Here’s To Big Buckets, Bigger Bucks

The 15,000-plus who are expected to converge on the downtown streets of Spokane to compete in Hoopfest this weekend will toss more than $500,000 into the area’s economy, according to figures compiled recently by the Greater Spokane Sports Association.

Add the $499,000 that event coordinators budgeted for expenses and donations for this year’s event and the country’s largest 3-on-3 basketball tournament tips the economic impact scales at more than $1 million.

And that number, according to GSSA executive director Eric Sawyer, only hints at the actual financial clout of Hoopfest, which opens its seventh annual two-day run Saturday morning with 3,903 teams and 15,351 players expected to compete.

According to Sawyer, the formula the GSSA used to determine Hoopfest’s economic impact was based strictly on the number of registered competitors and does not include money that will be spent by the tens of thousands who show up just to watch.

Nor does it factor in the money that participants spend in trying to get their games in shape.

“It would be interesting to come up with a formula to figure the impact the event has on people who are making purchases in preparation for the event,” Sawyer said. “That’s something we don’t measure, but how many of those people out there are being influenced to buy shoes, basketballs and uniforms for their teams, or whatever, in anticipation of participating?

“And who knows how much money that might be?”

Sawyer said the GSSA, an affiliate of the Spokane Convention and Visitors Bureau, is working on formulas that might provide an estimate of such a figure - along with a more accurate headcount of the total number of people who venture downtown during Hoopfest weekend.

But until such formulas are devised and such numbers calculated, the best estimate of the true economic impact of the entire Hoopfest event might come from the downtown businesses that cater to competitors, officials and spectators, alike.

“It’s huge,” said LaRena Porter, an assistant manager at the Subway sandwich franchise at W. 821 Riverside Ave. “The line (of customers) is basically out the door and wrapped around the corner most of the time we’re open. We have to order tons of extra food and other supplies. There are no breaks. It’s out the door the whole day.”

Porter said the store usually schedules at least two additional persons to work the counter for Hoopfest weekend. She said the store has received awards the last two years for taking in more money than any other Subway in the country on the first day of the event.

“Bloomsday doesn’t even compare,” Porter said.

Carl Siler, the general manager of Fort Spokane Brewery Inc., at W. 401 Spokane Falls Blvd., said Saturday of Hoopfest ‘95 was his busiest day last year.

“Bloomsday is also a busy day for us, but it’s much shorter,” Siler explained. “People get done running at around 10 (a.m.) and then come down and have some beers, some lunch and whatnot. But by 4 or 5 o’clock in the afternoon, everybody’s pretty much had it.”

The Hoopfest crowd, according to Siler, comes early and usually stays later.

But once it’s gone, business slows dramatically.

“We’ve had (attendance) trouble in years past with the bands that we’ve had on the particular weekend,” Siler admitted, “because it’s difficult for people to get back down here at night when they have to snake their way through the Hoopfest maze.”

To help combat the problem, Siler said he has hired Too Slim and the Taildraggers, one of the area’s most popular bands, to perform this weekend.

“They’ve always been a real good draw for us,” he said, “so I think we’ll probably do better (Saturday night) than we have in the past.”

And if he doesn’t?

“Well, we definitely sell a lot of beer (during the day), anyway,” Siler said.

Not all sit-down restaurants benefit from Hoopfest as much as the fast-food joints.

“It’s about a wash, financially, with us,” said Gary Sutter, general manager of the Olive Garden, at 624 Wall St. “Anyone who comes down for the event generally replaces our regular clientele.

“If you’re not into basketball, it’s a little difficult to get down here during Hoopfest.”

The biggest difference Sutter notices during Hoopfest weekend is the character of the crowd.

“By the end of the day, when the smoke clears, we end up with about the same guest count. But the clientele is obviously of a different makeup,” he said.

“The bathroom gets a lot more use. It becomes a changing room at times. Financially, there’s no way you could live off the revenues from Hoopfest. But it’s a great event and you get a lot of fresh faces downtown.”

Not to mention more than a million fresh dollars.

, DataTimes MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: WHAT’S UP AT CENTER COURT? Following is a list of significant Hoopfest events that will take place this weekend at Nike Center Court: Saturday 7:45 a.m. - Opening ceremonies and national anthem 8:00 - Special Olympics game 8:45 - Unified game 9:30 - Open Division competition 1 p.m. - Slam Dunk competition 2:00 - Open Division competition resumes Sunday 7:55 - National anthem 8:00 - Open Division competition resumes 11:30 - Domino’s Pizze free-throw contest finals 12:15 p.m. - Gatorade 3-point contest finals 1:00 - Southwest Airlines shot in the dark contest finals 1:30 - Open Division finals 7:30 p.m. - Open Division finals conclude