As Manhattan businesses continue to lift restrictions, in person conferences and events will slowly be coming back.
Manhattan Convention and Visitors Bureau Director Karen Hibbard says her office already has conferences and events planned for March and April, coming on the heels of the recent Manhattan Conference Center expansion project.
“It’s not a good day if the facility sits dark,” says Hibbard.
The employees at the conference center are working to make sure they are making accommodations that comply with COVID restrictions to protect guests.
Convention and meeting season typically happens around this time in Manhattan, according to Hibbard. The first major conference of the season hosted by CVB will be the DECA youth competition, though it will be held virtually this year.
“Last year, that was the last event we held in person before everything started to shut down,” says Hibbard.
Another major event taking place next week is the Class 2A state high school basketball tournament at Bramlage Coliseum. The tournament was still held last year, but cut short at the beginning of the pandemic. The tournament will look different this year to comply with COVID restrictions.
First off, tickets can only be purchased online. They will go on sale first to the respected schools in the tournament with 800 tickets reserved. After that, they will go on sale to the general public. Tickets are $11 each per person per game. You will not be able to buy tickets at the door. Sales will only happen online.
Bramlage will still be at 15 percent capacity, a clear bag policy will be in place, and social distancing will still be enforced. Home and away team fans will also enter the arena from different entrances.
Looking ahead, Hibbard says they are seeing some conferences in April that will be taking place in a hybrid mode of both in person and virtually. The CVB remains cautiously optimistic they will still hold the four planned events.
For more conferences later in the year, Hibbard says they are seeing a shorter time frame in planning.
“Many meetings are planned two to four years in advanced. Most meetings that are set to be virtual meetings, we are seeing planners try to have more of a hybrid set,” says Hibbard.
Hibbard says they are starting to see more of their future meetings and conferences planned towards the end of the year.
The community will also see the return of the St. Patrick’s Day race and parade Saturday, March 13. The race begins at 10 a.m. and the parade will be at 1 p.m.
