Eight hundred fifty guests of Columbus State University who are members of the International Double Reed Society bid farewell tomorrow night for the conclusion of the society's five-day conference hosted in downtown Columbus.

The IDRS, a worldwide organization of double reed musicians, instrument manufacturers and enthusiasts, will present its Final Gala Orchestral Concert beginning at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, June 30 in the Bill Heard Theatre at the RiverCenter for the Performing Arts. Public admission is offered with the purchase of a $20 souvenir program book.

This was the society’s first-ever gathering in Georgia. Previous conference locales include Tokyo, New York University and Birmingham Conservatoire, England.

The IDRS Conference brought nearly 850 visitors to CSU’s RiverPark campus, including 650 guests in hotels around town. It is one more example of CSU’s profound economic impact on its local community.

Last month, a study conducted by the Selig Center for Economic Growth at the University of Georgia estimated CSU’s regional economic impact is $263.5 million. A 2015 study by CSU professor Ben Blair, the Sarah T. Butler Distinguished University Chair in Business and Finance and director of the Butler Center for Business and Economic Research in CSU’s Turner College of Business, estimated the economic impact of CSU’s RiverPark campus alone is $21 million annually.

“We're all proud of the facilities we call home in the RiverCenter and the Saunders Center for Music Studies,” said Scott Harris, director of CSU’s Schwob School of Music. “With great faculty and staff members and a vibrant city surrounding our RiverPark campus, it's a real treat to share those resources and put them on display, as it were, for an international audience.”

The conference, which began Sunday, June 26, serves as an opportunity for the world’s best oboe and bassoon players to showcase their talents in a series of public performances every evening. It is also an excellent opportunity for CSU’s double reed graduate students and student volunteers to gain experience running an international conference, Harris said.