2014 Oregon Brewers Festival Generates $32.6 Million for Local Economy
Economic impact study shows significant trends in craft brewing and craft beer tourism
Press Release:
PORTLAND, Ore. – Sept. 23, 2014 – A recently completed study estimates the economic impact of the 2014
Oregon Brewers Festival (OBF) at $32.5 Million, a 3.8 percent increase from the 2013 festival.
Jeff
Dense, Professor of Political Science at Eastern Oregon University, and
a team of students and volunteers administered 759 on-site interviews
at this summer's 27th annual festival from
July 23 to 27.
The
analysis utilized IMPLAN (IMpact Analysis for PLANning) data and
software package to estimate the economic impact of the festival on
Multnomah County. The 2014 OBF generated an estimated $20.9 Million in
direct, $6.1 Million in indirect (additional input purchases made by
local businesses) and $5.5 Million in induced (expenditures by
employees from wages paid by companies in direct contact with tourists)
economic impact.
“The Oregon Brewers Festival, and craft beer
tourism, continues to have a significant economic impact on the Portland
economy,” Dense said.
One of the most important findings of the
study is the increasingly important role women are playing in the craft
beer industry; nearly half (44.8%) of this year's OBF attendees were
female. According to Dense, "Women are the future of the craft beer
industry."
Respondents were queried on demographic factors,
along with estimates of OBF related expenditures in tourism-related
categories, including transportation,
lodging, meals, gasoline purchases, non-beer related recreation, beer purchased to take home, and expenditures at the OBF.
Findings of the study include:
- A majority (56.8%) of OBF patrons were out-of-town visitors.
- Visitors from Washington, California and Canada comprised 30.6% of total OBF patrons.
- 41.1% of respondents were attending OBF for the first time.
- 25.4% of OBF patrons were 50 years or older.
- The average out-of-town visitor spent $674.
- Lodging ($9.1 Million) accounted for the largest share of OBF expenditures.
- State and local government received $1.87 Million in indirect business taxes.
- 42.3% of OBF patrons utilized mass transit to attend the festival.
This
was the fourth year of the study; 2011 estimated the estimated economic
impact of the festival at $23.2 Million, 2012 came in at $30 Million,
and 2013 showed $31.2 Million.
