B2B Omaha - October/November 2020

OCTOBER · NOVEMBER 2020 | U.S. $3.25

FEEDING OUR CITY

FARMERS, TRUCKERS, CATERERS ADAPT TO CHANGE

EVENT PLANNING & VENUES ISSUE EVENT PLANNING WHEN EVENTS AREN’T POSSIBLE ORGANIZERS THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX

CREATING BIG OMAHA EVENTS

VIC GUTMAN’S FESTIVE VISION

Moving business forward since 1918

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OMAHAMAGAZINE.COM OCTOBER · NOVEMBER | 01

TABLE OF CONTENTS COVER

24

FEEDING OUR CITY FARMERS, RANCHERS ADAPT TO CHANGE

FEATURES

28

TRUCKERS CARRY THE WEIGHT ADDRESSING FOOD INSECURITY AND MORE

32

CATERING IN THE TIME OF CORONA

HOW TWO COMPANIES PIVOTED

36

WHEN EVENTS AREN’T POSSIBLE

ORGANIZERS THINK OUTSIDE THE VENUE WALLS

DEPARTMENTS

04 AFTER HOURS

08 HOW I ROLL

12 LEADERS

06 BIZ + GIVING

10 IN THE OFFICE

14 omAHA!

DOUG ROTHGEB

ROTELLA’S

COLUMNS

03 FROM THE EDITOR PLANS OR NO?

FRANK KILTON

ABRAHAM CATERING

SPECIAL SECTIONS

20 SPONSORED SECTION EVENT PLANNING & VENUES

WHEN TOURISM DISAPPEARS

40 GREATER OMAHA CHAMBER PRE-SCHOOL-YEAR JITTERS

GUNHEE PARK

TREERUSH ADVENTURES

OCTOBER · NOVEMBER 2020 | U.S. $3.25

FEEDING OUR CITY

FARMERS, TRUCKERS, CATERERS ADAPT TO CHANGE

40 OMAHA CVB

18 ON THE RISE

VIC GUTMAN

EVENT PLANNING & VENUES ISSUE EVENT PLANNING WHEN EVENTS AREN’T POSSIBLE ORGANIZERS THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX

CREATING BIG OMAHA EVENTS

VIC GUTMAN’S FESTIVE VISION

ABOUT THE COVER 2020 has been a long row to hoe for many this year—including farmers, truckers, caterers, and event planners.

02 | B2B MAGAZINE · 2020

VOLUME 20 · ISSUE 5

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associate publisher Bill Sitzmann

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EDITORIAL managing editor Daisy Hutzell-Rodman

photographers Katie Anderson Keith Binder Scott Drickey Ariel Fried Sarah Lemke Jeremy Allen Wieczorek

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OMAHAMAGAZINE.COM OCTOBER · NOVEMBER | 03

FROM THE EDITOR

PLAN OR NO? F

all in the midwest brings to mind lots of events. Traditionally, in Omaha, events include the Omaha Farmers Market, the Food Truck World Tour, OneWorld Omaha’s Milagro, Girls Inc. of Omaha’s Lunch for the Girls, and of course, the start of the Holiday Lights Festival.

These events bring the community together, and in many cases, bring dollars into the community.

In Omaha, an economic impact research showed 13.1 million visitors traveled to Omaha in 2018, a 6% increase over 2016, the last time the research was conducted. Those visitors spent a total of $1.3 billion while they were in Omaha, a 6.5% increase over 2016.

While the events and tourism industries have been down this year because of the COVID19 pandemic, there are reasons to host events, and innovative new ways to create events.

This month’s feature well includes a series of articles related to bringing food to events, including how COVID-19 and last year’s flooding has affected the farming, trucking, and catering industries. Many events have turned virtual, and our fourth feature speaks to this.

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Department articles include the renovation of Hap Abraham’s kitchen space and how that business has done this year; the new TreeRush Adventures at Fontenelle Forest; and how Vic Gutman started a successful events-production business. The five events mentioned in the first paragraph are all produced and/or managed by Vic Gutman & Associates, and Gutman himself has been a stalwart in this business for the last 40 years.

Largest Durolast Contractor in Nebraska

C O R P

It’s been a topsy-turvy year, but events managers have a knack for adapting. I hope each reader gleans something about creating great events from this issue.

B2B

Daisy Hutzell-Rodman is the managing editor of Omaha Publications.

She can be reached at daisy@omahapublications.com

Visit us online Ciaccioroofing.com or call 402.293.8707 for a FREE estimate!

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04 | B2B MAGAZINE · 2020

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VOLUME 20 · ISSUE 5

AFTER HOURS | STORY BY CHRIS HATCH | PHOTOS BY BILL SITZMANN

SMILES BEHIND THE MASKS

HOW DOUG ROTHGEB AND BIG CANVAS COMEDY ARE KEEPING OMAHA LAUGHING

H

ey, Omaha.

Feel like laughing yet?

It may seem counterintuitive, but that smile many people feel creeping underneath those masks they have looped behind both ears with elastic bands— the ones they bought from friends of friends who have been cranking them out at warp-COVID-19speed and sharing them on social media—perhaps that smile is because they’ve seen a sketch by Big Canvas Comedy or remembered one of the many times they saw Big Canvas’ team ignite the stage at their newly minted theater.

These days, a lot of people are starting over.

Literally. Figuratively. In all types of ways, many people are facing down a new reality and in desperate need of fun.

Omaha native Doug Rothgeb is starting over, too.

“I used to work for…Lozier 45-50 hours a week plus being the artistic director with Big Canvas and being on the board with the Lofte Community Theater and [spending time with] my family,” Rothgeb said. Now my life has taken a huge turn, I still am the A.D. with Big Canvas, but am no longer with Lozier. It has allowed me to start my own consulting firm, helping businesses identify strengths and weaknesses, along with building the focus of Big Canvas with teambuilding and corporate workshops.”

“WE WANT PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER NEBRASKA AND IOWA TO TRY IMPROV AND JOIN US ON STAGE.” -DOUG ROTHGEB He uses this humor to bring slapstick to the boardroom via connections with local leadership training programs.

“Doug took the time to learn about the leadership program and the client. He weaves leadership lessons into each improv activity. Doug is a pro at leadership and improv, which makes a powerful combination,” said Nicole Bianchi, partner at Bravium HD. He founded Big Canvas in 2014. Rothgeb and the troupe lived a nomadic existence, traveling and performing anywhere they could pack the house, bring the laughs, and whip up the comedic gold that can only come from a hivemind clicking on all synapses.

“Not all improv is funny, and if you can take an audience on a ride of laughter and tears, it means so much more because it means they were on the journey with you,” Rothgeb said. “Plus you are doing it with four or five other minds and when they all come together and gel as one, it is incredible to feel and witness.”

Rothgeb and company take this team feel, this comedic three-person-weave, and have made it who they are. Big Canvas believes it’s not about who they are. It’s about who we can be. That’s why they use their platform and their specific set of skills to pull people together off the stage and on, teaching

classes, doing charity work, and giving lessons and [participating in] corporate retreats to people of all ages in all manner of settings.

“Improv can help leaders rethink how they manage and communicate in every interaction. When you take a risk like bringing improv into a new leadership program you are designing for a client, you want to find the best,” Bianchi said.

“We want people from all over Nebraska and Iowa to try improv and join us onstage,” Rothgeb said.

“We are all humans in the end. We all feel the same, we all hurt the same, we all laugh the same, but not all of us have been through the same things in life, and the more varieties of humans we can get on an improv stage to be vulnerable and open, the better this world will be.”

They’re still creating, still working together to crinkle eyes and make stomachs ache with the sublime feeling of hilarity unfolding, having taken some of their work online to their Facebook page with videos uploaded and ideas shared.

