[QUOTE]Originally posted by NashBama:
As I said before, having a place where companies can have their conventions is attractive to new business. If properly promoted, that place can be the deciding factor when it comes to locating a new facility. A new manufacturing facility or company headquarters means what? [...] That's right, nice places for companies to meet and stay means companies are more likely to locate a facility nearby and that means more jobs.
QUOTE]
Nash,
I find myself both agreeing and disagreeing with you here. I agree with the link between industry and the hotel. Yes.
Here's where I differ, or at least have a different perspective. You assert that the hotel and conference center would, if promoted well and so forth, attract companies. That's where I differ.
I travel a good bit on my job, and I have to go to (far too) many conferences and conventions for that reason. What I notice is that there are huge companies and centrally-located industries (like music in Nashville, as an example), and hotels and conference centers spring up around those. That is to say, there's a need, and those hotels come in to fill it.
To work in the reverse direction, to reason that a nice hotel and convention center will attract company headquarters or manufacturing facilities doesn't seem to make much sense. It's putting the cart before the horse, so to speak.
Granted, the Shoals is notorious for backwards thinking, but still...