What is on your to-do list this fall season?

Most San Francisco natives are familiar with the clever quip:

“The coldest winter I ever spent
was a summer in San Francisco.”

— attributed to Mark Twain

This commonly used phrase consistently rings true as nearly every day of summer is marked by the fog billowing through the Golden Gate while tourists shiver across the bridge clad in their new Pier 39 sweatshirts. Once Labor Day rolls around and the fog starts to roll out, the best kept secret in the city begins - Indian Summer!

Sidenote: We know this time of year doesn’t technically qualify as Indian Summer, but we certainly deserve to call it that after endless days of freezing fog and wind.

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Some even say Indian Summer in San Francisco is better than other summers everywhere.

To-Do #1: Visit San Francisco

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This time of year brings warm days, clear skies, no humidity, and plenty to do and see around San Francisco and the surrounding Bay Area. Countless beaches, parks, entertainment, wineries, and more await travelers to the area. In fact, San Francisco was recently named TimeOut’s Best City in the World and one of Economist’s Safest Cities in the Nation. This is exciting news for those planning to travel to San Francisco.

Dolores Park, San Francisco

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Curtin is thrilled to be a part of this vibrant city, and we are pleased to continue to represent San Francisco as we serve in-person events for our valued clients. We invite you to stay in touch with Curtin by following us on LinkedIn. For the remainder of 2021 and beyond, we will be highlighting some of our work, and also sharing fun and interesting sites and events in San Francisco. After all, Indian Summer has just begun, and there is much to celebrate as we head into this new season.

To-Do #2: Connect with Curtin

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To Do #3: Check out the reopening of the historic Club Fugazi!

Tickets on Sale

Out of the fog of 2020, Club Fugazi reemerges with an acrobatic love letter to our dear San Francisco. Created by Bay Area natives and modern circus collective The 7 Fingers co-founders Shana Carroll and Gypsy Snider, the intimate and immersive resident production will pay homage to the stunning beauty, storied characters, and astounding resilience of the City by the Bay. Click for more information.

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Curtin is ready to assist you with your next event. Contact Diane McKone, Director of Sales & Marketing, (415)883-7818, dmckone@curtinconvention.com

Sources: TimeOut and The Economist

Why do we celebrate Labor Day?

As we approach Labor Day weekend, you might be planning a BBQ or taking that last trip to the beach to mark the end of summer.

But, why is this day in early September really celebrated?

I decided to take to my old friend, Google, to look deeper into this American holiday. Google didn’t disappoint with its 97,900,000 results. Much has been written about this holiday, and it is clear it should mean more than eating a grilled hot dog with sand between your toes. The top search captures the essence of the holiday.

““Labor Day, which celebrates American employees and their achievements, was born out of the struggle to rectify poor working conditions. The Industrial Revolution, which ushered in the age of manufacturing, had brought with it 12- to 16-hour work days, seven days a week, in often unsafe and unsanitary circumstances.””

— August 2021, Google

According to HISTORY.com, “on September 5, 1882, 10,000 workers took unpaid time off to march from City Hall to Union Square in New York City, holding the first Labor Day parade in U.S. history. The idea of a “workingmen’s holiday,” celebrated on the first Monday in September, caught on in other industrial centers across the country, and many states passed legislation recognizing it. Congress would not legalize the holiday until 12 years later, when a watershed moment in American labor history brought workers’ rights squarely into the public’s view.”

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This year, Curtin is especially grateful for the fine men and women of the Local 2785 (Teamsters) and Local 510 (Display Workers) who have represented Curtin so well at the many events we have served in our 57+ year history. The work is hard, but there is great value in the effort put forth by each person stepping on the show floor. Thank you!

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As you plan your next event, contact Curtin to assist with your labor needs and all facets of the event. (415)883-7818, info@curtinconvention.com

Sources: History.com

Watch Curtin’s video for ESCA’s “All in” campaign!

