September Events Drive Visitation and Economic Impact across Allegheny County
Strong line up showcases Pittsburgh as premier destination for leisure, business and sports events
(PITTSBURGH, PA) – VisitPITTSBURGH’s community partnerships and efforts to support business, sports and leisure events are producing strong results with a trifecta of September events set to welcome more than 25,000 attendees and generate more than $26.4 million in direct visitor spending across Allegheny County.
This month alone, Pittsburgh hosted the North American Special Olympics Softball Championship and is gearing up for the Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival and the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) 2024 Annual Conference.
“We’re thrilled to host such a diverse array of events this September,” said Jerad Bachar, President & CEO of VisitPITTSBURGH. “The team at VisitPITTSBURGH works day-in and day-out to showcase Pittsburgh as a vibrant and welcoming destination for convention attendees, sports enthusiasts and leisure travelers, and this month, we’re seeing how these types of events work in unison to boost the region’s tourism economy.”
Just last week, Pittsburgh hosted back-to-back Special Olympics events, starting with the Special Olympics U.S. Business Meeting, which brought together chief executives from all 50 states. Immediately following, Pittsburgh hosted the Special Olympics North America Softball Championship at No Offseason Sports in Russellton, PA. This event spanned 26 teams from 13 states and Canada and marked the first time Pennsylvania has ever hosted a National Special Olympics Championship. Together, events drove an estimated 1,400 attendees across 1,225 room nights for an estimated direct visitor spending of $1.1 million.
On the leisure front, Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival is set to return to the streets near the August Wilson African American Cultural Center, Sept. 19-22, 2024. Marking the 15th anniversary of the Cultural Center, this year’s festival has been curated to celebrate resilience and highlight the creativity of artists emerging post-pandemic. VisitPITTSBURGH will be onsite Sunday, Sept. 22 from 1-6 p.m. to promote a unique partnership with Love, Pittsburgh to highlight Black and Latin-owned crafters and businesses in Pittsburgh.
The International City/County Management Association 2024 Annual Conference will round out the month Sept. 21-25 at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center (DLCC). This event is set to welcome 5,000 local government management professionals from around the world to observe Pittsburgh’s dynamic transformation from steel city to hub of innovation and sustainability. More than 15 hotels across Downtown and the Airport Corridor will be activated throughout the four-day event, which is expected to generate $6.3 million in direct visitor spending.
“While thousands of visitors are embarking on a trip to Pittsburgh this month, we continue to applaud the world-class hospitality of our tourism sector—from accommodations to restaurants, local shops and more,” said Bachar. “Our industry spans front-line workers who directly engage with these visitors and leave them wanting to return to Pittsburgh year-after-year.”
For more information on these events and to view a full fall events calendar, visit VisitPITTSBURGH.com.