|
|
By Jeff Blosser
CONVENTION CENTERS PLAY
many different roles in their respective communities. By hosting
national conventions, we generate taxes, individual spending, job
creation and major economic impact to the benefit of our local
city/county or region, which is why many centers were built and/ or
expanded. We also play a pivotal role in the state and local meeting and
hospitality market by providing first class space for meetings,
corporate parties, fund raising banquets, consumer shows and state or
regional conferences. Hosting these local events is also an important
element of being part of what a community expects of its major meeting
destination and is an integral part of the City’s infrastructure
offerings to local citizens.
I believe there is also a critical need for convention
centers to give back to the community that they live in and serve. This
can be in the form of putting on events, partnering with local
charities, helping social groups or assisting your governmental
agencies. These opportunities will also give your staff a sense of pride
in their facility, in the work they do every day and an opportunity for
some great team building. In addition, there is a huge level of
satisfaction by the team when the results are realized by offering to
help out others who may not be able to help themselves. There are
several ways to accomplish or provide public service that is not
expensive or can be incorporated into your current operations. I want to
share some examples of what the Oregon Convention Center has done in the
past and is currently exploring for the future in this area.
The Oregon Convention Center has a First Opportunity
Target Area (FOTA) program that was established to help the designated
disadvantaged area around the OCC to give first opportunity to the
people living in this area for employment.
We have specific targeted outreach and hiring policies
to allow for these individuals to have the first shot and best
opportunity to be hired for jobs that are open at the OCC. We also
engage FOTA practices for our purchasing policies by buying from
companies that are located in the FOTA area who can provide a
competitive price or service for items needed by the Center’s
operations. This program is in addition to any MWESB goals and has
permitted OCC the opportunity to help the surrounding community on an
everyday basis.
OCC and Aramark have teamed up to provide a program
called “Leg Up” to engage disadvantaged women and minorities to get
engaged in the food and beverage business. The two year management
training program will provide hands on experience for two individuals to
teach them how to run their own business, enhance their education in the
food and beverage business and to increase their skill level for this
important part of our hospitality industry. This program would graduate
participants every two years and bring in other trainees with the idea
of building skilled local individuals to enhance the food offerings in
the community. By building this educational capacity for the food
service industry we will create qualified people to be employed, start
their own business or create future employees to help us out as well. We
feel this is a great way to share our knowledge, create management
opportunities and help individuals get ahead in the very competitive
food and beverage industry.
OCC holds two staff retreats each year to provide
ongoing education, informational needs and training opportunities for
our entire group of employees. Last summer, we used the afternoon of our
retreat to help an organization called Kinship House, who provides many
essential services and help for foster care children. OCC staff went to
their location and helped with landscaping, painting, home repairs and
general cleaning that was badly needed that the group could not afford
to be completed. This was a great way to help a deserving organization
in our neighborhood and give staff a sense of accomplishment and pride
in doing something beneficial for this service organization in the
community in which they live and work. The team building that resulted
was amazing as it really brought our team together by showing each
individual how much we could accomplish when we all worked together for
a common goal.
OCC will also partner with one of its largest annual
clients this fall, Oregon Dental Association, to be the host facility
for their Mission of Mercy Program. This program gives folks who cannot
afford dental services the opportunity to get such services free over a
two day period the week of Thanksgiving. OCC is normally dark so we have
donated the exhibit space, will receive funding to cover our out of
pocket cost and will help to provide free dental services to many
homeless and deserving people who cannot afford these necessary
healthcare related services. We hope that this will become an annual
event for ODA and the convention center. This will also be a great
opportunity to share and showcase why the convention center can play a
critical role in helping those less fortunate in our community.
Lastly, through our sustainability program, OCC will
donate tons of excess food to homeless shelters instead of throwing it
away after events. This provides assistance to several community service
groups to help feed the homeless in the Portland area. This again is
part of our everyday operations to reduce our waste stream cost and in
turn help the local service providers feed the hungry every month.
Leading by example in our efforts to be operationally sustainable, we
set the benchmark high for ourselves and other businesses to reduce the
stress our footprint puts on the environment and that we recognize that
we have a social responsibility to be good stewards of public resources
we are held accountable to manage.
Convention centers are many things to many people,
boxes with docks, economic impact engines, the perfect meeting location,
and home to many local charities, parties and the anchor to drive
convention business to our community. We can do all of this and still be
an important element to enrich our cities and its people by giving back
in many different ways. We don’t do enough sometimes to tell our story
but actions speak volumes for why we do what we do every day. Look at
ways in which your organization can be the fabric that binds your
community together to become an invaluable partner to all.
fm
Jeff Blosser is executive director of the Oregon Convention Center.
Contact him at jeffblosser@oregoncc.org
|
|
Back to Facility Manager
Contents