Rothgeb and Big Canvas want comedy to be for all, by all, and they want it to pull people together, even if they have to stay six feet apart.

Visit bigcanvascomedy.com for more information.

B2B

OMAHAMAGAZINE.COM OCTOBER · NOVEMBER | 05

“I STILL AM THE A.D. WITH BIG CANVAS, BUT AM NO LONGER WITH LOZIER. IT HAS ALLOWED ME TO START MY OWN CONSULTING FIRM, HELPING BUSINESSES IDENTIFY STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES, ALONG WITH BUILDING THE FOCUS OF BIG CANVAS WITH TEAMBUILDING AND CORPORATE WORKSHOPS.” -DOUG ROTHGEB

06 | B2B MAGAZINE · 2020

VOLUME 20 · ISSUE 5

“MY GRANDFATHER STARTED THE BAKERY IN 1921, THE DEPRESSION HIT, AND PEOPLE COULDN’T BUY BREAD. MY GRANDPARENTS FED ALL THE PEOPLE.” -LOUIS ROTELLA JR.

Louis Rotella III is part of the fourth generation of Rotellas to work for the family business in Omaha.

OMAHAMAGAZINE.COM OCTOBER · NOVEMBER | 07

07

BIZ + GIVING | STORY BY TAMSEN BUTLER | PHOTOS PROVIDED

ROTELLA’S ITALIAN BAKERY

FEEDING THE HUNGRY AMIDST A PANDEMIC

R

otella’s Italian Bakery, an Omaha staple since 1921, has risen to the challenge of 2020 by giving a lot of dough.

Food Bank for the Heartland has been busy this year. Their Mobile Pantry and Mobile BackPack programs served more than 364,043 individuals from the start of the COVID-19 pandemic crisis on March 15 until June 30 and distributed more than 7.5 million meals to children, families, and seniors.

Brian Barks, president and chief executive officer of Food Bank for the Heartland, said expenses for the organization during that time period were up 374% from the same time period in 2019.

The Food Bank relies on community partners like Rotella’s to offer help throughout the year, but the need has risen exponentially with the pandemic.

“We have been humbled and overwhelmed by the support of community partners who have generously donated to Food Bank for the Heartland during this unprecedented time,” Barks said. “The COVID19 pandemic is affecting us all, but for thousands of our food-insecure neighbors, the impact has been devastating.

“IT STARTED WITH TWO PALLETS AND THEN TO FOUR PALLETS. THEN THE PANDEMIC HIT AND THEY ASKED US FOR 10 PALLETS.” -LAURA PLARK

He continued, “Between March 15 and July 16, 2020, Rotella’s donated 73,856 pounds of sliced bread, and Food Bank for the Heartland has purchased 20,736 pounds of sliced bread.”

“We did it because they needed more,” explained Louis Rotella Jr., Rotella’s Italian Bakery CEO and president.

Rotella’s is no stranger to helping the Food Bank for the Heartland. Representative Laura Plark estimated they’ve given weekly donations of food to the Food Bank since around 2005. “It started with two pallets and then [went] to four pallets,” Plark said. “Then the pandemic hit and they asked us for 10 pallets. They said they would pay for the food. I said, ‘Let me talk to Louis.’ In the beginning of the pandemic, for six weeks, all the food we gave them was free.” The Food Bank now purchases some of the bread at cost—a greatly reduced rate— but continues to receive ample donations from the bakery.

The need has been urgent during the pandemic, with so many families struggling to buy groceries amidst economic uncertainty. “Rotella’s bread is being distributed to children, families, and seniors in need across Nebraska and western Iowa through the Food Bank’s Mobile Pantry program and its network of pantry partners,” Barks said.

Rotella’s has a reputation of helping the community and often jumps into action when there is a need.

“The Open Door Mission, the pantries—we try to give that way so they don’t have to use their resources to pay,” Rotella said. “During the floods we did a lot of pop-ups, feeding the people who were helping with cleanup. We also sent around twenty truckloads of products to Florida and Georgia during the hurricane. We’ve helped out after tornados.”

“Rotella’s has been a longtime weekly food donor,” Barks said. “The Food Bank picks up the donated bread from Rotella’s each week.”

Rotella said giving bread is a tradition that started with his grandfather. “It basically started with my grandfather, and my father was the same way, and now my son. My grandfather started the bakery in 1921, the Depression hit, and people couldn’t buy bread. My grandparents fed all the people. That’s how it all started. They believed everyone should have bread at every meal.”

He continued, “We have really good employees.

Our culture is to help everyone in need. The Omaha community is where we started. They helped us so we’re giving back.”

The Food Bank is working overtime to try to feed the hungry. Barks said it’s easy for community members to help. “We are grateful for the support shown by the community. Neighbors are helping neighbors during this uncertain time. If members of the community are seeking opportunities to help the Food Bank, they are encouraged to visit [the website] to make a secure financial donation used to purchase critical meals and to obtain information about volunteering in the Food Bank’s volunteer center packing community packs, sorting produce, and helping with other projects.”

Because Rotella’s will continue with the increased support of the Food Bank as the pandemic progresses, as long as people need them.

Visit rotellasbakery.com for more information.

B2B

08 | B2B MAGAZINE · 2020

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VOLUME 20 · ISSUE 5

HOW I ROLL | STORY BY J.D. AVANT | PHOTOS BY BILL SITZMANN

KEEPING PACE WITH THE BEST

FRANK KILTON AND THE LEGACY OF MADMAC

F

rank Kilton’s 1950 Hudson Pacemaster Club Coupe is more than a vintage vehicle. The 54-year-old surgical device sales representative refers to his Hudson Coupe as an orphan car—an automobile no longer produced by its manufacturer.

Kilton relishes every chance to drive MADMAC to regional car shows and fundraising events, cruising along the highways on wide whitewall radial tires with Spider hubcaps mated to chrome reverse wheels. Custom finishes include Zoomies pipes peeking out underneath the rocker panels.

Orphaned for nearly 70 years, Kilton’s Hudson has been a part of his family for the past 19 years.

“Even with the rarity and extreme restoration, the car is still driven to every show in the Midwest,” Kilton said proudly. “I purchased it with 42,000 miles, and added around 6,000 miles since the last restoration.”

“I got that car home the day after my oldest daughter, Mackenzie, came home from the hospital,” he said, recalling a two-year negotiation on price with the car’s original owner in Belmond, Iowa.

“It was very well-kept, rust-free, and an excellent candidate for restoration,” Kilton said. “It was only used in Shriner’s parades according to the original owner.”

The rebuilt Hudson Hornet engine features vintage speed parts manufactured by Clifford Research, including high-performance shaved headers to increase compression and dwarf the previous 87 mph top rate.

Kilton’s attention to old-school detail and speedparts pays respect to the Hudson Hornet’s history as a racer.

“A lot of people see that type of car and think of Doc Hudson from the movie Cars,” Wertzgerber said.

“The Hudson was significant because of that stepdown design,” Wertzgerber continued. “It was the first time an automobile manufacturer had a lower, sleeker design. While the Hudson didn’t adapt V8 engines early, the way they handled and maintained speed allowed them to be very competitive in the early days of racing.”

MADMAC may be built for speed, but the exquisite automobile is also suited for feature photo shoots in magazines. It was in Car Craft Magazine in 2010 and Hot Rod Magazine in 2011. Kilton is most proud of local recognition, including a top award won at the Joslyn Castle Classic in 2012.

Kilton tried to buy the car after meeting the gentleman, but they couldn’t come to an agreement on price. He periodically talked to the original owner, and two years later they agreed upon a selling price.

