This past year has been unprecedented for the travel and tourism sector, and air travel continues to be at its lowest point. For Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport, strong teamwork is helping the airport forge a head in the coronavirus landscape. The master plan was able to not only continue but thrive due to low traffic, CEO John Selden told Invest:Insights. The airport continues to support concessionaires and airline partners through creative solutions. Confidence amongst travelers will be paramount and the airport has bolstered safety measures extensively during this period.

Atlanta offers a robust commercial real estate market that has experienced market correction due to the pandemic and its challenges. However, through these challenges, the commercial real estate sector is poised to remain strong, Transwestern’s President of the East Region, Bruce Ford told Invest: Insights. The office market has sound fundamentals that will allow it to bounce back, while logistics, a major focus for the firm, has only gotten a bigger focus, Ford said.

If the COVID-19 pandemic has taught the general public anything, it is that taking the correct precautionary measures results in the overall shared safety of a community. Mayor of Alpharetta, Jim Gilvin, understands this need for public safety and stressed its importance throughout his conversation with Abby Melone.

Though the coronavirus has brought on challenges to virtually every sector, many projects and initiatives in the Atlanta area continue to move forward. The Aerotropolis Atlanta Community Improvement Districts are among the most exciting developments in the region. Its projects continue to move forward and interest remains high, Aerotropolis Atlanta Alliance CEO Shannon James told Invest: Insights. The coronavirus has caused shifts in strategy to adapt to the virtual world, but commitment to the local community remains the top priority, he said.

The coronavirus pandemic undoubtedly forced many industries to change their business models and rethink their office space needs. Businesses will be adapting their office space to account for the COVID-19 landscape, among the possibles changes are a closer look at social distancing measures, staggered work schedules, and proximity contact tracking Maptician Co-found and COO John Wichmann told Invest: Insights. The physical workplace will still be relevant for companies but adaptations will be needed, he said.

Addressing the challenges caused by the coronavirus has been challenging for both healthcare professionals and medical schools preparing the next generation of front line workers. For the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, leaders are amazed at what has been done thus far on the front lines and the reaction to their enrollment figures despite the pandemic, Chief Campus Officer Bryan Ginn told Invest: Insights. The college is confident of the healthcare industry’s future and has been working with healthcare partners on what rotation will look like once they can get back into hospitals and other healthcare centers.

The Payment Protection Program may have had a rocky roll out at first, but it has overall been an incredible help in safeguarding Georgia’s economy. This was the message conveyed to Abby Melone during her discussion with Joe Brannen, President and CEO of the Georgia Bankers Association, who also emphasized that vital role that community banks in the state have played as they accounted for 60% of the 126,000 loans given out in the 30 days that made up the first round of the PPP.

Partnership Gwinnett is currently supporting the local business community in the midst of the coronavirus landscape. In an interview with Invest: Insigjhts, Vice President Andrew Carnes said the organization is expecting a spike in unemployment and is prepared with resources to help the community, much like it did during the 2008 recession. They have a “back to work plan” that was shared with businesses to help them prepare for the transition back into the office. The organization is working with the economic coalition throughout the region to let the public know Gwinnett remains a great place for business.

If the COVID-19 pandemic has taught the general public anything, it is that taking the correct precautionary measures results in the overall shared safety of a community. Mayor of Alpharetta, Jim Gilvin, understands this need for public safety and stressed its importance throughout his conversation with Abby Melone.

During times of crisis, innovation thrives. In 2020, a lot of this innovation is in the form of new and improved upon technologies and when Abby Melone spoke with Larry Williams, President and CEO of TAG (Technology Association of Georgia), he touched upon the fact that the technology space is currently buzzing over the capabilities and innovations currently coming from the telemedicine data and cloud storage sectors.He also identified that, even with the COVID-19 pandemic, there hasn’t been very much change in the investment environment as it relates to technology.

In times of crisis, reliability is a trait that is held in even higher regard. Kevin Greiner, the President and CEO of Gas South, understands this and emphasized to Abby Melone that Gas South is proud to be built upon a foundation of sound fundamentals and a reputation as a reliable services provider, especially during this COVID-19 pandemic. He also spoke on the company’s $1 million contribution to an economic relief fund in Atlanta in light of COVID-19.

While Georgia is preparing to reopen for business, safety still has to be the number one priority. This was the message that Dr. Eloisa Klementich, President and CEO of Invest Atlanta, conveyed to Abby Melone in regards to how the City of Atlanta will approach the gradual process of reopening the economy. She also spoke on the increase in specific needs of the business community as we move forward in a world post the COVID-19 pandemic.

COVID-19 may have slowed down a vast majority of construction projects, but it has opened the opportunity for different regions to address long standing infrastructure improvements. Kevin Green, President & CEO of Midtown Alliance, spoke to Abby Melone about now being a time where infrastructure projects can make significant progress with less people on the roads and less intrusion and obstruction to people’s daily lives.

At a time like this, the community leaders in both the private and public sectors are looking to offer a helping hand to residents who may be struggling to get through this period of economic distress. One such organization is the Atlanta Gas Light who is promising to not turn anyone’s utilities off during this time regardless of their ability to pay the bill, Bryan Batson the President of Atlanta Gas Light told Abby Melone.

Though most business sectors are currently feeling the economic strain, the tourism and hospitality sectors were two of the hardest hit. President of the Central Atlanta Progress, AJ Robinson, spoke at length with the CEO of Capital Analytics, Abby Melone, about the unprecedented impact this has had on the hospitality sector and how his organization is working closely with city officials to address these challenges.