(Editor’s Note: The following is a Q&A with Jeff Johnson, Executive Director of the Minneapolis Convention Center [MCC]. Like other convention centers around the country, his addresses the issues of opening back up to new standards as a result of COVID-19.)

By Kathy McCarthy​

What new policies and procedures has the MCC implemented to reassure visitors of a safe and healthy experience MCC Plaza Redesign in the COVID era?

The MCC has always been known for its professional staff that provide great service and implements industry leading policies and procedures. Our cleaning practices have been a hallmark of our success and something that clients and attendees historically rate as a competitive advantage for the MCC. We are taking our cleaning to a higher level and have implemented more sanitation components to our cleaning. Our information can be found on our website for specifics.

We also created our operational plan to comply with the Stay Safe MN Plan. The details can be found here. Our staff has redrawn room sets based on physical distancing guidelines for all of our spaces, and we have redesigned how attendees interact with our building through signage and crowd management resources. As part of our plan, each client must work with MCC staff to create an approved COVID-19 plan. This plan will be implemented in conjunction with our overall plan and gives us the flexibility to serve each event’s individual needs. Health screenings, the mask mandate, and controlled entrances are the headlines, but many other plans address how we will work to keep everyone safe.

During this unplanned slowdown, you’ve completed some major projects that will make a big splash once the MCC reopens. Can you tell us about them?

Our most stunning project to the outside world is our renovation of the MCC Plaza which sits just across the street from our facility. This new outdoor space will be more welcoming, more event ready and more sustainably appropriate for our campus. New lighting will help keep the space bright and inviting. Seating will be placed closer to our main entrance and consist of more movable, social pieces that help our guests continue their networking and relationship building outside of our walls. It will also serve as a better event space with increased electrical distribution and improved flat space for catering, production and socialization. The space will also be more sustainable with a new pollinator meadow with wildflowers, and all of our new plantings will be irrigated from rain water collected from our roof.

Our most visible inside project is the new terrazzo floor that now spans the entire first level. The new floor has a more modern design that complements the many updates that have been made to our facility and it will be more durable. Within the terrazzo are inlayed images of activities that residents of Minneapolis enjoy in our great city. Sailing, fishing, snow shoeing, cross country skiing, plus other activities give our floor some Minneapolis personality while also acting as wayfinding markers for our large venue.

Over the last several years, the convention center has made a huge commitment to reducing our energy usage, and 100% of our electricity usage is offset by renewable resources either through our larger solar array or through a wind energy program with Xcel Energy. The MCC has also reduced its electrical consumption by 15% through conservation techniques like installing LED lighting. This year we were able replace all lighting in our 87 meeting rooms with LED lights. This saves energy and will provide more consistent, dimmable lighting in the space at a more appealing color temperature.

What are some of the trends in meeting preparedness that you have discussed with some of your peers in convention center world?

Obviously, one trend that all meetings and convention centers are dealing with is safety. Not only is this safety from the pandemic, but it is also travel safety during a time of civil unrest across the country. Meet Minneapolis and the convention center have been very proactive in discussing these issues with our clients and providing answers to their public safety questions on the Meet Minneapolis website.

Technology is rushing into our marketplace, and it is difficult to know what technology is a good investment and which is not a long-lasting solution. Security and screening technology along with cleaning technology are the most talked about areas, but other technologies that help with virtual registration, timed ticketing and queuing may be just as important. How we use our building – especially our public lobbies – will be a challenge going forward that may need technology to solve it.

The single most talked about trend is the challenge for all convention centers with a complete collapse of our funding models. Most convention centers are funded through a combination of operating revenues and hospitality-based use taxes. As events cancel, operating revenue dissolves. As travel and activity evaporates, the taxing mechanism fails to provide the needed funds to pay for the infrastructure a large facility like a convention center needs. The MCC has been in a really strong financial position for decades which has helped us weather the storm in 2020. Most convention centers do not have the same situation. If this double whammy of revenue shortfalls persists through 2021, even the strongest convention centers will face serious financial challenges especially related to debt payments. Many in our industry are worried and looking to state and federal agencies for help.

You have often referred to the MCC as a relationship building. What ways can the MCC be a catalyst for bringing our community and nation back together for meetings and events?

