YORK, PA - The York County Convention & Visitors Bureau extends good luck wishes to the aspiring lawyers visiting York next week to complete the Pennsylvania Bar Exam administered at the York Expo Center's Utz Arena from July 26-27. 

About 1,150 applicants from Philadelphia, central Pennsylvania, New Jersey and elsewhere are expected to travel to York County for the exam, bringing a mid-summer spark to our community. It's expected that York County will enjoy an estimated $1.2 million in total economic benefits related to hosting the exam. 

Landing the event is a testament to York County's versatile and impressive meeting facilities, especially the state-of-the-art Utz Arena. 

The York Expo Center left an impression on Gicine Brignola, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Board of Law Examiners, after her niece's volleyball team played in a tournament there. 

That familiarity helped when the Board had to quickly relocate this July's exam because of the impending Democratic National Convention, which would have made it difficult to administer the exam in Philadelphia as originally planned. 

"Our goal was to find a facility able to meet our requirements in as close proximity as possible to the applicants and the original venue. Being familiar with the York Expo Center was a fantastic help," Brignola said. "The venue's amenities have proved a perfect fit for what we need to conduct a secure exam. Administering the Pennsylvania Bar Exam isn't like a traditional trade show. We need a tremendous amount of space, the ability to run electricity to applicants' computers, extraordinarily bright lighting, plenty of lodging options and ample parking. That's not easy to accommodate, but the Utz Arena and York County offer the total package."

Laura Gurreri, Sales Director for the YCCVB, said attracting the exam demonstrates the halo effect of tourism.

"We know that when people visit York County - whether it's for a sporting event, a bus tour or convention - it's our chance to make a strong first impression," Gurreri said. "This event is a perfect example of how one visit can lead to another. When we have that kind of ripple effect, our entire community reaps the rewards of repeat business."

The York County Convention & Visitors Bureau's Mission is to maximize tourism expenditures and their economic impact in York County, PA, through comprehensive tourism sales and marketing programs. The York County CVB's Vision is for a York County where tourism is recognized for the value of its economic impact and its role in raising the profile of York County as a sought-after destination. For more information on the York County Convention & Visitors Bureau, call 1-888-858-9675 or visit www.yorkpa.org.

 

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