“The original drivetrain and six-cylinder chambered exhaust gives it a unique rumbling tone that is music to your ears,” Kilton said. “The speed parts contribute to additional high-end speed, including a factory three-speed overdrive transmission. The car will go 110 mph.”

“I won a beautiful Swarovski crystal bowl trophy, and got great accolades from astute car collectors,” Kilton recalled.

“I restored the car and had another daughter named Madison. Since it’s been in our family, we nicknamed the Hudson MADMAC in relation to my two daughter’s first three [letters of their first names].”

Kilton’s good friend and fellow collector Jacob Wertzgerber is a 32-year-old Union Pacific IT executive with an impressive automobile collection, including a 1950 Packard, a 1980 Mercedes 280E, and an immaculate 1959 Lincoln Continental.

Kilton also drives his cherished vehicle for newlywed couples requesting escorts to their receptions, and accepts invitations from model agencies to use the car in photo shoots. He owns multiple collector’s cars, but MADMAC is special.

MADMAC immediately catches the onlooker’s eyes with its pristine, frame-off Rosa Corsa red paint job provided by B Street Collision Center.

The young collector admires Kilton’s appreciation for classic design and approach towards restoration.

“The Hudson is one of Frank’s most impressive vehicles,” Wertzgerber said. “It’s the one he loves the most and I don’t think it’s going anywhere.”

The interior complements the body, with custom pleated-and-rolled Leatherette upholstery featuring stock seat-springs draped in a Moda Red and Dove Gray color-scheme.

“The thing that stands out to me the most is that Hudson is very tastefully done,” Wertzgerber said.

“Frank keeps the car looking 90% original, but the stuff he does modify has a flair for period correctness. He doesn’t have a lot of ‘year 2,000’ digital this and that.”

Visit valveandpiston.com for help consigning collectible cars and motorcycles pre-1980 on the collectible market.

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“EVEN WITH THE RARITY AND EXTREME RESTORATION, THE CAR IS STILL DRIVEN TO EVERY SHOW IN THE MIDWEST.” -FRANK KILTON

ON THOSE HIGH CAPACITY DAYS IN PEAK EVENT SEASON, BETWEEN 30 AND 35 KITCHEN STAFF ARE PREPARING ENOUGH FOOD TO FEED THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE.

OMAHAMAGAZINE.COM OCTOBER · NOVEMBER | 11

11

IN THE OFFICE | STORY BY BRODY HILGENKAMP | PHOTOS BY BILL SITZMANN

CATERING TO EVENTS LARGE AND SMALL

10,000 PARTIES; 10,000 SQUARE FEET

T

hings get rocking and rolling around 2 p.m. on a typical Saturday in the kitchen at Abraham Catering. That’s when the kitchen staff finish cooking their meals, staff in the logistics department start packing vans with equipment for the events, and wait staff arrive to help deliver meals. It makes for an environment that is part well-oiled machine and part organized chaos.

“When it’s busy, I know, because there is a certain hum or noise that comes out of there. I can’t explain it and I’ve tried,” said Brian Kobs, Abraham Catering’s president and COO. “I love that sound.”

Vice president Ann Pitschka said of those who work in the kitchen, “They want to be busy. We always say we’re on our game when we’re busy. They really thrive on being fast-paced.”

Abraham Catering has occupied its location near the heart of downtown Ralston since 1992. The building was a former grocery store and bake center, but now it’s home to the company’s corporate office and main kitchen space, where 85% of the company’s food production takes place. When the company moved in it was relocating from a 2,000 square foot facility, but the current kitchen is 10,000 square feet.

“At the time it seemed, oh my gosh, just enormous.

How are we ever going to fit in here?” Kobs said.

“Now we’re actually outgrowing it almost.”

“WHEN IT’S BUSY, I KNOW, BECAUSE THERE IS A CERTAIN HUM OR NOISE THAT COMES OUT OF THERE. I CAN’T EXPLAIN IT AND I’VE TRIED.” -BRIAN KOBS They renovated the kitchen two years ago to maximize the space available and create a more efficient kitchen. Downstairs is a garde manger for salads, an hors d’oeuvres and sandwich station, a hot food section, and an area for dishes. Upstairs is the pack delivery department and a liquor room.

Fridges and coolers were placed along the walls that run east and west, while the food prep sections and all the equipment needed in each one are in the middle and aligned north and south.

“The cold department doesn’t necessarily have a use for the ovens, so there’s no reason for them to be going back and forth or being in someone else’s way,” Pitschka said. “So that way everyone has their own station.”

Along a wall that divides the sandwich and hors d’oeuvres section from the hot section is an area devoted to Abraham Catering’s casserole business, A Casserole To Go. Pitschka and Kobs said the casseroles needed their own space since they were growing in popularity—they’ve gotten so popular they kept the company busy when many events this spring were canceled due to COVID-19.

On those high-capacity days in peak event season, between 30 and 35 kitchen staff are preparing enough food to feed thousands of people. The company does 10 to 15 events on a typical Friday or Saturday, and if the average wedding is between 150 and 200 guests, then enough food is being produced to feed 2,000-plus people.

That volume means there is high demand for counter space and cooking equipment, so chefs stagger the times they begin cooking by 15 or 30 minutes, and food is assigned to warmers or coolers labeled for specific vans, which are in turn assigned to specific events. The kitchen has seven stove-ovens and six convection ovens on its hot side, which requires the most time and staff in order to operate.

“That’s why their prep work is so important, to be ready so as soon as they can they’re ready to rock,” Pitschka said of working in a busy kitchen.

Visit abrahamcatering.com for more information.

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VOLUME 20 · ISSUE 5

LEADERS | STORY BY ROBERT FRAASS | PHOTOS BY BILL SITZMANN

CREATING BIG OMAHA EVENTS

VIC GUTMAN’S FESTIVE VISION

L

ife as an event planner in the age of COVID-19 must be interesting— innovating ways to hold events for clients who cannot hold events in person. Vic Gutman, Omaha’s pioneering giant of event planning and philanthropy, is up for the challenge.

The work comes naturally to him. He created his first fundraising campaigns—for the American Cancer Society and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital—when he was still a youth. As a student organizations director at the University of Michigan, the Detroit native organized his first arts festival in 1971 at age 19.

“As soon as I saw this little community of hundreds of artists setting up in this three-block area, I thought to myself, ‘This is what I want to do for the rest of my life,’” he said. “I wanted to do events that create a sense of community.”

He organized several other community events in Michigan and founded the guild that has perpetuated the Ann Arbor festival to this day (they named an art gallery after him in February) before coming to Omaha in 1974 post-graduation as a volunteer for VISTA, a federal anti-poverty program. He then worked with Boys Town to set up its first group homes and began working toward his law degree at Creighton University.

Gutman started the Omaha Summer Arts Festival in 1975, and Christmas at Union Station in 1976, among other events, before earning his J.D. in 1978. He began working as an assistant public defender for Douglas County at the beginning of 1980, although, he said, “I knew I would not practice law long-term.”

Gutman started the Greek Festival, helped the Rose Theater get off the ground, and worked with the Children’s Museum, the Tri-Faith Initiative, and Midtown Crossing. He founded what became the Omaha Farmers Market. He was instrumental in Omaha’s Millennium Lights celebration, which has lived on as the annual Holiday Lights Festival. He planned Omaha’s 150th birthday celebration and plans the Fourth of July Memorial Park concerts.

These events showcase interesting public spaces, the self-described idealist said.

“It’s about community,” he said. “These events bring people together.”

Gutman quit practicing law in 1986, although he’s proud to have kept up his law credentials.

“I think the training of law school helped me be successful on the business side of what I do,” he said, adding that it’s been useful to be able to understand the legal perspective in managing various elements for public events and his nonprofit work.