There is no better time for human beings to take the time to listen and learn about each other’s lives and challenges. The pandemic has forced us into solitude while confining us to our small familial/friend groups that tend to be homogenous. It is only when we step outside what is comfortable, to learn about others, that our minds and actions can grow and change. There are some really tough challenges and discussions ahead. These discussions don’t work well over a video call. The true emotion and feeling that you get from the presence of another human being brings understanding of their situation and allows you to show your own humanity. I believe that human beings need to be together for art, sports, music, entertainment, work, learning, and growth. Once it is safe again, I hope the MCC can be a gathering place for understanding as we strive to help foster change in our country. Relationships that we build with our guests and clients as service professionals will bring confidence to those that are ready to return to in-person meetings. It is critical that our building helps build those broader relationships in our country and community.

What does the future hold for the MCC in the next 8-12 month?

I wish that I knew the answer. So much changes each day, and we seem to be fighting a battle with the unknown. We continue to plan for hosting large events. Realistically, it will be a slow return towards something closer to normal. Many of our events have moved to a future date so the near term is not positive, but next year could see decent event activity. The economy and the confidence of attendees to return to in-person meetings will really depend on so many factors, leading with a viable vaccine. Fortunately, we still have great demand for the future and groups wanting to continue to host their events at the Minneapolis Convention Center. The road to that future may take a while, but I feel strongly that Minneapolis is a great hospitality city that will only become a better destination for meetings.

Kathy McCarthy​ is Director of Public Relations and Communications Meet Minneapolis, Convention & Visitors Association.

 

Your Foundation Proudly Presents
The 30|UNDER|30 Class of 2020 Spotlight
Sponsored by Ungerboeck 

Rachel M. Austin
Social Media & Digital Marketing Manager at Target Center

Rachel Austin is the Social Media & Digital Marketing Manager at Target Center in Minneapolis, MN. Rachel’s favorite part of this business is telling a venue’s story and building their brand voice, as well as connecting with guests on social media and hearing their favorite event memories.

When asked what being named to the 30|UNDER|30 Class of 2020 meant to her, she replied, “When I found out I had been chosen to be part of this year’s IAVM 30|UNDER|30 class, I was shocked and honored. While this year has been challenging on multiple levels for everyone in our industry, receiving this award motivates me to work even harder to support, promote and execute the highest quality live events for our guests once our world starts to open back up again.”

Join your Foundation in congratulating Rachel on being honored as one of the 30|UNDER|30 Class of 2020! Don’t forget to check back with us each Thursday as we spotlight another honoree!

JustOne Campaign: The annual recruitment campaign gives IAVM’s volunteer leaders the opportunity to recruit one new member as the official launch begins today, September 1 through December 31, 2020. Who makes up the IAVM Leadership? The IAVM Board of Directors, Foundation Board of Trustees, Regents, Governors, Committees and Task Forces spread the word about the value of IAVM membership.

IAVM’s members believe in the networking, engagement, professional development, research and information, and mentoring resources that the Association provides. These are solid reasons to tell our story to potential new members. Let’s expand the IAVM family which now stands at 7,200+ members globally. 

Last year’s JustOne campaign ended on December 31, 2019 and resulted in 95 new members. Your leadership and commitment to IAVM’s growth is evident in the results!

GOAL: Today, we have 298 individuals involved in IAVM’s governance. If everyone just one new member it will give us 100% participation by our leadership in 2020-2021, potentially adding another 298 new members.

Why is this important? IAVM’s governance is working hard to identify the next round of leaders that will propel IAVM into the future and new heights, but more importantly, provide you with expanded connections to give you more vibrant experiences and discussions at our schools and conferences, face-to-face and virtually. By having a larger more diverse network, everyone benefits.  

REWARD: The Board, Committee, Council or Task force and individual that refers the most members will be recognized at VenueConnect 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia.

To receive credit for your new member, ask your referral to complete these fields in the online membership application*:

• How did you hear about IAVM – Enter “JustOne” and the committee you want to receive credit; important if you serve on multiple committees
  • Example: JustOne-Membership Committee
     
• If a person referred you, provide name:
  • Example: Stacey Church, Membership Committee

*The applicant will save the one-time initiation fee of $150 if they enter ‘JustOne’ in the promotion code field of the Professional or Allied Membership Applications. New members only

JustOne affords you the opportunity to help someone reach their potential and have access to resources that ensures their success. Encourage your colleague, star employee, customer, etc. to become a part of our community. Encourage them to become an IAVM member. So, get your competitive juices flowing and help us meet our goal, 298 volunteers connecting 298 new members with IAVM.

Questions, contact Member Services at 972.906.7441 and ask for Gina Brydson and Robin Covington.

By ESTA

ESTA is proud to help raise awareness of the dire need for Congress to both pass the RESTART Act (S.3814), which would extend the Paycheck Protection Program and establish SBA loan guarantees for certain businesses, and extend the Pandemic Unemployment Act. These measures will help our industry, which is on Red Alert for its very survival. That is why we need your help to spread the word about #RedAlertRESTART.