ESCA recently launched All in, an event industry readiness campaign designed to share member stories on our efforts to be ready to return to producing events, the challenges they faced, and how their resiliency made them stronger to support their customers.

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Lynne Curtin, President of Curtin Convention and Curtin Theatrical Moving, shares in our ESCA submission video Curtin’s flexibility, challenges, solutions, communication, and reinvention that has readied us for the future of events.

Curtin has been “All in.” since the start of the pandemic. Read on for a preview of our efforts.

Curtin is proud to have built the mass vaccination site at Moscone Center in San Francisco as well as in Bakersfield, CA and Stockton, CA, contributing to over 400,000 vaccines amongst the people of the Bay Area.

Curtin Convention was also thrilled to work with The San Francisco Opera on their drive-in event at the Marin Center as Certified COVID Compliance Officers for the production. As Lynne mentions in our video, “…[it] was another opportunity for Curtin to provide new solutions and innovative services, with the nine-week production attracting worldwide attention as the only opera in the world performing at this time and reinventing the game for the live events and theater industries. Curtin implemented and communicated to our clients important safety measures.”

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Curtin is back to work preparing for in-person events this Summer and beyond. As you plan your next event, contact Diane McKone at (415)883-7818 or dmckone@curtinconvention.com

Also, we invite you to Follow Us on LinkedIn to keep up with latest news at Curtin.

Resources: ESCA Advocacy

When will the state of California issue guidelines for the event industry?

This past week, the California Convention Center Coalition delivered a letter to Governor Newsom calling for the immediate issuing of statewide guidelines for business meetings, events and conventions to safely resume when California fully reopens.  Curtin Convention & Exposition Services, Inc. was among the 134 tourism officials, labor groups, and advocates to sign the letter.

The letter asked for the Governor to focus on this sector of California economy which accounted for $66.1 billion in direct spending and 457,00 jobs in 2019.  According to CCCC, Newsom’s “Blueprint for a Safer Economy” makes no mention of business meetings, events and conventions and no guidelines for safe future re-openings have been issued.  The California travel industry finalized a plan in June 2020 which outlined how California could safely hold meetings.  The plan adhered to standards established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and included best practice recommendations for sanitation, staff training, physical distancing, and communication.  To date, California’s Administration has yet to adopt the plan or release guidelines of its own.

While California’s event industry waits for clarification and guidance, nearly every other state is safely holding meeting, events, and conventions.  The impact of the lack of guidelines is preventing California from competing for business with other states in 2021, 2022 and beyond.  As a result, California is losing vital revenue and hundreds of thousands of jobs.  The CCCC is not asking the Governor to open the state, but to simply set forth crucial guidelines which will signal to event professionals that California is not indefinitely closed, and the industry is prepared to hold events when re-opening begins.

Curtin Convention is actively participating in industry discussions and virtual conferences to best prepare for the reopening of events in California.  We are ready to support you and your next event.  If you have questions about how to hold your next LIVE event, contact Curtin. 

How can you participate and learn more

about California’s reopening?

Register to attend California Travel Association’s virtual conference on March 9 and 10, The California Comeback.

Register to attend San Francisco Travel Association’s virtual conference on March 24, Our Gate is Open - Marketing Conference.

Read the full press release regarding the letter to Governor Newsom.

Got Vaccines?

The meetings and events industry welcomed 2021 with hopes and plans around a swift roll-out of the COVID-19 vaccine.  There have been understandable challenges, and Curtin is encouraged by the progress. “Today, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports about 41 million Americans have received at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, including about 16.2 million Americans who have been fully vaccinated.”  As the rest of America watches and waits for their vaccine number to be called, the event industry continues to prepare for safely getting back to the work we love.

Supply will catch up with demand!

