headquartered here or have a large employment base here, so we are targeting those businesses for their sales meetings, for their product launches. There are also several national associations and regional associations that work well in this size city.” While the convention center cannot currently expand physically, the goal is to grow strategically. “We are working on filling it with more impactful events,” emphasizes Britt. “We have community events, and we want to continue to have those, but there’s more impact that comes from a five or six day national or regional event that’s going to have several hundred room nights. So, we are looking at filling the space with as many of those as possible to grow our impact in the same footprint.” BEST PRACTICES AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT Running a premier convention center requires constant attention to detail, and the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center is committed to ongoing maintenance and improvements. Over the years the center has added new furniture, refreshed the carpet, and created two additional meeting rooms on the upper level. “From an aesthetic standpoint, we’ve done an excellent job,” Swanson said. “But there’s also the functional side. As a 21-year-old facility, our infrastructure is continually being upgraded and maintained—not only to meet our clients’ needs, but to ensure the highest level of safety as well.” With this in mind, investments have been made in new roofs, escalator upgrades, ovens, dishwashers, and other essentials that ensure the building runs smoothly. Keeping up with technology is another priority. “We’ve invested a great deal into our fiber network to ensure that our internet connectivity for our clients is excellent,” she said. “We’ve invested in cameras and monitors to support our clients’ remote conferencing needs, as well as upgraded security technology,” she explains.“We take safety very seriously and work to ensure that all of our clients, attendees, and staff are protected at all times.” 84 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 12, ISSUE 12
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