Unbound Gravel was a record-setter almost across the board this year, which means the economic impact will likely grow.
Last year had over 4,000 riders, leading to an economic impact approaching $22 million for Emporia. Over 5,000 riders participated in Unbound last week, and that doesn’t include the turnout from support staff, vendors, family and friends.
City Manager Trey Cocking stresses the total is community-wide, not just in taxes. However, Cocking says the city netted over $100,000 in tax revenues from Unbound last year and used that money in a variety of ways.
The city collected around $50,000 from the city’s one-percent sales tax, another $25,000 from the county’s one-cent sales tax and $80,000 from the eight-percent transient guest tax last year — well over the roughly $50,000 in total city investment for sponsoring the All Things Gravel Expo and providing services like police, fire, refuse and other items. Sales tax revenues also go to economic development and mill levy reduction efforts.
Statistics provided by Life Time, Unbound’s parent company, as prepared by University of Oklahoma Professor David Larson show a $15 million direct effect from last year’s Unbound, with another $4.4 million of indirect effect and $2.2 million in what’s called “induced effect.”
The report also indicates almost 11,000 unique visitors to the community with almost 94 percent of attendees coming to Emporia as opposed to living here. Participants from outside Emporia spend almost four days in Lyon County, contributing an average of over $1,450 in local expenditures or almost $7.3 million in direct local spending. Other attendees spend almost four days in the county, spending an average of almost $1,350 in expenditures totaling another $7.7 million in direct spending, while exhibitors, sponsors and event partners are in town for almost 4.5 days, averaging over $3,300 in expenditures and almost $2.5 million in direct spending during their stays.
Accommodations, food services/drinking spaces and performing arts/spectator sports were the top three categories by industry, reporting roughly $14 million of total economic impact combined.
The report for last year included data from the All Things Gravel Expo, including exhibitors and spectators, something the 2023 report did not have. However, the 2023 report indicated roughly a total economic impact approaching $6.5 million.
Unbound Gravel Economic Impact Report prepared by University of Oklahoma Professor David Larson