Vaccination sites have been built around the country to prepare for the arrival and administration of the COVID-19 vaccine supply. Curtin Convention was thrilled to partner with an expert execution team to design and build a mass vaccination site at Moscone Center in San Francisco. Our skilled production crew and laborers worked around the clock to plan, install, and execute this specialized COVID-19 vaccine center which will safely serve the community over the next several months.

This week, California opened FEMA supported COVID-19 vaccine sites at the Oakland Coliseum and CSU, Los Angeles. According to a recent CNN article, “Both sites have the capacity to vaccine up to 6,000 people per day.” The article also states, “FEMA finalized a contract for 30 mobile locations across the nation with over 1,000 staff members deployed to support vaccine centers with federal personnel and technical assistance, according to the agency.” While some non-FEMA sites temporarily closed, we have every reason to stay positive and informed as supply catches up with demand.

Those of us in the event industry know all too well the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our industry. Like our partners, Curtin has pivoted and streamlined our business, banded together with industry leaders to advocate for legislation, stayed connected with our clients and professional organizations, and followed countless informative media outlets.

Curtin was proud to participate in building one of the approved COVID-19 Vaccine sites for California, and we are poised to assist with additional sites. It is productive projects like this that give us hope, a continued purpose, and inch us all closer to the safety of our communities and the recovery of our industry.

We welcome your inquiry to learn more about our work supporting COVID-19 projects and for details on how Curtin can assist you with your next event. info@curtinconvention.com, (415)883-7818

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RESOURCES: Centers for Disease and Prevention and CNN and Moscone Center - Vaccine Site

How are you going to attack the year ahead?

The clock struck midnight seven days ago to usher in a new year, and with 2021 here, we are pausing to ask ourselves questions for the future.  These questions seem more important than ever:

• What is my focus? 

• What do I hope to accomplish? 

• How can I get there?

I personally took note of my focus for 2021 as Gratitude, Power, Family, and Breakthrough.  I’m inspired to work on my goals, and Curtin Convention is starting the year shining the light on a talented professional at Curtin Convention.

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Kasey Curtin

Operations & Exhibitor Associate

Gratitude – Working through a difficult business year is hard enough for seasoned professionals, and even more so for young professionals.  Kasey tackled every obstacle of 2020 with a smile, with smarts, and with flexibility.  Her efforts not only strengthened the foundation of the team at Curtin, her efforts also reinforced what we can accomplish together.  Thank you, Kasey.

Power – Being part of a team is empowering, building confidence in taking initiative and collaborating with your team.  Kasey shares contemporary ideas for the betterment of Curtin, listening openly and learning from feedback which gives her the power to be an effective Curtin team member.

Family – Kasey is the third generation of the Curtin family to serve our valued clients.  Kevin, Curtin’s General Foreman, and Dianna, Curtin’s Director of Operations, are her parents, and  Lynne Curtin, Curtin’s President, is her aunt. Leo Curtin, our founder and Kasey’s grandfather, would be so proud of all she brings to the Curtin team, continuing to build Curtin’s legacy.

Breakthrough – Success can be achieved suddenly or gradually.  We all aspire to make steps each day to reach our personal and professional goals.  Curtin Convention’s long history of success gives us the vision to continue building on our foundation.  Kasey has learned from this foundation which has given her the opportunity to support Curtin’s evolving services.

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Gratitude - Power - Family - Breakthrough for Kasey Curtin. 

Kasey, along with Curtin’s many long-term employees, are poised to continue serving each event and new opportunity in 2021! With our shared focus, we will accomplish great things with our clients this year. 

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Contact Curtin for your next event.

(415)883-7818 or info@curtinconvention.com 

Are safe in-person meetings really possible now or in a post-COVID world?

The vaccine trucks are rolling now, and we see light at the end of the 2020 global pandemic tunnel.  We are confident that with the vaccine LIVE events will emerge very quickly, and Curtin will be ready to support our valued clients.

