Decatur – The success of the Farm Progress Show (FPS) creates some interesting situations when it comes to booking hotel space in Decatur and Forsyth.
“I do not believe there’s a room or a place at the inn,” Teri Hammel of the Decatur Area Convention & Visitors Bureau told WAND’s Doug Wolfe.
FPS is in late August. Hotel rooms locally are already booked in February. Overflow bookings are are taking place in Shelbyville, Bloomington, Champaign and Springfield. Three groups of international guests from Paraguay, Portugal and Brazil are likely to stay in Bloomington or Champaign.
“Because they’re able to help us with our overflow and then do some agri-tourism tours there and then come to Decatur and enjoy the show,” Hammel stated.
Each of the three groups is bringing 20 or more people. Other international visitors are also expected to attend.
This will be the seventh-time FPS will be held at Progress City on the campus of Richland Community College since 2005. The number of room nights booked at hotels throughout central Illinois for the show totaled 5,789 in 2005 for the three-day event. By 2015, the last time the show was held in Decatur, total booked room nights were 15,420.
The 2017 Farm Progress Show is Aug. 29-31.
