Chamber E-News - April 28, 2020

Dear Seward Chamber Members and Friends,

I wanted to reach out to you all in this incredibly difficult time. I want to acknowledge that I am not a business owner and I can’t imagine what you are all going through in your different businesses. I have had a lot of conversations with many of you and know that it’s scary, stressful, and frustrating. We know that we can’t solve the COVID-19 situation, but are doing our best to be here for you - representing you, supporting you, and advocating for you. If you need something from us or see something that we could be doing better to support you, please reach out.

Unfortunately, there isn’t a template on navigating this kind of situation (which is probably a good thing). We are trying to problem solve this as best as we can through your feedback. Thanks for your input and support as we try to figure out how to serve you and promote Seward as best as we can.

During this time, our staff has shifted our efforts on both the membership and marketing sides of our organization. Here are a few things I’d like to highlight:

I am part of the Community COVID-19 Workgroup that meets three times a week to stay on top of the situation - we are working to be a resource connection, information source, and help communicate important messaging relevant to our membership.
Our staff has weekly meetings and conversations with organizations (Alaska Travel Industry Association, US Chamber, etc.) to give us the best information for both our organization and to be able to share with all of you.
Upped our member newsletter frequency to keep you informed with specific opportunities and resources for our community, partners, and business members.
Advocating for our small businesses and the tourism industry with state and federal legislators and agencies.
Help create visibility and programs for our businesses that are able to be open.
Working with SBA and SBDC to help businesses with the SBA Loan process.
Created a video that protects our community and sends the message that we are here and ready when things open up.
Starting industry-specific zoom calls for our members who operate similar businesses to create community and opportunities for engagement and collaboration.

Although the visitor center is not open to the public, we are still doing business. Things started picking up this last week as far as calls coming into the visitor center. They have been slower than normal, but consistent. We are getting a number of inquiries from potential visitors about coming later this summer (July, August, and September) and visitor guide requests for this summer and next, which is encouraging!

We know that tourism will look different this year and are making plans accordingly to get the most out of the summer that we have, as well as making plans and opportunities for the fall and winter seasons.

This month’s Alaska Magazine is on Road Trips. There is an article about visiting Seward and being a local tourist. There is another article about birding and seabird festivals which includes a picture of the Alaska SeaLife Center staff and mentions other great things to do in Seward. We have an ad in the issue as well. Although it was planned way before this situation - this couldn’t have been more timely. We will continue working to get as many people down here from the rest of the state when things open up.

We had conversations before this situation in regards to making Seward more of a conference destination and ways that we can increase traffic in the fall, winter, and spring. We are moving this up on our list of priorities to get a plan in place to help build the offseason.

In regards to our events, I wanted to let you know how things are shaping up and how we are evaluating those with the COVID-19 situation. I did want to mention that for all of our events, we have had significant sponsors drop out due to the economic downturn. We aren’t taking this into account as to whether we hold an event, but because our sponsorships play a huge role in making those events possible and financially feasible, some of the events make look a little different this year.

Although the Chamber technically dropped the Seward Halibut Tournament from our signature event lineup last fall, we have been working with Elle Zernia and our local charter fleet on supporting a similar event. We will make that call as late as possible and are open to helping support those efforts (within safe guidelines) even if we have a significantly shorter promotional window.

The announcement came out on April 15 on the postponement of the 2020 Mount Marathon Race. There were a number of factors involved in this decision by the Race Director and MMR Committee, all having to do with safety – runner, spectator, and community safety.

Runner Safety: the race has a significant safety plan (for runners) that is put in place each year that requires a lot of planning and coordination with EMS, Providence, Para/Mountain Rescue groups along with the 300 volunteers in support of that plan. With the current situation, EMS and Healthcare workers are not and will not be available for the foreseeable future to be able to put that plan in place. This was even more important this year as the number of racers increased.
Community Safety: Even before the COVID-19 situation, we had people coming down to train on the mountain. This was only going to increase and we wanted to make sure that we are protecting the community during the travel restrictions.
Spectator Safety: There is a strong belief that we aren’t going to be able to gather 20,000+ people for any reason by the time the 4th of July comes and probably not this year.

