Nonprofit Talk: Queens EDC drives relief during COVID crisis
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Rob MacKay is the director of Public Relations, Marketing and Tourism at the Queens Economic Development Corporation. Photo courtesy of MacKay
By Rob MacKay, as told to the Eagle
Rob MacKay is the director of Public Relations, Marketing and Tourism at the Queens Economic Development Corporation (QEDC), which strives to create, retain, and attract jobs to the borough. QEDC does this by helping entrepreneurs start and maintain successful small businesses, partnering with local organizations to develop and maintain commercial districts, educating clients on best business practices, and operating a commercial kitchen called the "Entrepreneur Space," among other programs. He also runs QEDC’s Queens Tourism Council (QTC) works with local businesses, cultural organizations, and government agencies to promote the world's most diverse borough as a great place to visit, eat, play, stay, watch sports, surf, and more.
How has your organization navigated the pandemic?
At first, QEDC and QTC were basically frozen. Then, we co-administered a program with the borough president and Queens Night Market that got local food makers to produce meals for front-line caregivers. Now, we are providing virtual counseling and a wide array of webinars to guide business owners as they re-open. Plus, QTC has returned as an active promoter of Queens events.
How are you now serving your constituents?
QEDC launched "ReBoot & ReStart," a series of roughly one-hour PowerPoint presentations by experts in such fields as compliance, design, marketing, and operations. (Q&A sessions follow.) Attendance is free, and all videos are uploaded to the Facebook page. The subjects range from marketing to loans to creating a COVID-free workplace.
Besides that, we offer phone consultations, and many of our employees have been taking constant training sessions on PPE and other government initiatives to help small business owners. To be honest, we are very busy with this initiative.
In terms of tourism, many agencies are adapting, and there's plenty to promote. Most are virtual performances, of course, but some venues, such as the Queens County Farm Museum, are open to the public. The restaurants are slowly re-opening, so there's promotion there. The hotels are still suffering, unfortunately.
How are you balancing the needs of your clients with the level of risk to your employees?
Normally, we offer face-to-face consultations and we run seminars in our classroom. Currently, all consultations are over the phone, and we only offer webinars. We only allow four employees in the office at a time. The others work from home. The Entrepreneur Space, our commercial kitchen incubator, is operating in complete accordance with state and city guidelines. And then, we have had to cancel some events, such as Queens Taste, our annual gala that promotes local restaurants and other food/beverage purveyors.
What types of support do you most need support now?
We have lost some funding. We are still chugging along, but employees might have to accept pay cuts in the future. Besides that, we are functioning as normal. Really, the main support we need is for the governor and mayor to open up NYS and NYC.
What programs/services have you had to cut or scale back on?
Many of the tourism efforts are on hold, while a sadly large number of events have been cancelled or postponed. We hope to bounce back really soon.
Are there open positions now?
We actually just hired somebody to help with the consultations on government programs. However, I don't anticipate hiring anybody else for a while. (We always accept interns.)
What is next for your organization?
I don't predict any major changes, but we will adapt to the new realities as they appear. Small things like switching from live seminars to webinars and such.
What do you think the future holds for your sector as a result of the pandemic?
I hear the term "pent-up demand," and hope it is true. Once the restrictions are lifted, I hope people simply go crazy with their money (in Queens). The borough is certainly cheaper than Manhattan and it's full of fantastic restaurants, cultural venues, and hotels. Maybe New Yorkers who can't travel far for vacation this summer will spend more time (and money) in Rockaway Beach. Maybe Queens residents will eat at the outdoor strips in Astoria. Maybe out-of-towners will take day trips to our parks, beaches, and commercial strips. In short, we have to open ASAP before we lose businesses forever.
Rob MacKay is the director of public relations, marketing and tourism at the Queens Economic Development Corporation. For more information on the Queens Economic Development Corporation and the Queens Tourism Council, visit www.itsinqueens.com and www.queensny.org.