An Events Visionary

“I figured out everything I learned from doing events—from fundraising and marketing and communications and organizational skills—applied beyond events to nonprofit organizations,” he said.

Events and Fundraising in a Pandemic Gutman faces unique challenges in 2020.

Gutman and his event planners invested significant time and money ($100,000 from the market’s reserve fund) to keep the Omaha Farmers Market open. The event was moved from Aksarben to the parking lot at Baxter Arena to protect vendors, volunteers, and shoppers by controlling access. This also has meant getting the market up to health guide standards.

“We felt an obligation to the growers and the public that really wanted to buy fresh local food,” he said. “Other such markets have done this, and we emulated their guidelines.”

Nonprofit events are held online or as a hybrid of virtual and in-person events. The popular Food Truck World Tour will feature online ordering and pickup so patrons can stay in their cars.

Gutman embraces the innovation coming from the pandemic.

“He’s a deep thinker and caring person with a vision of what can be,” said Lisa Winton, one of Vic Gutman Associates’ employees. “His clients and events are about making the community better for everyone.”

“I think we will see new innovations from these virtual events that will carry over after the pandemic.”

His top events aide, Elizabeth Balazs-Foxall, expands upon the visionary theme.

As the master of Omaha events, it’s a good bet Gutman and his aides will adapt and succeed.

“He’s a deep thinker and caring person with a vision of what can be,” said Balazs-Foxall, who joined VGA 27 years ago.

Visit vgagroup.com for more information. This article includes additional reporting by Kara Schweiss.

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His vision led Gutman to a realization in 1991.

John Larsen

“HE’S A DEEP THINKER AND CARING PERSON WITH A VISION OF WHAT CAN BE.” -LISA WINTON

OMAHAMAGAZINE.COM OCTOBER · NOVEMBER | 15

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omAHA! | STORY BY CHRIS BOWLING | PHOTOS BY BILL SITZMANN

TEAMBUILDING NEAR THE TREE LINE

FONTENELLE FOREST ADVENTURE PROMOTES PROBLEM-SOLVING

A

soft wind rustles leaves and sways branches as it moves through the forest.

On the floor, people trek miles of trails for views of rolling hills, hidden lakes, and panoramas of the Missouri River in Fontenelle Forest. Closer to the canopy, others experience the forest south of Omaha in a different way.

Armed with harnesses and helmets, they jimmy through obstacles and ride zip lines through TreeRush Adventures at Fontenelle Forest, an aerial adventure park that opened in July 2019.

As climbers look out onto trees in the distance and hikers below, TreeRush staff hope the challenges they face amount to greater meaning.

“It really is an opportunity for empowerment,” said Kema Geroux, spokeswoman for TreeRush.

“It’s an opportunity to challenge yourself, it’s an opportunity to problem-solve and try on different solutions.”

Along with pre-climb activities led by TreeRush staff, navigating the trails introduces new ways to problem-solve and communicate as climbers help each other overcome obstacles.

Merica Whitehall, executive director of Fontenelle Forest, said the nonprofit partnered with TreeRush because both organizations hold environmental stewardship paramount.

“Because of the way we help people talk about their experience and relate their experience back to their work environment,” Geroux said, “they can become more appreciative of what each member brings to the team—more supportive and collaborative and productive.”

“It’s all connected to getting people into the outdoors to enjoy the outdoors and to develop a care and passion for it so they will be inspired to protect it,” Whitehall said. “And that’s what’s at the center of Fontenelle Forest’s mission as well.”

In TreeRush’s first season, Joyce Cooper put that potential to the test with 12 Omaha Public Power District interns. Cooper, the director of diversity and inclusion, met Geroux by chance on a flight. As the two started talking about the then-developing park, Cooper thought it sounded like the perfect way to push these high school graduates to their limits while building trusting relationships in a fun environment.

This $1.6 million adventure park located outside the Fontenelle Forest visitor center spans more than five acres and features seven trails color-coded by level of difficulty, ranging from yellow (beginner) to black diamond (expert). During the two-hour allotted time, climbers encounter bridges made of cable and rope, netted tunnels, and zip lines built around trees and poles.

The exercises and treetop obstacles created a bond that lasted all summer, but Cooper hopes the benefits extend far beyond that.

“In life they’re going to encounter things that seem impossible,” she said. “But I want them to think of this experience and think, ‘Wait a minute, I did this once. I should be able to do it in this situation.’”

The main park can hold as many as 300 people at a time and offers opportunities for corporate retreats and employee outings, Geroux said.

Beyond a bond with each other, staff at TreeRush and Fontenelle hope the experience creates something else: a personal connection to nature.

Planning for the park began in 2014 with talks between Fontenelle Forest and Adventure Development Team, a park builder that is a partner in TreePlay, the company that operates TreeRush.

In 2015, the idea became an integral part of the forest’s strategic plan as a way to add new revenue streams and draw a wider audience, which was then roughly 10% of the metro area.

“Reaching ten percent of the community is not going to change the community’s values or create that inspiration and that care that we want to inspire as an organization,” Whitehall said.

Interest in the park solidified after a nine-month master planning process from 2017 to 2018, which involved Fontenelle board members, donors, staff, volunteers, and visitors. Construction on the park began in April 2019.

CONT. PAGE 17

16 | B2B MAGAZINE · 2020

VOLUME 20 · ISSUE 5

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“CLIMBING, SWINGING, AND ZIP LINING THROUGH THE TREES IS THE THING YOU DO. BUT WHAT’S MORE EXCITING FOR ME IS WATCHING PEOPLE TALK WITH EACH OTHER, LAUGH WITH EACH OTHER, GIVE ADVICE TO EACH OTHER AND ENJOY THE COMPANY [OF] PEOPLE THEY CARE ABOUT IN A WAY THAT’S NOVEL TO THEM.”

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The $1.6 million construction was paid for by TreeRush, a private company that leases the land from Fontenelle and shares a portion of its profits.

Whitehall and Geroux declined to say how much Fontenelle would expect to receive annually.

That zero-investment, quick-revenue model made the partnership more enticing to Whitehall and has since helped pay to restore 27 miles of trails, as well as easing the financial stress of future projects, such as a nature-based preschool.

“We can use those resources to leverage other opportunities or to implement other projects that we didn’t necessarily have the resources for prior to this project,” Whitehall said.

Although TreeRush had a short first season, Geroux said the company accomplished a lot. That included engaging with the Omaha area through community events as well as training a new staff to keep the park running smoothly and safely. Attendance met expectations, Geroux said, mentioning one October 2019 day that neared capacity with about 250 people in the park at one time. The park reopened in spring 2020, and as that date approached, Geroux said staff looked forward to the challenge of drawing even more curious thrill seekers and, hopefully, providing an access point to experiences more meaningful than an average obstacle course.

“Climbing, swinging, and zip lining through the trees is the thing you do,” Geroux said. “But what’s more exciting for me is watching people talk with each other, laugh with each other, give advice to each other, and enjoy the company [of ] people they care about in a way that’s novel to them.”

Visit treerush.com for more information.

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“IT’S DEFINITELY A LOVE AND HATE RELATIONSHIP RUNNING YOUR OWN BUSINESS. SOME DAYS YOU FEEL LIKE NOTHING’S WORTH IT. THERE’S A LOT MORE RESPONSIBILITY AND PARANOIA RUNNING YOUR OWN BUSINESS. BUT WITH [A JOB BACK AT A CORPORATION], I DON’T THINK I WOULD HAVE GAINED THE EXPERIENCE OR SATISFACTION OR FULFILLMENT.” -GUNHEE PARK

OMAHAMAGAZINE.COM OCTOBER · NOVEMBER | 19

19

ON THE RISE | STORY BY CHRIS BOWLING | PHOTOS BY BILL SITZMANN

CHASING THE CBD STARTUP DREAM IN OMAHA

GUNHEE PARK’S NEW INDUSTRY

G

unhee Park had experienced enough of corporate life. He earned a good paycheck, married his sweetheart, and by all accounts was ready to settle into a comfortable life. Three years in, however, he got tired of the minutiae of being a small cog in a big machine.

