WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.336 >>GERRY: A YEAR AGO, GRAND PARK SAT EMPTY AS THE PANDEMIC TOOK HOLD. WESTFIELD'S SPORTS TOURISM 2 00:00:03.336 --> 00:00:10.243 ECONOMIC ENGINE WOULD SIT IDLE FOR MONTHS. IT COST THE REGION MILLIONS, BUT EVENTUALLY THE CAMPUS REOPENED 3 00:00:10.243 --> 00:00:17.751 UNDER STRICT HEALTH AND SAFETY GUIDELINES AND BEGAN TO SEE A REVENUE BOOST IN JULY. NOW GRAND PARK IS BRACING FOR 4 00:00:17.751 --> 00:00:23.289 WHAT IT BELIEVES WILL BE A RECORD NUMBER OF VISITORS FOR THE YEAR'S SPRING AND SUMMER SPORTS SEASONS. 5 00:00:23.289 --> 00:00:31.865 FOR MORE...I'M PLEASED TO BE JOINED BY GRAND PARK DIRECTOR WILLIAM KNOX. AS ALWAYS, WELCOME TO THE 6 00:00:31.865 --> 00:00:38.371 PROGRAM. >>: THANKS FOR HAVING ME. >>: LET'S GO BACK A YEAR AND PAINFUL TO DO THAT BUT AS THE 7 00:00:38.371 --> 00:00:49.282 PANDEMIC BEGAN THINGS SHUT DOWN SO NO GAMES, KNOW FIELD ACTIVITY AND NO REVENUE. >>: WE SHUT OUR DOORS FOR ABOUT 8 00:00:49.282 --> 00:00:56.055 60 DAYS AND IT COMMENCED ON MARCH 16 AND AT THAT POINT IN TIME WE HAD NO CLUE WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN. 9 00:00:56.055 --> 00:01:06.800 >>: I MENTIONED YOU WERE ABLE TO REOPEN AND UNDER STRICT HEALTH PROTOCOLS YOU WERE ABLE TO KIND OF SOLDIER ON THROUGH 10 00:01:06.800 --> 00:01:16.709 THE PANDEMIC CAN ACTUALLY YOU REPORTED A CASH POSITIVE YEAR FOR 2020 AND TO ME THAT'S AN AMAZING ACCOMPLISHMENT. 11 00:01:16.709 --> 00:01:24.284 >>: IT CAME WITH A LOT OF WORK AND I WILL TELL YOU IT WAS ALL WHAT WE HAD TO DO INTERNALLY AS WELL AS WHAT WE WERE ABLE TO DO 12 00:01:24.284 --> 00:01:32.759 WITH THE STATE TO ENSURE WE WERE ABLE TO REOPEN SAFELY. WHEN WE OPENED OUR DOORS WE COULD ONLY ALLOW A SMALL NUMBER 13 00:01:32.759 --> 00:01:43.102 OF VISITORS TO CAMPUS SO WE HAD TO FIT THE PROGRAMMING WE COULD CONDUCT WITHIN THOSE SMALL NUMBERS. 14 00:01:43.102 --> 00:01:52.378 >>: YOU GOT SOME TOURNAMENTS AND GAMES LAST YEAR THAT WERE SCHEDULED ELSEWHERE BECAUSE YOU WERE OPERATING IN THE PANDEMIC 15 00:01:52.378 --> 00:01:59.052 AND THAT GOES FORWARD IN TERMS OF ATTRACTING BUSINESS THIS YEAR. >>: I GIVE A LOT OF CREDIT TO 16 00:01:59.052 --> 00:02:11.064 THE STATE LEADERSHIP AND THE ABILITY TO HAVE LONG PANTS PLANS THEY FOUND US FOR THE FIRST -- >>: LET'S TALK ABOUT LOOKING 17 00:02:11.064 --> 00:02:23.042 FORWARD FAST-FORWARD TO 2021 GETTING FOR THAT BUSY SEASON AND THE EXPECTATION IS YOUR BEST YEAR EVER. 18 00:02:23.042 --> 00:02:29.883 >>: TRENDING IN THAT DIRECTION AND ALL THINGS CONTINUE