Business View Magazine May 2023

112 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 9, ISSUE 12 Of course, COVID did bring disruption for the facility, impacting operations, and staff, as well as bringing the whole industry to a standstill. Versatility was key, but there were still challenges, as Daly relays, “As the county started releasing guidelines, we kind of looked at ourselves and realized, we are an outdoor museum, we’ve had car shows here, we are a recreational facility, we can host this massive yoga, outdoor walking, stair climbing events, A lot of the guidelines came out, and it was hard to just pigeon us as a gigantic sports facility.” Unfortunately, the county didn’t agree with this, and it was a long process to get the venue operational again. “But we came through that, “he asserts. “It was constant communication, constant analysis of how to meet those guidelines and to educate our staff and educate fans. Looking back on it, it was a lot, but we got through it.” He shares that one positive was the network of other L.A. venue professionals, who all came together via Zoom to create the L.A. Venue Task Force. “We got the chance to talk with everyone about that, Dodger Stadium, Rose Bowl, Sofi. As we’ve gotten busier, that’s been harder to keep together. But through that year and a half, we met every week, we got on the phone and talked to everyone, and we built those relationships. And that was great.” Moving forward from COVID, the L.A. Memorial Coliseum is better than ever, with fans coming out in droves to attend events, and organizers booking to meet this need. “When the green light was given, there was a rush to get back