‘You can’t turn the lights on for 10 people:’ Banquet halls sit idle with few answers from state - mlive.com

The Grand Rapids Opera House will perform Christmas carols in front of DeVos Place in Grand Rapids, Michigan on Friday, December 20, 2019.

There are not many reasons to join the party in 2020.

Even if there is, it is difficult for you to find a place for celebrations in Michigan.

Most banquet halls, convention centers and other event facilities in most parts of Michigan are idle, and no state official has indicated when the rules may be changed to allow partial reopening. Such an indoor space can accommodate 10 people or less, but the business owner said that opening up the event space for such small groups is not feasible.

"You cannot open

It can accommodate 10 people," said Victor Dzenowagis, who owns the Bloomfield Hills Iroquois Club Ballroom.

Dzenowagis also owns some restaurants in southeastern Michigan. Although he is grateful that the restaurant can be opened with 50% capacity through social evacuations, he said that there is no reason why the banquet hall cannot do this.

Club Iroquois shares a parking lot with The Moose Preserve, a restaurant in Dzenowagis. For example, although the restaurant can easily accommodate a group of eight people with ten people per person, the banquet hall of the entire parking lot may be set up the same, which is still illegal.

"For me, it's really unfair. I don't have scientific support," Dzenowagis said. "I haven't seen any science behind it."

MLive asked the governor's office why the event space is limited to 10, but restaurants can open at 50% of the capacity. Although officials declined to answer specific questions, a spokesperson pointed to a page of frequently asked questions in the state.

The page said that compared with restaurants, the risk of spreading COVID-19 in indoor events is higher because the length of banquets and meetings is usually longer and it encourages more integration between groups.

"The main risk of a large social gathering or event is that the people gathered at the social gathering or event will communicate with each other for a long time,"

. "People who happen to be in the same institution and sitting at different tables do not have the same risk."

Some banquet centers have hosted events outside the tents this summer. However, when it rains, the walls of the tent will be rolled down, thereby eliminating the health benefits outside, Dzenowagis said.

He said: "Arbitrariness is challenging." "I want to look at some more ideas from the government's point of view."

Not only is the event space closed, but the possibility of the entire industry reopening within a few days, weeks or months is unclear.

The Michigan Restaurant and Lodging Association urged Whitmer to allow meeting and banquet center opening rates to reach 50% (the same as restaurants), and the COVID-19 test rate in Michigan continued to drop to 3 % Below allow a larger share. In recent weeks, the percentage of positive tests has been hovering at or slightly above 3%.

Working group member Richard MacKeigan (Richard MacKeigan) compiled a research report to show state officials how to safely open event venues. He said that efforts to contact the governor’s office had no results.

"We received very little feedback, even if there was any feedback," said MacKeigan, who is also the regional general manager of ASM Global, which manages the DeVos Place Convention Center, DeVos Performance Hall and Van Andel Arena in Great Falls.

The communication problem is not a new complaint. From bowling alleys to stadiums to theaters, many business leaders in Michigan have pointed out that despite their attempts to cooperate, there is such a disconnect with the governor's office.

Dzenowagis said: "At the moment, we are in trouble." "Hopefully there will be some wavering soon."

Another point of confusion is

, Signed on September 11.

Throughout the summer, indoor events in Michigan's 6th and 8th Districts-covering the northern and upper peninsulas of the Lower Peninsula-have been allowed to host indoor events for 250 people or 25% of the capacity, whichever is smaller. But the executive order of September 11 said that all areas are now limited to 10 people.

A FAQ page on the state website contradicts that claim, arguing that the 250/25% limit still applies to northern Michigan. When asked which number is correct, the governor’s spokesperson pointed out a 250/25% limit on the “FAQ” page.

MRLA President and CEO Justin Winslow (Justin Winslow) said that some of the events that had to be cancelled in Michigan this summer were rescheduled in the north.

Winslow said: "The irony is that because of the high exposure rate (in southern Michigan), the person you are trying to separate is going to the northern area for a meeting."

Winslow said that for the convention center now, time is of the essence, because the peak season for meetings is from September to November.

Winslow said that although this number is down from 2018 and 2019, the profit for the hotel industry this summer is higher than leaders expected. However, Winslow expects a sharp decline in the fall as the way of travel changes from leisure in the summer in Michigan to business travel in the fall.

Winslow said: "After the leisure travel season, they have no business to turn to." "Business travel itself has indeed decreased to the point where it is almost non-existent."

Dzenowagis said that after autumn, holidays are a critical period for the banquet industry. He said that if the restrictions were not relaxed then, some companies might not survive.

Dzenowagis said: "The other effect of (guts) is... the banquet hall has to return hundreds of thousands of dollars in deposits." "The funeral will not be rescheduled, nor will the graduation party be rescheduled. Some weddings attended, but many did not."

MacKeigan said that in the DeVos Convention Center, the theater and the Van Andel Arena, many employees have been fired, and the rest have reduced their salaries. Although these facilities usually earn between US$1 million and US$5 million in annual profits, MacKeigan said the board of directors expects an operating loss of US$6 million in the 2020-21 fiscal year.

These facilities host conferences, performances, sporting events, weddings, banquets, concerts and other gatherings. However, due to the pandemic, all activities have been cancelled since March.

At the same time, the empty Grand Rapids facilities have been improved-from the new seats in the arena bowls to the new flyrail system in the theater, and the new external staircases in the convention center.

McKiegan said that a safe reopening plan is in place. Convention centers usually have powerful ventilation systems. Compared with restaurants, the churn rate of guests is lower, and because the registration process has already been carried out, contact tracking is easy.

MacKeigan said: "We are very confident that we can be safe and open." "We only need to be sure to start the process."

In addition

, Officials suggested social evacuations, assuming that someone might be carrying the virus.

Health officials say that if possible, you should keep at least 6 feet away from others and work from home.

use

Either

At home (doorknob, faucet, countertop) and

When you enter a place like a store.

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer (Gretchen Whitmer) also issued an executive order requiring people to wear

And in public indoor and crowded outdoor spaces. See one

.

For additional information, please visit:

with

For more data on COVID-19 in Michigan, please visit

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