“I realized if I was ‘stuck’ here for a long time, I’d only become more jaded and demotivated,” Park said. “So if I was going to try to start a business on my own I realized this was the time to do it.”

Park hasn’t followed the typical path in life. The 29-year-old recalled his first bus ride to Mount Michael Benedictine High School in 2006, when he marveled at how different the farmland of Elkhorn looked compared to the then-15-yearold’s metropolitan home of Bundang, South Korea, near Seoul. Then came college at Arizona State University, where he majored in supply chain management and computer information systems. Along the way, he interned with giants like Goldman Sachs and small startups.

from hemp farmers to products like supplements, lotions, and pet treats. Park runs the retailer out of Omaha with a handful of employees while the other half of the eight-person team handles operations and sales in Arizona.

With COVID-19, Park’s company has been spared the economic hardship most small business owners have experienced; but e-commerce isn’t shielded from the effects of lower spending or supply chain interruptions.

Park found CBD, or Cannabidiol, the nonpsychoactive substance found in marijuana and derived from hemp, in 2016, when it became more visible due to the U.S. relaxing its regulations.

Around that same time, his mother (who still lives in South Korea) began alleviating a chronic pain in her elbow with a CBD lotion.

Caitlin March, who joined Populum in Omaha as its director of marketing last year, said she feels confident about the future with Park at the helm.

“He definitely has it together,” she said. “Me working for a startup, I felt confident joining Populum because Gunhee’s insanely smart, super-driven, and knows how to manage a business.”

When Park went online to examine the market, he found a huge gap between producers and consumers, saying, “When it came to information about CBD there were so many exaggerated claims…if you do a quick search there’s so many exaggerated claims. Like ‘Oh, CBD can help with cancer, with Alzheimer’s,’ all these things.

Running a company with suppliers, employees, and customers across the nation hasn’t been easy.

Selling a product that the country itself is socially and legally adapting to has its challenges too. But Park said that’s what he likes about it.

When he landed a corporate job in the supply chain division of Dell in Austin, Texas, he knew his journey hadn’t ended.

“CBD itself is a beneficial supplement, but it’s getting a bad rap,” Park continued. “Because for a long time it was just considered snake oil. The reason being, there’s not a lot of...brands that are [being] transparent with their customers.”

“It’s definitely a love and hate relationship running your own business,” he said. “Some days you feel like nothing’s worth it. There’s a lot more responsibility and paranoia running your own business. But with [a job back at a corporation], I don’t think I would have gained the experience or satisfaction or fulfillment.”

“I was always trying to do something outside the norm,” he said. “That entrepreneurial spirit was still there.”

Park focuses on buying hemp directly from Colorado farmers and having it delivered directly to a lab to be processed and tested for quality.

Park now runs Populum, a boutique online CBD retailer. The company, founded in 2016 with a Latin name that translates to “the people,” promises quality, transparency, and a streamlined connection

The focus on ethics as well as creative marketing tactics resulted in a growth from $500,000 in sales in 2017 to almost $2 million in 2019.

“My paychecks would have been a lot better, but the experience isn’t really something you can exchange.”

Visit populum.com for more information.

B2B

20 | B2B MAGAZINE · 2020

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22 | B2B MAGAZINE · 2020

SCOTT CONFERENCE CENTER The Scott Conference Center is versatile under ordinary circumstances, with flexible spaces, a wide variety of menu choices, and a full array of audiovisual services. As in-person meetings began to resume following a temporary closing of gathering spaces earlier this year, the center’s team created an innovative new option: hybrid meeting capability that includes interactive livestreaming for a mix of in-person and virtual attendees.

“It’s been a great option for the people who’ve wanted to come in and see colleagues and other attendees, and also for those who weren’t comfortable to come in but were still able to get the content from the meeting,” Sales Director Amanda Glazebrook said.

The facility is fully open and in compliance with the reopening standards set forth by the Douglas County Health Department, she added, back to hosting gatherings in spaces from an executive boardroom to the large central ballroom, which, for smaller events, can be divided into sections with separating hallways to help contain noise.

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“The Scott Conference Center went through a renovation and expansion in 2018, and the building is state-of-the-art when it comes to audiovisual,” Glazebrook said. “We have just over 10,000 square feet of usable space and can host anything from a two-person meeting to a 500-plus-guest formal dinner.”

The center hosts professional conferences and business meetings along with formal and casual receptions, so an extensive selection of tables and seating, adjustable staging and dance floor are among the features available. Personalized event planning is offered.

Among other formal honors, the center has been recognized repeatedly in the meeting/conference venue category of Best of B2B and awarded “Couple’s Choice” and “Hall of Frame” from The Knot. The center staff, including the longstanding events manager Carol Potter, receive frequent compliments about the beautiful facility, great food, and outstanding customer service, Glazebrook said. Guests also regularly praise the convenient Aksarben Village/University of Nebraska Omaha Scott Campus central location, the close and plentiful parking, and consideration of individual special dietary needs like vegan or gluten-free items, she added.

“We’re always able to accommodate those requests for guests attending, so they don’t have to skip an event because of a dietary restriction,” she said.

The Scott Conference Center is within walking distance to Aksarben Village shops, entertainment, eateries, and hotels, Glazebrook said, making it ideal for gatherings that include out-of-town guests.

Event planners can view floorplans for the facility and a photo gallery of its various spaces online, and even take a virtual tour as they explore options. And, although Scott Conference Center is partnered with UNO, it’s not necessary to be part of the university community to book the facility.

“Some people still have the misconception that they must be a university-sponsored event to book Scott Conference Center, but we are absolutely open to the public,” Glazebrook said. “Please don’t hesitate to reach out and ask if we’re available.”

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25

FEATURE | STORY BY SCOTT STEWART | ILLUSTRATION BY DEREK JOY

FEEDING OUR CITY

FARMERS, RANCHERS CONTINUE TO ADAPT TO CHANGE IN DEMAND WHILE FACING HEADWINDS FROM BEFORE PANDEMIC

O

maha is surrounded by food, but feeding a city—or a family—isn’t as simple as it feels shopping at a farmer’s market.

sector, temporarily shutting down meatpacking plants and otherwise disrupting the flow of food goods through the economy.

Some of that complexity became clear when the coronavirus first began making people sick last spring, and grocery store shelves became sparse at the same time that many restaurateurs wanted nothing more than to empty their fridges and freezers.

“First the consumer demand and then the processing capacity both went through major shocks, and that’s still disrupting the market,” Lubben said. “We can’t expect to recover that demand that quickly.

However quick the shock was, the pathway back is much slower.”

There was never a risk of running out of food, although finding a favorite pasta sauce remained a challenge months after the onset of the pandemic, and the demand for products like soup have gone through the roof. The seismic shift that COVID-19 brought to society, however, will continue to have aftershocks at dinner tables that will be felt long after a vaccine is widely deployed.

The agricultural sector is adjusting to that disruption—chief among them that people are eating more meals at home than they were prior to the pandemic—but doing so has required new packaging, new producers, new distribution channels, and other adaptations along the supply chain.

“Agriculture has been facing economic challenges now for several years,” said Brad Lubben, an agricultural economist at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. “The coronavirus is really the third major shock that the industry has had to work through.”

First, farmers and ranchers have struggled for years to be profitable after record highs in 2013, Lubben said. Second, trade conflicts that started under President Donald Trump have compounded those losses, while diseases like African swine fever have also disrupted specific categories within the broader agricultural sector.

