"Flaming Gorge Days Kicks of my summer"

With recent discussion about the future of Flaming Gorge Days and its committee’s financial woes, some have preemptively spoken up about how the weekend event supports their business.

Robert Berg, manager of Green River’s Arctic Circle, said he’s forced to start preparing for the June event as early as March.

“Flaming Gorge Days kicks off my weekend,” Berg told the Green River City Council last night.

He said Flaming Gorge Days is often the busiest time of the year, with sales traditionally being double or even triple their average amounts. Sales have been so brisk during the week of the event, that nine of the 10 top sales days for Arctic Circle were recorded during days when Flaming Gorge Days took place.

“You got to think, that’s what every business in Green River is doing,” Berg said.

Despite being down nearly 40 percent in 2014 from the 2012 sales, they still see a high number of orders that continue after the event takes place.

In comparison, the week when the Sweetwater County Fair takes place is the slowest point of the summer for Berg and the week of the National High School Finals Rodeo sees no increase from that event.

Sales for other events have dwindled because they’ve been moved to Rock Springs. Berg said he saw large increases during the annual karate tournament and Keith Young Memorial 5K when they were hosted in Green River, with the events being his third and fifth busiest times during the summer.

His other top sales periods of the year are during the River Festival, which he says in increasing every year, and the Green River Main Street Organization’s Trunk or Treat in October.

Joe Martinez, director of sales and marketing for the Hampton Inn in Green River, wrote a letter in support of the event as well.

“At the Hampton Inn & Suites--Green River, we feel that Flaming Gorge Days brings an essential amount of revenue to our hotel, and more specifically, our county as a whole,” Martinez wrote.

He references the hotel’s 2014 year, where they recorded more than 100 room nights booked for the two-day event, generating approximately $10,000 in revenue. He also said travelers from all over the county stay at the hotel during the event and sees it as the city’s flagship event.

“The committee has done a great job of making this a family friendly event, not just concerts,” Martinez wrote.