Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | January 10, 2022 | Worcester Business Journal 7 We are proud of our local roots and business relationships, and appreciative of your continued support. We look forward to working with you in the future. 1 Mercantile St., Suite 710, Worcester, MA 01608 (in the Unum Building) 72 River Park, Needham Heights, MA 02494 439 S. Orleans Road, South Orleans, MA 02653 800-649-1553 « www.sullivangroup.com BOB A W A R D S B E S T O F B U S I N E S S We won't increase COVID restrictions Are you going to increase COVID restrictions for your employees or customers in light of an uptick in COVID cases? COVID-19 cases are rising significantly, particularly since November, with ICU beds in Central Massachusetts full, and inpatient levels multiplying at area hospitals. Authorities in Germany in early December announced a lockdown for its unvaccinated population, limiting their access to all but essential businesses. At the same time, much of Austria remains in a COVID-related lockdown, and the Swiss government is encouraging its workforce to work from home when they can. In America and Massachusetts, President Joe Biden and Gov. Charlie Baker have resisted bringing back similar capacity and gathering restrictions from the start of the pandemic. When polled online, two-thirds of WBJ readers said they don't plan to impose increased COVID-related restrictions at their businesses. F L AS H P O L L HANOVER THEATRE Performances 182,038 116,297 4,151 Student matinees 16,676 10,668 14,583 Total attendance 214,704 131,980 18,734 DCU CENTER 478,145 113,078 123,470 Venue Attendance falling Sources: Hanover Theatre, DCU Center 2019 2020 2021 Attendance at Worcester's two main indoor performance venues took a hit during the initial phase of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020 and didn't recover in 2021. contribution in the venue's history. Sieb- els called the longevity of the Hanover during the pandemic a true community effort fueled by generosity. e Hanover eatre has a capacity of 2,300 seats. Currently, the venue has about half the density of shows as pre- vious years with audience numbers 30% below the normal range. Some patrons are still not comfort- able attending performances in indoor venues or do not want to wear masks throughout a two-hour performance. e Hanover eatre has sought to instill confidence in its COVID-19 safety measures, said Siebels. In addition to the city's mask mandate, the venue requires negative tests or vaccines, sanitizes sur- faces, and uses touchless ticket scanning and concession purchasing. e lockdowns provided a new lifestyle where people could work, eat, and stream the latest performances all without leaving the comfort and safety of their homes. For venues like Hanover and DCU Center, breaking this new mentality is imperative for their survival, especially in the uncertainty of COVID. "For some people it is a lifeline. at is what they do, this is what they love, and there is something about being in this space with other people to witness something in real-time that is special," Siebels said. No matter what the future holds, Sieb- els is confident that the Hanover eatre can operate in this new reality aer the learning curve provided by the lock- downs. e venue is not looking to shut down again and will adapt to whatever circumstances present itself next. e success of its holiday season, especially its "A Christmas Carol" performances, added positive energy to the theater. "We are fighting the added hurdle of hesitation, but audiences will return. We just have to be patient," Siebels said. Yes. 34% No. 66% W

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