Convention Center Bookings Down; Street Cameras Up

No bookings were made in the month of April for the Convention Center, its Director of Sales & Marketing Josh Nowak said Thursday.

The total number of opening-year events stands unchanged from March at 12. Seven consumer shows, two trade shows, and three other events have been booked reflecting roughly $24,000 in revenue.

The target number of bookings for 2009 is 58.

Nowak said that the first booking is for the second week of March 2009.

Joe Morales, an ex-Convention Center Authority member and now a member of Lancaster City Council, gave a brief presentation on security cameras on behalf of the "Lancaster Community Safety Coalition."

Morales said that the City of Lancaster now has more than 60 security cameras in operation in various parts of the city.

"Lancaster's number of cameras actually exceed the number of cameras in Philadelphia," Morales said.

Similar cameras will be installed in the blocks surrounding the Hotel & Convention Center in the coming months.

The Coalition, the City, and the Covention Center Authority hope and believe that cameras will help deter crime in the blocks surrounding the Convention Center.