Spokane Will Be Swarming With Visitors This Week

The Spokane Regional Conventions & Visitors Bureau has made great strides in recent years in improving the number, quality and diversity of conventions and events in Spokane.

This week is a good example of their efforts.

The American Hot Rod Association is expected to draw 40,000 fans to the AHRA World Finals, a regular summer event in Spokane. The conventions bureau estimates that about a third of those fans will be from out of town.

The hot rod races alone would ensure a good week for many tourism-oriented businesses. But three first-time conventions will join them in town - making the week a potential blockbuster.

The Seventh Day Adventists, who have held local and regional meetings here before, this year will bring their national Adventists Laymen’s Services and Industries annual meeting to Spokane. The group is made up of business people who also are active Adventist lay workers. They will meet Wednesday through Sunday at the Sheraton-Spokane.

Also in town for the first time this week will be 1,200 members of the American Association of Physics Teachers. The national group will hold its annual summer meeting at Gonzaga University through Saturday.

The teachers, Adventists and hot rod enthusiasts will be joined Saturday by an assortment of government number crunchers from the United States and Canada. They will be at Cavanaugh’s Inn at the Park for the annual summer North American convention of the Municipal Treasurers Association.

The three conventions are expected to attract more than 2,500 visitors between them.

In other events this week:

Today

Federal Reserve releases June consumer credit report.

Tuesday

Labor Department reports second-quarter productivity.

Momentum ‘95 board of directors meets at 7 a.m. in the downtown Spokane Area Chamber of Commerce building.

Wednesday

U.S. Representative Steve Largent, R-Okla., better known in these parts as the record-setting former Seattle Seahawk receiver, will speak at 8 a.m. in the Spokane Convention Center during a $25 per person fundraiser for U.S. Rep. George Nethercutt of Spokane. Call Faris Charbonneau at 747-7737.

Thursday

A free seminar about the FHA 203(k) and conventional remodeling/rehabilitation home loans will be offered by Continental Mortgage Co. from 6 to 7 p.m. in the Monroe Court Building, 901 N. Monroe, second floor conference room. The speaker will be Donna Lajoie, a Continental loan officer. For reservations, call Cheryl Lipp at 325-9955.

Labor Department releases July producer price index.

Friday

U.S. Representative George Nethercutt, R-Wash., speaks at 7:30 a.m. to the Spokane Area Chamber of Commerce at the WestCoast Ridpath Hotel. Advance tickets are $7; $10 at the door. Call 459-4111. , DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Graphic: Measuring the Economy - Aluminum prices

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: ON THE SHELF Business Week, Aug. 7: State and local governments provide employees with more generous pensions than any sector of private industry, some 50 percent more than the national average. Inc., August: The magazine lists 11 successful businesses that were started with $1,000 or less.

Summer sales July vehcile sales by leading manufacturers, with percentage change from July 1994. General Motors: 383,235, up 1.1 percent. Ford: 323,833, up 4.9 percent. Chrysler: 178,216, up 6.2 percent. Toyota: 77,171, down 15.3 percent. Nissan: 79,848, up 13.3 percent. Honda: 72,607, up 7.2 percent. Mazda: 24,635, down 15.2 percent.