Groups planning large winter-time events with attendees from outside of Sitka may soon be eligible for waived fees when booking the city’s convention center. When the Sitka Assembly met on Tuesday (7-29-26), it unanimously approved a three-year trial period for the fee waiver program.
Harrigan Centennial Hall is the city’s main events space, with several rooms and an auditorium available for rent. Ordinance co-sponsor Thor Christianson said Tuesday that while the facility sees high use during peak visitor season, there’s an opportunity to attract additional business in the off-season.
“If we’re pitching ourselves as a place to come have your educational or trade, whatever meetings you want, it’s a nice little shot in the arm for the economy and it’s off season when we aren’t busy,” he said.
If the new program gets final approval, between October and April, any group or organization scheduling an event at the convention center that brings more than 100 attendees from outside of Sitka would be eligible to have their facility fees covered by the city’s Visitor Activities Enhancement Fund.
“And if it doesn’t work, no harm, no foul, because the money will just go back into the Visitor Enhancement Fund,” Christianson said.
Christianson said it would mean more tax revenue for Sitka and be a welcome economic boost for local hotels and restaurants in the off-season. He said it’s a good way to entice people to come to Sitka.
“I will say right now this is meant to try and poach some conventions and things from other towns,” he added. “That’s the whole point behind this.”
Mayor Steven Eisenbeisz said while he’s in favor of trying the program out, he’s concerned about the parameters.
“I’m definitely going to be watching and [I’m] curious if this disincentivizes smaller conventions from coming,” he said. “A 75-person convention goes well, ‘I don’t get it for free, and they do, and I bring almost the same amount of people.’ Is that a legitimate concern? I don’t know.”
The assembly ultimately approved an appropriation of $50,000 from the Visitor Activities Enhancement Fund for the facility fee waivers on first reading. The issue will come back to the assembly table for final approval in August.
