The Qwest Arena has been exceeding expectations, hosting several big concerts in its first year. The numbers are not as impressive on the convention side but those in the know say that the future looks bright.

"Pheasant Fest 2005" opened Friday. It's the biggest convention of the season in a year that's been labeled a bear market for the convention business.

In spite of that, the optimists are predicting that the bull is just around the corner.

If you haven't been to the Pheasants Forever website lately, you're probably unaware that you live in the Pheasant Capital of the World. That's the billing that Omaha gets for January 14-16 while the convention is in town.

The national Pheasant Fest is a hybrid of sorts. There are daylong seminars for the avid enthusiasts and there's a consumer show for the others.

Approximately 1,500 people will focus on "The Artistry of Wild Game Cooking" while an estimated 25,000 will check out the rest of the place.

There's one constant here, whether you live in the country or city.

Bob St. Pierre, with Pheasants Forever says, "Whether you're in Humboldt, Nebraska, or Minneapolis, Minnesota, you understand your kids' drinking water. And it's what we're about. We're all about conservation."

The city set aside 1,800 hotel rooms for convention goers and as of Friday, all but two had been booked.

The Convention and Visitors Bureau calls that a positive sign, especially considering organizers book conventions two to three years in advance.

The bureau's Dana Markel says, "We came off a banner year of booking in '04. It makes '06, '07, '08 look very good."