COVID-19 business survey results optimistic

A December 2020 survey of area businesses shows that respondents are feeling more optimistic about the future of their companies.

A total of 236 businesses and nonprofits responded to the survey, conducted by the Greater Kansas City Area Chamber of Commerce, Kansas City Area Development Council, KCSourceLink, the Black Chamber of Commerce of Greater Kansas City, the Mid-America LGBT Chamber and Visit KC.

Sixty-four percent of those surveyed are “very confident” their business will fully recover from the pandemic and related economic downturn; 31 percent were “somewhat confident;” four percent were “not very confident;” and one percent said they were “not at all confident.”

“We see that passion, perseverance and tenacity in these survey results as well as in the number of people who are looking to start businesses during this pandemic. These business owners need our support now and in the future so they can continue to solve problems, bridge the wealth gap, fuel our local economy and build their own resiliency," said Maria Meyers, executive director of the UMKC Innovation Center and founder of SourceLink.

In terms of revenue since March 2020, 20 percent said they’ve seen revenues decrease more than 50 percent; 37.83 percent reported a revenue decrease of 50 percent or less; while 33.48 percent saw their revenues stay the same or increase. A total of 31.74 percent say they’ve laid off employees. Of their biggest concerns going forward, the largest response – 29.13 percent – said they were concerned about losing sales.

A majority of those responding said the pandemic has had some positive effect in the way they do business, including development of new e-commerce options and increases in online sales. Others noted that pivoting their business as a result of the pandemic has forced them to “think outside the box more,” or has accelerated their future business direction.

Responses were mixed regarding business travel once a vaccine is readily available. A total of 47.3 percent said the impact would be small, with some amount of reduced travel; 27.49 percent predicted no impact, though they weren’t traveling yet; while 20.47 percent said there would be a large impact on their business travel, expecting their role to no longer require/allow as much travel in the longterm.

On the subject of vaccines, 26 percent of respondents said they planned to require employees to be vaccinated before returning to the workplace.

KC Convention Center wins top global rating for clean, healthy facilities

Kansas City’s largest event space, the Kansas City Convention Center, has achieved accreditation from the Global Biorisk Advisory Council (GBAC) STAR™ program for its cleaning, disinfection and infectious disease prevention practices.

The City of Kansas City worked with Visit KC to earn this designation, which is recognized by industry leaders as the gold standard for prepared facilities. The GBAC STAR program verifies that the Kansas City Convention Center has implemented best practices to prepare for, respond to and recover from outbreaks and pandemics such as COVID-19.

“The GBAC STAR accreditation empowers facility owners and managers to assure workers, customers and key stakeholders that they have proven systems in place to maintain clean and healthy environments,” said GBAC executive director Patricia Olinger.

“By taking this important step to pursue its accreditation, the Kansas City Convention Center has received third-party validation that it follows strict protocols for biorisk situations, thereby demonstrating its preparedness and commitment to operating safely.”

The result of a rigorous, 90-day application and review process, the accreditation was praised on Thursday by Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas.

“I applaud the Kansas City Convention Center for reaching the prestigious Global Biorisk Advisory Council STAR status,” said Mayor Lucas.

“Kansas City takes seriously our responsibility to keep our residents and visitors alike healthy and safe, and this is yet another example of that commitment. Thank you to the Convention Center and Visit KC for their work to achieve this status.”

To achieve GBAC STAR accreditation, the Kansas City Convention Center was required to demonstrate compliance with the program’s 20 core elements, which range from standard operating procedures and risk assessment strategies to personal protective equipment and emergency preparedness and response measures.

“Our staff is dedicated to keeping our facilities clean and safe, and we are gratified by this recognition of our work and our commitment to our customers,” said Oscar McGaskey, director of the Kansas City Convention Center. “Our staff will keep it up with continuous training.”

The KC Convention Center is the third facility in the region to achieve this distinction, following the Overland Park Convention Center and Arrowhead Stadium.

“Meetings and conventions are significant economic drivers for our destination, and this third-party endorsement reinforces our City’s dedication to resuming that important business responsibly,” said Visit KC president & CEO Jason Fulvi.

“I applaud and thank our partners at the KC Convention Center, as well as Mayor Lucas, the City Council and the KCMO health director for working with Visit KC to implement safety procedures throughout our community, all of which will help position Kansas City to welcome visitors and attendees back safely and effectively when the time is right,” Fulvi said.

To learn more about the GBAC STAR program or view a list of accredited facilities, visit www.gbac.org. For information about the KC Clean Commitment and other ways Kansas City is responding to COVID-19 as a convention industry, go to VisitKC.com/SafeMeetings.