By Bill Robinson
Senior News Writer
RICHMOND —
While Madison County has a tradition of hospitality, it has seldom, if ever, had the opportunity to welcome so many important guest as will be here during the World Equestrian Games.
In a little more than 80 days, the games will begin as central Kentucky welcomes 900 horses and an estimated 600,000 equine enthusiasts from around the world.
Both the Richmond and Berea chambers of commerce are coordinating activities to prepare their communities.
Contrary to a commonly expressed belief, the county’s hotels are not already booked up for Sept. 25 to Oct. 10, when the games will take place at the Kentucky Horse Park in northern Fayette County. Hotels in Richmond are more than 85 percent booked, according to Lori Murphy-Tatum, executive director of the Richmond Tourism Commission.
In Berea, hotels report 60 percent of their rooms reserved, said Belle Jackson, executive director of Berea’s Tourism Commission.
Occupancy of 60 percent is normal for hotels in the southern end of the county, Jackson said.
One reason for Richmond’s higher occupancy rate is one-third of the 1,000 journalists coming to cover the games will be housed in three Richmond hotels and bused to the horse park each day, said Tatum. The remaining journalists will be housed in two other towns.
Jackson said she believed that Berea hotel rooms will be filled when the most popular of the equestrian games, such as stadium jumping, take place.
Berea hotels usually are full when the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event takes place at the Horse Park each year in late April, she said.
“Remember that Keeneland will be racing during the equestrian games and the University of Kentucky will be playing home football games,” Jackson said.
Tatum and Jackson said they are working together to draw as many equestrian games visitors to Madison County’s tourist attractions.
To enter the Horse Park, all visitors will have walk through an exhibit called “The Kentucky Experience,” Tatum said. It will feature exhibits from each of the state’s nine tourism regions, including the Bluegrass that includes Madison County.
Tatum, Jackson and their employees will help staff The Kentucky Experience. All have been certified as Kentucky Tourism Ambassadors, meaning they have demonstrated knowledge of all of their region's tourist sites and how to reach them.
“We’ll be telling visitors about Madison County from Boonesborough to Berea to Bybee,” Tatum said.
They also will be giving out a flyer that contains a map of Madison County and its attractions on one side and their descriptions on the other. In addition to the traditional attractions, such as Boonesborough, White Hall, Bybee Pottery and the Berea crafts community, the flyer will direct visitors to unique places of local interests such as Stop and Go Barbecue in downtown Richmond and the Susie’s Round Hill Market in Kirksville.
The Kentucky Experience also will feature examples of local arts and crafts as well as local entertainers, Jackson said. Those will include the local performers who entertain each every Thursday and Friday evening at the Berea Welcome Center.
To help visitors, including visiting journalists, the two local tourism agencies will staff a call center that will be in operation for about 16 hours a day during the games.
Volunteers, as well as businesses that want their employees to receive hospitality training, may take advantage of tourism ambassador training offered by the Lexington Convention and Visitors Bureau.The program covers the impact of tourism, history of the area, attractions in the region, service standards and assisting international visitors, according to information provided by the bureau.
Trainings are scheduled for 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, July 17, at the Midway Baptist Church in Fayette County, 12:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, July 20, at the bureau in downtown Lexington, and 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Thursday, July 29, at the Hampton Inn in Winchester. Registration must be made 14 days in advance at the website: www.ctanetwork.com.
Eastern Kentucky University’s College of Justice & Safety is helping to prepare law enforcement agencies for the games.
EKU faculty presented an all-day seminar on cultural competency for police and security officials at the Lexington Police Department Training Academy on Jan. 20.
“Any major international event poses a variety of challenges for local law enforcement,” said Dr. Carole Garrison, professor of criminal justice and police studies. “Cross-cultural sensitivity and enhanced communication with foreign visitors can reduce greatly problems arising from misunderstanding or stereotyping. The eyes of the world will be on Lexington and Kentucky, and friendships and maybe even business opportunities will be made or lost because of how our police handle themselves.”
Dr. Gary Potter, who teaches and writes about police in society and police and multiculturalism, and Garrison, who teaches police ethics and has served with UN peacekeeping forces and worked in other countries, to develop the training materials.
In addition to Fayette County officers, Kentucky State Police troopers, Homeland Security officers and members of other law enforcement agencies in the region received the training.
Bill Robinson can be reached at brobinson@richmondregister.com or at 624-6622.
