Business View Magazine - August 2023

180 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 10, ISSUE 8 “This is a major deal for Southaven and DeSoto county,” Morgan concludes. Mastry shared the impact of COVID and how the venue responded. “It was certainly a shock to the system when everything came to a halt in March 2020,” he says. “We work in live entertainment and people gathering together is why our industry exists.” Landers Center was closed to events right at one year. “We had to think outside the box,” says Mastry. “In the year we were ‘closed’ we decided to do everything we could to be a great community partner.” During the pandemic, the venue housed the Mississippi Army National Guard. From there, the National Guard partnered with the Mississippi Department of Health and utilized the convention space at the Landers Center as a COVID-19 testing and vaccination site for Southaven and surrounding towns. Also during that time, Landers Center leaders made some budgeted decisions to move forward with some capital projects to prepare the building for a fresh start when re-opened to the public. Mastry revealed that some of those projects included new seats, fresh paint, and other enhancements to the guest experience. Mastry discussed adjustments made at re-opening. “When we did welcome guests back in March 2021, we did so with safeguards in place,” Mastry stated. “We had public awareness graphics and messaging, our staff wore face masks, and we had panel dividers at concession stands.” A big difference could be seen in event strategy. Where other venues opened with sporting events, Landers Center opened with a variety of entertainment events such as comedies, concerts, Disney shows and rodeos. The focus was to offer diverse entertainment options to