Conferences return to Monterey hotels, an exciting turn for hospitality industry
After more than a year without conferences because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Monterey held its first conference in over 15 months.
“I would say it's the most exciting day I've had in 15 months,” said Doug Phillips, general manager of the Monterey Conference Center.
Thursday morning, Monterey co-hosted a conference with the Monterey County Business Council that featured Congressman Jimmy Panetta.
“It's just so good to see people gathering again and really interacting engaging there's nothing like a live event,” Phillips said.
It was a small conference with only about 75 people in attendance but it was a huge milestone for the hospitality industry, Monterey County’s second-largest industry after agriculture.
“Hospitality took a hit this year, I think this event today is sort of the kick-off to acknowledging and understanding and embracing having group conferences back on the Monterey Peninsula,” said Kimbley Craig, Salinas mayor and CEO of the Monterey County Business Council.
Conferences and large group meetings are the backbones of the hospitality industry.
But the industry was hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic which took a $1.6 billion hit. The Monterey Conference Center is a huge part of that, generating between $70 and $80 million a year for the local economy.
“Restaurants in Alvarado street have closed some have reopened with the anticipation of the revenue that's going to come in from these groups but they're going to trickle in,” said Phillips.
It's still uncertain what conferences or large group meetings will look like after the state reopens June 15 but Thursday's conference a good indication the hospitality industry is bouncing back after a year-long lockdown.
“Conference center knocked it out of the park in terms of making sure that there was social distancing that there was antibacterial hand gel everywhere and that everybody was wearing a mask but really ultimately it's to signify that we are back in business,” Craig said.
Business leaders say the economic recovery won’t happen overnight. Phillips says it might not be until fiscal year 2023-24 that the economy returns to pre-COVID-19 levels.