Jeff walked us through the timeline of events of the Convention & Visitors Bureau since March.
The weekend of March 7 the Girls State Basketball Tournament was held as usual with games at Pinnacle Bank Arena, the Devaney Center and the High Schools. It was an exciting time for the players, families and Lincoln.
The next weekend as preparations were being finalized for the Boy's State Basketball Tournament, the fear of COVID-19 was rising quickly. Getting pressure from all sides the decision was made to hold the tournament.
On March 19, as the fears and uncertainty grew, the Convention & Visitors Bureau decided they needed to shut down. Everyone began working from home. They continued their dedication to their jobs and the community by there were tears and fears because they were being separated from their co-workers and friends. The employees all went above and beyond while communicating with partners. They continued to work from home when the riots started. August 10 some returned to the office but they have the option to work from home.
Jeff shared that the world of tourism is dark right now. Many hotels shut down. The largest, and the one that was closed the longest, was The Cornhusker - they furloughed 70 to 80% of their staff.
They thought there was a lot of hope for April, May or June of 2021. But Jeff recently heard it stated that the convention business may not come back until the summer of 2022.
Relevance has always been an important trait of the CVB, but never more than now. They were challenged to find solutions and ideas that would be relative to the clients and community in today's environment.
They created RoadTrip Bingo - where a family can drive around and locate things like a giant baseball or a buffalo. Where can you find those in Lincoln?
The zoo opened earlier than planned following all of the health and safety protocols.
As community partners we are encouraged to dine out and support the local restaurants.
“City of Red” is to fill the streets of Lincoln with Husker pride this fall. Restaurants, bars, shops and lodging facilities are eager to welcome guests to keep the tradition of game days live.
There have been a lot of discussions about football season. First how do we celebrate football when there is no football. Then how do we celebrate football with football. How do we keep up the emotional draw that Nebraska Football brings?
“City of Red” is to fill the streets of Lincoln with Husker pride this fall. Restaurants, bars, shops and lodging facilities are eager to welcome guests to keep the tradition of game days live. Check out www.cityofred.com for events, deals and promotions.
The hygiene levels at hotels are the highest and best ever so, as Jeff says:
Get A Room
Put Your Feet in the Sheets
Put Your Head in the Bed
He encouraged us all to get a room in Lincoln - a stay-cation. Or get rooms for relatives that are coming to town for Thanksgiving. We can support our hotels and restaurants by purchasing gift cards or reservations as gifts.
Reservations that usually come for football games are slow. There is so much uncertainty about the risk dial and details of the games including start times.
The state volleyball tournament is being scheduled - but only at the Pinnacle Bank Arena to help contain the crowds and provide ample space for distancing. It will be 4 days rather than 3. State Football should not be an issue using Memorial Stadium.
The next 6 to 8 months are critical.
The City of New York projects that 40% of their hotels will need to close their doors.
Statistics also indicate that 75% of the museums may not survive.
We need to help our hospitality industry.
BIO
Jeff Maul was appointed executive director of the Lincoln Convention and Visitors Bureau in late 2006. Maul has been at the CVB since 2002 and has an additional 12 years of sales and marketing experience in the hospitality, corporate and health care industries.
Since Maul took over as executive director, the team at the CVB has seen steady growth each year, including recording record-breaking lodging collections and continues to establish their relevance as a tourism destination and one of the Midwest’s most beloved destinations, even during a pandemic.
Outside of work, Jeff is married and has three kids – two daughters, ages 21 and 19, and a son, who is 16.