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>> IT'S TIME TO CHECK BACK IN

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WITH BRANDIS FRIEDMAN WHO SPENT

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THE DAY IN CHICAGO'S SOUTH LOOP

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AS PART OF OUR "IN YOUR

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NEIGHBORHOOD SERIES".

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>> EARLIER IN THE DAY, WE SPOKE

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WITH LARITA CLARK THE C.E.O. OF

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THE METROPOLITAN PIER AND

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EXPOSITION AUTHORITY WHICH

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OPERATINGS McCORMICK PLACE AND

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WE STARTED BY ASKING HOW THE

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PANDEMIC HAS BEEN DIFFICULT FOR

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THE OPERATION.

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>> IT'S BEEN DEVASTATING FOR US

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AS AN INDUSTRY, THE CONVENTION

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INDUSTRY BUT ALSO FOR ALL OF

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WORKERS.

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JUST TO SEE THE FOLKS THAT WERE

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NOT ABLE TO WORK ON OUR CAMPUS.

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OUR CAMPUS EMPLOYS ALMOST 3,000

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PEOPLE.

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AND THAT DOESN'T INCLUDE THE

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CONTRACTORS AND THE EVENTS THAT

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COME IN HERE.

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AND WE HAD TO REDUCE THAT STAFF

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TO ABOUT 300-400 DURING THAT

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TIME.

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MANY OF THOSE PEOPLE WERE

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FURLOUGHED.

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IT JUST WATCHING THIS CAMPUS BE

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EMPTY WAS PRETTY DEVASTATING FOR

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US.

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>> WHAT HAVE BEEN THE CHALLENGES

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AND ALSO THE LOGISTICS

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CHALLENGES WITH GETTING READY TO

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WELCOME CONVENTIONS BACK AND

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BRINGING THE EMPLOYEES BACK IN

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FOR THIS?

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>> SO REALLY NO CHALLENGE WE

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TOOK THIS TIME TO PREPARE FOR

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THAT.

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MPEA OUR ENTIRE CAMPUS,

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McCORMICK PLACE, THE MARRIOTT

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MARQUIS CHICAGO, THE HYATT

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REGENCY, OUR WYNN TRUST ARENA WE

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ARE ALL G BACK ACCREDITED WHICH

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IS THE GOLD STANDARD FOR

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FACILITIES TO BE AVAILABLE AND

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CLEAN AND PROVIDE A GUARD

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AGAINST INFECTIONS AND DISEASES.

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WE TOOK THAT TIME TO PREPARE FOR

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THAT AND THEN WE DID A LOT OF

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CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS WHICH

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ALLOWED US TO RETAIN THE 300-400

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EMPLOYEES THAT I SPOKE ABOUT.

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>> AND BRINGING BACK MORE

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EMPLOYEES?

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>> OUR PLAN IS AS THOSE EVENTS

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COME IN WE ARE GOING TO RAMP UP

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OUR EMPLOYEES AND HOPE TO GET

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BACK UP TO THE 3,000 BY EARLY

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NEXT FISCAL YEAR WHICH IS JULY

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FIRST.

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>> WE HAVE THE AUTO SHOW NEXT

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WEEK.

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WHAT CAN PEOPLE EXPECT?

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>> WE HAVE THE SPECIAL EDITION

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AUTO SHOW AND THIS IS EXCITING

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FOR ALL OF US.

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IT'S IN JULY.

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IT'S ALWAYS IN FEBRUARY WHERE

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IT'S COLD AND WE HAVE TO BE

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INSIDE.

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WE WORKED WITH THE AUTO SHOW AND

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THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH

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FOR BOTH THE CITY AND THE STATE.

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TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE A

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HEALTHY OPERATING PLAN.

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SO THEY ARE GOING TO PRODUCE AN

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INDOOR AND OUTDOOR EVENT.

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THERE'S GOING TO BE FOLKS WILL

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SEE FOOD TRUCKS.

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THERE'S GOING TO BE OUTSIDE

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ENTERTAINMENT AND SOME OF THE

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EVENTS THEY HAVE SEEN INSIDE IN

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THE PAST WILL BE OUTSIDE.

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I THINK IT WILL BE EXCITING.

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>> HOW HAVE YOU WORKED WITH THE

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ORGANIZERS OF THE CONVENTIONS

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WITH REGARDS TO THEIR CAPACITY

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AND WHAT RESTRICTIONS AND COVID

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PROTOCOLS EVERYONE WANTS TO HAVE

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IN PLACE?

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>> INITIALLY WE WERE NOT SURE

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BECAUSE WHEN WE STARTED I THINK

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IT WAS WE WERE IN THE BRIDGE

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PHASE MAYBE OR EVEN IN THE

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GOVERNOR'S RESTORE ILLINOIS PLAN

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STAGE THREE OR FOUR.

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AND WE WEREN'T SURE WHAT WE

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WOULD BE ALLOWED TO DO.

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THE NEW EVENTS THAT ARE COMING

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UP ONE IS THE CHICAGO AUTO SHOW

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PRIOR TO THAT WE WERE HAVING A

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NIKI TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS AND

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HAVING AN ADVERTISING SPECIALTY

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EVENT A TRADE SHOW ALL OF THOSE

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EVENTS HAD TO SUBMIT OPERATING

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PLANS THAT WERE REVIEWED AND

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APPROVED BY THE CHICAGO

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DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND

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THE ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF

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PUBLIC HEALTH.

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SO WE WORKED TOGETHER WITH ALL

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OF THEM TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'LL

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HAVE A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT FOR

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EVERYONE.

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>> WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO THE CITY

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AND THE CITY'S ECONOMY TO BE

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ABLE TO REOPEN TO CONVENTIONS

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AND WELCOME THEM BACK?

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>> WELL, PRECOVID, McCORMICK

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PLACE EVENTS AND CAMPUS BROUGHT

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IN $1.9 BILLION IN ECONOMIC

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IMPACT TO THE CITY AND AS FOLKS

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COME IN I ALWAYS SAY THAT OUR

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GOAL AND OUR ROLE IS TO BRING IN

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CONVENTIONS, TRADE SHOWS AND

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MEETINGS SO WE CAN BRING PEOPLE

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IN FROM ALL OVER THAT THEY CAN

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SPEND THEIR MONEY IN CHICAGO.

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AND THAT WILL STIMULATE THE

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ECONOMY FOR RESTAURANTS AND

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HOTELS AND FOLKS WILL SPEND

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THEIR MONEY AND CREATE JOBS.

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>> AND AGAIN, THAT WAS LARITA

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CLARK THE C.E.O. OF THE

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ORGANIZATION THAT RUNS