A health scrutiny board could investigate the building and use of the Nightingale hospital in Harrogate.

The West Yorkshire Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee will consider next month whether to accept calls for it to hold an inquiry into decisions made about the facility.

Cllr Jim Clark, who represents Harrogate Harlow division, spent 10 years as chair of North Yorkshire’s scrutiny of health committee and now sits on the West Yorkshire equivalent, ensuring a voice for people in the Harrogate district who are treated at its hospitals.

Speaking to the committee yesterday, he said:

“This was a tremendous success, building the Nightingale hospitals, and the one in Harrogate was built in about four weeks after 10 years of bed closures in North Yorkshire…

“This has always been a campaigning committee and I have been proud to be a member of it… But I think we need a public inquiry into why did we never use the Nightingale hospital? They say now that it was an insurance policy, but if we had needed to use it, could we have used it?

“I wrote to the secretary of state in 2018 saying that we were so short of staff in the Harrogate CCG (Clinical Commissioning Group) at that time that it was affecting performance. So if we had needed the Nightingale hospital there wouldn’t have been people there to man it.”

The health scrutiny committee wrote to the NHS twice last August calling for the Nightingale hospital to be kept open, and again in November suggesting it be used for vaccinations. Cllr Clark praised the work of those running the Great Yorkshire Showground site, but said the awarding of contracts and the ability to make any use of the Nightingale hospital needed to be scrutinised.

He said the example of trouble at Welcome to Yorkshire which was only revealed years after the 2014 Tour de France served as a warning about the need for close scrutiny at the right time.

“We need to get this done now. I would welcome any help you can give me to get a proper public inquiry and it shouldn’t affect the on-going work of the pandemic.”

Read more:

• NHS insists Harrogate Nightingale ‘can take patients if required’
• Council calls for free parking for hospital staff

Scrutiny committee chair Cllr Helen Hayden told Cllr Clark that a working group meeting in March would decide whether to take his call for an inquiry forward.

Responding to Cllr Clark, Anthony Kealy, NHS England director in West Yorkshire, said the Nightingale was still being used for diagnostic scans and its future beyond the end of March was yet to be announced by the government. He added:

“We have regarded it largely as a success that we have never had to use the Nightingale for in-patient care. It was, as Cllr Clark suggested, developed as a bit of an insurance policy agains the NHS being overwhelmed.

“The Nightingale programme was rolled out very rapidly at the point where we were looking at northern Italy and its health services being overwhelmed. If the NHS had got to that point in April, the Nightingale would have certainly opened, but we managed to avoid that.”

He said while it was true to say it would have had to bring staff in from existing hospitals from the system, that was to be expected. Staff were busy in their daily roles, as would be expected, and would have been redeployed from routine care to run the Nightingale.

However, committee member Cllr Betty Rhodes said “robbing Peter to pay Paul” with staff moving from hospitals to the Nightingale would not have been a workable solution. At the time, she said, the hospital trusts were looking at cutting routine services and could not have spared staff.

She also supported calls for an inquiry, including into the procurement processes used during the pandemic to ensure they represented value for money.

Cllr Hayden added:

“This discussion will go on about procurement, about the Nightingale hospital… We will discuss as a board, looking back at the pandemic and assessing what went right, what went wrong, what do we need to learn from it. It’s going to be an on-going process.”

The former Army captain who opened the NHS Nightingale hospital in Harrogate has died aged 100, his family has announced.

Captain Sir Tom Moore was the guest of honour at a virtual opening of the facility last April, in recognition of his fundraising work.

He raised almost £33m for NHS Charities Together by walking lengths of his garden in Bedfordshire, hitting the headlines in the process.

Having been raised in Keighley, West Yorkshire, Captain Sir Tom was made an honorary colonel of the Army Foundation College in Harrogate last spring. He later visited the college to speak to junior soldiers and was invited back for their graduation in September.

In a statement posted on its social media accounts, the college said:

“It is such sad news to find out about the death of Sir Tom Moore, our honorary Colonel, and a great inspiration to all at the Army Foundation College. Our thoughts are with his family in this difficult time and our support is always here if they want it.”

His family confirmed his death today on his Twitter account. He had been taken into hospital on Sunday, after being diagnosed with pneumonia before testing positive for covid last week.

pic.twitter.com/4QHUcwrHiH

— Captain Sir Tom Moore (@captaintommoore) February 2, 2021

Tributes poured in from across the UK and beyond as soon as the news was announced.