When the coronavirus hit, it dramatically altered consumer demand and decimated high-end dining along with the rest of the hospitality industry. The coronavirus also spread through the processing

The products shipped to restaurants aren’t the same as those going to households. When the pandemic struck, many warehouses had food service product sitting around.

Benny Mote, a swine extension specialist at UNL, said consumers are used to buying a 1-pound package of bacon at the grocery store. Bacon packaged for food service comes in boxes of 10 pounds or more, which most consumers aren’t willing to purchase and couldn’t be repackaged because of inspection requirements.

“While they still had some of that product sitting there, it couldn’t just be put on another truck and sent to a grocery store,” Mote said. “That took a little bit of time for the packing plants to reshuffle some lines and redo some packages to try to get product shipped to the grocery stores.”

Most pork in the grocery store is fresh and comes from a just-in-time processing system, so it isn’t sitting in a warehouse in the first place, Mote said.

Then meatpacking plants started to shut down. At its worse, he said the nation was operating at 55% capacity—creating a situation where packers weren’t taking pigs for the first time in modern history.

Those plants are designed to take pigs of a certain size, so producers were suddenly forced to put their animals on restrictive diets to keep them from growing. Once they’re over 350 pounds, they can’t be sold to the plants—meaning they’re likely to be euthanized, and therefore provide no return on investment.

Producers turned up the heat in their barns to mimic summer temperatures and switched to a low-protein feed that stalled growth. The result, though, was a backlog of about 2 million pigs. In many operations, young pigs were double-stocked, and producers started looking for alternative markets, such as small meat lockers and direct-to-consumer sales.

Pigs were still euthanized—perhaps as many as a couple million, although no one knows for sure— because the system has little room for error.

“Those buildings cost a lot of money, so you don’t want them sitting empty,” Mote said. “When that last pig leaves, probably within a matter of [a] couple days, those barns are washed and new pigs are put back in.”

CONT. PAGE 26

26 | B2B MAGAZINE · 2020

VOLUME 20 · ISSUE 5

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“There’s no shortage of pigs. It’s getting things turned into pork and delivered to dinner tables that could be the bottleneck,” Mote said.

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Another factor in that trend is the growth in agricultural land values, which grew by 3% over the last year, due in part to nonfarmer investor interest in land purchase and current interest rate levels, according to UNL’s annual Nebraska Farm Real Estate Report.

Lubben said the pandemic has accelerated a trend toward fewer operators, but it also has put the spotlight on issues of resiliency, particularly the reliance on just-in-time supply chains and migrant labor. Consumers have to choose whether they’re willing to spend a little more for locally branded, stable agricultural products or encourage the price-competitive practices that drove the industry toward those strategies in the first place.

“If the broader trend is putting us in the direction of what can we locally source or what can we repackage for the different market there are definitely producers ready and capable of responding to that,” Lubben said.

Either way, despite the possibility of more hiccups, there will still be plenty of food to put on tables in Omaha and across the country, even as the industry continues to evolve.

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“In spite of the overall economic challenges and the depressed attitudes or opinions within the broader industry, there are still very successful producers out there,” Lubben said. “The ag sector is very resilient.

It has the resources and the productivity and the capability to respond to (potential changes), it’s just going to take some time.”

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OMAHAMAGAZINE.COM OCTOBER · NOVEMBER | 27

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BERRY, A LONG-HAUL DRIVER FOR OMAHA-BASED WERNER ENTERPRISES, TOOK IT UPON HIMSELF IN TO DELIVER 41,000 POUNDS OF POTATOES DONATED

BY GROWERS UNABLE TO REACH MARKET DUE TO SHUTDOWNS.

OMAHAMAGAZINE.COM OCTOBER · NOVEMBER | 29

29

FEATURE | STORY BY JOEL STEVENS | PHOTO BY GEOFF JOHNSON

TRUCKERS CARRY THE WEIGHT OF SUPPLIES

ADDRESSING FOOD INSECURITY, PPE, AND MORE

I

t was just potatoes.

That was how Kevin Berry saw it; but in early May, as the COVID-19 pandemic put a stranglehold on the supply chain, the semitrailer of spuds Berry trucked all over north central Washington was more than that.

To those rural communities cut off from grocery staples and food banks struggling to serve the food insecure in the region, a bag of potatoes was a sliver of normal in an oh-so-abnormal time.

Berry, a long-haul driver for Omaha-based Werner Enterprises, took it upon himself to deliver 41,000 pounds of potatoes donated by growers unable to reach market due to shutdowns. He did it with the full blessing and support of Werner.

“One of our core values is community,” Werner Vice President of Operations Angelo Gibson said.

“We want to make sure we’re playing a role in communities and being the best corporate partner we can be. This immediately resonated with me.”

Berry couldn’t guess how many people showed up at his stops, but all of them seemed way too appreciative for a bag of potatoes.

“I always tell people I was such a bad kid in high school I’m just trying to pay my way into heaven,” Berry said. “The truth of the matter is, I know how hard the life can be up here if you don’t have help.”

Berry is one example of how truckers and the carriers have worked tirelessly during the COVID19 global health crisis to keep grocery shelves stocked—often at their own cost and the bottom line of an industry in flux.

More than 70% of U.S. freight is transported by semitrailer. Almost all of it has been impacted by the virus. While trucking shipments to grocery and big box stores soared and consumers raced to stock up, other freight languished as nonessential retailers shut their doors. Those spikes and dips triggered market disruptions. Trucks transporting packed shipments of perishables, cleaning products, and toilet paper suddenly had trouble finding cargo for return trips, leaving carriers to run more trucks empty.

Market volatility also put truckers on the road more, often further from home, delivering products they and their families likely couldn’t obtain themselves— all the while navigating a highway of unknowns during a viral outbreak.

Josh Quinby, a driver for JJT Transportation and Logistics in Omaha, spent most of the pandemic delivering frozen food and paper products throughout the Midwest. The uncertainty has been the hardest part.

“Our families didn’t know what was going on and we were out here doing everything we could to keep everyone supplied with food and toilet paper and everything like that,” said Quinby, 43, who lives in southern Missouri with his wife and four children.

“There was enough uncertainty to go around.”

The carriers did what they could for drivers.

By late March, Werner had a COVID-19 task force set up with real-time updates from the CDC and a plan to distribute personal protection equipment, hand sanitizer, and disinfectant wipes to the company’s nearly 8,000 drivers.

JJT, which has a fleet of 60 trucks, took similar steps for its drivers. The company also secured a truckload of essential products for employees’ families.

Becki Cloyed, co-owner of JJT, called the last six months the most challenging stretch she’s seen in the industry. The company circled the wagons—or trucks, as it were—and rallied their drivers to the mission at hand: keeping store shelves stocked.

“If they had been firefighters, they’d have had to go out there and fight a fire,” she said. “If they signed up to be a police officer, they’d have to go do their job. This is OUR job. We haul the freight. That’s what we do. That’s our role.”

As a grocery supplier in the Midwest and southeast, JJT’s lane stayed steady during the pandemic.

Werner, a Fortune 500 company, has dozens of contracts with national grocery chains. The company was honored by the state of Nebraska in April for securing scarce PPE for the state’s public health agencies and hospitals.

CONT. PAGE 30

30 | B2B MAGAZINE · 2020

VOLUME 20 · ISSUE 5

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But the strain of balancing the unprecedented fluctuations of the supply chain was felt throughout the industry. Drivers often bore the brunt of that stress.

“It was felt, absolutely,” Gibson said of those early weeks of the pandemic, when confusion was common and guidelines were changing minuteby-minute, state-to-state. Morale, however, has remained strong and communication has been key.

