28 StPeteLifeMag.com May/June 2020
Making St. Pete Strong
ST. PETE STRONG
PHOTO/STEVEN LE-THEE PHOTO NINJA
Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, the start of the IndyCar 2020 season
teams setting up in the paddocks and press from around the
world arriving. Downtown and all the way to the beaches, hotels,
restaurants and businesses were anticipating the increase in visitors
-- the city’s economic impact has been estimated to be near $40
million for the week surrounding the race.
But March 13, the race came to a screeching halt. That’s when the
word “coronavirus” reared its ugly head with a sense of urgency
never before seen. It wasn’t just the race that
closed down. By the following Monday, it was
clear that just about everything was shutting
down. It was time for the St. Petersburg Area
Chamber of Commerce to jump into action to
act as a communication lifeline for the many
small city businesses.
president and CEO Chris Steinocher and his team launched a plan
that would help local business owners through the crisis. He started
issuing text alerts to chamber members, updating them on news
“The grand prix was the start of a new world order. Luckily we
were prepared,” said Steinocher two months later. “We had a lot
of entities aligned -- the Grow Smarter program was in place, the
Greenhouse and EDC, the chamber board, the mayor’s team, we all
came together.”
Immediately, the chamber team got on the phone and called the
chamber’s 1,200-plus members. “We wanted each of our businesses
to know that they would be safe, we can help them get through
Catalyst publisher Joe Hamilton to co-host a series of streaming
videos aimed at supporting the local business community.
“Coronavirus Impact Insights” continues to stream weeknights,
BY MARCIA BIGGS
St. Pete Strong
/StPeteLifeMag.com