Page 40 - BusinessWest April 4, 2022

MGM
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for 2022 as the tourism sector and the region in general look to put COVID in their collective rear view.
For starters, there was the Massachusetts Build- ing Trades Council’s annual convention, staged a few weeks ago at MGM. This was the first large- scale gathering of its kind at the resort casino since before the COVID, said Kelly, adding that there are a number of other events on the calendar as busi- nesses, trade groups and associations, and other entities return to in-person events.
Such events are a big step in the return to nor- malcy and, of course, comprise a huge revenue stream for the casino operation.
“We hadn’t had an event like that in two years, where we had people engaging with our convention and ballroom areas, staying in the hotel, eating in our restaurants ... it was a very positive thing for the property to see us come back to life,” he explained.
Meanwhile, on the entertainment side of the ledger, there are similar steps toward normalcy, or what was seen prior to the pandemic, said Kelly, noting there are a number of shows slated at the casino, the MassMutual Center, and Symphony Hall, featuring performers such as Jay Leno, Chel- sea Handler, John Mulaney, Brit Floyd, and many others.
“Entertainment is coming back in a much bigger way in 2002 than we saw the past few years,” said Kelly, adding that, in addition to those events at the
Museums
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“We had large crowds of people, and they just seemed really, really happy,” Simpson said. “At that point, we weren’t doing a lot of programs we’d typi- cally be doing during the summer; we didn’t know if we’d be able to hold seated programs in the audi- torium, so we did a lot of outdoor programming because we felt it would be safe for our visitors.
larger venues, MGM Springfield is bringing back its popular Free Music Friday in the casino’s plaza, something that was started last summer.
“It was an opportunity to say ‘thank you’ to folks and give the community a reason to come back together, but it was such a success that we’re going to bring it back again. And, obviously, the price is right,” he said, adding that program provides an opportunity to showcase local talent.
“ I think we’ve come out of this a stronger operation than we were when we went into it.”
Overall, the past two years have been a difficult, often frustrating time for all those in casino indus- try, which had to pivot and adjust to new ways of doing business during the pandemic, said Kelly, adding that it was also a learning experience, one that is yielding dividends and will continue to do so as MGM eases back to something approaching normal.
“It’s been a roller-coaster ride in every sense
of the word,” he said in summing up the past 24 months. “Our ability to adjust quickly and be agile in the way that we operate, as well as our ability to provide an environment for health and safety that
Rotating in new exhibitions remains critical, she explained. “It’s always something we’re working on. We want our museums to be vital and vibrant and places where there’s always something new hap- pening. We’re always looking for new experiences, new exhibitions.
“At the same time,” she added, “there are certain attractions that we have, like the Amazing World
of Dr. Seuss, that are always going to be popular because people love Dr. Seuss, or they love the Springfield Science Museum and the Live Animal Center. We know that there are certain aspects of
our guests felt comfortable engaging with — those were all unique challenges relative to a business that is not accustomed to closing and had never really experienced the types of changes that COVID required, whether it was six-foot-high pieces of plexiglass or the inability to serve drinks on the floor, or a face-mask policy.
“But all of that being said, I think we’ve come out of this a stronger operation than we were when we went into it,” he went on. “Just look at technol- ogy ... we’re not able to offer everything from digi- tal menus to digital check-in, our guests’ ability to interact with us through technology has increased exponentially, and that’s just one example of what I mean by coming out of this stronger. We’ve become a much more agile team now, and that’s to the ben- efit of the guest experience.”
As for sports betting, Kelly said the conversations are ongoing, and he’s optimistic that something
can get done — hopefully before March Madness 2023. In anticipation of such a measure, the casino has added new amenities, including a large viewing area, a sports lounge on the floor of the casino, and a VIP viewing area in TAP Sports Bar.
“We’re ready to move forward the minute we see a green light on this issue,” he said, adding that he’s hoping, and expecting, that the light will change soon. u
— George O’Brien
Space Station gallery is expected to open in June, spotlighting STEM learning with a series of interac- tive stations that mimic those in the space station orbiting the planet.
Simpson is excited to show all this off, and more. “I feel much more optimistic than I have through- out the course of the pandemic. There might be
a time when there is another surge, but I think so many people have been vaccinated, and others will take precautions; I think the people who are con- cerned about it will continue to wear masks.”
The important thing is that they come, and feel safe doing so.
“Lots of studies have shown how important museums are to quality of life for a community,” she said. “They serve as a com- munity anchor. We offer a huge range of activities for people who come in during public hours, but also school trips, with activities based on curriculum, and classes for people who want to learn how to paint or draw.
“So I think we serve as an education center for our community, but in addition, we are a cultural attraction; we really contribute to cultural tour-
ism in this area,” she went on. “That means we’re bringing people in from all over the region. Hope- fully, with the pandemic receding, we’ll have people coming from distant places as well. Up until 2020, people who came to the Museums often stayed overnight at hotels and went out to eat at restau- rants. Tourism is something that revitalizes the economy, and so I think we play a very important role with that.” u
— Joseph Bednar
Then, the variants arrived — first Delta in August, then Omicron in December, and atten- dance at the Museums dropped during both surges, cautiously creeping back up afterward. “It seems like our attendance patterns have
basically followed along the lines
of what’s happening with COVID-
19 and all the variants that
emerged along the way.”
“
We know that there are certain aspects of the Museums that
The hope is that the worst is behind, Simpson said, because
people love and will come to see over and over again, and we
need to balance that with new displays and special events and all evidence suggests people want programs and activities that are ever-changing.
to return to Springfield Museums
— a campus comprising two art
museums, a history museum, a
science museum, and both a museum and outdoor sculpture garden dedicated to Dr. Seuss.
“People say they want to come back, they want to see one another, and they want to socialize at the Museums. They just want to be on our campus. They definitely want programs to be happening and want to see each other.”
New exhibitions are usually accompanied by opening receptions, she explained, “but we literally have not done a reception in two years.”
That’s changing with an evening reception
on April 7 for the four-day Festival of Flowers, an assemblage of floral displays throughout the Muse- ums. Simpson is also excited about new exhibitions like the ongoing “Front Row Center: Icons of Rock, Blues, and Soul,” a photography collection in the D’Amour Museum of Fine Arts, running through May 1.
”
the Museums that people love and will come to see over and over again, and we need to balance that with new displays and special events and programs and activities that are ever-changing.”
Speaking of the Science Museum, it will benefit from a just-announced $750,000 federal earmark, which will boost ongoing improvements to the Sey- mour Planetarium, including a full-dome, digital projection system with state-of-the-art software
to augment the historical star ball and add multi- cultural perspectives to the night sky; digitization of the observatory to allow full access to the stars for anyone, anywhere via online projection; and tactile, multi-sensory astronomy exhibits for visitors who are blind or have low vision.
In 2021, the staff renovated the planetarium, upgrading seating and refurbishing the star ball. Also at the Science Museum, the International
40 APRIL 4, 2022
TRAVEL & TOURISM
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