Springfield to host more than a dozen national conventions

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) - More than a dozen national conventions are scheduled this year in Illinois' capital city, including ones for collectors of the DeLorean car and fans of matchbook covers.

All but three of the conventions are new to the city, the (Springfield) State Journal-Register (http://bit.ly/1VQdvxL ) reported.

"We have quite a good list going this year, including several new national conventions," said Gina Gemberling, executive director of the Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau.

With its Route 66 connections, Springfield continues to attract car shows, including ones this year for Corvair and Impala collectors. The city will also host conventions for genealogical societies and the International Flying Farmers.

The Illinois Pork Expo will be at Prairie Capital Convention Center in February, returning to Springfield after being in Peoria for decades. Convention center general manager Brian Oaks said he believes a major renovation was a factor in the expo's return.

"We've stayed in touch with them over the course of several years," Oaks said. "Once we completed the renovation, we invited them over for a tour of the facility."

The President Abraham Lincoln Hotel also finished a renovation the last two years, and renovation is expected to start soon as part of Hilton Springfield's change to Wyndham City Centre. Gemberling said updates for the properties would help market the city to conventions.

Money for tourism bureaus across Illinois that had been held up in the state budget impasse was included in an appropriations bill signed by Gov. Bruce Rauner in December. Gemberling said the Springfield bureau got about $800,000 last fiscal year, but hasn't learned how much is included for the current one.

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Information from: The State Journal-Register, http://www.sj-r.com