CLEVELAND, Ohio – Thousands of college basketball players tied to NCAA tournaments will be heading to Indianapolis in March, as well as the coaching staff, family, the media, and more.

It is an event that cannot occur in Cleveland or anywhere in Ohio and that continues to be subject to strict coronavirus-related crowd gathering limits. In Ohio, indoor gatherings are limited to a maximum of 300 people, regardless of the size of the venue.

Numerous leaders in the state’s travel and tourism industry have worked with the Ohio government, Mike DeWine, to raise the limit – or at least link the size of the gathering to the size of the venue – so that event planners can move into the summer better advice and fall if the meeting and event industry is expected to slowly resume.

Ron King, general manager of the Huntington Convention Center in Cleveland, said meeting planners are canceling events in Cleveland due to government restrictions and uncertainty about how many people can attend, among other things.

“I have over 200,000 square feet of exhibition space – to say that I can only have 300 people is a little strange for me,” said King. “It’s very frustrating not to know what the future holds.”

Granted, not all of this frustration is directed towards government regulations. It’s also frustrating to know when the pandemic will wear off, how quickly vaccines will be distributed, and when people will want to return to major events.

However, King is certain: the convention center is ready to hold safe events as soon as it is allowed.

Empty convention centers

The Cleveland Convention Center – and the centers in Columbus, Cincinnati, and other Ohio cities – have been largely empty since last March when they were forced to close abruptly due to COVID.

The same does not apply to convention centers in other countries.

Some states – Michigan, Maryland, and Illinois, for example – have even stricter restrictions on crowd gathering than Ohio. Others, including Florida, Georgia, and Iowa, have no restrictions at all, according to data Northstar Meetings Group.

In Indianapolis, Marion County Health Department must approve plans for major events. The department has not yet decided whether spectators will be allowed in when the NCAA brings their entire March Madness tournament to town in March, including 68 men’s teams plus coaches, staff and more.

Games and practice sessions are held in locations across the region, including the Indiana Convention Center.

And before the basketball tournament begins, several volleyball tournaments with thousands of participants and a gymnastics event will take place in the center.

In Cleveland, all events at the convention center were canceled through March, although some events are still on the books for April, including Today’s Cleveland Bride Wedding Show.

Today’s Bride vice president Jennifer Fyffe said she hopes the rules for the state rally are relaxed ahead of its April 10-11 event. If this is not the case, the event may need to be spread over several days and venues to meet the 300-person limit.

Last year the event drew 8,000 participants to the IX Center over two days. This year’s event will be smaller and simpler, with timed tickets, one-way streets, and a lack of popular features like fashion shows.

“We have the experience to do this safely,” said Fyffe, equating the event with a retail experience rather than a large gathering.

A spokesman for Ohio Governor Mike DeWine did not directly respond when asked if the state is considering changes to its borders for crowd gathering. “There is a variance process that entertainment venues can request,” said spokesman Dan Tierney.

Last month, the Cleveland Cavaliers managed to get a deviation from the state to accommodate 1,944 viewers for home games at the Rocket Mortage FieldHouse.

The Cavs asked the state this week raise that limit to nearly 5,000.

However, King said it wasn’t practical for any potential event planner to seek a derogation from state rules. “If we have to go through this process and don’t know the outcome, convention customers can’t be sure that their event can take place,” he said.

King is confident that the center – with over 400,000 square feet of meeting and exhibition space – can safely accommodate a group of more than 300 people. He advocates limits tied to the size of the venue – perhaps a percentage of the maximum capacity many other states require.

“We all want a safe environment,” he said. “I don’t want to be an organization that is being recognized for hosting a super spreader event. Customers don’t want that either. “

He added, “I am jeopardizing my reputation and my facility. You better believe that it will be done in an extremely safe way. “

Improvements in the center

He noted that the facility recently invested $ 2.2 million in equipment to make the center safer, including HVAC upgrades, antimicrobial handrails on escalators, no-touch toilet door openers, and more.

For the past few months, Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court has been conducting legal proceedings at the Global Center for Health Innovation, which is part of the Convention Center.

King said he was grateful for the income and the activities – “they keep our lights on” – but conventions and meetings are needed to get the region’s economy going again.

In 2019, the economic impact of the facility’s 204 events was estimated at $ 186 million – that is, hotel stays, restaurant meals, taxi rides, and more.

“The ability to host and hold larger meetings and events safely will be key to economic recovery,” said Joe Savarise, executive director of the Ohio Hotel & Lodging Association.

He added: “We have to think ahead. We need to give the meeting planners the ability to do this safely. “

Hotel occupancy in the city, particularly in downtown Cleveland, decreased in the last year, in large part due to the near-complete loss of group travel. Hotel occupancy in the city center was 31% in 2020, compared to 68% in 2019.

King said he was hoping for a turnaround from the third quarter, possibly triggered by a successful NFL draft, which will take place in Cleveland from April 29 to May 1.

Details of the event draft, including visitor information, have not been released, although it definitely won’t be the 200,000-plus party that was earlier drafts in Nashville and Philadelphia.

Still, King said, it will put Cleveland in the spotlight. “It could be a real starting point for the City of Cleveland to get back to business,” he said. Provided, of course, that more than 300 people are allowed to participate.

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