Business View Magazine - Nov 2023

223 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 10, ISSUE 11 mention, it hires a number of folks who live here in Baltimore City and the surrounding county. It’s a big stimulus and an economic engine, and we are very fortunate to say we have a leading facility like the Baltimore Convention Center here in our city.” Moving Forward with Enthusiasm During the obstacles faced by the hospitality industry in recent years, the Baltimore Convention Center demonstrated its commitment to the community. It served as a significant resource by opening as a 250- bed field hospital for the state of Maryland. Campbell says, ““We were the longest running active field hospital. We saw patients for almost two years. In addition, we were the community hub for vaccinations and testing.” The facility also stored PPE for the state, as well as acting as a food distribution hub in collaboration with the City of Baltimore, and Amazon Flex, working to disperse food to those experiencing food insecurity. Looking ahead, Hutchinson says the goal is to reopen the travel and tourism economy in the city. ”We want to make sure we’re as competitive as possible moving forward in a post COVID type of era.” Campbell agrees and “We have the most collaborative staff, and the most caring CVB. We are building relationships to make sure that we hear what clients need and go above and beyond to provide those things. I think we are the most adaptable in our competitive set. Those types of things, along with our sustainability policies and procedures, our relentless attention to making sure that everyone feels safe downtown while they’re here, all of those things are differentiators that set us apart.” Regarding recent developments, Campbell says that the center received a substantial grant of $25.7 million from Governor Wes Moore’s supplemental budget during the past session. These funds are earmarked to enhance the customer experience, strengthen essential systems, and look ahead to envision the next iteration and BALT IMORE CONVENT ION CENTER