6 minute read
Weathering the Storm
UNITED CORPUS CHRISTI CHAMBER
WEATHERING THE STORM
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Your United Corpus Christi Chamber of Commerce is here to make Coastal Bend small businesses stronger than the pandemic. BY: JOHN LARUE
As we strive to overcome the hardships facing the Coastal Bend from COVID-19, working together is the key to making our businesses stronger than resources
the pandemic. Throughout this nationwide crisis, the United Corpus Christi Chamber of Commerce has been working diligently for our members and our community.
We have been a source for the latest news on COVID-19 regulations, a facilitator in helping our businesses re-open safely and an advocate for them in this rapidly changUnited Corpus Christi Chamber of Commerce is helping our Coastal Bend business community:
Facilitating and executing the Small Business Regional Pandemic Grant Program (SBRPGP) by collaborating with the City of Corpus Christi and the Port of Corpus Christi to jumpstart small businesses affected by COVID-19
Approved applicants will receive $500 for working capital expenses, expenses of debt and workforce needs. Approved applicants within the City of Corpus Christi limits will receive an additional $500 credit on their city utility bill. The goal of the grant is to alleviate the effects of the pandemic on small businesses.
Holding numerous in-depth virtual events and webinars covering COVID-19 topics from re-opening phases and mental health to government transparency and the Paycheck Protection Program Serving as a facilitator in distributing 10,000 masks donated by Unifirst to our small business community
Sending daily e-blast messages to keep our members up-to-date on the quickly changing government COVID-19 regulations, virtual events and small business ing pandemic landscape. Here’s how your
Networking with members to help find and provide PPE, signage, disinfectant solutions and other items critical to re-opening
Opening virtual access to the United Corpus Christi Chamber of Commerce’s Infrastructure Committee meetings covering the Harbor Bridge Project and the City of Corpus Christi’s Seawater Desalination Project
As we transition from recovery to rebuilding, the United Corpus Christi Chamber of Commerce is focused on helping our businesses overcome challenges facing them, from regulatory and financial to managerial and otherwise.
If you have not been a member of the United Corpus Christi Chamber of Commerce before, now is the time to reach out to Membership Engagement Director Efrain Franco Jr. at efrain@unitedccchamber.com to have a virtual meeting to discuss how we can strengthen your business during this pandemic.
Sincerely, John LaRue President & CEO, United Corpus Christi Chamber of Commerce
ABOUT THE UNITED CORPUS CHRISTI CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
The United Corpus Christi Chamber of Commerce is the premier organization working to advance economic prosperity for all business while preserving our region’s diverse cultures. The chamber proudly represents the needs of 1,200+ member-businesses, while working to unite Corpus Christi to be the best place to live and work. United Corpus Christi Chamber of Commerce members and volunteers represent a cross section of all types and sizes of business in our community.
For information on becoming a member of the United Corpus Christi Chamber of Commerce, please visit www.unitedcorpuschristichamber.com or contact Efrain Franco Jr. at 361-881-1800.
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The ‘New Normal’
The definition of “normal” hasn’t changed – but just about everything else has. By: KIM BRIDGER-HUNT
How many times in recent months have you heard someone use the phrase, “the new normal?” If it drives you crazy, you’re not alone. Let’s just say it’s
possible that since the coronavirus pandemic began, it’s been a bit overused. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t think about how our world is changing and how some of these changes will likely lead to new way of doing certain things.
The airline industry is still working to figure out what the coming months will look like. They are trying to forecast what air travel levels will be this fall. The national perspective is not really positive. They are grappling with the reality that business travel may be slow to return. Will travelers be ready to take vacations this coming spring and summer?
And here’s the question that communities all across the nation are asking as they look at their airports, the current demand for air travel and how that demand will rebound in 2021 and beyond: What will the new normal look like at our airport?
Corpus Christi International Airport (CCIA) hasn’t missed a beat since mid-March when the pandemic forced a drop in traffic of more than 90 percent. CCIA not only has been open – the staff has been working on enhanced cleaning protocols and is using technology that helps to ensure a clean and safe environment for passengers, tenants and employees.
First and foremost, we know that this new expectation for enhanced cleanliness is the new norm. We know that providing touchless handwashing, hand sanitizer and new cleaning technology will never go out of style. But travelers may be wondering how this massive slowdown in air travel will impact air service at CCIA.
There is no absolute answer to that question today. The airlines are constantly assessing traffic patterns at their busiest HUBS, and at the smaller airports they serve, too. They are adjusting schedules on a weekly basis, and often changing them even after they are published. At the time of this writing, September schedules at CCIA are down an average of about 50 percent when compared to the same time last year.
And this is consistent throughout the nation. Most of the U.S.- based airlines in business today are looking at transforming into smaller organizations with fewer flights, fewer employees and fewer seats being offered at most, if not all the airports they serve. The hope is that these reductions will be temporary. In terms of air service offered in communities, we’ll start from a new baseline that has yet to be established.
How these changes will impact CCIA long-term will rely heavily on how traffic rebounds in the weeks and months ahead. As more and more people begin to book flights, you’ll likely see the airlines respond with more seats in the markets that demand it. This is why it’s more critical than ever that Coastal Bend residents look to CCIA when they are ready to go somewhere.
At CCIA, we don’t do crowds. We don’t do long lines or lengthy walks to your gate. And when you FlyCCIA, you don’t have a long drive, either. The more people who make the choice to FlyCCIA – the better our chances of really liking the new norm.