The Captain Tom Foundation, set up to continue his legacy, issued a statement to its “founder and inspiration”:

“Captain Tom’s actions inspired people across the world and he was extremely honoured that the foundation might inspire a new generation of Captain Toms. We can all make a difference and through our continued work we will aspire to ensure Tom’s message of hope becomes an enduring legacy.

“Whilst we mourn his loss, we celebrate his life and will be forever grateful for his optimistic philosophy and wonderful spirit.”

Nigel Adams, MP for Selby and Ainsty, paid tribute on Twitter, saying: “RIP. A true British hero.”

Watch now:

• Capt Tom Moore opens Harrogate NHS Nightingale hospital
• Harrogate Army Foundation College welcomes Colonel Tom Moore as a ‘phenomenal’ role model

As 2020 draws to a close, over the coming days the Stray Ferret will look at the news stories that stood out among a year of extraordinary events. 

Today, we reflect on the story of Harrogate’s Nightingale hospital. 

Harrogate found itself in the headlines when its convention centre was commandeered by the NHS to create one of the seven national Nightingale hospitals across the UK. 

On March 30 – one week after the first national lockdown began – the armed forces arrived in town to begin the process of constructing a field hospital in the events venue. 

Over the following days, huge volumes of materials arrived, from scaffolding to hospital equipment, with ambulances seen pulling into the car park and officials given tours of the site. 

Only on April 2 did NHS England confirm the plans, revealing the Harrogate Nightingale would offer 500 beds for covid patients.

Sir Simon Stevens, NHS chief executive, said it was “nothing short of extraordinary” that the new hospital in London had been set up in less than a fortnight, with support from the Ministry of Defence. 

“The NHS, working with the military, has done in a matter of days what usually takes years. Now we are gearing up to repeat that feat at another four sites across the country to add to the surge capacity in current NHS hospitals. 

“We’re giving the go ahead to these additional sites, hoping they may not be needed but preparing in case they are. But that will partly depend on continuing public support for measures to reduce growth in the infection rate by staying at home to save lives.” 

During construction, the Nightingale became the focal point for public tributes to NHS staff as part of the weekly Clap for Carers. 

NHS Nightingale Hospital Yorkshire and the Humber, Harrogate.

Work continued for three weeks before the hospital was officially opened on April 21 by Captain Tom Moore, via a video link. 

On the eve of the opening, two videos were produced thanking those who had helped in its construction. The first was created by Harrogate Convention Centre and Cause UK, while the second was made by hotelier Simon Cotton and actor Neil Granger. 

No covid patients

After the hospital was opened, the district waited to see when the first patients would be admitted. 

However, eight months on, the hospital is yet to treat a covid patient, instead being used to offer CT scans through Harrogate District Hospital. It was confirmed in May that the NHS was not paying rent for use of the site, which is run by Harrogate Borough Council.  

The agreement to use the site was initially for three months to the end of June, before being extended for another month.  

As lockdown restrictions eased, hospitality and events businesses called for a decision to be made so they knew whether the venue would be able to host any of its usual conferences in 2020. 

Negotiations continued and rumours cicrulated until, finally, the NHS confirmed on August 17 that the hospital would remain in situ until next March. A break clause at the end of October was not activated. 

It then emerged that the NHS was paying £126,000 per month to HBC in utilities, and that the total set-up costs for the hospital were £27.3m. 

‘Hand it back’

Even when the decision was announced, there were still calls for the convention centre to be handed back to HBC in order to be ready to reopen when restrictions allow, for the benefit of the local economy.  

Lord Newby, the Liberal Democrat leader in the House of Lords, who lives in Ripon, has been a vocal critic of the continued use of the venue. 

He told the Lords in October that the venue will not be able to open safely because existing NHS employees are expected to staff it, rather than additional staff being recruited. Labour MP Yvette Cooper backed up this claim in the House of Commons the following month.

Lord Newby has since called for the venue to be handed back to the council, accepting that it will “never be used”. 

A spokesperson for the NHS Nightingale Yorkshire and the Humber, however, said the venue was on stand-by ready to be scaled up with “the right mix of skills” when needed.  

Meanwhile, the vaccination programme for the district began just a few days before Christmas at the Great Yorkshire Showground. 

