The coronavirus pandemic means people haven’t been able to “Take it to the Max.”

The Maxwell Regional Agricultural and Convention Center in Goldsboro has not been able to hold many of its scheduled events due to the COVID-19 crisis.

James Wade, the Director of the Maxwell Center, gave an update on the facility’s operations to the Wayne County Board of Commissioners last week.

Wade says convention centers have been lumped in with stadiums, arenas, and movie theaters, which have set seating arrangements.

However, the Maxwell Center is a large space where seating arrangements can be made while keeping social distancing in mind.

Wade says the Maxwell Center could use to operate at 50% occupancy which would still allow the facility to host banquets for up to 450 attendees.

Since mid-March, the Maxwell Center has only been able to hold a handful of events.

Wade says some events have rescheduled while others just had to ask for refunds on their deposits.

Wade estimates the Maxwell Center has missed out in about $12,000 in alcohol sales and $18,000 in catering fees.

During the downtime, Wade says the Maxwell Center has been cleaned extensively.

Wayne County plans to draft a letter to the governor asking for venues like the Maxwell Center to be allowed to continue operations with limited capacity and while adhering to social distancing guidelines.