Palm Beaches Television Dave Anderson

Dave Anderson

GENERAL MANAGER PALM BEACH COUNTY CONVENTION CENTER, REGIONAL VICE PRESIDENT SPECTRA VENUE MANAGEMENT

A

nderson has over 25 years of industry experience and has called Palm Beach County home since opening the Palm Beach County Convention Center in 2003. He has held several positions within the facility management industry and currently serves on the board of the Florida Venue Managers Association.

Convention centers play a major role in the tourism industry. What sets the Palm Beach County Convention Center (PBCCC) apart from others?

To start, the County built an incredible, timeless building that after 18 years, still ranks as one of the most beautiful buildings in the country. The “package” that sets PBCCC apart from the rest is the fact that it is attached to a beautiful, 400 room Hilton Hotel, is located less than 10 minutes from one of the best airports in the world and is situated directly across the street from Rosemary Square, which offers endless shopping and dining opportunities for convention center attendees. The close proximity to Clematis Street and the Intracoastal Waterway, plus being less than two miles from beautiful beaches, make the venue very appealing. Other amazing local assets include the Kravis Center, Norton Museum and everything else that Palm Beach County has to offer. In totality, there may not be another convention center in the country that can offer what we have, internally and just beyond our doors.

The Palm Beaches TV plays on kiosks throughout the convention center. How has this helped your guests become more familiar with the County?

Being able to offer The Palm Beaches TV to our guests is yet another element that sets us apart. I often notice guests getting mesmerized by the beauty of the beaches, birds, fishing or the dining options that are featured in the programs. Without a doubt, the channel provides inspiration to conference attendees for how they spend their leisure time.

What were some of the most important shifts or changes that you had to make during the pandemic? What does the future of conventions and meetings look like post-Covid?

Our initial step was to get certified by the Global Biorisk Advisory Council (GBAC), which is the industry standard for cleaning and sanitization. The operations and events team began working on the GBAC Star accreditation process which includes how we clean and sanitize the building daily and how events could safely occur during a pandemic. In July 2020, we became the first facility in Palm Beach County and one of the first convention centers in the country to receive the GBAC Star accreditation. This gave us the pathway to reopen, but more importantly it provided messaging to clients and attendees that we are doing it right. Since reopening the facility in August 2020, there has been a steady uptick in the size and number of events each month. Operational planning for each event, no matter the size, is far more complex than it has ever been. Reducing capacities, redesigning floor plans and expanding events to larger spaces – we’ve entirely reimagined the way we do business. On the technology side, the word “hybrid” is the new buzzword that continues to gain steam throughout our industry. Platforms such as Zoom and Teams have led the way back for our industry in communications and day-to-day business. This hybrid solution will be part of the meetings landscape moving forward, which is why we have invested in the technology and are making it available to our clients. While I’m extremely pleased to see positive things happening with our event schedule and the meetings industry in general, it is imperative that we continue to stay the course and operate in a safe manner.

How are you able to offer top-notch culinary items when most venues offer hot dogs and nachos?

We made a commitment from day one to make food a reason to host an event here. Our approach has been to elevate the quality and creativity of our offerings so that we can satisfy even the most critical palate. Our team works with our Spectra corporate executive chefs to push the envelope with exciting and affordable options, many of which reflect the diversity of our local community and offerings found only in South Florida. The other important part of the process is creating custom menus whenever possible. This allows clients to be part of the creative process and gives us the ability to break away from traditional offerings. I enjoy seeing attendees’ faces when they see what we can deliver.