Read more: 

• Harrogate Nightingale remains ‘on standby’ amid new covid strain
• £100,000 Skipton Road traffic light scheme delayed due to Nightingale

Harrogate Christmas Market is set to be called off this year, the Stray Ferret can reveal.

The four-day event, which has been running annually since 2012, is set to be cancelled for the first time in its history next week because of continuing covid restrictions.

Public health officials for North Yorkshire are expected to meet on Monday to discuss restrictions which would need to be in place for outdoor events to go ahead. However, with crowds of up to 60,000 coming from across the country – including coaches filled with day-trippers – it is expected that Harrogate Christmas Market will not be able to meet the requirements.

The news comes as a further blow to local businesses, including retailers, restaurants and bars, which have reported increased footfall during the market in previous years. Organisers say the event is designed to bring visitors into the town centre at a vital time for the local economy – and this year could have been more important than ever.

Harrogate BID acting chair Sara Ferguson said:

“The Christmas Market brings thousands of shoppers into Harrogate over its four days, and if it were to be cancelled this year, it would be another blow to the town’s retailers.

“I know the organisers, who have worked incredibly hard to make it the success it is, will be trying their hardest to comply with all the health and safety requirements brought about by coronavirus.”

With events at Harrogate Convention Centre not possible because of its continued use as a Nightingale hospital, it is the latest in a string of major events in the Harrogate calendar to be forced to cancel.

Read more:

• Harrogate Nightingale contract extended until March 2021
• Yorkshire Showground cancelled events worth over £70 million
• Harrogate district event venues light up in ‘red alert’

Andrew Armstrong, who runs Harrogate Lifestyle Apartments on Kings Road, told the Stray Ferret he would have liked the opportunity for local businesses to come together and see what could be done to save the event. He said it could have been moved into the town centre and set up in smaller clusters, with masks mandatory, in order to limit crowds.

“We would normally be full with tourists and visitors coming for the weekend. At the moment, we’ve only got a couple of bookings in for that weekend – we’re finding that the booking window is getting shorter and shorter, because nobody dares commit to booking in case something happens.

“It’s quite frightening. It’s the same for all accommodation businesses – nobody knows that’s going to happen. We rely on the business element during the darker winter seasons, because you just don’t get people wanting to come when it’s cold, windy or snowing. 50% of our business in winter is from Harrogate Convention Centre and events like this.”

Mr Armstrong said he has had one booking for this year’s dates called off already, with the visitor asking to move to next year’s provisional dates. However, he said putting bookings back by a year would be no help to those hospitality businesses struggling to make ends meet in the coming weeks and months.

NHS Nightingale Hospital Yorkshire and the Humber, Harrogate

Unlike others around the country, Harrogate’s Christmas market focuses on Yorkshire products. As well as individual stalls around the aisles, it features a craft and gifts marquee and a food and drink marquee – though the latter was not expected to feature in this year’s event because of covid restrictions.

In July, organisers confirmed they were awaiting a licence being awarded by Harrogate Borough Council for this year’s event, which takes place on Stray land, for which the council has responsibility.

Guidance on the government website says:

“Where the council is the landowner, they could refuse permission to allow the use of the land for an event without the need to issue a direction.

“Beyond this, however, it seems broadly that the intention is that outdoor events should take place where it is safe to do so with the focus on these being supported to operate safely, rather than blocked.”

However, the guidance also states that events can be called off by authorities if there is a rise in cases in the locality. This happened last week in Leeds, when a funfair was banned less than 24 hours before it was due to open because of a cluster of new cases in the surrounding area.

The Stray Ferret understands organisers are keen for Harrogate Christmas Market to return as usual next year.

Harrogate Borough Council is billing the NHS around £126,000 a month for gas, electric and water at Harrogate’s Nightingale Hospital.

Figures published yesterday revealed the NHS paid Harrogate Borough Council £378,220 in “miscellaneous costs” related to the NHS Nightingale.

The NHS confirmed to the Stray Ferret that the £378,220 payment covers the utilities for the building during the Nightingale’s first three months – April, May and June.

Harrogate Borough Council said it is not charging the NHS rent for using the facility.

The NHS took over Harrogate’s Convention Centre in April but so far the hospital has not been used to treat coronavirus patients.

