SALT LAKE CITY — More than 1,300 people are expected to have convened in the Alamo City for a single in-person event this weekend.
In any other year, that sentence wouldn't be unusual. The densely packed crowds of Fiesta events would have been a memory from several months ago, the stands at football stadiums would be filled with screaming fans and some San Antonians would be preparing to head north to attend the State Fair of Texas.
But, of course, this isn't just like any other year. And an event like the Women of Joy Conference – which started Friday and will last through Sunday at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center – is suddenly a rare event. Specifically, it's the city first conference since widespread social distancing measures were implemented and shutdowns started in the spring.
According to the city, 62 meetings at the convention center have been a no-go this year, amounting to a $296 million economic impact. Meanwhile, the founder of the Women of Joy Conference is glad to bring business to the Alamo City.
"If we have to be the first to kind of jump-start the convention center in San Antonio, and people can have their livelihood, we are OK to do that," Phil Waldrep said. "Because we are following guidelines, it is safe. But, at the same time, it is going to be helping people."
Conference participants are having their temperatures checked before they enter the event, and they'll need to wear masks the entire time. If they don't follow the rules, officials say, they'll be asked to leave.
Three more conventions are scheduled to take place at the convention center through the end of the year.