Success could be found on four feet

Published 12:31 pm Thursday, December 11, 2008

By Kevin Hanson

The Courier-Herald

If success is to come Enumclaw's way, it'll mosey on up to the Plateau on four legs.

Acknowledging the Plateau's affinity for all things equine, a tourism expert told a small gathering of citizens and city officials last week that Enumclaw has the potential to establish itself as a Mecca for the horse crowd - to become the No. 1 destination in the entire Pacific Northwest.

Enumclaw has long coveted tourists and the dollars they bring, but has lacked a plan for attracting visitors and their pocketbooks. That changed when the City Council appropriated $40,000 for a serious study of Enumclaw's place in the tourism industry. Hired to do the work was Roger Brooks and his Destination Development firm, who do business all over the country from their Olympia offices.

Brooks was in town again last week to offer a solution to Enumclaw's lagging tourism efforts. Over the span of two hours, he outlined 15 specific recommendations that would position the city as a destination for a specific group - namely, horse enthusiasts.

The most ambitious of Brooks' suggestions was for Enumclaw to work toward assuming ownership of the King County Fairgrounds. The county has been divesting itself of recreational properties in recent years (the city has already taken ownership of the swimming pool and golf course) and it's no secret the fairgrounds operates at a financial loss each year, Brooks said.

The goal, he said, should be to develop the acreage on Enumclaw's eastern edge into the Northwest Equestrian Center, complete with top-notch facilities for all types of equine activities. "It fits the character of the town and the area," Brooks said, due to the environmentally-friendly nature of the undertaking and the emphasis on outdoor, family-oriented activity.

The long-term goal, Brooks said, should be to attract businesses to the site that would lease space from the city. That could include everything from shops that sell riding gear to veterinarians, from boarding facilities to groomers, he explained.

"You have to turn it into an enterprise/event center," Brooks said, noting the financial benefits of both.

Brooks said his staff contacted representatives from approximately 100 equestrian clubs throughout the region, and none were happy with their current options for putting on shows. Most destinations, like the fairgrounds in Puyallup and Monroe, are multi-use facilities that are not geared specifically to horse folks, Brooks said.

Further explaining his recommendation, Brooks said the equine industry has enjoyed steady popularity for decades. Another necessary ingredient, he said, is money, and horse enthusiasts tend to part with their disposable income when they travel to shows.

Brooks' suggestions were met with enthusiasm and he was given authorization to spend the next month further refining his ideas. Mayor John Wise noted that the entire Enumclaw City Council could look at adopting the strategy in early May.

Brooks' other suggestions were that the city:

€ improve its signage, particularly in the downtown core and at the highway entrances. "If you want people to stop, you need to give them a reason," he said. Downtown merchants could do a better job of pulling customers off the street, he said, if there was a uniform, effective sign program.

€ determine what its downtown emphasis will be. "Your downtown is at a crossroads," Brooks said. "Which way do you want it to go?" The choices, he said, are to encourage either retail shops or non-retail ventures. Keeping non-retail operations in key downtown locations works against tourism efforts, Brooks said, noting that the city's senior center is in a prime retail location.

€ put up as many as six "visitor information" kiosks, allowing guests to find information about the Enumclaw area 24 hours a day, every day of the year.

€ do something to set itself apart from other Northwest communities. He noted that 200 cities use mountains, trees, water or the sun in their widely-used logos, and Enumclaw follows that trend. "You must be different or be the best," he said, suggesting that Enumclaw go for "different." With that, he slipped into the equine theme, showing a potential city logo that incorporated a horse-drawn carriage. "It's about the ambiance, it's about the feeling," he said.

€ continue to attract outside events, such as car shows, promoting itself as a gracious host for visitors. "From here, it's such a nice, short drive into the mountainsŠit's perfect," Brooks said. He noted there are many different types of car clubs, all hold rallies or some sort and all spend money wherever they go.

€ continue its work to attract a Welcome Center to town, something that would capitalize on Enumclaw's proximity to Mount Rainier.

€ and, finally, the city should recruit a quality lodging facility, Brooks said, noting that too many people now choose to stay in Puyallup, Auburn or other neighboring communities. He acknowledged this is likely impossible for now; however, if an equestrian center were up and running, hotel operators would likely jump at the chance to develop a facility here, he said.

Kevin Hanson can be reached at khanson@cmg-northwest2.go-vip.net/courierherald.