Read more:

• NHS paid consultancy firm £1m to set up Harrogate’s Nightingale

• Harrogate’s hospitality sector says Nightingale extension has ‘huge impact’

After weeks of uncertainty, it was confirmed this week that the Nightingale will remain in place until March 2021 after its contract was extended. However, a review will take place in October to assess its need.

Local businesses which rely on the events trade said the extension will have a “huge impact.”

The government has earmarked £3 billion of extra funding to support the seven NHS Nightingale hospitals.

The seven month extension to the NHS contract at Harrogate Convention Centre has forced local business to call for clarity saying it will have a “huge impact”.

After weeks of uncertainty regarding the Nightingale hospital it was announced last night that the contract has been extended until the end of March 2021.  A review will go ahead in October to review the need for the 500-bed hospital.

Local businesses which relying on the events trade said they want information.

Andrew Manby, director of events firm Joe Manby Ltd, said:

“This will have a major impact, particularly on the town’s services. At the moment the autumn is under question, we don’t know what will be available. The bigger impact will be for the beginning of next year. We are looking at January currently and it’ll be interesting how they will make it work. There is an absolute lack of clarity about the situation, on our end we were hoping for some clarity as the position going forward is uncertain.

“It may be available from December if they pull out during the October review. Anyone who works with the events centre will be affected, we haven’t had that clear decision today or at all.”

The continuing use by the NHS means the convention centre is unable to plan ahead for future events.

Kim Wilson, chairman of Accommodation Harrogate and a B&B owner, said:

“We were pretty sure something was going to happen. January/February are our quietest months anyway asides from the big show which were already cancelled. We’d want the events back to normal but if they are cancelled already we’d want the event centre open as soon as possible. This will have a big impact on the bed and breakfasts, hotels, pubs and restaurants locally it could put them in a significant situation.”

Read more:

• The seven-month extension is announced. 
• Hospitality businesses on Kings Road try to remain positive following news of the extension.

Last month £3 billon of funding was announced for the Nightingale hospitals across the UK to be maintained until the end of March if needed.

The temporary hospital hasn’t treated a single coronavirus patient but will remain in place for a further seven months amid fears of a winter spike of coronavirus.

The facility has been used for outpatient CT scans since early June.  Details of the financial contract between the NHS and HBC for this extension have not yet been made public.

A trade show usually held at Harrogate Convention Centre in September has announced it will stay in Harrogate, with new dates released.

With the future of the NHS Nightingale still unconfirmed, The Flooring Show has struck at deal with Yorkshire Event Centre to use its halls from February 28 to March 2 next year.

It is good news for the town’s economy, keeping visitors in the area to use hotels, guesthouses, restaurants, bars and more during the event. Organisers said they will put on a free shuttle bus for delegates to access the town’s “unique charm and plentiful amenities”.

Heather Parry, Managing Director of Yorkshire Event Centre Ltd said:

“We are delighted to be able to host The Flooring Show at the Yorkshire Event Centre and ensure that the UK’s biggest national flooring event remains here in Harrogate.

“Harrogate continues to be an ideal destination to hold events, in keeping with the latest government advice on social gatherings. We are pleased to play our part in supporting the local economy.”

Event director Alex Butler said:

Just nine days remain until the end of the contract for the Nightingale hospital in Harrogate – and there is still no confirmation of its future.

Although the Prime Minister announced on Friday that £3bn of funding was being given to the NHS to fund Nightingale hospitals through the winter if needed, the future of the Harrogate facility has not been confirmed.

Both Harrogate Borough Council, which owns the centre and the NHS have said no decision has been made on whether the contract for the venue will be extended after the end of July.

The venue has been home to the field hospital since late March, when it was set up in just three weeks by NHS staff and the armed forces. The initial contract ran until the end of June, before being extended to the end of July.

Now, with conferences and events across the country able to resume from October 1, businesses are calling for clarity on HCC’s future so they can plan for their recovery from lockdown.

Andrew Manby, a director of family events firm Joe Manby Ltd, which was founded 46 years ago, said the future of the town’s economy is in the balance. He asked the NHS to announce a decision soon:

“No decision is equally damaging as the wrong decision. If they do keep the Nightingale, I understand those needs and people’s health is paramount, but it puts Harrogate into a very difficult position.

“This is potentially a game-changing time. What will be left of the events and meetings industry in Harrogate if this thing goes on through to the middle of next year?”

