Carson City Off-road’s economic impact valued at $823,000 Carson City Tourism Authority told

The Carson City Off-Road mountain bike race in June brought $701,000 into the city, according to the event organizer.

Todd Sadow, president, Epic Rides, told the Carson City Culture and Tourism Authority on Monday that figure includes $185,000 spent on lodging, $208,000 spent in restaurants and bars, and $130,000 spent on merchandise.

Sadow said another $95,989 was generated by returning visits related to the event, including riders coming early to ride the trail, and $25,590 in social media value, for a total economic impact of $823,000.

The off-road event is entering the fifth year of a 5-year contract with the CTA in which the CTA kicks in $60,000 plus some services such as printing, and the city contributes indirectly mostly in staff time.

Sadow said he was confident the race will reach its goal of 1,200 riders in 2020.

“I am very bullish about it,” he said.

Event participation grew 34 percent in 2017, its second year, then dropped 1 percent in 2018 when the organizers created a lapped course that did not offer the vistas of the original route because the higher trails weren’t ready after a heavy snow year.

“(This year) was another crazy snow year and we moved the event instead,” to a later date, said Sadow.

That caused some no-shows and refunds, but event participation grew 4 percent. The 2020 event, too, is scheduled for the last weekend in June.

Sadow said he was also confident that once the Ash to Kings Canyon trail was connected to the Lake Tahoe Rim trail, possibly by 2021, it would boost the event.

“That will be a game changer for your community,” said Sadow.

Trish Trenowith, CTA member and sales manager, Carson Nugget Casino Hotel, asked about Mills Park, where some event goers camp for free instead of staying in the city’s lodging properties.

“Will there be a fee going forward,” she asked.

David Peterson, executive director, CTA, said after the meeting that he would talk to Parks, Recreation and Open Space about it. He also said he is working on creating event packages with local lodging properties that would incentivize visitors to stay here rather than in Reno or at Lake Tahoe.

The CTA is launching a new logo and website on Dec. 30. Both were designed by KPS3, the CTA’s marketing consultant.

The new logo says “Visit Carson City NV” in large, block letters and includes an illustration of a pocket compass.

“At first blush, when I first got this, I wasn’t all that enamored with it,” said Supervisor Stacey Giomi, who sits on the CTA. “But as your presentation progressed, the simplicity of it and your roll out of it, I liked it by the end.”

KPS3 is also working on a companion web site for city lodging properties and other businesses to be able to update their information on the CTA web site, which should roll out in February.