As markets began to stabilize and social distancing became the norm, the truckers’ road improved.

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“It was bad at times and sure there were changes, and none of us like change, but I don’t think it was too bad,” said Berry, who has driven for Werner for nearly two decades. “We had a job to do. We got through it.”

Berry knows how tenuous the links in the supply chain can be. He makes his home in tiny Republic, Washington, about 20 miles south of the Canadian border. Getting to his house requires a ferry ride.

The closest Walmart is 90 minutes away.

This wasn’t the first time Berry put his big heart and big rig to use to help his community. In 2015, with wildfires devastating his state, he spent a month hauling relief supplies from Spokane to the impacted areas. So when Berry presented his idea to Gibson, the vice president of Werner’s operations wasn’t exactly surprised.

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“It says a lot about who Kevin is,” Gibson said. “And a lot about who our professional drivers are. This was Kevin’s time off. It wasn’t just a one-day trip.

He didn’t care. This was something he wanted to do and knew it was the right thing. I am absolutely proud of him for stepping up and wanting to do this. It speaks to who he is and who Werner is.”

OMAHAMAGAZINE.COM OCTOBER · NOVEMBER | 31

Less than 24 hours after broaching the idea to Werner, Berry was at the Rearden, Washington, farm of the Hutterian Brethren loading 20 tons of loose potatoes into his trailer.

Working with local volunteers, Berry distributed his goods to churches, shelters, food pantries, and tribal relief agencies in a dozen communities. A stop in Oroville, Washington, created a rare traffic jam in the town of 1,600.

Berry said he’s not a hero. He’s a trucker; and doing what he can to help isn’t heroic, it’s human.

“It’s compassion,” he said. “I’d like to think if more people had it we’d be in a better place now.”

After two long days of zig-zagging the Kettle Mountain Range, Berry returned home for the much-needed rest he postponed. The next day, he went to the local grocery to grab a few items for dinner. As he was pulling his items from his basket, the shop owner couldn’t help but comment.

“What the hell are you buying potatoes for?”

A rather sheepish Berry smiled and shook his head.

“I forgot to keep any for myself.”

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OMAHAMAGAZINE.COM OCTOBER · NOVEMBER | 33

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FEATURE | STORY BY KATY SPRATTE JOYCE | PHOTOS BY BILL SITZMANN

CATERING IN THE TIME OF CORONAVIRUS

HOW TWO AREA COMPANIES PIVOTED IN RESPONSE TO THE GLOBAL PANDEMIC

T

he economic impact of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic is undetermined.

Yet, in these unprecedented times, business leaders see glimmers of hope and ingenuity as service providers creatively spin to meet changing needs and updated safety measures. Unsurprisingly, the novel COVID-19 has hit the catering industry particularly hard. According to the National Association of Catering and Events, whose members’ businesses rely on people gathering, the estimated economic impact is staggering. NACE Executive Director Lawrence Leonard said that, according to a March survey, 75% of membership felt negative personal economic effect and the remaining 25% waited for the other shoe to drop. Leonard estimated that the number of affected members as of late summer sits between 95% and 99%.

Though the Omaha area claims a strong and varied economy, it is not exempt from the sweeping winds of pandemic change. Nathan Newhouse, owner of Attitude on Food, estimated the initial wave of COVID-19 closures and cancellations swallowed 95% of his catering business for the March to June time frame. Kathy Silvey from A Catered Affair said that from mid-March through the end of June, her company was down 90% in sales.

The quick shutdown of the nation meant both companies were forced to pivot their business models and strategies. Silvey’s team revamped their menu to focus on individual and family-style meals.

She said, “Instead of a dinner for 300 people, we switched to feeding families of four.” Pre-pandemic, A Catered Affair boasted a thriving lunch business, feeding an estimated 300-400 people daily around

the metro and region. Silvey added the lunch business has nearly evaporated, though they have been able to offer individually packaged lunch options beyond the traditional soup and sandwich.

Additionally, ACA has crafted a weekly specials menu, which gets emailed to 2,500 past clients.

This has lead to new ways to engage with customers and an increased use of social media marketing, something the company was not focused on before COVID-19 hit. ACA also upped their game on beverage choices, offering local beers like Kros Strain’s Fairy Nectar and Nebraska Brewing Co.’s Cardinal Pale Ale; also selling well in the booze category are individual margarita kits. Each kit, a new option, includes a mini bottle of Patrón and homemade margarita mix.

Newhouse said that his organization was also able to meet the changing needs of their customers.

They opened an online grocery store, which was especially helpful when many staple items were sold out at supermarkets around the metro; the online store even required its own separate website and was heavily marketed on social media as well as with TV news exposure. AOF embraced take-andbake options or hot delivery to corporate clients while creating family-style, to-go meals for smaller groups. Newhouse said that while it didn’t make up for lost income from large events like weddings and fundraisers, it did help with cash flow, and “it allowed us to keep our doors open and got us through that time before PPP was doled out.”

To help assuage customers’ fears, make staff feel supported, and avoid spreading COVID-19, both caterers have updated protocols and procedures.

AOF staff all wear masks and must comply with a daily temperature check; anyone symptomatic stays home or gets sent home. Newhouse also said that there has been extra core team communication, brainstorming, and group problem-solving to ensure that his team feels looked after and safe.

Silvey has set timers so hands are being washed more frequently and also required temperature checks from March through July; staff must report symptoms and are not allowed to come to work if they show symptoms. AOF and ACA both use industrial grade sanitizing solution. Silvey added that ACA’s contactless curbside delivery option has been popular. There is no more overlap of wedding clients for tastings; they must wait in their car for the office to be sanitized between visits.

On the event side, since buffets are no longer permitted, AOF has also tried to steer customers away from classic passed appetizers and toward a station format with limited toppings. For example, their popular mac-and-cheese bar usually comes with six or seven toppings like herbed bread crumbs, bacon, bleu cheese, roasted tomatoes, etc. These days, three or four favorite toppings selected by the client are the norm, which means less time spent in a food service line and less contact with staff for increased efficiency.

CONT. PAGE 34

34 | B2B MAGAZINE · 2020

VOLUME 20 · ISSUE 5

AOF EMBRACED TAKE-AND-BAKE OPTIONS OR HOT DELIVERY TO CORPORATE CLIENTS WHILE CREATING FAMILY-STYLE, TO-GO MEALS FOR SMALLER GROUPS. FROM PAGE 33 Masks and gloves are worn the entire time catering employees are interacting with guests. Silvey said, “from the moment we arrive to the moment we leave, the masks remain on.” Additionally, since the staff members at AOF and ACA serve everything, those employees are the only ones touching the utensils.

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AOF has catered unique events—Newhouse said his favorite was an outdoor grill-out with hot meal delivery to cars at the drive-thru-style theater in Bellevue. This was for a corporate health care client, and everyone being in their own vehicles helped keep each other safe while providing a normal social outing of attending the movies. Another favorite event Newhouse mentioned was for a large local charity, which wanted to mark the grand opening of a building. Attitude on Food crafted gourmet snack boxes with instructions to wait to open them until the virtual event. Goodies were mailed ahead of time to local, out-of-state, and even Canadian recipients for this particular festive occasion.

Silvey said her favorite event thus far happened in March, when one of her clients in West Omaha bought family-style dinners for all of his neighbors.

Complete with a bottle of wine, this generosity allowed the neighborhood to experience a sense of community during isolation.

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At presstime, neither Attitude on Food nor A Catered Affair had holiday parties on the books. Newhouse said planning for the future and knowing what to expect are fraught with uncertainty, since the disease has never gone away.

As the pandemic continues to impact people’s daily lives, it’s clear that the catering industry will need to continue responding with strategic changes and creative solutions.

