(Editor’s note: This is Part 2 of an interview with Kevin Molloy, Lancaster County Convention Center Authority
Executive Director)
By R.V. Baugus
When Kevin Molloy hears from other venues that they are not eligible to receive assistance on the CARES Act program, he channels his inner Lee Corso, one of the voices on television’s College Football Game Day: Not so fast, my friend!
“I’ve had an education in this,” Molloy noted. “Whether the state gets the money or your county gets the money 
makes a big difference. When the state gets the money most of those sitations they are using it for hospitals, education, supplement unemployment benefits, so there is nothing left after they do that.
“That’s frustrating because they’re not getting down to the level of Main Street USA. I understand it but this is usually the policy. The second problem is those counties that did get it were pretty much subject to the political whims of that county.
“My slant on this, though, is that means we as an industry have blind spots in educating our local officials to understand what the tax in your community can do. During COVID-19 we volunteered to the state, you need a medical station, we’re here, if you need a testing station, we’re here, if you need a warehouse, we’re here, so we kept ourselves relevant in the conversation in this. Our ability is an economic driver, which is essential and another thing I wanted to point out.”
Indeed, Molloy and his team deserve extra credit for successfully thrusting themselves into the conversation when it comes to “essential” and any of the funding that ties in to those specific needs. Speaking of essential, Molloy said that every public assembly venue must do its own economic impact study to even have an opportunity at getting a piece of the financial pie.
“I have been advocating for the last 20 years that every building has got to do their own economic impact study,” he said. “By doing that, not only can we benchmark how we are doing compared to others and I don’t mean that in a we’re good, you’re bad, but in a way you can evaluate yourselves. Such as, hey, my utility charges are a lot higher than yours, or in my case I don’t have my own F&B or parking, therefore we have to be subsidized because when the city and county gave away parking to a local company and F&B to another, you’ve tied my hands behind my back.
“By doing that we recognized that the convention piece brings $30 million in economic benefits to a community in Lancaster County of 500,000 people. That’s all I’m saying. It doesn’t mean we’re bad, just that our economics does not allow that to happen. That beautiful park you have downtown? Believe it or not, that costs a lot of money. Those quality of life and things you need in a community cost.”
As the advocacy efforts have played out from IAVM to its members, Molloy noted once again that sitting on the sideline does absolutely no good for anyone.
“I’m only treading water when I started this process,” he said. “It wasn’t until I got an email from (IAVM President/CEO) Brad Mayne giving me templates to send out to my senators and my congressmen. Brad turned that around within a day. A few days later (then IAVM Chair) Tammy Koolbeck is reaching out in one of the Town Halls. So when we hear these things sometimes it is like, oh, that doesn’t pertain to me but the truth is they all do. A building manager I recently spoke to was like, oh, we’ll get to it, but then they realize they need CARES Act funding and they’re spinning their wheels trying to get things going and they’re calling me asking how I got my funding and I tell them, hey, your guys were on the phone call with me trying to talk to the senators. You guys should be as far along as I am.
“The thing is they were going through the motions and weren’t really communicating with their own organizations. I’m not besmirching but trying to say that sometimes we miss the big picture. Listen when Tammy is making those calls or Brad is making those statements. Together, that’s how we get things done. We don’t just turn on a switch and be an advocate. We need to be advocates 365 days a year and that’s what Brad and Tammy have been saying, so we need to isten a little better when they say that.”
Molloy said it is especially for smaller venues to speak up, those which correctly make up the majority of the IAVM membership.
“The big name cities are highly recognized,” he said. “I probably have Napoleon’s syndrome. I’ve always said you have more smaller venues than you have buigger venues as members. If the little guys like us can get this done then everyone else can.
“Here’s an interesting side angle on that. There was a meeting in Philadelphia with Destinations International and IAVM to talk about what was the right economic impact study, metholodogies to be done, and when they put out the same data they came out close. I learned a very valuable lesson. The only buildings at the table are those buildings that have staff that they can dedicate to that. Us little guys can’t be at that level because as an executive director I can tell you I was licking envelopes at the conference table yesterday.
“My point is it is hard to really level the surface at the table with them. We’re grateful they have the resources that can help us get along but that’s why we don’t get the attention even though you get the membership dollars from the smaller guys.”
Molloy says this while not complaining about his lot in life working in Lancaster. In fact, he would have it no other way for his own career.
“People will ask why I don’t go to work in a bigger building. To be quite honest, I like to know the name of everybody who works in the building and let them know my name,” he said. “I want to be able to talk to them on eveyy level. It’s those relationships that I really enjoy in this whole thing. I know where my niche is. I don’t need to be in a bigger building to get quality of life. This is where I felt I can make my best difference.”
Molloy has been at his venue now for 12 years and is a true champion for the “little guys” in the venue world. He would have it no other way.
