PORTLAND, OR – August 18, 2022: “The effect of the pandemic on travel and lodging probably hit Las Vegas harder than any other city in the country, and we learned fast how to cope with the unforeseen and frankly, unthinkable,” says Stavros S. Anthony, 4th Ward Councilman and Mayor Pro Tem of Las Vegas. Anthony will be presenting on “lessons learned during the pandemic” at Springbrook’s annual Activate event, September 14-16, 2022, at the Virgin Resort in Las Vegas. Register here for the event’s early bird special.
The pandemic influenced local government agencies across the country, requiring fast and nimble responses to maintain delivery of services. With an economy based largely on hospitality and entertainment, the challenges were multiplied exponentially for Las Vegas.
“The gaming industry is a major employer in the state and tourism drives that engine. When we shut down during the pandemic, the city had to keep going despite the domino effect of revenue shortfalls. In March 2020 the state of Nevada put an emergency COVID 19 declaration into place, effectively closing the doors to Las Vegas commerce,” observes Anthony.
Las Vegas was the recipient of CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act), ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) and CHAP funding, to assist with mortgage, rent and utility costs.
“We went through a challenging and phased commercial reopening process while managing a city general fund budget that shrank 7.1% from fiscal year 2020 to fiscal year 2021. We have been forced to address multiple issues including paid leave policies, remote work policies, training, education and assessing public response to emergency procedures. Some of these exercises have produced lasting effects,” adds Anthony.
Springbrook’s Activate event is September 14-16, 2022 at the Virgin Resort in Las Vegas. It is open to all representatives from local government agencies: register here. The event features advanced training, keynote presentations, workshops, and incredible networking opportunities. A complete agenda can be found here. Stavros S. Anthony will be delivering the event’s keynote address on the morning of September 15th.