On the morning of March 11, thousands of young athletes from across the Northeast were packing their bags for a trip to Providence. They were heading here for Varsity Spirit Fest, a competitive cheerleading competition that would bring 10,000 people into Rhode Island, mostly girls and their families. They would have dined, shopped and stayed in the area, leaving a trail of cash and glitter behind them. All told, the revenue from direct spending because of the event was projected to be $2.7 million.
By the end of March 11, dreams would be dashed – theirs and mine – when the R.I. Convention Center closed and the event was canceled.
The Providence Warwick Convention & Visitors Bureau is responsible for bringing meetings, conventions and sporting events to Rhode Island, as well as attracting leisure tourists to the Providence area. In fiscal 2019, my team booked 284 events for future years, with an estimated impact of $87 million in direct spending for Rhode Island. Hotel occupancy had been strong for the past several years, even with four new hotels opening in the Providence/Warwick market and more on the way. On March 11, business was booming and we had big plans.
By March 25, we were struggling to survive intact.
It is strange to advocate for policies that may kill your business, but strange is the new normal in the days of COVID-19. I was born and have lived most of my life in Rhode Island. I love this state so much that my whole livelihood revolves around touting its charms. The idea that this silent and sneaky disease could worm its way into Rhode Island scared me. Like everyone else in the close-knit hospitality and tourism community, I accepted the closures and cancellations as inevitable. I continue to support Gov. Gina M. Raimondo’s decisions.
It would all be easier if there was someone to blame.
Tourism fell first and will recover last. The restaurants were the first wave. I watched all the places I love shut down and I grieved with their staff. We built a massive directory of takeout options on our website. I bought dinners to go. I donated to GoFundMe causes. I worried. The hotels came next. Distraught general managers laid off hundreds of people, either temporarily closing their doors or operating with a skeleton crew. I worried more.
We took the next hit. Once it was announced that the convention center would become a hospital, I knew I wouldn’t survive at status quo. The PWCVB is primarily funded by hotel tax revenue and, without meetings and conventions all summer and possibly the fall, we would receive little revenue for six to nine months. As a 501(c)(6), agencies such as mine weren’t eligible for the Paycheck Protection Program. I had no options. I slashed my budget.
I laid off 18 of my 25 staff members. These are talented people. I adore them. For 15 years, I had worked alongside many of them. I had mentored some of them. I had celebrated and grieved with them. I know the names of their kids and their dogs. I called each one of them and laid them off. I pray I can get them back.
As of now, the impact of the loss of meetings, conventions and sporting events booked by the PWCVB is $31.2 million in direct spending for canceled events and an additional $11.8 million in postponed business. On top of that $43 million, the news that events of 50 or more will be prohibited further impacts our hotel, event venue and food-service partners. We’ve begun trying to tally those losses. At just three large Rhode Island hotels, the combined impact is $6.5 million.
It would all be easier if there was someone to blame, but there’s no villain. The community is doing its part to keep restaurants afloat and many have pledged to take “staycations” at local hotels. Hotels are among the hardest hit in our industry and will need that kind of local support. Every elected official and state agency I have talked to has been committed to helping. Right now, there is just nothing that can be done. But when it is time to fully reemerge, tourism in Rhode Island will need sustained support at state and local levels.
So, I wait and I plan for the future. The good news is that much of the postponed business is for future years and we are booking new business for 2021 through 2025. There is pent-up demand for leisure travel and people will want to visit when it is safe. We will all get back to work and to living. The future is bright. We just have to get there. We will need your help.
Kristen Adamo is CEO and president of the Providence Warwick Convention & Visitors Bureau.
