The 2010 AT&T U.S. Figure Skating Championships that start today differ somewhat from when Spokane hosted the championships in 2007, and that, say business operators here who are poised to cash in, is a good thing.

This year, the event is 10 days instead of eight, and it includes two weekends, meaning more people will spend more time visiting Spokane. Also, organizers this year are conducting a FanFest event, with food and entertainment, at River Park Square, to bring more people downtown, where they will be able to shop, eat, and seek entertainment. The championships conclude Jan. 24.

"We're doing everything we can to drive people downtown," says Toby Steward, who is organizing the event with his wife, Barb Beddor, through their company Star USA Inc.

"I don't know if you're going to see an event with this many benefits to the community," Steward says. "It's up to business owners to take advantage of it."

Greater Spokane Incorporated estimates that the championships will provide Spokane with a $26 million boost, like an economic stimulus package for the city. The championships are expected to attract more than 1,500 figure skating athletes, coaches, and officials to the city.

With a longer event, more people will be sampling more restaurants, and they'll have more needs to buy more things, says Tom McArthur, spokesman for Davenport Hotel Inc., which owns and operates the Davenport Hotel & Tower at 10 S. Post and the nearby boutique Hotel Lusso. The company is owned by Walt and Karen Worthy, and the Davenport is the official headquarters hotel for the event.

McArthur says this year's championship should have "a bigger wave effect," than in 2007.

Harry Sladich, president of the Spokane Regional Convention and Visitors Bureau, says January is a month when hospitality businesses often are scaling back and gearing down.

"Big events like this help reverse that, which is part of why we are so excited," Sladich says.

He says that in 2007, those attending skating events at the arena just stayed at the arena most of the day and didn't venture out into the city.

"We learned that we have to make it easier for them to come downtown," Sladich says.

Steward says that this year, the Spokane Public Facilities District, which owns and manages the Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena where the championships will take place, will allow those attending skating events to exit the arena during the day and return.

"That's a big asset for the restaurants and business owners," Steward says. "Spokane is going to feel like an 'Olympic village.'"

Also, videos will be playing inside the arena encouraging those attending skating events to visit restaurants and businesses here, he says. More than 133,000 tickets have been sold to the championships, and in the 91 years of the event, Spokane is going to rank first and second in ticket sales, he says.

Says Sladich, "The biggest beneficiaries last time were the hotels. This time we'll see a better sharing of the wealth."

Spokane Transit Authority will have two dedicated shuttle routes connecting downtown and the arena. A 10-day bus pass will be available for $12.

Steward says the city also will benefit from 10 hours of live broadcasting of the event on NBC-TV.

"That (television coverage) is very significant—hundreds of millions of dollars in public exposure," Steward says. "That level of exposure is unprecedented" for the city.

Sladich says people likely will go see some of the "big" events on the weekends, and during the middle of the week, when there is a bit of a lull, they can go to malls, restaurants, spas, and other businesses.

"It's a bump for the whole community," he says.

When the figure skating event was hosted here in 2007 the city saw revenue generated from hotel rooms grow 38 percent, or $2.2 million. Hotel occupancy jumped 15 percent at that time, and average daily room rates jumped 19 percent compared with the year-earlier period. As visitors for the skating event filled up rooms downtown, hotels in Spokane Valley, Liberty Lake, and on the North Side began to take on more visitors.

"You can't pour that amount of water in the cup without it spilling out and benefitting others," Sladich says.

The Davenport's McArthur says the hotelier's part-time employees will be working more hours during the event, and the Davenport will be rolling out new dinner specials at its restaurants to draw in more customers. Also to get ready for the championships, the Davenport has been working with the city's fire and police departments to ensure its three hotels, with a total of 659 guest rooms, are safe and will operate smoothly with what is expected to be 100 percent occupancy during the event.

Smaller businesses in and around downtown also have been making plans to maximize opportunities from the championships.

Scratch Restaurant & Lounge, located about a block west of the Davenport at 1007 W. First, will offer specials and extended hours during the event, says Connie Naccarato, who owns the business with Jason Rex. The restaurant has 22 employees.

"We anticipate it's going to be busy," says Naccarato. The restaurant opened in late 2007 and missed the championships last time, but expects the event this time will provide a revenue boost like other events that come to Spokane, such as the musical "The Lion King."

At River Park Square, the owners of aNeMonE Handmade Paper Flowers, on the second floor, are looking forward to exposure to shoppers from out of town who will be here for the championships.

Nathan Eberle, who owns the store with his wife, Mary, says the shop will offer free shipping to help those visitors get their purchases home safely. The store's primary product is handmade paper flowers.

"It's definitely going to boost our sales," Eberle says. The store wasn't open for the last championships, but Eberle says he's looking forward to the event and the opportunity it presents.

The owners have been working to keep shelves well stocked and the showroom looking its best for the event, he says. The business has three full-time employees, and some seasonal employees.

"We don't really know what to expect," Eberle says. "Lion King generated a lot of sales for us."

A primary part of the business is making flowers for weddings, and half of its customers are outside the Spokane area and come to the store partly from word-of-mouth, he says.

"We expect to have a whole new group of people coming through," Eberle says.

Businesses just outside the downtown core also expect to benefit from the skating event.

Deena Moe-Caruso, owner of both Finders Keepers Jewelry Galore, at 112 S. Cedar, and Finders Keepers II Designer Dress Boutique, at 18 W. Main, says she benefits from more of what she calls a "trickle-down effect," once the event has concluded.

"I know my customers, I know where they work, and I see them coming in after these events," Moe-Caruso says. "Whenever there is a major thing that happens, I see the regular customers coming in with money."

She says her two stores usually employ a total of 14 to 18 employees, some of whom are seasonal, and generate about $1 million in revenue a year.

The age demographic of her customers is 24 to 35, and she targets them specifically, using social networking Web sites MySpace, Facebook, and Twitter. During the event, she'll be doing some newspaper advertising as well, she says.

Many of her regular customers work in the hospitality industry, in hotels, restaurants, and lounges. "After they fill their pockets, then they come and help my business," she says.

Moe-Caruso says her stores get a 10 percent to 15 percent jump in sales after an event like the skating championships. She also sees more cash sales.

"I want tourists to find my shop, but the trickle-down is important, if not more important," Moe-Caruso says. "I'm on the tour maps."