Amway Convention Yields To Dome -- 40,000 Attendees Have No Place To Meet

Where do you hold a convention for 40,000 Amway people when the Kingdome is shut down?

Dick Davis is in Spokane right now trying to figure that out. He had planned to be inside the Kingdome Oct. 14-16 for "Free Enterprise Days," a motivational event for Amway salespeople.

"You don't just find a building for 40,000 people," said Davis. "You're talking (about) the No. 1 fire on my desk."

Amway people are flying in from as far away as New Zealand. The Tacoma Dome is not available. The Seattle Coliseum is being remodeled. There's nothing Davis can find in Seattle. He may have to split the convention between Vancouver, B.C., and Spokane, with speakers linked to audiences by video hookups.

No one has done a formal estimate of the economic impact of the Kingdome's closure since ceiling tiles fell on July 19, but everyone agrees: The costs and headaches are mounting.

The canceled Amway meeting alone represents a loss to King County's economy of $2 million to $4 million, according to a rough estimate by the Seattle-King County Visitors and Convention Bureau. (Nonetheless, local hotels say bookings are at 90 percent or more from August through October.)

"Everyone down here is hurting," says Steve Crosier, chairman of the Pioneer Square Business Improvement Area.

The gap between confidence and certainty is what steams John Meyers, promoter of the "Christmas Memories" gift show set for Oct. 27-30 that was moved from the Kingdome to the Pavilion, the structure that looks like a giant white slug nuzzling the Dome. Kingdome staff say they are confident of getting a permit from the city of Seattle to open the building.

"This whole thing's been an incredible frustration for us," says Meyers, who is based in Richland. Two weeks ago, he says, he was told by Dome officials that the stadium would open by Sept. 18. The next day, he got a call from an exhibitor at the show saying the Kingdome had moved that date to Nov. 6. After telling his 400 exhibitors that the Pavilion will work fine, he's now hearing the Pavilion could be in doubt.

"We're getting jerked around by the county," he says, adding that if he doesn't get a clear signal soon, he'll have to cancel his show.

Making matters worse, few are betting that King County will make its promise of reopening the Dome by Nov. 6. King County is even saying that a Nov. 5 "Bacon Bowl," an annual football game between the police departments of Seattle and Tacoma, will take place.

Merchants say the loss of Mariner home stands have hurt, but the loss of Seahawk homes games hurt certain businesses even more because Seahawk fans typically spend more time at Pioneer Square retailers and restaurants.

Between July 19 and Nov. 6, the announced reopening of the Dome, the Kingdome would have hosted five Seahawk home games, plus one Sounder soccer game, one soccer match between the USA and Canada, and the Amway motivational convention, according to Kingdome spokeswoman Carol Keaton.

One person watching repairs very carefully is Jim Hammond, executive director of the Puget Sound Auto Dealers Association. His group's huge auto show is scheduled to start Nov. 9. Is Hammond confident the dome will be ready on time?

"I don't know how to answer that question," says Hammond. "We sent a letter (to Kingdome officials) saying we expect them to assure us of that."

Hammond says he's got a contingency plan, but also says the show is too big to move. This year's show will be 60 percent larger because it uses the Pavilion's extra display space.

Meanwhile small Pioneer Square bars, shops and restaurants are continuing to feel the economic pain that, for them, began almost immediately after the Dome's closure.

Sneakers Bar & Restaurant laid off one employee, and owner Dick Oldham is trying to cut his operating costs by more than half. He needs to gross $60,000 a month to break even and is only reaching half of that.

Owner Mick McHugh has laid off seven people at his restaurant across from the Dome, F.X. McRory's Steak, Chop & Oyster House, plus three others from his corporate office, McHugh Restaurants. Because of the Dome's closure, F.X. McRory's sales are off $250,000, so far.

To make that Nov. 6 opening, restaurateur McHugh is appealing to a higher force.

"We've started a novena," joked McHugh, referring to the Catholic prayer ritual. "God, we need it. We're counting on it."

In the interim, businesses are scrambling to find ways to boost slumping sales.

McHugh has pushed his catering business, and he's offering a special Sunday brunch to Seahawk fans who park at the Kingdome and ride buses to Husky Stadium, the team's temporary home. About 4,000 Seahawk fans park at the Dome and take the buses.

Oldham of Sneakers has sent a mailer and coupon to 1,000 people. Thursday is a sports trivia night. Monday is ABC football night.

Keaton of the Kingdome says the building will open by the Nov. 6 deadline.

"We will meet it," she says. Then she laughs nervously. "I think."