How Events and Venues Are Lending a Helping Hand In Times of Need
March 23, 2020
Cancelled trade shows and meetings are the harsh reality for convention centers across the country right now, but that hasn’t stopped many venues from turning their misfortune into charitable opportunities.
To help provide a little feel-good inspiration during this challenging time, read on to learn how events and venues impacted by COVID-19 are stepping up to provide immediate relief to those in-need in their local communities.
Greater Columbus Convention Center Feeds Nashville Tornado Victims
When COVID-19 virus concerns resulted in a March 5 order by the Ohio Department of Health prohibiting general spectators from attending the 200,000-person 2020 Arnold Sports Festival, the GCCC wanted to do something positive with more than a ton of mostly perishable food.
With many restaurants in Columbus donating leftover food to local charities, the GCCC opted to send its excess food to Nashville, which had suffered serious storm damage from a March 3 EF-4 tornado and related storms.
The GCCC’s Levy team members reached out to Mark Lloyd, Levy’s executive chef at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, who then connected them with Operation BBQ Relief to come up with a plan for delivering, preparing and serving the meals.
On the morning of March 6, a refrigerated truck and several GCCC chefs arrived at the Stadium, where more than 2,000 meals were prepared and served to storm victims and first responders the following evening.
“When the unique circumstances affecting the Arnold Sports Festival came to fruition, we were proud to be able to send excess food to assist Nashville residents impacted by true devastation while we focused our efforts on supporting the Arnold Sports Festival in its revised format,” explained GCCC General Manager John R. Page. “This special effort augments our catering partner’s existing charitable practice of providing food donations to food rescue locally throughout the year.”
Metro Toronto Convention Center Ups Its Food Donation Initiative
In the face of events being postponed or cancelled, the Metro Toronto Convention Centre has also been accelerating its existing food donation efforts to support the less fortunate within the Toronto community.
MTCC employees teamed up to donate approximately 1,500 meals from cancelled events to local charity partners including Margaret’s Housing, Good Shepherd, The Scott Mission and organizations that help at-risk people of all ages struggling with poverty, disability and/or homelessness.
“This donation would not have been possible without the dedication of our staff who worked diligently to prepare food items for delivery,” said Lorenz Hassenstein, MTCC president and CEO. “This initiative is part of our ongoing commitment to donate leftover food from events that support our community.”
Centerplate Helps Venue Partners Donate Unused Food
Centerplate’s culinary teams at convention centers throughout the U.S. – many of which already maintain active food donation programs – are helping facilities turn the crisis into an opportunity to provide support for the communities in which they serve. Here’s what several major venues have been doing since early March to make sure leftover food from cancelled events goes to those who need it most.
· Baltimore Convention Center
After the venue found itself with just under 3 tons of untouched food from recently cancelled events, BCC’s Centerplate team made quick work of donating fresh produce, bakery items, dairy, meats and beverages to New Life Food Pantry, Project PLASE Emergency Shelter, St. Vincent de Paul’s Beans and Bread homeless day resource program, and Helping Up Mission.
· Raleigh Convention Center
This facility worked with the Food Bank of Central and Eastern NC to donate 800 banquet-ready meals from two cancelled events to several local non-profits including the Pullen Memorial Baptist Church, the Raleigh Rescue Mission and Love Wins Community Engagement Center.
· Miami Beach Convention Center
The venue donated excess, unopened food from cancelled meetings and galas to local charities via Food Rescue US, a platform that matches last-minute food donations with volunteers who then pick up and deliver the items to local charities or those facing food insecurity.
This effort includes 1,000 pounds of already prepped food from Relate, a global user conference produced by Zendesk that cancelled its March 3-5 conference for 2,300 people. The Relate team had already been working with MBCC’s culinary team on a strategy to reduce its food waste, so the gourmet meals already had a place to land.
· Orange County Convention Center
To help promote the safety and well-being of its employees, OCC has developed a program to help full-time hourly employees who have been heavily impacted. During the week of March 16, the Centerplate Serves (community service effort) team, led by OCCC Executive Chef James Katurakes, rolled out an employee meal-packing event, which provided pre-packaged meal kits with up to $400 worth of groceries for full-time workers lacking the supplies they need.
· Colorado Convention Center
The Centerplate team in Denver has donated three pallets of Food to We Don’t Waste, one of the largest food recovery organizations in Colorado. The facility also put together 150 care packages for its staff to take home to their families and friends.
· Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center
Led by General Manager Roy Sheckles and Executive Chef David Skorka, the KBHCC donated about 5,000 pounds of food last week. The donations benefitted The Stewpot, which provides meals, casework services, children and youth programs and creative alternatives to Dallas residents experiencing homelessness and poverty, as well as to the City of Dallas Emergency Management Office and a mix of First Responder groups.
“Through close correspondence with local health departments and our global network of expert resources, we are implementing all the necessary protocols at each of the venues where we serve and giving back to the local community with prepared but unused food whenever we can,” said Paul Pettas, communications director for Centerplate. “We hope these donations will have a direct impact during these trying times.”
