Daniel P. McConaghy | R.I. Convention Center Authority executive director
There’s a popular phrase in the college basketball universe: Survive and advance.
It’s about using the tools you have to find a path to success, even when the circumstances are less than ideal. Rhode Island’s hospitality and tourism sector epitomized that mindset during the COVID-19 crisis. By repurposing our resources, adapting to the reality in front of us and trusting our respective teams, we as an industry have made it through the hard part.
Serving at the epicenter of the statewide COVID-19 response, the R.I. Convention Center Authority assembled more than 700,000 test kits, administered 257,000 COVID-19 tests, gave more than 500 patients a safe place to recover and dispensed nearly 120,000 vaccines.
We certainly weren’t alone. From restaurants and municipal leaders working together to quickly pivot to safe, consumer-friendly outdoor environments, to local theaters and cultural centers finding ways to entertain subscribers over Zoom, the entire industry showcased ingenuity and hard work in order to stay relevant during an exceptionally difficult time.
Now, as we continue on the path toward normalcy, it’s time for our industry to get back to what we do best, while keeping a keen eye on changes in consumers’ behavior. In a post-pandemic world, this means we will have to provide more-nimble meeting spaces, progressive services and state-of-the-art facilities.
Business will not be as we once knew it, so it is incumbent on us to reimagine our services and tailor our offerings to our clients’ new needs.