TrainerTainment CEO Beth Standlee has been doing her part to help usher the FEC into a new era for the industry – and the world. Her Peer Talk, a weekly Zoom meeting with professionals in the FEC sector, was recently featured in a segment on ABC12 in Flint, Mich.
They noted her most recent conversation covered various aspects of the unique challenges the industry is facing in getting back to work. Some owners from states that have reopened are having a tough time getting their employees back, as unemployment plus the temporary $600 CARES Act boost is keeping them away at the moment.
They also discussed the social distancing mandates presenting unique challenges for FECs – inherently social places. Standlee herself expressed concerns about FECs putting in place “PD police” to enforce physical distancing. “Are we really going to make a 17-year-old (employee) tell people, ‘Stop, hey, get apart?’”
The article went on to discuss Airway Fun Center of Kalamazoo, Mich., whose general manager was on the Peer Talk call. Two weeks ago after the state’s governor relaxed restrictions on golfing, they decided to open the outdoor attraction.
“So we announced on a Monday that we were going to open on Tuesday and we just got crushed,” said GM Marc Weise. “It was brutal, 400 likes, 600 comments and 80% to 90% of them were bad comments.” Airway Fun Center reversed course and remains closed.