NATCHEZ &045;&045; Larger conventions coming to Natchez next year show the need for a convention center hotel, Tourism Director Walter Tipton said.

Tipton comments were made during Wednesday’s meeting of the Convention Promotion Commission:

Tipton briefed the commission on three larger conventions that are coming to the Convention Center next year.

Those include the Episcopal Diocese of Mississippi in January, with an estimated attendance of 1,000 people; Kappa Alpha Psi’s regional meeting in March, with 700 people; and the Mississippi Association of Realtors in September, with 750 people.

Such conventions illustrate the need for more hotel rooms, especially closer to the convention center, Tipton said, adding that &uot;we’ll be stretching our room capacities&uot; to accommodate attendees.

In 2002, city officials met with hotel developers, including Innisfree, about the possibility of locating a hotel across Canal Street from the convention center.

The city also discussed with Florida-based developer Charles Cato of Emerald Star Casino and Resort about the possibility of locating a hotel on the site and placing his casino and other developments at the nearby Roth Hill riverfront site.

Cato has subsequently decided to locate that development on another site just south of the Mississippi River bridge.

Those close to the deal say no other serious prospects are on the city’s plate for the proposed hotel site at this time and that city and economic officials are waiting to discuss with Mayor Phillip West a direction for marketing the site.

When asked about the status of marketing the site, Michael Ferdinand, executive director of the Economic Development Authority, said the EDA continues to offer information on the site to those who have inquiries.

The maximum capacity of the convention center for seated event such as dinner will be about 1,200 people. Currently, a little more than 900 hotel rooms are available in Natchez, not including bed-and-breakfast rooms.

Also during Wednesday’s meeting:

4A representative of the Gillon & Co. accounting firm presented the CVB’s audit for the year that ended Sept. 30 &045;&045; and said the audit was &uot;clean,&uot; meaning there were no substantial findings. In addition, the CVB broke even for that year financially.

&uot;It’s refreshing and delightful to have a clean audit,&uot; commission Chairman Gene Taylor said, giving the credit to Tipton and his staff.

4Taylor announced Tourism Director Walter Tipton was recently installed as president of the Mississippi Tourism Association.

Tipton officially took office Thursday. The association has 426 members throughout the state.