There's more of a difference between a convention center and a conference center than a few letters in the alphabet.

And while a recent study found that the convention center industry is shrinking, there is a definite need for the proposed new conference center in Warren, according to Bob Yoder of Susquehanna Development.

"There's a big difference between a conference center and a convention center," Yoder said. "It's the size."

Yoder is the developer for the Impact Warren Project, which includes proposed plans for a conference center in the old Loranger building on Clark St. and a newly constructed, probably attached, hotel.

A recent convention center report, written by University of Texas professor Heywood Sanders and published by the Brookings institution, found that many newly constructed convention centers in the nation are not meeting financial projections.

Addressing the report, Yoder said a convention center is typically something seen in a city as large or larger than Pittsburgh, and is big enough to house around 4,000 people. According to Yoder, a conference center is smaller, usually somewhere between 20,000 and 40,000 square feet and able to hold somewhere between 100 and 400 people. The one under consideration for Warren, he said, could probably handle up to approximately 650 people.

Yoder said he believes there is a definite need for the conference center in Warren, pointing out that "if Northwest Savings Bank wanted to have a Christmas party for all of its employees, they couldn't have it in Warren because there's not any place in Warren big enough."

A number of other businesses and the Warren County School District would also find it impossible at this time to hold a conference for all employees anywhere in Warren County, according to Yoder. The proposed conference center would not only answer that need but would bring in people from outside Warren County, he said.

As an additional example, Yoder cited the fact that the Pennsylvania Housing and Redevelopment
Authority looks throughout the state for places to hold three-day conferences. One of the reasons Warren was not chosen, he said, is the lack of a large enough conference center.

Whether the conference center is feasible, he added, depends "on who you are focusing on and how you are focusing. Our goal as a developer is to show the city (of Warren) how the city or whoever the city would designate . . . could own and operate a conference center of this size that would have no negative impact money-wise on the city, and we think that's very important."

Yoder noted that a plan relating to this is underway and that "we will be meeting with the city in the next three months" to discuss it. He declined to elaborate on the plan until that time.

Yoder said he does not believe a hotel without a conference center would be financially feasible, since the hotel will rely on the conference center for meeting rooms. Each would depend upon the other, according to Yoder, who said, "The community will be getting the best of both worlds."

Warren Mayor Mark Phillips agreed, saying that Impact Warren's focus in regard to the conference center is to serve customers both locally and regionally.

Phillips said he was contacted a year ago about the possibility of having a regional bowling event at the center using local bowling lanes). That but one example of the type event that could be held the center, he said. Regional fishing is just one of many more.

"It could provide a platform for all of our local vendors," Phillips said. "And we're continuing to work with state federal officials to garner those funds necessary to do the refurbishing of the former Loranger facility...It's hard to turn away when you have a venue where we didn't have one before."

Phillips said that having conference center in a pre-existing building is also a plus hotel, since the conference center doesn't have to be built. like Yoder, Phillips thinks hotel and conference center
definitely work well together.

"The arrangement between hotel and conference center certainly complement one another," Phillips said.