How Anaheim, Georgia Expo and Sahara Las Vegas Are Lending Helping Hands

May 7, 2020

In many ways, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought out the best in humanity, including those in the events industry. Over the past several weeks, more and more destinations, event companies and venues have been jumping in to support the fight against the virus. Here are some examples of compassion in action to brighten your week: 

Visit Anaheim and Partners Supporting Community

From donating supplies and food to sharing messages of hope and encouragement, stakeholders within the city of Anaheim, California, have teamed up to serve as valuable resources during this time.

Anaheim Convention Center continues to serve as a logics and storage center for donated supplies, while the city’s Emergency Operations Center arranges distribution to vulnerable residents. Several area hotels have donated toilet paper, hand sanitizer, gloves and other essential supplies to the EOC, with Anaheim Resort Transportation helping to transport these much-needed items to the convention facility until they can be distributed.  

Visit Anaheim

“[Through] Anaheim Convention Center’s [actions], we are helping needy seniors, families and the homeless through this difficult time,” said Mike Lyster, spokesperson for the city of Anaheim. “Our convention center has risen to the challenge of coronavirus not just by postponing events, but by serving as our logistical hub for donations and community support initiatives.”

Visit Anaheim recently teamed up with Anaheim Chamber of Commerce and ART to deliver a bus filled with surgical masks to first responders at Anaheim Fire & Rescue. Anaheim Mayor Harry Sidhu was on-site to accept the 1,500-mask donation to help emergency crews safely service local residents in need. 

In late March, Honda Center and Second Harvest Foodbank of Orange County launched a weekly Saturday drive-through food bank for vulnerable local families. In one day alone, the operation was able to provide 4,000 bags of food. Soon after, Honda Center, the Anaheim Ducks NHL team and the Los Angeles Angels MLB team collectively donated additional supplies to the effort, including pallets of non-perishable food and thousands of rolls of toilet paper.

The team at Visit Anaheim also lent a hand at a local food bank, with more than a dozen part-time staff helping out on the first two Saturdays of April. 

To learn more about Visit Anaheim and partners’ Response and Recovery COVID-19 task force, go here.

Georgia Expo Team Sewing 80,000+ Masks Per Week

To help keep their businesses afloat while aiding in the COVID-19 relief effort, some event suppliers have shifted gears to produce much-needed medical and disaster relief products, and Suwanee, Georgia-based Georgia Expo is no exception. As a manufacturer of pipe, drape and equipment for trade shows and events, the company pivoted in late February to begin creating pipe-and-drape rooms and walls for makeshift hospitals across the U.S. 

According to Amanda Gray, vice president of sales and marketing for Georgia Expo, the company supplied thousands of these items over a 4-6 week period to disaster relief companies and service contractors setting up temporary medical relief stations at the Boston Convention Center, Javits Center and other event and conference venues.

“Once we noticed the need starting to dwindle for those, we looked at our capabilities and decided to use our sewing department to make fabric masks,” Gray said. “We hooked up with a few companies who were looking for surplus sewing; that quickly grew and we found ourselves needing to hire a second shift to keep up with the demand.”

With Georgia and other states starting to reopen businesses and re-start their economies, the demand for face masks from local businesses in particular has skyrocketed, Gray explained. The company is now sewing approximately 80,000 masks per week, with plans to produce more than 100,000 per week, she added. 

As a result of all this new business, the company has been able to retrain 80 percent of its staff from other areas of the company to sew masks, has hired an additional 40 seamstresses and is actively seeking 30 more employees to help with the massive effort.  

“Our goal through this entire shift has been to maintain our staff’s employment and health benefits,” Gray said. “We’re also trying to be good citizens by setting an example as an American manufacturing company that is pushing through and getting these needed products to market quickly.”

To learn more about Georgia Expo’s disaster relief custom sewing efforts, go here. Watch a video of their efforts in-action here.

SAHARA Las Vegas Partners with World Central Kitchen 

In late April, SAHARA Las Vegas teamed up with Nevada Restaurant Association and Chef José Andrés’ World Central Kitchen to feed more than 2,000 healthcare workers and 400 first responders across the Las Vegas Valley.

SLV WCK

The culinary team from SAHARA Las Vegas, including Executive Chef Alex Pitts from Bazaar Meat by José Andrés, prepared and delivered fresh meals to more than 20 OptumCare Nevada healthcare and UMC Quick Care locations as well as the Henderson Police Department.

According to Sahara Las Vegas officials, the food was carefully produced and distributed following guidelines and protocols established by WCK, which has a team of “food first responders” who mobilize to get meals to those who need them most. 

The nonprofit is activating hundreds of restaurants and kitchens across the country to feed vulnerable communities as well as medical professionals fighting on the front lines of the pandemic.

Founded in 2010 and known throughout the world for helping to feed communities in times of crisis and beyond, the WCK has so far served more than 2 million fresh meals in response to the current health crisis. 

To learn more about SAHARA Las Vegas’ community efforts, go here.

 

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Partner Voices
Overview: The award-winning Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) goes the extra mile to make every day extraordinary by offering customer service excellence and industry-leading partnerships. From their dedicated in-house Rigging team to their robust Exhibitor Services, The Center of Hospitality brings your imagination to life by helping you host unforgettable meetings and events. With more than 2 million square feet of exhibit space, world-class services and a dream destination, we are committed to making even the most ambitious conventions a reality. In October 2023, the Orange County Board of County Commissioners voted to approve allocating Tourist Development Tax funding for the $560 million Phase 5A completion of the OCCC. The Convention Way Grand Concourse project will include enhancements to the North-South Building, featuring an additional 60,000 square feet of meeting space, an 80,000- square-foot ballroom and new entry to the North-South Building along Convention Way. “We are thrilled to begin work on completing our North-South Building which will allow us to meet the growing needs of our clients,” said OCCC Executive Director Mark Tester. “As an economic driver for the community, this project will provide the Center with connectivity and meeting space to host more events and continue to infuse the local economy with new money and expanding business opportunities.” Amenities: The Center of Hospitality goes above and beyond by offering world-class customer service and industry-leading partnerships. From the largest convention center Wi-Fi network to custom LAN/WAN design, the Center takes pride in enhancing exhibitor and customer experience.  The OCCC is the exclusive provider of electricity (24-hour power at no additional cost), aerial rigging and lighting, water, natural gas and propane, compressed air, and cable TV services. Convenience The Center is at the epicenter of the destination, with an abundance of hotels, restaurants, and attractions within walking distance. Pedestrian bridges connect both buildings to more than 5,200 rooms and is within a 15-minute drive from the Orlando International Airport. The convenience of the location goes hand-in-hand with top notch service to help meet an event’s every need. Gold Key Members The OCCC’s Gold Key Members represent the best of the best when it comes to exceptional service and exclusive benefits for clients, exhibitors and guests. The Center’s Gold Key memberships with Universal Orlando Resort, SeaWorld Orlando and Walt Disney World greatly enhance meeting planner and attendee experiences offering world-renowned venues, immersive experiences and creative resources for their events. OCCC Events: This fiscal year, the OCCC is projected to host 168 events, 1.7 million attendees, and $2.9 billion in economic impact.  The Center’s top five events during their 2022-2023 fiscal year included:  AAU Jr. National Volleyball Championships 2023 200,000 Attendees $257 Million in Economic Impact MEGACON 2023 160,000 Attendees $205 Million in Economic Impact Open Championship Series 2023 69,500 Attendees $89 Million in Economic Impact Sunshine Classic 2023 42,000 Attendees $54 Million in Economic Impact Premiere Orlando 2023 42,000 Attendees $108 Million in Economic Impact