Andrew Manby is calling for more support for local businesses

This week, the NEC in Birmingham confirmed it would be reopening in full as its Nightingale hospital was decommissioned, leaving a small non-Covid stand-by facility in place until March. With 20 halls, however, only a fraction of its space was taken up by the Nightingale, whereas almost all of HCC has been occupied.

Meanwhile, Manchester’s Nightingale hospital has been placed on stand-by ready for future cases, after treating Covid patients earlier this year. If Harrogate’s Nightingale were to close, Manchester would be the closest alternative for patients from across Yorkshire and the Humber, along with Washington, Tyne and Wear.

Read more: 

• Council considers £47m redevelopment of Harrogate Convention Centre
• Hospital parking to remain free for NHS workers

A spokesperson for the NHS Nightingale Hospital Yorkshire and the Humber said:

“We welcome the news that more funding is being made available to fight the Covid pandemic. We’d like to take this opportunity to thank the people of Harrogate for their invaluable support to date. We continue to work closely with our colleagues at NHS England and Harrogate Borough Council to agree the next steps for our regional temporary hospital at HCC.”

Harrogate Convention Centre has been set up as a field hospital since April, but no Covid patients have been treated there

For Harrogate, the question is not just whether the Nightingale will remain in place, but what happens to the local economy if it does.

HCC says it brings £35m into the area through trade and public events during a normal year. Hotels, bars, restaurants and cafes all benefit from HCC visitors and have previously raised concerns about how they will survive without that trade over the coming months.

Even if the Nightingale hospital is removed, Mr Manby said organisers will be making difficult decisions about whether their events can go ahead safely – and if they are viable with fewer visitors.

Working across the UK, he said his fears were for the local, independent hospitality businesses that make Harrogate unique, and for the resulting impact on the town’s future prospects.

“When HCC come back, as they will, what facilities are going to be left that we can promote the town with?

“It’s the smaller independents that make Harrogate the unique facility it is. If they aren’t going to survive, that’s the unique offering Harrogate has. It’s going to change the whole shape and form of the town – forever, possibly.

“It will be the serious demise of Harrogate as an event and exhibition facility, which has been built up over 50-plus years. It could be gone.

“We will work hard to make sure that doesn’t happen.”

Business organisations have called for events to be moved to other venues in Harrogate while the convention centre is out of use.

Events and conferences will be able to resume from October 1 under new government guidance, but Harrogate Convention Centre is expected to play host to the NHS Nightingale hospital for another eight months.

It could mean that events scheduled to take place there will move elsewhere – and, once lost, the business may not return in future years. Harrogate BID said it will do all it can to help organisers and venues keep events in the area, to help local businesses survive. Acting chair Sara Ferguson said:

“It goes without saying that this is a blow for Harrogate’s conference and exhibition trade. We now need to do all we can to ensure that whilst the Convention Centre, Royal Hall and exhibition halls are out of commission, those events that are due to take place are offered alternative accommodation within the town, be it in hotels or at the Great Yorkshire Showground.

“Harrogate BID will help in whatever way it can, which could include sponsoring shuttle buses between the town centre and the showground. We are also looking at a calendar of events that will bring people into the town centre on a regular basis.”

Harrogate BID has deep cleaned the town centre and vowed to do all it can to keep events in the local area

The managers of Yorkshire Event Centre and Pavilions of Harrogate, both on the Great Yorkshire Showground, said they are keen to host events and help local businesses. They said an independent report last year found the venues brought an economic impact of £73.7m to the area. Managing director Heather Parry said:

“Harrogate remains the ideal destination to hold events and our local economy needs events to thrive. This year has clearly been a different picture but we are here, prepared and ready to open safely in October.

“The Yorkshire Event Centre and Pavilions of Harrogate are both light and airy venues with easy access to outside space and have extensive free car parking, all of which are key to offering safe and accessible spaces.  All profits generated from our venues go towards helping to support the charitable work of the Yorkshire Agricultural Society.

“We are hoping to support our districts hospitality sector by hosting a wide range of events. In times like these we must all pull together and support each other.”

Similarly, the DoubleTree by Hilton Majestic Hotel – which should this week have hosted marquees as part of the Home & Gift Fair at HCC – said it stands ready to play its part. General manager Andy Barnsdale said:

“Of course the loss of the Convention Centre for the foreseeable future is a disappointment, and it is crucial that we don’t lose any events to other towns and cities.