DOWN THAT PATH AND IT COULD BE A STRONG YEAR FOR US AND WHEN YOU 19 00:02:29.883 --> 00:02:37.724 LOOK AT THE BOOKING NUMBERS THROUGH HOTEL PARTNERS AND ALSO RESERVATIONS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE THINGS ARE TRENDING IN 20 00:02:37.724 --> 00:02:45.265 THE RIGHT DIRECTION. ON AVERAGE WE'VE SEEN ABOUT 2.3 VISITORS PER ATHLETE AND THIS YEAR WE ARE CURRENTLY TRENDING 21 00:02:45.265 --> 00:02:56.376 AT ABOUT THREE VISITORS. >>: IT'S IMPORTANT TO REALIZE ITS SUBSTANTIAL SO NOT JUST GRANT PARK BUT IT'S THE HOTELS 22 00:02:56.376 --> 00:03:03.683 IN THE RESTAURANTS AND OTHER VENUES THERE THAT REALLY GET A LOT OF BUSINESS AND IN MANY RESPECTS YOU WERE A LIFELINE A 23 00:03:03.683 --> 00:03:11.691 YEAR AGO BY BEING ABLE TO STAY OPEN. >>: A LOT OF THE HOSPITALITY COMMUNITY HAS GONE IN OVER THE 24 00:03:11.691 --> 00:03:19.699 LAST FEW MONTHS BECAUSE WE WERE A LIFELINE FOR THEM AS WE WERE ONE OF THE ONLY VENUES THAT WERE ABLE TO OPERATE WITH SMALL 25 00:03:19.699 --> 00:03:28.675 CROWDS OR ANY CROWD AT ALL. >>: AS YOU LOOK YOU WERE OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THIS YEAR BUT THE PANDEMIC IS NOT OVER YET AND 26 00:03:28.675 --> 00:03:37.150 A LOT OF QUESTIONS SURROUNDING IS AND WHAT WILL BE KEY IN YOUR MIND TO HAVING THE SUCCESSFUL YEAR STILL WITH THE DARK CLOUD 27 00:03:37.150 --> 00:03:45.224 OF THE PANDEMIC HANGING OVER EVERYONE REALLY. >>: TO YOUR POINT WE ARE NOT OUT OF THIS YET, SO WE MAINTAIN 28 00:03:45.224 --> 00:03:52.699 OUR SAFETY PROTOCOLS AND ARE TRYING TO MAKE SURE WHEN WE DO RETURN TO THE BUSY SEASON THIS SUMMER THAT PEOPLE FEEL SAFE 29 00:03:52.699 --> 00:03:57.904 WHEN THEY RETURNED SO A LOT OF THE THINGS WE'VE DONE IN THE HEART OF THE PANDEMIC WE ARE MAINTAINING UNTIL WE GET ALL 30 00:03:57.904 --> 00:04:06.446 CLEAR WE ARE ABLE TO RELEASE THOSE. >>: HOW DO YOU THINK THE PANDEMIC WILL AFFECT SPORTS 31 00:04:06.446 --> 00:04:16.222 AMATEUR SPORTS VENUES AND THERE ARE MANY AROUND THE COUNTRY IT'S A BIG INDUSTRY AND HOW DO YOU THINK IT WILL IMPACT THAT IF 32 00:04:16.222 --> 00:04:25.431 YOU'RE WELL? >>: IN ADDITION TO THIS I WILL TELL YOU THERE'S NOT BEEN A SLOW DOWN FOR PEOPLE LOOKING IN 33 00:04:25.431 --> 00:04:33.539 FACILITIES LIKE OURS IT'S COMPETITION FOR US OBVIOUSLY, BUT AS WE LOOK AT THE INDUSTRY IT STRENGTHENS THE INDUSTRY AND 34 00:04:33.539 --> 00:04:42.649 WE'VE INDICATED NEW SPORTS ARE RECEPTION PROOF AND IT'S STARTING TO COME OUT TO BE THAT. >>: WILLIAM KNOX OPTIMISTIC 35 00:04:42.649 --> 00:04:43.650 LOOKING AHEAD.