workforce, increasing the access to capital, opening new markets, improving infrastructure, and creating and retaining jobs.  Opportunity Returns is about successfully partnering with companies and communities, both large and small, to help all of Illinois reach its economic potential.