“Harrogate is one of the most popular destinations for conferences, trade shows and events in the UK. Delegates and organisers love coming to Harrogate and we need to let them know the town is very much open for business.”

Read more: 

• Calls for government to offer compensation over loss of event trade in Harrogate
• Council leader warns some businesses will not survive coronavirus crisis

Though Boris Johnson today said £3bn of funding was being arranged to enable the Nightingale hospitals across the country to remain in place until the end of March, Harrogate Borough Council said the contract with the NHS has yet to be finalised. However, Nightingale hospitals around the UK are expected to remain on stand-by in case a second wave of cases overwhelms existing hospitals, and in the meantime will offer additional testing and treatment facilities for other illnesses.

Decline in investment

While business owners who have spoken to The Stray Ferret in recent months have not questioned the value of additional NHS facilities to deal with the Covid pandemic, they have raised concerns about the ability of the town to survive without a major source of income through the year.

Events including the Knitting and Stitching Show, the Country Living Christmas Fair and the Bridal Show bring in thousands of visitors who, as well as visiting the halls, stay in local hotels or guesthouses, eat out in town, and visit local shops.

Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce said the drop in trade could see a decline in investment in the area and even the loss of some businesses with a “hard winter” looming. Chief executive Sandra Doherty said:

“Whilst Harrogate has never completely relied on the conference and exhibition trade, it has been the business which underpins the leisure trade.

“There is the choice and number of bed spaces in Harrogate solely due to the Convention Centre trade, and without it we may well see a decline in investment and perhaps the loss of some of these businesses. The number of places to eat and drink also relies on the influx of large numbers of visitors and delegates during conferences and exhibitions.

“What will happen to these is anybody’s guess as they continue to suffer from the impact of Covid restrictions.

“Harrogate is a town which enjoys popularity and status. I really hope this will help us through what could well be a hard winter for many.”

Businesses on Kings Road who normally benefit from Convention Centre trade are trying to stay positive as the news that NHS Nightingale will remain at the site until March.

South African couple Mark and Gill Church only moved to Harrogate in December after searching all over the UK to find their dream location. They fell in love with Scotia House, a hotel on King’s Road that stands in the shadow of the Convention Centre.

Mark and Gill are enjoying welcoming guests again after being closed for several months but Mick said it’s been a “brutal” start to their new life in Harrogate.

Mark watched the announcement that the NHS Nightingale hospitals will stay open from Boris Johnson on the news. He said that whilst he welcomed the NHS using the Convention Centre as a hospital, the longer it stays there the more damage it could cause the town.

He said:

“For our business and for the town, it’s very bad”

Mick Wren, co-owner at Cold Bath Brew Co said the Convention Centre being closed until March is a “huge blow” to Harrogate.

Mick Wren, co-owner of Cold Bath Brewing Co.

Mick said their business is not as reliant as nearby guesthouses for conference trade and estimates that around 10% of its business comes from people attending events.

He said he hopes that the Convention Centre can return to what it once was.

He said:

“I’d like to see it how people tell me it was around 15-20 years ago. But back then there weren’t as many convention facilities like this. Now there are 20 or 30 across the country.”

“The frightening thing is if big ones go somewhere else and like it – then they might not come back.”

Read more:

• Government ‘should compensate’ for Nightingale extension

• BREAKING: Harrogate’s Nightingale hospital to remain until March

Kim Wilson owns the Camberly and the Lodge on Kings Road. She has been part of the Harrogate Scrubbers group making PPE for hospital staff whilst her hotels have been closed.

Kim Wilson, co-owner of the Camberley.

Kim said July is normally their busiest month and it’s been tough to miss out on events at the conference centre as well as the Great Yorkshire Show and the Theakston Crime Writing Festival.

There have been calls for the government, the NHS or even the local authority to provide compensation to businesses affected by the Nightingale – which Kim says is wide of the mark.

She said:

“HBC doesn’t have an endless pot of money and we don’t want to take money from the NHS – they need it”

Looking to the future, Kim said that Harrogate can now position itself as more than just a conference town. She said she is optimistic that things will return back to normal eventually.

She said:

“I think things will recover and people will be surprised how quickly things snap back”.