Business View Magazine May 2023

138 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 10, ISSUE 5 of standing in a forest peering up through a canopy of trees. The entire facility is also awash with natural light thanks to the two glass spires that are part of the main building. “Everything was built around creating a sense of place, nature, a calming effect, where we really set the palette for whatever’s happening. We know that unless people are comfortable and feel safe in an inviting space, they’re not going to be able to partake fully. So, we’ve created that space for them to make the experiences they’re enjoying as immersive and spectacular as possible,” he maintains. This summer, the Oregon Convention Center is excited to be hosting the Veterans Wheelchair Games, an event that was rescheduled due to COVID. “That would be an example of a national/international activity that happens to be taking place in Portland that we would offer up as a visitor experience for the residents of our region,” Stroud acknowledges. Other events, like Rose City Comic Con, bring close to 60,000 comic fans from throughout Oregon and the neighboring southwest Washington area. OCC is nothing if not diverse, and attracting a variety of events is a priority. This includes everything from cheerleading competitions, and fundraising galas, to the International Taekwondo Championships, fencing competitions, and immersive art such as the Van Gogh Experience. Moving forward, Stroud says the Oregon Convention Center will continue to optimize services and the client viewpoint, building on the lessons learned during the pandemic. A commitment to an excellent staff experience is also top of mind. In conclusion, he offers, “I really think that we’re going to come out a better organization from a service delivery and an experience standpoint, for the guest, but also for the staff. We’re still hiring folks back; we’re not quite the same size. But as we’re rebuilding, we’ve been rebuilding better. Everything about us is better than it was pre-pandemic, and we were exceptional pre- pandemic. So, there’s a lot to be proud of.” PREFERRED VENDOR/PARTNER n GB Manchester, Inc. www.gbmanchester.com n Edlen www.edlen.com n PacificWRO www.pacificwro.com