When describing an expert and want the easiest, but most accurate figure of speech to convey the image, a handy metaphor rarely fails. It conjures up a vision that simplifies, yet perfectly describes the person you’re talking about. Such is the case for Kevin Ortiz, General Manager of the Pueblo Convention Center. ‘When you want to know about wood,’ it goes, ‘ask a carpenter.’
Ortiz is that man. When you want to know about Pueblo and everything it has to offer, he’s the ‘go to’ guy. The native Puebloan has been pitching his city to any group, organization or company exploring convention sites whether it’s for reunions, anniversaries or, well, conventions.
But like his counterparts all across the country, the last couple of years have been multiple seasons of discontent. “Obviously, it was a very trying time for the event industry,” Ortiz said in a recent phone interview. “We were in unchartered territory.” The common enemy to ‘business as usual’ was a virus, COVID-19, followed by its progeny variants, Delta and, more recently, Omicron.
In March 2020, just three months after it first appeared, COVID had metastasized almost surrealistically, growing from a regional health issue first discovered in Wuhan, China, and growing into a storm of almost cataclysmic proportion. In just a matter of weeks, the virus had the world in a death grip on a scale comparable only to 1918’s Great Influenza, another virus, one that killed as many as 50 million people worldwide.
Before COVID, Ortiz was counting on a big year for Pueblo and the chance to shine a light on his hometown. But suddenly, the blowtorch year he expected dimmed to an anemic flicker. When the convention center’s phones rang, it was often a cancellation. And while things weren’t totally shut down, said Ortiz, other issues—capacity restrictions and social distancing—turned big paydays into big disappointments or worse, big nothings.
But dark days aren’t anything new to Pueblo, said Ortiz. The city has seen tough times before. Even today, Pueblo has the highest unemployment rate in the state. But this is a town, he said, where truly, the show must go on. And does.
With a combination of imagination and determination, said this son of Pueblo, “We were able to survive.” “One thing about Pueblo, one thing I love so much,” Ortiz boasts, is that “when tough times present themselves, this community really bonds together to make things work, make things happen.” Knowing the stakes and squeezing every possible cent out of state and federal grants, the lights stayed on and, a slow and steady rebound began.
Ortiz said that 2021 was “a fantastic year…events rebooked or rescheduled.” Last summer’s bookings even set convention center records. “July, August and September we had our best financial months in the last six years.”
Everything clicked. “We met our budget…it was a big win.” The ship was righted.
Pueblo, a town that is known as “The Home of Heroes,” for its inordinate number of Congressional Medal of Honor recipients, often gets military groups to convene. It also serves as an ideal landing spot for fraternal gatherings or farm and ranch organizations that dot the southern Colorado landscape.
Still, for outsiders who may not have considered Pueblo for a convention, one might ask: where’s the sizzle in Pueblo? Well, that’s Ortiz’s cue. Without blushing nor hint of vanity, Ortiz clears his throat for the pitch. “We have competitive prices; we have good customer service; we have the life that people are looking for when attending events.” The big finish and without an ounce of conceit, “On top of that, our local cuisine is the best in Colorado.” Mexican and Italian food in Pueblo, he said, can’t be beat. And for good measure, he’ll also tell anyone that Pueblo’s Nature Center, Riverwalk and Lake Pueblo are perfect for visitors and their families.
Additionally, Ortiz said Pueblo’s convention center is located adjacent to the city’s biggest hotel, The Marriott. But there is a cluster of other good places to stay, all within walking distance to both the convention center and the city’s downtown. For good measure, he also says downtown offers both culture and nightlife.
Ortiz said the convention center operates as well as it does with the help of a great sales team “that is constantly looking for local and national business.” The convention center, like so many others, also belongs to a consortium of associations “that help promote our community and facility.” In addition, he said, the city’s Chamber of Commerce and the Latino Chamber of Commerce help tremendously. Its success, he said, is a team effort.
Pueblo, said Ortiz, is open for business. “Once we bring ‘em down, we have a very good chance of bringing them back.”
