As the week is ending and the rest of the world is looking forward to a weekend with family, cheering on their favorite team, dinner out and probably even sleeping in, we venue managers are just gearing up for the events we have spent the week preparing for. We do not have jobs like the rest of the world; we have careers that are actually lifestyles. And we wouldn’t have it any other way.
But on this Friday, I ask you to take a moment to think about when you first started in this industry. The excitement of seeing a live event and knowing you were a part of it. The long hours. The lack of sleep. Living on concession food but mostly running on fumes. Who wouldn’t want this glamorous career we call venue management? But after all the event excitement is over, the reality set in. You were exhausted. You missed out on all the fun with your friends and family. You started to feel a little left out. Wouldn’t it have been great to have a resource you could connect with to share your hopes and fears and get some guidance on how to navigate this career you couldn’t help but love?
Because of your support for the IAVM Foundation, the next generation has all the resources we didn’t:
- 30 Under 30 Program
- Young Professionals Program
- Joseph A. Floreano Scholarship and Internship Program
- Certified Venue Professional (CVP) Certification
- 100 Women of IAVM
- Diversity Program
We are opening doors for the next generation every day by creating an IAVM family of resources to make sure those who are humble enough to put in the work and hungry for this career can have every opportunity to be successful.
Please take a moment now to watch our newest video, MY Foundation, MY Future and help us pay it forward to the next generation of venue managers. Not only are we building the leaders of the future, we are training the young professionals who may soon be working for you.
It’s Foundation Friday. Take a break from your busy day to remind yourself why you love this business and then please make an investment in the future. Consider all the programs your Foundation has supported over the years including VMS, AVSS, SES, CFE and so many more and if you have benefited from any or all of these, someone invested in you and now is your opportunity to pay it forward.
Invest in YOUR Foundation. YOUR Future. Today!
Thank you! Now go create some amazing events this weekend!
Stephanie Curran, CVE
IAVM Foundation Past Chair
