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he David J. Prior Convocation Center will celebrate its second year of operation in a few months, and its impact on the region and UVa-Wise has exceeded all expectations, Chris Davis ’99, the center’s director said.
The Virginia General Assembly funded the $30 million project so Southwest Virginia would have a facility big enough to hold major events and conferences. It was touted as a means to boost the economy, and it has done so in many ways. The facility has hosted concerts sponsored by various outside organizations, lectures, sports events from both college and high schools, commencements, weddings and other activities during its nearly two years of operation. 36 UVa-Wise Magazine
The thousands of people who have attended some of the events not only spend money at local businesses, but also get a glimpse of UVa-Wise and what it offers. Many, even some local residents, have never visited campus until they enter the Prior Center. Davis points to the hosting of the state quarterfinals basketball tournament in March as a good example of the impact. “We had 12 different communities here from all across Virginia,” Davis said.
“Many of our local businesses reported that they saw many new faces that weekend. They eat at local restaurants, they stay in local hotels, and they buy gas for the trip home.” A bigger impact is the visit to Wise exposes families and potential students to the College, Davis said. “Even if just one student from each of the 12 high schools decided to attend UVaWise, that would make a big impact,” he said.” The same thing happens when production companies rent the Prior Center for concerts and other events. Some concerts drew crowds from Ohio and Pennsylvania. Perhaps the most unique and heavily attended event was the NASA Downlink with the International Space Station. Hundreds of students from many K-12 schools in the area attended and were able to speak with astronauts aboard the Space Station. “We would not have been able to bring so many students together in one place anywhere else,” Davis said.