To call attention to the deep financial plight of the Live Event Industry, a nationwide event will take place on Tuesday, September 1st, 2020, from 9 pm-midnight. As of now, around 1,500 buildings across North America will be lit in red as a show of support for the Live Events Industry. We hope this message will help that number grow. The goal is create congressional pressure to act now. Once a robust $35 billion industry, the Live Events business was the first to close and will be the last to re-open, forever changing the lives of those involved.

#WeMakeEvents, #RedAlertRESTART and #ExtendPUA represent a major call to action, imploring the US Congress to pass the RESTART Act (S.3814) as quickly as possible, offering economic relief to the Live Events Industry which has been shuttered since March, 2020. Additionally, the movement is to support ExtendPUA.org in their efforts towards continuation and extension of the Pandemic Unemployment Act.

The North American event was inspired by the August 11th event #WeMakeEvents Red Alert Day Of Action, when over 700 buildings were lit in red across the UK. That event, organized by PLASA (https://www.plasa.org/we-make-events/), called attention to the same plight facing the Live Events Industry there.

As wedding halls, theaters, concert tours, festivals, opera houses, trade shows remain closed (or open on a very limited basis) and live events as well as film and television production continue to be canceled, the entire industry is impacted, from designers, technicians, programmers, and stagehands to rental shops, manufacturers, and distributors of entertainment technology.

Please share this message far and wide and join by lighting your house red and posting on social media. Attached is a graphic you may also use on your website or social media channels. This is our opportunity to show the world the scale of what it really takes to make events possible.

For information about joining the event and lighting your building red, please contact: WeMakeEventsNorthAmerica@gmail.com.

By R.V. Baugus

The fresh images are now coming in more than 24 hours after Hurricane Laura arrived on-shore in Louisiana and caused major damage to the city of Lake Charles and throughout other communities. Six people have so far died in Louisiana, while in Lake Charles four IAVM members are represented at two venues, the Burton Coliseum Complex and the Lake Charles Civic Center, whose roof collapsed from the onslaught.

Just 12 hours or so before the Category 4 hurricane arrived, I was able to reach out by email to IAVM member Jimmy Pottorff, manager of the Civic Center. As anyone who is preparing to experience a potentially traumatic event knows, it is often the anticipation and the build-up that is the hardest to deal with. In this case, everyone was fairly certain that this would be a major hurricane, and certainly Pottorff was among that group.

“Thank you for reaching out, we are staying at the facility as a staging area for emergency responders and public works. Ask me again about 3 am this morning how it’s going … lol. We have prepared as much as we can; now comes the stressful hurry up and wait.”

As we now know, by 3 am the venue did not resemble what it looked like just 12 hours earlier. To see dramatic video of the damage to the Civic Center, please click here.

Jason Barnes, Director of the Burton Coliseum Complex, shared on Thursday in the aftermath that he and his staff evacuated the day before as did his staff.

“From what I have been able to assess looking at pictures and video and talking to others, Laura was by far the worst hurricane to hit our area,” he said. “This says a lot since Hurricanes Rita and Ike both impacted Southwest Louisiana in the past 15 years. Destruction is wide-spread. Thankfully, the storm surge wasn’t nearly as bad as what was forecast, but the winds associated with this storm more than made up for it.

“Regarding our facility, I’m told that it held up well under the circumstances. I was most concerned with our coliseum, but from the outside the structure looks intact. There is damage to our other buildings, but not extensive. We’re fortunate.

“Jimmy’s facility took on considerable damage, based on what I have seen in social media. I’m trying to reach him to check in, but it’s still difficult with communications out here. We’re all thinking about him and his team over there.”

Barnes’ venue will now transition as a post-storm incident structure with the State operating the venue for search-and-rescue response and also working towards returning evacuees back to the community.

“Our electric utility provider, Entergy, has designated two of our largest parking lots to serve as the ‘home base’ for all electricians and support staff solely working to restore power to our area,” Barnes said. “They will be bringing 1,000 line trucks, too. We will also be assisting State Farm as a fueling hub for all of their adjusters to utilize.”

In closing, Barnes knows that he has friends in the IAVM family.

“Many thanks to our friends at IAVM for always being there for us in times like these.”

We will be updating on Hurricane Laura and ask at this time for the IAVM family to keep all impacted throughout the country in your thoughts.

Photo: Devastation in Lake Charles, Louisiana.