This was a difficult decision for the MMR community considering the wide-ranging economic impacts to our community. The feedback from stakeholders has been varied, but for the most part, is very supportive of this safety-first approach.

We are monitoring the 4th of July Festival to see if it’s something that we can make happen under allowable guidelines. Any July 4th event will no doubt look extremely different than our regular annual celebration. We will revisit this officially on June 1.

Seward Silver Salmon Derby planning and promotion are moving along and our SSD planning committee is in the process of selecting the new 2020 logo. We are happy to announce the implementation of new, state-of-the-art fishing tournament software that will improve the SSD experience for our anglers, volunteers, and coordinators alike through upgrades like online ticket purchasing and mobile device capabilities. We are regularly getting calls at the visitor center for this and look forward to ending the summer strong with this event.

We are making plans and budget adjustments to ensure we can continue to provide consistent destination marketing and member services over the next four years, even through the expected drop in bed-tax revenue (estimated at about a 70% loss for this year, which will hit our budget in 2022). We are also part of a collaborative lobbying effort to petition for disaster relief for DMMO’s through the Alaska Travel Industry Association. If there are any other relief opportunities that apply to 501(c)(6) non-profits, we will be pursuing those as well.

We are thankful for the opportunity to serve our city and member businesses during this time - if there is any way in which you feel that we can do that better, please let us know.

I am confident that we, as the Seward Community, will be able to get through this with courage, strength, perseverance, and helping each other out. We are thankful to be working with you all!

Sincerely,

Jason Bickling and the Seward Chamber of Commerce Team

SEWARD OPEN FOR BUSINESS
PUBLIC GOOGLE SHEET

As AK State Health Mandates evolve and Phase I continues, we encourage you to update your business information, business hours, reservation, dine-in, curbside or delivery options, website links, booking info, specials, and any other relevant information you'd like the public to know.

USE THIS LINK TO ADD OR UPDATE YOUR BUSINESS INFORMATION TO THE GOOGLE SHEET

We will continue to use this information to help promote local businesses to our community.

Please consider not only completing the survey but also pushing this email out to all concerned via email, websites, social media platforms, and any other available networks. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me. Thank you for participating and allowing us to gather this data to assist in recovery efforts Borough-wide.

Please note, this survey is identical to the original survey in order to accurately compare results from last month.

COVID-19 FOLLOW-UP SURVEY

Tim Dillon, Executive Director

Kenai Peninsula Economic Development District

14896 Kenai Spur Hwy - Kenai, AK 99611

907-242-9709

Tim@kpedd.org

AK STATE HEALTH MANDATES, ALERTS & PHASE 1 PLANS

"As we experience seismic changes to our way of life, know that your government is here for you, ready to provide Alaskan families and businesses with the resources they need. I’m honored to witness Alaskans across the Last Frontier answering the call of service and saying, ‘I can do that.’ Together, we will protect the health and wellbeing of our friends and neighbors, and Alaska will emerge stronger and more resilient than ever." - Gov. Mike Dunleavy

The activities and businesses listed below that were previously governed by the referenced Mandates may resume under the conditions and guidance provided in the following attachments.

Bure to check covid19.alaska.gov regularly for updates to specific Health Mandates and Alerts, and information for how your business can safely and legally operate moving forward.

EASY ACCESS TO PPE FOR YOUR BUSINESS FROM ALASKA MEP

DOWNLOAD FLYER HERE

If you are in need of PPE, the Alaska Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) Center is currently offering match-making services — free of cost — to connect businesses and health care providers with local PPE manufacturers. To make use of these services, please email Client Services Manager, Ms. Lewis. In the email please include the type(s) of PPE needed, the quantity, the timeline for delivery, and the price range. If you are unsure about any of those variables, please let us know and we can still connect you and let you work out the details with the PPE manufacturer directly.

Please don't hesitate to reach out if we can aid you and your business at this time.

