Discussion starts on future of bike rallies

Monday is the day many people leave the Grand Strand after the Memorial weekend bike fest.

Many of the vendors, business owners, and rally participants told News13 the crowds were smaller this year than in years past.

Robert Kelley, who owns hotels in Horry County, said the low turnout led to mixed revenue results for his business.

Kelley said one hotel on the north end was down about 2 percent while two other hotels with Myrtle Beach addresses, but not in the city, were down 30 percent.

Kelley is one of the founders of the group BOOST, Business Owners Organized to Support Tourism.

The group met Monday at Studebaker’s to talk about the bike fest and the Harley-Davidson spring motorcycle rally.

"Our main goal is to work with our local officials that wish to work with the business community to try to lessen the impact on residents but not end the rallies, there's too much money associated with it, there are some people that say we could loose up to half a billion dollars this month and this is not the type of economy to throw money away right now. We're working with some other groups that have formed recently on a voter registration drive, we're going to be knocking door to door, our hotels in our group are going to donate their buses, we're going to have a couple of pick up points for people in the city to drive them to the polls if they don't have a car, we're going to do everything we can to make a better turnout this November.”

When it comes to the motorcycle rallies, Kelley said BOOST wants to work with city leaders, but is still critical of many decisions made by elected officials. "The state gives Myrtle Beach money to attract tourists, they use that money instead to produce and play radio commercials telling people not to come to town, when business is already suffering, those are the type of leaders we don't need and we don't want, and I think people have had enough of that." Kelley said.

Myrtle Beach spokesman Mark Kruea said the city is no longer in the rally business. "I think this is it as far as the bike rally issue is concerned, three weeks worth of bike rallies was too much, they were too large, too loud, too long, too boisterous.

Kruea said all the talk about low turnout for the rally applies to biker-themed businesses. “Some businesses did very well during the last few weeks because regular customers could get to them. We had more tourists, I think than anybody expected because they had gotten the word that, oh the bike rallies are going away, so I think a lot of the businesses did pretty well over the last few weeks."

Kruea said the city is looking for ways to recoup some of the revenue lost from both motorcycle rallies. “When we look for replacements, we'll look for events that are smaller. We'll begin work immediately to help make May sort of a month long kick off to the summer season here in Myrtle Beach. There are lots of opportunities from Mother's Day to sporting events, to Military Appreciation Days, to a concert, maybe an air show, so there are lots of activities that we can bring to may to help generate tourism business." Kruea said.

Kruea said replacing the revenue lost from the rallies will take some time. "We would like for it to be as short as possible, we're going to start work immediately on events for next may to bring some activities and life and visitors back to Myrtle Beach during the month of May to replace that rally business."

Kelley said BOOST is looking to replace Mayor John Rhodes and several members of city council with a candidate that is pro-growth, and would be in support of single-member districts in Myrtle Beach. Kelley, who does not live in the city, but gets his water from the city, said decisions made in Myrtle Beach affect the entire Grand Strand, not just the city.

Rhodes told News13 since no one has filed to run against him, it is too early to talk about his campaign plans for the November election. Rhodes has said he plans to run for re-election.

Council member Randal Wallace, who is also up for re-election in November, also told News13 he plans to run.