This week, for the 2nd time in 3 years, the Wenatchee Valley will be host to the United States Figure Skating Northwest Pacific Regionals. This prestigious event is hosted by the Wenatchee Figure Skating Club, and will take place at Town Toyota Center Thursday thru Saturday. A total of 279 skaters representing 6 western states are entered to compete. Qualifiers will advance to the Pacific Coast Sectional Championships to be held in November in Salt Lake City. This competition is significant on several fronts. The events quick return here (last held in Wenatchee in 2014) is a testament to the impression that was made the 1st time around. The organizational efforts then of the Wenatchee Figure Skating Club combined with the impressive setting of the Town Toyota Center helped make this bid gain instant credibility. In this business a lot of factors weigh in on which bid is selected by the event rights holder, in this case US Figure Skating. A proven track record stands tall in the weeding out process. We all know about how important 1st impressions can be, and it’s no different in the business of bidding for site selections.To really gain a perspective of how cool it is for this event to be here, consider that there are only nine US Figure Skating Regionals held annually. Some of the other sites this year include Scottsdale AZ, Ogden UT, Lansing MI, and Plano TX, where the host club will be the Dallas Figure Skating Club. Pretty impressive company! Hosting events such as this can pay dividends in the years to come. Just like when you are looking for a job, your resume’ is your billboard. It’s the same for the sports event recruitment business. When competing for other events to come here, having the US Figure Skating Regionals in the bag raises more than a few eyebrows in a very positive way. Makes you kind of proud too, doesn’t it?On the business side, it is estimated the event will produce in the neighborhood of $200,000 in economic impact, resulting in about 1,000 room nights. Also, this is not just a weekend event. With several participants and their accompaniment arriving mid-week, many hotels, restaurants and other business sectors will benefit during what typically can be ‘slower’ days of the week. Hats off to the Wenatchee Figure Skating Club, Town Toyota Center, and the many volunteers and sponsors for making this possible.