Alyssa Rodrigues, Ph.D
Director, Alaska MEP Center
Avshanks01@alaska.edu

USDA RURAL ENERGY SAVINGS PROGRAM (RESP) WEBINAR

Date: April 29, 2020
Time: 10:00am AKDT
Location: Webinar

Join USDA Rural Development on Wednesday, April 29 at 2 p.m. Eastern Time to learn how to apply for funding under the Rural Energy Savings Program (RESP) to help rural families and small businesses reduce energy costs through energy efficiency improvements.

Through the RESP program, qualified utilities and energy efficiency service providers can provide loans to rural families and small businesses to help them reduce energy costs and make energy efficiency improvements. The funds also may be used to replace manufactured housing units with more energy-efficient ones.

This webinar will provide an overview of program requirements and the application process. Participants will also have the opportunity to participate in a moderated Q&A session to ask technical questions about their applications and the program. REGISTER HERE TODAY!

ATIA CALL TO ACTION

Alaska’s destination marketing program is currently unfunded, in either the state budget or through Alaska’s $1.25 billion allocation of federal COVID-19 funds.

Please reach out to Alaska’s legislative leadership today to ask for their support for statewide marketing funding and to share your story of COVID-19’s impact on your family, your business, and your community.

COVID-19’s devastating impacts on our industry began in January, as we started to see the spread of a novel coronavirus. In only four months, Alaska tourism businesses in all sectors across the state – from tours, accommodations, restaurants, retail, breweries, and cruises – have experienced significant economic impacts.

While Alaska’s tourism sector is incredibly resilient, we will need a focused, targeted effort to attract visitors in-state and to regain market share globally. When it is right and safe to do so, Alaska needs to be in the marketplace as a safe, accessible, destination.

A competitive statewide destination marketing program – complemented by local marketing efforts – will have a wider reach than any one company’s or community’s efforts.

To do this, we need resources to saturate the current market through advertising and paid media. We must emphasize Alaska’s brand – our wild, wide-open spaces – reaching as many potential travelers as possible at the right time, through the right channels.

Here's how you can help. Alaska’s legislature plans to reconvene in early May. Send an e-mail TODAY to Alaska’s legislative leadership to share your own personal story and how support from a strategic, comprehensive statewide destination marketing program will help you and your business recover from COVID-19’s impacts.

Together, we can help more businesses in more regions of the state recover from COVID-19’s devastating economic impacts. Thank you for your voice – and your support.

Sarah Leonard
President and CEO

Please send a single e-mail, copied to all the legislators listed below, and include a link to the Alaska Will Wait video.

Senator.Cathy.Giessel@akleg.gov
Senator.Lyman.Hoffman@akleg.gov
Senator.Tom.Begich@akleg.gov
Sen.Natasha.VonImhof@akleg.gov
Senator.Bert.Stedman@akleg.gov
Representative.Bryce.Edgmon@akleg.gov
Representative.Steve.Thompson@akleg.gov
Representative.Lance.Pruitt@akleg.gov
Representative.Neal.Foster@akleg.gov
Representative.Jennifer.Johnston@akleg.gov
Representative.Dan.Ortiz@akleg.gov

SURVEY: SPRING 2020 CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALASKA'S FISHERMEN

At SalmonState, we are focused on action that helps guarantee that Alaska remains a place where wild salmon and the people who depend on them thrive. As independent fishermen and small-business owners, we are faced with unique short and long-term challenges. To help ensure that small boat independent fishermen’s voices are communicated and reflected in federal, state and local responses to this crisis and fisheries adaptations, please take a couple of minutes to fill out this survey. COMPLETE SURVEY HERE

LETTER TO CONGRESS - NATIONAL RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION - BLUEPRINT FOR RECOVERY

The National Restaurant Association has prepared a "Blueprint for Recovery" that outlines how Congress can improve the industry’s chances for survival. Centered around a $240 billion Restaurant and Foodservice Industry Recovery Fund, this plan would provide dedicated government funding, tax credits, and much more to help restaurants prepare for current and future challenges as they recover.

Please take a few moments and contact your Representative and Senators—tell them that restaurants, employees, and consumers need Congress to act on the "Blueprint for Recovery," so that your restaurant can survive the long road to recovery. LEARN MORE & SIGN HERE