Jehovah Witness conventions bring local business revenue

Businesses in Romulus, Belleville, Canton and surrounding areas are receiving a boost to their bottom lines this summer.
The “Love Never Fails” convention series by Jehovah’s Witnesses, which started in May, is bringing an estimated 32,000 visitors over 15 weeks to the Assembly Hall located at 43777 Ecorse Rd. in Van Buren Township (Belleville).
Throughout the summer, convention delegates, mostly from the Midwest, are filling local area hotels, restaurants and stores Thursday through Sunday evenings. The region has experienced similar boosts since 2015. Prior to that, yearly conventions were hosted primarily at the Seagate Center in Toledo, Ohio, and at the former Pontiac Silverdome.
Participating hotels are reporting “a significant increase” for the 15-week stretch. Raquel Rubalcado, director of sales of one such hotel, the Hampton Inn Detroit/Belleville-Airport Area, said, “When the delegates are attending the convention, they most definitely are boosting up the local economy while shopping at Walmart, Meijer’s and eating at the local restaurants’ here in the Belleville community area.”
There is even a non-monetary boost in morale, she said.
“The housekeepers, front desk and management team adore the delegates…We share their handwritten notes and comments, which are posted in the back office for all the staff to see and read,” Rubalcado said.
Restaurateurs are also happy to see the influx again this year. Twisted Rooster restaurant manager, Natalie Bates, said, “We have seen quite a shift in sales when the conventions are in town. I’d say they make up at least 50% to 60% of guests we have in on the weekends from June-August.”
Regarding the Witness clientele, she also said, “Most all of our guests that visit Twisted Rooster from the convention, show a significant amount of patience and understanding. A lot of times, they end up being bigger groups and with us being a smaller restaurant, they usually have to wait. Never once, has any of our Witness customers complained about having to wait. They are all just genuinely happy to be together.”
Though the “Love Never Fails” convention series is revenue-generating for Southwest Wayne County businesses, the convention itself is free of charge, supported entirely by non-tithed donations.
In addition to English language sessions from May-July, August conventions will offer Spanish, American Sign Language, Mandarin Chinese and the Korean languages. More information, including the complete program schedule and a feature film trailer, can be found at jw.org/en/jehovahs-witnesses/conventions/
Tom Maroulitsas