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Partner Voices
Less than six months ago, Lisa Messina joined the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) as the first-ever chief sales officer after leading the sales team at Caesars Entertainment. A 12-year Las Vegas resident, Messina is a graduate of Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration and serves on MPI International’s board of directors.
TSNN had a chance to catch up with this dynamic leader and talk to her about her vision for the new role, current shifts in the trade show industry, creating more diversity and equity within the organization, and advice to future female leaders.
Lisa Messina, Chief Sales Officer, LVCVA
With Las Vegas becoming The Greatest Arena on EarthTM, what are some of the things you’re most excited about in your role?
Our team was at The Big Game’s handoff ceremony earlier this month, and I couldn’t help but think, “We’re going to crush it next year!”
These high-profile events and venues not only drive excitement, but also provide unmatched opportunities for event planners. Allegiant Stadium hosts events from 10 to 65,000 people and offers on-field experiences. Formula 1 Grand Prix will take place in Las Vegas in November, after the year-one F1 race, the four-story paddock building will be available for buyouts and will also offer daily ride-along experiences that will be available for groups. And, of course, the MSG Sphere officially announced that it will open in September, ahead of schedule, with a U2 residency. It’s going to be the most technologically advanced venue as far as lighting, sound, feel, and even scent, and it will be available for buyouts and next-level sponsorships inside and outside. There’s no ceiling to what you can do when you’re doing events in Las Vegas.
Allegiant Stadium
As the trade show and convention business returns to the pre-pandemic levels, what shifts are you noticing and how do you think they will impact the industry going forward?
Our trade show organizers are very focused on driving customer experience. Most of our organizers are reporting stronger exhibitor numbers and increased numbers of new exhibitors, with trade shows proving to be almost or above 2019 levels. Now our organizers are really doubling down on driving attendance and focusing on the data to provide that individualized, customized experience to help attendees meet their goals and get the best value. Some companies continue to be cautiously optimistic with their organizational spend when it comes to sending attendees, but I think it will continue to improve. As the U.S. Travel Association makes more progress on the U.S. visa situation, we also expect a growing influx of international attendees.
What are some innovative ways the LVCVA helps trade show and convention organizers deliver the most value for their events?
We focus on customer experience in the same way that trade show organizers are thinking about it. We got rave reviews with the West Hall Expansion of the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC), so over the next two years, we will be renovating the North and the Central halls, which will include not just the same look and feel, but also the digital experiences that can be leveraged for branding and sponsorship opportunities.
Vegas Loop, the underground transportation system designed by The Boring Company, is also a way we have enhanced the customer experience. Vegas Loop at the LVCC has transported more than 900,000 convention attendees across the campus since its 2021 launch. Last summer, Resorts World and The Boring Company opened the first resort stop at the Resorts World Las Vegas , with plans to expand throughout the resort corridor, including downtown Las Vegas, Allegiant Stadium and Harry Reid International Airport. The LVCVA also purchased the Las Vegas Monorail in 2020, the 3.9-mile-long elevated transportation system that connects eight resorts directly to the convention center campus. This is the only rail system in the world that integrates fares directly into show badges and registration. For trade show organizers, these transportation options mean saving time, money and effort when it comes to moving groups from the hotels to LVCC and around the city.
Also, the more we can focus on building the infrastructure around the convention center, the more it supports the customer experience and ultimately supports our trade show organizers. Scheduled to debut in Q4, Fontainebleau Las Vegas will offer 3,700 hotel rooms and 550,000 square feet of meeting and convention space next to LVCC.
What are some of the plans for advancing DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) within your organization?
We’re currently partnering with instead of working with a leading consulting firm, to lay the foundation and create a solid DEI plan and be the leader when it comes to DEI initiatives. The heart of that journey with the consulting firm is also talking to our customers about their strategic approaches to DEI and driving innovation in this space.
What are your favorite ways to recharge?
My husband and I have an RV and we’re outdoorsy people. So, while we have over 150,000 world-class hotel rooms and renowned restaurants right outside our doorstep, one of my favorite things to do is get out to Red Rock Canyon, the Valley of Fire, and Lake Mead. Five of the top national parks are within a three-hour drive from Las Vegas, so there’s a lot you can do. We love balancing the energy of Las Vegas with nature, and we’re noticing that a lot of attendees add activities off the Strip when they come here.
Valley of Fire
What advice would you give to women following leadership paths in destination marketing?
I think it’s about being laser-focused on what you want to accomplish; building a team around you that lifts you and helps you achieve your goals; and being humble and realizing that you do it as a group. No one gets this done alone. Thankfully, there are a lot of women in leadership in this organization, in our customers’ organizations, and in this city that we can be really proud of. We’re a formidable force that is making things happen.
This interview has been edited and condensed.
This article is exclusively sponsored by the Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority. For more information, visit HERE.
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