Cancellations, changes and outlooks on the summer of 2020
By Eric Valentine
Photo credit: Sun Valley Resort
Memorial Day has come and gone. Typically, that means the launch of summer events in resort towns like these. But the summer of 2020 figures to be nothing but atypical. From individuals trying to keep their families safe to businesses trying to stay afloat to local governments trying to budget the rest of the fiscal year and beyond, if you feel like you’re in limbo, you are hardly alone.
What follows is a look into the outlook some in the Valley are having toward summer 2020.
TBD
The most pervasive part of the COVID pandemic and lockdown impact is the not-knowing. If you never used the acronym for To Be Determined (TBD), you’ve probably used it by now. From Sun Valley Resort’s annual meeting of the minds (the Allen & Company event) to Hailey’s Days of the Old West Rodeo, a number of events have been cancelled outright. Others have been pushed back until fall, and a few postponed indefinitely.
An efficient way to keep track of what’s happening and what’s not is visiting Visit Sun Valley online. VisitSunValley.com is a one-stop shop for finding out the status of your desired event or establishment. On its homepage you’ll find more than just the standard FAQs. You’ll find a Valley-wide list of events—the ones still going on and the ones changed or cancelled, too. What’s more, the website has a “Complete List of Business Openings, Closures & Amendments” link that takes you to a categorized and color-coded spreadsheet that provides open/close updates and links to webpages and contact information for restaurants, organizations, and more.
Positively Selling
Whether it’s marketing spin or 100 percent sincere remains to be seen, but during a crisis, cautious optimism is key. And that’s what you get when you talk to folks like Ketchum Mayor Neil Bradshaw or Sun Valley Resort spokesperson Bridget Higgins.
“At our core, this will always be a place to enjoy the outdoors and the recreational opportunities that it offers. We need to go back to basics in the branding of this town and what nature provided us in the first place. Sun and open space are the perfect antidotes to an epidemic, and we have both in abundance,” Bradshaw states in his letter to the public titled Back to Basics on Budget and Branding.
Ketchum, like many cities and counties, faces a budget shortfall for this year and the next. Specifically in Ketchum, it’s triggering the city council to eliminate discretionary spending and focus just on city essentials, such as police and fire, roadwork, and other infrastructure. Although Bradshaw feels there is widespread support for the pocket fastening, he acknowledged there were some pushing for at least a wait-and-see approach to the popular summer events the city helps fund. After all, by June 1, the state will likely approve a move into Phase 3 of the reopening, which allows for gatherings of more than 50 people under certain circumstances.
“But what if we get a spike in cases in July? An event might be planned for September, but we have to write the checks now,” Bradshaw explained.
And even if the public health status does allow for the large events, Bradshaw says, “Cities are not in the business of taking risk. Spending discretionary money when there’s a pandemic and a budget shortfall just isn’t financially responsible. These are public dollars we’re talking about.”
Over at privately owned and operated Sun Valley Resort, where out-of-town visitors will be allowed to book rooms starting on Saturday, activities are steadily returning and running smoothly, according to Higgins. She said they are not yet at full staff, but will continue to ramp up as the economy and the resort are able to open up more.
Like Bradshaw, Higgins sees opportunity in the dilemma.
“We are so fortunate to have open space. There’s golf. There’s trails. We’re in the right place to weather this storm,” Higgins said.
The resort is also offering extended stay credits and other discount packages to people who book now, Higgins said.
“It’s going to be a challenge for hotels, but overall the Valley economy will be OK,” Bradshaw noted. “It’s anecdotal and not every second-home owner is the same, but I know personally of people who typically stay here for two to three weeks who may now be staying for two to three months because they can’t plan the trip to Europe for example.”
New marketing tagline idea: The Wood River Valley—the best staycation on Earth.