40,000 expected at Chase Field this weekend for religious convention
Aug 7, 2019, 6:00 PM | Updated: Aug 8, 2019, 9:53 am
(Faecbook Photo)
PHOENIX – The Arizona Diamondbacks will be in Los Angeles this weekend to face the Dodgers, but Chase Field will be bustling with activity.
The Jehovah’s Witnesses, a religious denomination with more than 8 million members worldwide, are holding a “Love Never Fails” convention at the downtown Phoenix baseball stadium Friday through Sunday.
The program is expected to draw nearly 40,000 attendees. Of that total, 5,000 are coming from 41 countries outside the U.S.
“I’d give it what we call ‘mega event’ status, absolutely,” Steve Moore, president and CEO of Visit Phoenix, said in a press release.
The event will have an estimated economic impact on the area of $60 million, the release said, with attendees booking rooms in 77 hotels across the Valley.
“We have delegates in hotels all over the region, from Scottsdale to Chandler and all the way to Surprise,” national spokesman Robert Hendriks said in the release. “That equates to more than 37,000 room nights.”
Convention spokesman Robert Hendriks told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Arizona’s Morning News on Thursday that organizers have been working with the city and stadium staff to ensure attendees’ safety.
“Just know that there are redundant measures in place to secure our brothers and sisters and keep peace inside of Chase Field,” he said.