Media Credit: Hatchet File Photo
Students wait outside Lisner Auditorium for an impromptu appearance by Kanye West. In-person events and speakers have been a staple of GW's brand, but officials laid off many event staff once the pandemic hit.
As GW prepares for an in-person fall semester, officials are expanding the University’s Events and Venues team after many members of the department were laid off last summer to mitigate the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Paul Hegarty, the associate vice president of events, said he hopes to have staff begin the newly-posted positions by August 30 – the first day of fall classes – including roles like a venue manager and an assistant director for scheduling. Administrators laid off 339 staff last year in administrative units like events, communications, information technology, career services, athletics and facilities as they faced a roughly $180 million annual revenue gap. Hegarty said officials are now ready to hire new event staff after more than a year of in-person event cancellations due to the pandemic.