While much of our industry readies for LIVE events, some groups are moving forward with LIVE events. For example, a recent article in MEETINGSNET highlights that “The Meetings Mean Business Coalition has launched the Meet Safe Program, a platform showcasing video summaries of in-person business gatherings that have taken place recently using best practices in Covid-related health and safety. The featured events, held across October and November, were hosted by groups such as Meeting Professionals International, the Greater Miami CVB, and the Meetings Mean Business Coalition itself”.

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Curtin is pleased to join our professional community as an active participant in organizing the event industry in preparation for the safe return of LIVE events. Curtin is focused on assisting our clients now to prepare for tomorrow. Each day we keep learning, and we want to keep sharing. After all, sharing is caring! What better way for Curtin to share than to continue to provide “nuggets” of the latest industry tips for the future of LIVE events?

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8 Practical Steps to Create Safe Check-In Areas at Live Events

According to a recent article in BizBash, “Registration and check-in can be one of the biggest danger areas of a LIVE or HYBRID event during COVID-19—but it’s also one of the best places to lay the groundwork for a safe gathering. Consider these smart strategies to keep attendees safe as soon as they arrive”.

1. Do as much as possible in advance.

2. Start the health screenings before guests arrive.

3. Make a clear plan for contact tracing. 

4. Stagger arrivals, and coordinate transportation strategically.

5. Use a larger-than-usual space for registration. 

6. Utilize kiosks and multiple check-in points on-site.

7. Consider safety marshals and on-site medical teams.

8. Above all, communication is key. 

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Curtin’s 56+ years in the event industry created a sturdy foundation, and we are thankful our foundation is still strong today as we head through the last stretch of the pandemic tunnel into the light again. Seeing 2020 in the review mirror will be a welcome reward. With that, we wish all our valued clients and future clients a very happy and health holiday season. We look forward to serving safe LIVE events in the very near future. Please contact Curtin to plan your next LIVE event in 2021 and beyond, (415)883-7818 or info@curtinconvention.com.

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RESOURCES: BIZBASH and MEETINGSNET and Meet Safe Program

Today is about Recovery & Rebirth for San Francisco!

How does our beautiful city by the bay, San Francisco, move forward in the face of a global pandemic?

Participating in SF Travel’s 110th Annual Meeting – Recovery & Rebirth allowed the travel and event industry an opportunity to come together to better understand a path forward to welcome visitors and events back to our city, San Francisco.  Curtin Convention was pleased to virtually attend the annual meeting and join our industry colleagues in the continued efforts toward planning for the recovery and rebirth of not only San Francisco’s event industry, but the rest of the United States as well. 

Curtin Convention has supported countless events in San Francisco and cities throughout the United States during our 56+ year history.  While we continue to ready our business for the return of safe LIVE events in our home city of San Francisco, we are prepared to support events throughout the United States.  In addition to Curtin’s 56+ years of event industry experience, our staff is now certified as Covid-19 Compliance Officers and are prepared to implement the necessary safety protocols for your next event.

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Curtin is ready, and we know many event planners are asking “where can we hold an event?” Northstar Meetings Group’s article provides a state-by-state update on the reopening status and event restrictions for each state.  Read the full report under RESOURCES for more results.

Alabama, Alaska, Idaho, Indiana, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Utah are among the states permitting gatherings of any size with strict social-distancing protocols in place - December 1, 2020

Whether event planners are ready to book a venue in one of the states open for gathering or not, we all know the time will come to book a venue for a LIVE event.  According to a recent article in BIZBASH, there are 7 questions event planners should ask venues in a COVID-19 world.  Read the full article under RESOURCES for complete detail on this topic.

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How flexible is your cancellation policy?

Is your venue financially stable right now?

How proactive are your sanitization procedures?

What modifications are being made to registration and check-in?

How are your preferred caterers keeping food and beverage sanitary?

What are your livestreaming capabilities to bring in a virtual audience?

What other modification are you taking to address the pandemic?

