Many Vacancies: L.A.'s Tourism and Hospitality Industry after the Pandemic
When the coronavirus pandemic hit, one of the most immediate and obvious economic casualties was that of the hospitality industry. Nearly overnight, tens of thousands of hotel rooms in Los Angeles went dark. Conferences, weddings, and other gatherings -- which we would now identify as super-spreader events -- got cancelled. Airlines grounded their planes and flew many of them nearly empty. While Los Angeles's economy is diverse, hospitality typically contributes over $35 billion to the county’s economy and provides many working-class jobs. Moreover, it is a crucial element of the city's identity and, not insignificantly, a major source of revenue for local cities.
As vaccination levels increase and restrictions begin to loosen throughout Los Angeles and Southern California, WUF convenes a panel of industry experts to discuss how hotels have (or have not) fared during the pandemic and what the future of tourism, conferences, and hospitality may look like in L.A.
Details
Wednesday, May 19th: 12-1pm on Zoom
Panelists
Adam Burke, President & Chief Executive Officer, Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board
Phillip Barnes, General Manager, Fairmont Century Plaza and Regional VP, Fairmont Hotels
Ramin Kolahi, Principal, Lighthouse Investments, LLC
Garrick Brown, Managing Director of Western Region Research, Newmark
Amy Horwath, Manager, Transaction Real Estate & Hospitality - EY