By Richard N. Velotta (contact)

Tue, Dec 2, 2008 (5:30 p.m.)

File photo, Nevada Appeal

Gov. Jim Gibbons

Lt. Gov. Brian Krolicki

The tourism industry’s premiere event in the state, the annual Governor’s Conference on Tourism, has been canceled.

The event, which had been scheduled next Monday and Tuesday at Reno’s Peppermill Resort, was canceled after Gov. Jim Gibbons scheduled a special session of the Legislature to address the state’s $330 million budget shortfall.

Lt. Gov. Brian Krolicki, who is chairman of the state’s Commission on Tourism, and Gibbons had key roles in the conference, but are now expected to devote most of their time next week to the special session in Carson City. As lieutenant governor, Krolicki presides over the Senate.

The gathering was to be the 25th anniversary of the event and the grand finale was to be a dinner honoring former Gov. Richard Bryan who organized the first governor’s conference.

The state Tourism Department hasn’t estimated how much money the state would lose as a result of the cancellation, which was announced this afternoon. A spokeswoman for the department said persons who registered in advance would be issued refunds since the event won’t be rescheduled.

The conference had an impressive agenda.

It included an address by Frank Fahrenkopf, the chief executive of the American Gaming Association on the state of the gaming industry; an airline industry round table moderated by former Southwest Airlines chief executive and Reno resident Howard Putnam featuring panelists Maurice Gallagher, chief executive of Allegiant Air, Southwest Airlines vice president Bob Montgomery, Delta Air Lines vice president Joanne Smith and Reno-Tahoe International Airport boss Krys Bart; a panel on 2009 legislative issues affecting tourism featuring two brother lawyers named Alonso – Jones Vargas’ Mike and Lewis and Roca’s Alfredo – moderated by “Nevada NewsMakers” host Sam Shad; and a panel on destination marketing featuring the heads of three convention and visitors organizations from Las Vegas, Reno and Elko.

The conference also was to include breakout sessions on greeting international visitors, coping in a recession economy, capturing visitors with a great Web site and a meet-and-greet session with the state’s international representatives in foreign countries.

The event was to include a trade show and was to open with the quarterly meeting of the Nevada Commission on Tourism.

The commission meeting has been postponed and has yet to be rescheduled.

About 400 people had preregistered for the event, a significant decline from previous conferences. The state alternates between Reno and Las Vegas as the host site. A 1998 conference in Las Vegas at the newly opened Bellagio drew more than 1,000 people.

Tourism industry leaders had wondered how Gibbons and Krolicki would be received at this year’s event.

Popular state tourism director Tim Maland resigned in mid-September after Gibbons said he had lost confidence in Maland’s ability to lead the state’s tourism efforts.

Industry insiders say Gibbons has somebody else he wants to lead the commission and the loss-of-confidence statement was the means used to put his pick in charge. Maland, who came from the private sector and said early on that he would only stay for as long as the job remained enjoyable, wanted no part of the politics and chose to leave.

Krolicki announced last week that he expects to be indicted soon for the alleged mishandling of state funds while he served as state treasurer prior to his election as lieutenant governor.

Krolicki says the accusations are false and politically motivated.