April 25, 2007 News Release from Qwest Center Omaha

Nearly 80 percent of people surveyed believe building Qwest Center Omaha was a good decision for the community

(OMAHA, NEB.) – As it nears its fifth fiscal year of operation, Qwest Center Omaha has received very high marks from local citizens. An independently conducted, random survey of 404 Douglas County residents indicated that most people had attended an event at Qwest Center Omaha and had a good to excellent experience at the event. A vast majority also agreed that Qwest Center Omaha has made a positive impact in the community and that it was a good decision to build the facility.

According to Roger Dixon, president and CEO of Qwest Center Omaha, the survey results validate the efforts elected officials and civic leaders began 10 years ago when they started the process to build a new convention center and arena in Omaha.

“In 1997 a committee known as MOCSEA (Metropolitan Omaha Convention, Sports and Entertainment Authority) first met to discuss whether Omaha could support a major arena and convention center,” Dixon said. “Three years later a plan was in place; $75 million raised in private money and a $198 million bond issue approved by voters.”

“Qwest Center Omaha opened to the public in 2003, and we have been very pleased with our performance to date. However, competition among arenas and convention centers is increasing, and the board of the Metropolitan Entertainment and Convention Authority (MECA) has charged our staff to work even harder to maintain and improve the experience residents have come to expect at Qwest Center Omaha events.”

Dixon shared the results of the survey, which focused on the personal experiences of those attending Qwest Center Omaha events and their opinions on how the facility has affected the community. Highlights include:

• 79 percent of people surveyed said they had attended either an arena or convention center event at Qwest Center Omaha, and 87 to 97 percent of those attending the event rated their experience as good to excellent.
• 88 percent of people surveyed agreed that Qwest Center Omaha has had a positive impact on the quality of life for people living in the greater Omaha area.
• 90 percent of people surveyed agreed that Qwest Center Omaha has had a positive impact on the economy of the greater Omaha area.
• 92 percent of people surveyed agreed that Qwest Center Omaha is improving Omaha’s national image.
• 65 percent of people surveyed agreed that MECA’s management of Qwest Center Omaha has resulted in the facility being profitable every year since it opened.
• When those surveyed were asked to rate the decision by voters and city officials to build Qwest Center Omaha, nearly 80 percent supported the decision (47.8 percent said it was an excellent decision and 31.9 percent said it was a good decision).

“We will close our fiscal year on June 30, and anticipate it will be a very strong financial year for Qwest Center Omaha,” Dixon said. “We are very excited for the next 18 months, which will bring a record number of conventions to our city and three top sporting events – the NCAA Men’s Basketball First and Second Round Tournament in March, USA Swimming Olympic Trials in June, and the NCAA Women’s Volleyball Division I National Championship in December.”

The survey was conducted the week of March 26 by The MSR Group and has a maximum sampling error of 4.9 percent at the 95 percent confidence level