Those who depend on convention business said they hope Wednesday's cancellation of the Pittsburgh International Car Show and lingering questions about safety at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center do not have lasting effects on future events.
A dozen groups are booked to use the convention center through April.
"We're going to do everything we can to accommodate our customers," said Beverly Morrow-Jones, spokeswoman for VisitPittsburgh, the convention and visitors bureau. "We'll do everything we can to keep that business here in Pittsburgh."
The auto show was canceled late yesterday when organizers could not access the convention center because of the ongoing investigation into the collapse of a concrete slab on Monday.
The show was expected to draw more than 100,000 visitors over nine days and traditionally serves as the kickoff to the spring car-buying season.
Organizers of the auto show said in a statement that they canceled the event after being told they could not gain "timely" access to the convention center. The investigation into the collapse is expected to last into early next week.
The auto show might be rescheduled for this spring. The Greater Pittsburgh Auto Dealers Association, which sponsors the event, said it would provide refunds to everyone who bought advance tickets.
"Unfortunately, building officials needed more time to assess the situation, and we just ran out of time," dealers association Executive Vice President Denise Brennan said in a statement.
Early yesterday, officials were hopeful the convention center could reopen in time for the auto show to start Sunday, one day late -- and to avoid having to reschedule or cancel other events. The fate of those other events is still up in the air.
"No one has canceled," said Joe McGrath, president of VisitPittsburgh. "If it extends beyond next week, that's going to be a different thing."
Among events scheduled for the convention center this spring, the East Coast Volleyball tournament in April is expected to draw 7,000 participants and generate $9 million in spending, he said.
Officials worked for seven years to attract the tournament, McGrath said. About 5,000 high school girls are expected to compete on 50 courts over two weekends -- April 6-8 and 13-15 -- to qualify for the Junior National Championships.
"It's really a big deal," McGrath said. "If we're successful on this one, we've gotten a wink and a nod from them that they might be back."
After the auto show's dates, the next event scheduled for the convention center is the national meeting of the Learning Disabilities Association of America, a nonprofit based in Castle Shannon.
About 1,500 to 2,000 people are expected to attend the conference Feb. 14-17, and the group has booked 700 to 900 Downtown hotel rooms, said Sheila Buckley, executive director.
Organizers need to decide within "the next couple of days" whether to move the sessions to the Westin Convention Center Hotel if the convention center is not available, she said.
"At this point, we're trying to remain optimistic," Buckley said.
About 2,000 people are expected later in the month for the two-day West Coast Dance Explosion. Other upcoming events include conventions for the American Culinary Federation and the Pennsylvania Association of School Business Officials.
A U.S. Air Force environmental training symposium that brought 1,200 visitors last spring is returning in March.
Pittsburgh's auto show was scheduled to last over two weekends, Feb. 10-18. It was to open Friday evening with a preview charity event that was expected to raise more than $170,000 for Family House, a nonprofit that provides temporary housing to out-of-town medical patients.
Dealers use the annual auto show to build excitement for new models, said auto show Chairman Jim Smail.
"It's huge," he said. "(Customers) can kick tires, get up close and do it all in one venue."
