Choura Events' Founder Turns Event Structures into COVID-19 Facilities for Health Staff and Locals.

Apr 16

Apr 16 Music Festivals Turned Medical Facilities: Choura Fights COVID-19 Chaos

Ryan Choura, founder and CEO of Choura Events, is a Jack-of-all-trades, to say the least. Choura enjoys slalom skiing in Utah, speaking to students at local schools, creating memories with his family, and even competitive water-skiing. But Choura is best known for his time spent building tents and staging facilities for notable events. Some of those events include but not limited to Stagecoach, Coachella and the ESPYs.

Over the past 13 years, [Choura Events] has been so lucky, and grateful, and appreciative that our company really works hard to deliver a unique experience — to create something that’s special for people to attend events. We’ve been able to grow that little business to becoming the largest tent provider in the Western United States.
— Ryan Choura, founder and CEO of Choura Events

The First Postponements and Cancellations

Choura Events is an events service company based in Torrance, Calif. Choura Events’ 140+ employees eagerly waited for South by Southwest, BNP Paribas Open, and Coachella. Unfortunately, all upcoming social gatherings were canceled or postponed due to the coronavirus or COVID-19 pandemic.

BNP Paribas Open, an annual tennis tournament located at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, was the first major cancellation. Choura explained that the team had just finished building the tent, following 90 days of hard work, and a COVID-19 case was reported in Riverside County. This COVID-19 related cancellation was just the beginning. “We went from running 100 miles per hour to a dead stop,” Choura said. “It was emotional, it was overwhelming, it was so many things. We just knew we had to do something good here.”

Expected COVID-19 Situation for Ryan Choura

The United States anticipates 1.9 million diagnoses in addition to the 600,000 patients already identified with COVID-19. There are enough medical facilities for now, but with only 720,000 hospital beds readily available. Furthermore, hospitals can’t accommodate the number of predicted COVID-19 patients. The limited amount of COVID-19 care stuck a chord with Choura, especially when medical shortcomings are happening nearby.

“Within 72 hours of learning about the news of the postponement of Coachella and the cancellation of BNP tennis and other large events, [Choura Events] said how do we deploy our assets and our people for good,” Choura said. “So, we started working with local hospitals and government agencies to help build out facilities, testing centers, and triage centers.”

Medical Facilities, Supplies and Staff

When thinking of medical tents, what comes to mind? Perhaps it’s damp-grass flooring, one too many poles supporting the tent, or even an underprepared medical staff. However, Choura Events’ tents are not the usual, average tents. These beautifully designed structures feature hardwood floors, a wide assortment of medical supplies, and fully-trained staff.

Choura Events’ team continues to build medical facilities while using proper protective equipment. The crews outfitted themselves with the appropriate masks and gloves. They’re also careful to only drive in company trucks and trucks when pulling inventory from the 56,000 sq. ft. warehouse.

More Facilities in Southern California

Locals can primarily find triage tents in Southern California, but Choura Events builds facilities in different areas every day, including LA County, Orange County, and Riverside County. Although, more and more private companies are launching into COVID-19 testing for the public. “I think people are going to have to come up with different types of ideas to be unique,” Choura said. “You look at The Masters moving to November. Here is this iconic event and they’re even thinking about how to do this differently. I think you’re going to see many events and people evolve and change. I like that they’re thinking outside of what they’ve normally done.”

While the Choura Events’ team had to change directions quickly, they’re thankful to be a part of the solution. The event industry felt a stop once the coronavirus appeared, but Choura continues to push boundaries and break records. Many individuals and groups have appreciated Choura Events’ support of medical staff and health care providers, especially brands that contributed to treating those affected by COVID-19.

Considerations for Ryan Choura and Choura Events

Whatever choice Choura Events will make regarding the tents, it must make sure to build enough tents for the increasing number of COVID-19 patients. Additionally, Choura Events should continue to ensure that they have enough supplies for medical staff who are helping the patients inside the tents. Furthermore, it is necessary that these supplies should remain exclusive for the crews who are working in the tents.

Ryan Choura should also consider reaching out to local hospitals by requesting more medical employees who can volunteer at the tents. Any future decision that he and Choura Events will make is crucial to the recovery of COVID-19 patients.