Visit attitudeonfood.com and acaomaha.com for more information.

B2B

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37

FEATURE | STORY BY ROBERT FRAASS | PHOTOS BY BILL SITZMANN

EVENT PLANNING WHEN EVENTS AREN’T POSSIBLE

ORGANIZERS THINK OUTSIDE THE VENUE WALLS

E

vent planners throughout Metro Omaha are scrambling to find alternatives to traditional events, which predictably involves videoconferencing software and visits to smartphone app stores for ways to communicate with the outside world.

At a more complex level, event planning in the time of COVID-19 means finding ways to keep fundraising afloat and the bottom line in the black.

Omaha-area businesses and nonprofits believe virtual events have been the necessary way forward— and it has not always been easy.

One example is the MICAH House, Council Bluffs’ homeless shelter for adults and children. The organization’s annual fundraiser, “Champagne and Diamonds,” had been set for early May to coincide with its Kentucky Derby theme. With the Derby bumped back to September, staff and committee members scrapped their ballroom for a virtual room and focused their efforts on the giveaway of a diamond necklace, courtesy of Gunderson’s Jewelers in Omaha. Raffle tickets were sold and 50 raffle finalists were given champagne to sip at home while executive director Jaymes Sime emceed the evening’s festivities online.

“Beginning in March, we saw the writing on the wall about how things were going to play out. We realized very quickly that we would not be able to have 600 people in a room together,” said Ashley Flater, director of donor relations. “We just went with the flow.”

“WE REALIZED VERY QUICKLY THAT WE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO HAVE 600 PEOPLE IN A ROOM TOGETHER. WE JUST WENT WITH THE FLOW.” -ASHLEY FLATER The good news is the reduced overhead costs for an online event cut their expenses significantly, but the event’s energy was sapped with limited interaction.

The fundraiser went well, Flater said, but it didn’t meet their bottom-line fundraising goals.

“It was hard to replicate that excitement when there’s just one person talking to a screen,” she said.

On the business side, Carson Group had to pull the plug on its three-day “Excell” industry conference for its employees to meet with 2,000 financial advisers and wealth management industry executives in Las Vegas. The physical event has been pushed back to 2021, thanks to sympathetic venues and sponsors. Carson Group did successfully move its related “Partner Summit” for its partners online with the use of Zoom and GoToWebinar and lots of crossed fingers.

Despite the occasional technology hiccup, meeting goers were happy with the results with no significant decrease in attendance, said Maria Belt, Carson Group’s event producer. The Partner Summit’s October conference will also be held online, this time with a new event registration platform to enhance attendees’ experience.

“We would have liked to have done a hybrid event,” she said. “But when we surveyed our attendees, we found they aren’t feeling comfortable traveling, even into October.”

Carson Group will be rebooking Partner Summit contracts with Omaha venues to 2021 as well.

“Working with your venues without major penalties is the key,” she said.

Carson Group is also using online technology to keep its sponsors happy in the midst of the disruption.

In early August, they launched a virtual exhibit hall for its sponsors to continue to communicate with Carson advisers through demonstrations, videos, and other uploaded content.

Belt and Flater think the future of event planning will be altered—long after the pandemic subsides.

They said more events will be held online and there will be more hybrid events—in-person gatherings paired with online presentations.

It’s had an effect at Carson Group. The company’s series of sales and prospecting events, traditionally held monthly in Omaha, have gone online, which might have improved the quality of the meetings.

The event is now held online twice a month with fewer attendees, which has boosted attendees’ interaction and excitement about the events, Belt said.

CONT. PAGE 38

38 | B2B MAGAZINE · 2020

VOLUME 20 · ISSUE 5

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MICAH House has an eye on a virtual event for its annual fall fundraiser, Flater said. The organization’s Comedy for a Cause generally attracts about 125 attendees. The group is trying to determine how standup without an audience plays online.

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“Our fundraising goals are tied to real people and real outcomes,” she said. “And our mission is so important that to not be able to have these events in person is unfortunate. It adds an element of stress because we want to do the best for the people we serve.”

Visit themicahhouse.org or carsongroup.com for more information.

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40 | B2B MAGAZINE · 2020

VOLUME 20 · ISSUE 5

OMAHA CVB BY DEBORAH WARD

WHEN OMAHA TOURISM DISAPPEARS N

ow we know what Omaha feels like without tourism—quiet.

For the first time in history, TD Ameritrade Park stood silent during the month of June. Theaters were dark with no performances at Orpheum Theater, Omaha Community Playhouse, or Holland Performing Arts Center. CHI Health Center Omaha held no meetings, and had no sporting events or concerts. Popular attractions known for drawing large crowds—such as Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium, restaurants, and retail shops—closed to the public. When tourism disappears, we all feel it.

Since March 2020, Omaha lost more than $246 million in meeting business due to the pandemic.

Those groups represent a loss of approximately 147,000 visitors who would have stayed in hotels, visited attractions, dined in restaurants, and spent money in retail shops. Visit Omaha is slowly but surely making progress. To date, our sales team successfully rebooked 12 of those meetings, securing $93 million in business for the city. Seven additional meeting groups, worth another $8 million, are pending.

As Omaha tourism disappeared, so did jobs supported by the industry.

More than 17,826 of our family, friends, and neighbors work in the tourism industry—from wait staff and attraction employees to airline workers and small business owners.

Many of them have been laid off or furloughed.

The good news is Omaha has a history of bouncing back. After the economic downturn in 2009, Omaha topped Forbes’ list of the nation’s fastestrecovering major metropolitan areas.

Editors wrote that the area’s diverse economy, stable housing prices, and low unemployment rate helped Omaha earn the No. 1 spot in their study of the 100 largest metro areas.

Today, developers are infusing $2 billion into the city’s airport and downtown riverfront, creating new opportunities for tourism’s future.

Recently ranked as one of the top mid-size cities in the country for a third year in a row, we all can take comfort in the fact that resilience is sewn into the fabric of our city, and the quiet will soon be replaced with the bustle of tourism.

B2B

GREATER OMAHA CHAMBER BY DAVID BROWN

PRE-SCHOOL-YEAR JITTERS E

ven after all these years, the arrival of August still stirs up the jitters that came with knowing football and school were about to start in earnest. The football part was all about getting mentally ready for the physical trials I was about to experience. The school experience was always a bit about the unknown.

Never could I have imagined the uncertainty that today’s students and athletes must be feeling.

Even with the jitters, both school and sports were dependable occurrences.

Put them on the calendar. Do the preseason workouts. Buy the appropriate supplies and clothes. Show up and deliver the goods. Instead, there are no dependable occurrences—and there are as many scenarios as you can imagine about the start of school and sports.

As parents, we ask, “Will my child be safe? What if there is an outbreak?

What happens if they have to revert to remote learning? What about extracurricular activities?”

For employers, these scenarios are problematic. Some employers are able to be flexible, while others might require their employees to be onsite because of the nature of the work. If kids are suddenly home from school, that limits how much some of these employees can work.

Deborah Ward is the acting executive director

David Brown is president and

of communications at Omaha Convention

CEO of the Greater Omaha Chamber.

and Visitors Bureau.

So, instead of feeling the August jitters for traditional reasons, we are all feeling the jitters for today’s reasons.

What to do? As I have spoken with employers, they are all trying to be as innovative and as flexible as they can. They all value and respect their employees and the challenges the current environment has presented. They worry about their people; and, their people have demonstrated remarkable commitment by responding in ways none of us would have imagined. They have innovated. They have prospered. They have produced. Now, we expect, they will respond to the uncertainties of the school year amid COVID-19.

Together, employers and their people will show the resilience that Omaha is famous for. And for that, we are all grateful.

B2B

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