By Ken Alltucker
Enquirer staff writer

The Veterans of Foreign Wars convention did more than fix the nation's political spotlight on Cincinnati. It also injected an estimated $19.6 million into the area's economy.

The weeklong convention ends today after giving a much-needed boost to Cincinnati's convention business, which has struggled to overcome an economic boycott, a lackluster economy and disruption because of construction of the convention center's expansion.

Throngs of veterans and their families purchased souvenirs, slept in downtown hotels and filled the seats of restaurants that reported brisk business day and night.

"It's like a rerun of a great old movie," said Gary Wachs, general manager of the Garfield Suites Hotel.

Bruce Campanello said it's been at least a year since his family-owned Italian restaurant at the southwestern edge of downtown has enjoyed such a constant flow of business. His wait staff was constantly wiping down the checkered tablecloths and serving fresh bread and pasta for the next batch of hungry veterans.

"There are people at the convention who we've been here every day this week," Campanello said. "It's word-of-mouth and repeat customers."

As merchants stay busy today serving veterans and tallying sales receipts, the Greater Cincinnati Convention and Visitors Bureau estimates the convention generated 14,093 hotel room night bookings.

That ranks the VFW meeting as Cincinnati's largest convention since July 2000, when the African Methodist Episcopal Church convention generated 28,350 hotel room night bookings.

Other large conventions have included Dealer News Powersport Expo in 1996 (8,182 room bookings), the International Society of Fire Service Instructors in 1994 (16,874 room bookings), and the National Square Dance Convention in 1992 (22,750 room bookings).

Downtown businesses weren't the only ones kept fat and happy by the veterans. Suburban hotels were busy, too.

The 235-room Embassy Suites Hotel in Blue Ash this week was completely booked. Though no veterans made reservations at the hotel, general manager Gary Porteous believes the VFW convention indirectly helped fill his hotel because of a general lack of available hotel rooms in the region over the last week.

"We can call it the ripple effect," Porteous said.

Northern Kentucky hoteliers also shared in the bounty. Riverfront hotels enjoyed near-capacity bookings from the VFW convention and two smaller meetings.

About 600 attended last weekend's Catholic Order of Foresters meeting at Northern Kentucky's convention center. Another 400 veterans arrived this week for a VFW piggyback convention called the Military Order of the Cooties, said Pat Frew, spokesman for the Northern Kentucky Convention and Visitors Bureau.

The Black Family Reunion will bring more downtown visitors this weekend.

"The last couple of weeks have been good for the whole community," said Dan Fay, president of Commonwealth Hotels.

"I don't think the industry has totally recovered yet. We've had periods where we've fallen, and there have been periods of a lot of vacancy. Now there's a generally positive outlook."

E-mail kalltucker@enquirer.com