@The Grounds attracted 550,000 visitors since 2017

@The Grounds is now celebrating its fifth-year milestone at 700 Event Center Drive in Roseville. @the Grounds and its centerpiece 160,000-square-foot Roebbelen Center in Roseville has hosted almost 800 events during the past five years, from anime conferences and basketball tournaments to cheer competitions and health clinics. The events have attracted a combined 550,000 visitors, with many of them filling hotel rooms, restaurants and shopping centers and generating more than $15-million every year to Placer Valley or about $75 million since 2017, according to Placer Valley Tourism. The property was formerly known as the Placer County Fairgrounds. "We showcase @the Grounds across the country as a partnership success story between the tourism industry and the local community, creating a valuable asset for Placer Valley used by both visitors and residents alike," said Roxanne Steinhoff, legal analyst and sports consultant for Civitas, a tourism funding firm. "The industry is taking notice and @the Grounds has quickly become the model for other destinations looking to build or renovate similar facilities." A what-could-be-possible vision by several community leaders, including David Attaway, the former CEO of @the Grounds and Placer Valley Tourism who died in March, and a unique partnership between Placer County and Placer Valley Tourism paved the way for @the Grounds. Placer Valley Tourism had already attracted more outdoor sports, including soccer and softball tournaments, in recent years but a multipurpose event center that operates year-round would greatly boost tourism. "Placer County and the surrounding region have greatly benefited from the evolution of the Placer County Fairgrounds into @the Grounds," said Placer County Board of Supervisors Chair Cindy Gustafson. "Because of the vision of the late David Attaway and the Placer Valley Tourism team, what was once an underutilized fairgrounds is now a thriving gathering spot for so many." The county established the partnership with Placer Valley Tourism, a Business Improvement District between the cities of Roseville, Rocklin and Lincoln that receives funding from hotels to promote regional tourism, to manage the World War II-era fairgrounds in summer 2017. The Placer County Fairgrounds name soon gave way to @the Grounds and a $47-million plan to renovate the decades-old Johnson and Jones halls and improve landscaping, the main parking lot and walkways. But the biggest and most critical piece of the multimillion-dollar project, financially and physically, was the construction of the massive Roebbelen Center. Construction started in January 2019 and was completed in February 2020. The Roebbelen Center is one of the largest event and meeting spaces in California, able to hold 12 full-length basketball courts or 24 volleyball courts or almost three football fields. It's the only facility of its kind on the West Coast, according to Placer Valley Tourism. "It was a big project with a very aggressive timeline," said Kim Summers, interim Chief Executive Officer of @the Grounds and Placer Valley Tourism. She has been with Placer Valley Tourism since 2008. "Some people didn't realize the level of quality and what we were really going for." Indeed, much optimism was combined with some skepticism of the high-profile and groundbreaking project. "It sounded like a tall order," said Stephen Makis, director of Personal Lines for Bender Insurance Solutions and treasurer of @the Grounds and Placer Valley Tourism. "I had been to the fairgrounds and been inside the buildings on the campus and thought to myself, 'This is going to take a lot of money and time.' But I also had a lot of faith in David Attaway and knew if anyone could pull this off, he could." Robin Trimble, executive director of the Rocklin Area Chamber of Commerce, agreed and remembered being in a meeting "thinking the fairgrounds was not the highest and best use of the property and should be converted" into another commercial use. Today, @the Grounds and the Roebbelen Center generate much-appreciated revenue for Placer Valley businesses, from Quarry Park Adventures in downtown Rocklin to the restaurants and stores at the Westfield Galleria Roseville mall. "I am so glad that experts with vision saw the potential and overcame the obstacles to make @the Grounds an amazing and valuable community asset," Trimble said. "It took faith, patience and persistence to bring @the Grounds to fruition." @the Grounds averages almost 200 events every year, from corporate meetings and the county fair to a "junk hunt" for vintage treasure seekers. "With the building being so large, you can really spread out," said Great Junk Hunt co-owner J.T. Albers, whose events attract several thousand visitors per day to the Roebbelen Center. The Great Junk Hunt returns for a two-day stint starting Sept. 23. The @the Grounds team is "just as invested to have a successful event as we are. It's been a great partnership." The Roebbelen Center's flexibility, such as a gymnastics competition one day, followed by a trade show the next, and its size are a big draw for organizers. The biggest challenge is finding available dates for events. The Santa Rosa-based Northern California Volleyball Association rents the Roebbelen Center for volleyball tournaments at least 12 weekends per year and would host additional tournaments if more weekends were available, said Donna Donaghy, the organization's CEO and commissioner. "We love the building," said James Hutchings, show chair of the Roseville Rock Rollers Gem Jewelry, Fossil & Mineral Show. The organization has held the annual show inside Johnson and Jones halls for decades but has moved to the much-larger Roebbelen Center. The 60th Diamond Jubilee anniversary of the show is Aug. 6 and 7. The Roebbelen Center "puts all of our vendors and show features in one place. It was time to move our world-class show into a world-class facility." A major amateur sports competition or a large trade show can attract several thousand people, with many coming from outside the region. The Roebbelen Center is a "huge investment in the community that's paying off in so many ways," said Lauryl Hernandez, Placer Valley Tourism chair and Hyatt Place general manager in Roseville. The dollars from event attendees @the Grounds have created hundreds of jobs and generate about $5-million in annual sales-tax revenue for the county and the three cities in Placer Valley, according to Placer Valley Tourism. "The economic impact, it's just amazing," said Summers of Placer Valley Tourism. "We have fairgrounds that are looking at our model." It's a model of a partnership between government and a nonprofit organization that is gaining attention and worth watching, as many county fairs deal with declining attendance and less interest to rent their space the rest of the year. "The Roebbelen Center @the Grounds has gained fame nationwide as an innovative example of the funding mechanism used for capital improvements," said Steinhoff of Civitas. @the Grounds and the Roebbelen Center are strengthening the local economy and meeting the needs of residents. "Our region has gained a beautiful place to hold events, meetings and play sports," Makis said. "And as time goes on, we are seeing more people from all over the United States visiting our region. The goal of Placer Valley Tourism is to improve the health of the hotel industry and @the Grounds and the Roebbelen Center have helped very much." For more information, visit https://www.atthegrounds.com/.