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Curtin will work in partnership with event planners and venues to deliver a safe LIVE event.  Contact us to further discuss your next planned LIVE event at (415)883-7818 or info@curtinconvention.com

RESOURCES:

SF Travels’ 110th Annual Meeting – Recover & Rebirth

Northstar Meetings Group’s

BIZBASH

It’s time to celebrate Curtin Theatrical Moving, Inc.

Curtin Theatrical Moving, Inc. is turning 18 this week! For Curtin Convention & Exposition Services, Inc.’s subsidiary company, this is cause for celebration.

Now more than ever, we need to pause to honor this event for Curtin Theatrical Moving, Inc.  As the leading trucking and labor provider on the West Coast serving theatrical events, festivals, concerts, and seminars, and countless other special events, we want to take a moment on our 18th anniversary to reflect and express gratitude.

Gratitude #1 – Thank you to our loyal and longstanding clients.  We are grateful to these clients for collaborating with CTM over the years and entrusting their valued business to us.

Gratitude #2 – Our dedicated CTM administrative staff and crew from the Local 2785 Teamsters Union are simply the best.  Their tireless efforts and positive attitude have made CTM the most respected theatrical moving company on the West Coast.

Gratitude #3 – The city of San Francisco and the fine community who both support the productions held throughout the city.  Even during this time of great challenge of the global pandemic, our SF community is strong and resilient.

Gratitude #4 – The countless artists who bring dance, music, song, and so much more to the city of San Francisco and beyond are a cherished gift to all of us.  We all miss live performances, and we cannot wait for the day we can sit in the theaters again.

As year 19 begins for Curtin Theatrical Moving, Inc., we are optimistic about the future, and we celebrate our work of the past 18 years. We are looking forward to continuing the great work with our many valued clients and venues.

If you need assistance with trucking and moving labor, contact Curtin Theatrical Moving, Inc. at (415)883-7818 or info@curtinconvention.com.

HYBRID events will likely reign supreme in the brave new world of events.

As we continue to wait for LIVE events to return to most parts of the United States, we all can agree the foreseeable future of events will be a combination of VIRTUAL and LIVE content as well as remote and in-person attendees — HYBRID.

Clear communication to the potential audience for HYBRID events will be a key component to a successful marketing plan. So, what are some strategies to market HYBRID events to attract both remote and in-person attendees?  A recent article in EVENT MB states “in-person attendance and remote participation come with their own distinct advantages, and the trick is to frame your marketing in terms of what is best about each—not in terms of why one is better than the other. At the same time, planners need to think about the ways that these two spheres can overlap to create unique synergies.” 

To better understand how to interpret what “synergies” means, and how it relates to the world of participating in a HYBRID event, read the definition from Oxford languages.

"The interaction or cooperation of two or more organizations, substances, or other agents to produce a combined effect greater than the sum of their separate effects."

-Synergies, Oxford languages

HYBRID event planners should aim for both the remote and in-person attendees to have an independent experience as well as an opportunity to intersect with the other experience and, in turn, create a combined experience.  Marketing to achieve a combined experience is no easy task.

The strategies laid out by EVENT MB address 6 tactics to reach both audiences.

1. Host a teaser event to provide an opportunity to gain platform familiarity.

2. Consider offering audio-only content.

3. Promote a smaller event as exclusive rather than limited.

4. Get creative with the event destination to attract in-person attendees.

5. Engage the in-person audience to create collaborative event content participation.

6. Build an online community through Social Media which encourages both groups to interact.

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Curtin, in conjunction with our valued clients, is prepared to set the stage for the LIVE Expo Hall for HYBRID events. We will strategize with each client to create a safe interactive LIVE expo experience for in-person attendees and exhibitors that will also translate for remote attendees.

Contact Curtin at (415) 883-7818 or info@curtinconvention.com and one of our experienced team members will assist you with your LIVE expo needs.

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Resources: EVENT MB and Oxford languages